SLUDGE NATIONS

FA N TAS Y WA RGA MING IN A D O OM AGE OF BL AC K P OW DER

SEAN
SUTTER

ABOUT
M E TA L K I N G S T U D I O

Sean crafts compelling games in

fresh worlds like Relicblade and
Mystic Skies. Check out Sean's deeply
creative miniatures and enjoy diving
into Sludge.

M O R E AT

M E TA L K I N G S T U D I O.CO M
The world tree is rotting and the nine hells are bleeding into our own. We have

plunged into a poisoned dark age, and the verdant lands of our forefathers

have become a decaying nightmare. Black storms blot out the sun and churn

the dying earth into sludge. Vast tracts of land break apart to form island

kingdoms precariously supported by the colossal structure of the world tree.

Otherworldly fungal growths spread deadly spores, and great clouds of poison

scour and distort the world. Distant memories of the time before claw at the

mind, but the present horror remains.

Great armies languish in the land like locusts. They greedily consume the

now scarce resources. Barons, dukes, and princes gather warriors to conquer

what they can as they conduct bitter warfare to settle ancient grudges. The

cruel wars of men compound the nightmare. Death would be a small mercy,

but for fear or hate, the warriors will not yield. The latent magic of the world

tree spurs cycles of endless violence. The great exposed roots of the world tree

will heal any wound at a price, and men have turned to the dark practice of

harvesting its vital fragments. When forced into a wound the root bursts to

life, feeding off the host but also sustaining him. The excruciating process is

a horror of its own, yet the promise of revenge sends bitter hearts down this

dark path.

Decaying structures of reality crumble. Dark worlds beyond our own merge

into the sludge mire of the present age. Rumors of evil creatures and strange

men spread, but whatever new horrors may emerge, relentless armies of

damned men yet march to war. Once peaceful peoples are caught between

spreading fungal horrors and the incursion of evil warlords. Even the free men

have turned to violence. Grim corruption has taken hold of all things. Nothing

pure remains.

It i s a dark age of sludge and d oo m

SLUDGE NATIONS | 3
 Introduction
Greetings Sojourner,

Thus we return to the nightmare realms of sludge. In this volume of blaster we will
explore some of the nations found in the western branchways. As a miniature agnostic
game, sludge is always balanced against each player’s personal agency as a creative
storyteller. The core units presented in sludge war represent the “universal” troop types
found throughout the world of sludge. The rules found in sludge nations dive deeper into
some of the stranger unit types that exist in that doomed world.

Ultimately, even though there is a fair offering of lore in this supplement, it is crafted
under the expectationthat you will shape these rules into your own vision of the sludge
world. The Basilisk Empire is arguably themost powerful nation that exists in this “Doom
Age of Black Powder.” But the basilisk also represents an imperial archetype that players
can adopt and adapt to the vision they hold for their own army. These new units are
balanced for competitive play, but that doesn’t mean they have to look the way I describe
them. You are free to “reskin” the horrible machines, cursed magicians, and cunning
weapons of war as you see fit.

This supplement steers the sludge ship away from the realms of anachronism and
directly into weird doom fantasy. One of my favorite moments during play-testing
included seeing a smoldering land crawler nearly torn to shreds by a mutated giant.
Then the tank blasted its arcane engines into overdrive and smashed headlong into the
beast, churning it into gore. There was also the time I saw an imperial army siege the
fortifications of the noble free-peoples. Lines of free longbowmen rained arrows from the
sky while their sacred icon continued to raise their unyielding warriors from the fields
of gore to continue their valiant defense. But despite their grit, the inexorable imperials
flowed over their fortifications like an unstoppable tide.

It is my intention to send you further down doomed paths into this world of self-
consuming destruction. I have all kinds of absurd ideas that I’m super excited to deliver,
and blaster has been a wonderful vehicle and excuse to do just that. I am really delighted
that you have chosen to explore the decaying branchways with me. If you don’t see the
unit types you have been daydreaming about, please feel free to start wishlisting on the
sludge wargame Facebook group! sludge is a creative wargame for creative wargamers.

As always, be sure to stay safe and have fun.

Your friend,

4 | SLUDGE NATIONS
 Sludge Nations
The world of sludge is vast and each player’s interpretation of
the setting is a valid iteration in the decaying multiverse. The
Nation Factions described here will represent both existing
nations and archetypes found across the dying world. For what
it’s worth, these factions are primarily focused on the western
branchways inhabited by mankind and don’t represent the full
breadth of the sludge world.

When creating a new sludge battalion, players may choose

to identify their army as part of one of the following factions.
By doing so, they gain access to various special units in
addition to the core units found in sludge war.

The Armies of Keth

Throughout the book you'll find photos with
the Armies of Keth models, direct from Sean
imagination. You can buy them cast in high-detail
resin here:

https://relicblade.com/shop/ SLUDGE NATIONS | 5

SLU D GE NAT IONS

IMPERI A L FAC TIONS

The Basilisk Empire

Across all of time, mighty empires have risen and fallen as Grumbling lords watched the transformation of the eastern
history grinds the bones of brave men to dust. In the age lands and Prince Konrad’s rise to power with jealous horror. The
of decay, the vast majority of the western branchways are machinations of a corrupted royal court began to sway against
inhabited by tribal coalitions and minor kingdoms. But when the prince and his ambitions. A carefully executed conspiracy
a singularly powerful warlord sets his sight on conquest, the brought severe charges against the royal family. The king was
dream of empire is born anew. forced to prosecute his own son for fear of a violent uprising.
Konrad III was recalled to his father’s fortress city where he
In the late second century of the common era, Konrad III, the
would face a trial before the enraged priests and wrathful lords
Serpent Prince, made his meteoric ascent to power. According
that had accused him. One of the conspirators broke from the
to legend, his genius for statecraft was present from a young
carefully laid plan to alert Konrad III of his impending doom.
age and, after being granted his first command, the prince set
The Serpent Prince’s cunning was vastly underestimated and,
to work forging an empire in the crucible of war. With lightning
when he arrived at the city gates, he held all the cards. The
speed he conquered the warrior tribes to the east. But unlike his
prince’s loyal assassins spread through the city like a plague.
forefathers, he began to organize his conquests into ever greater
By nightfall the king’s nightmare was fulfilled and even royal
military might. His tireless zeal and unmatched charisma drew
blood flowed in the streets. The entire kingdom was brought to
powerful commanders to his banner. Those who found favor in
heel in three days of bloodshed. Ancient traditions were burned
his court were lifted to positions of power and granted wondrous
to ash and the Serpent Prince shed his royal skin to be reborn
conquered lands. Within eight short and bloody years the Serpent
as the Basilisk Emperor. In the proceeding century the Basilisk
Prince grew from the son of a warrior king into something far
Empire became the largest and most powerful nation in the
beyond the bounds of his station.
west. It is a curse to have the Basilisk set its eye upon you. Vast

6 | SLUDGE NATIONS
armies marched to war under the banner of the Serpent Star The Basilisk Empire has become a grim monolith in the
and with each conquest the empire grew in power. Though the annals of history. Imperial armies are a mixture of both
Basilisk’s might was unmatched, the bloated imperial state professional soldiers and slave-like conscripts hailing from the
was not without its dangerous flaws. The massive nation was sprawling vastness of its unknowable borders. The unending
plagued with internal strife. Rival lords vied for supremacy imperialist wars are powered by conquest and iron governance.
in a complicated political network. Strange alliances with It is common for lone kingdoms to be swiftly overwhelmed by
mysterious Arcanist guilds shaped precarious treaties and expeditionary forces. All military resistance is swept aside
sacred oaths. Sinister doom cults infected the populous. Greedy and the local lords are replaced by imperial agents. Ultimately,
dukes sent their personal armies deep into unknown lands to the imperial armies will pass onward, leaving the kingdom
subjugate and devour everything in their path. to persist under the new administration.The peasants of that
rural kingdom will live as before, except their sons and the
Perhaps none except the Basilisk Emperor himself knew the
bounty of their land is sent as tribute to the ravenous Basilisk.
true scale of the empire. The empire continued to gorge itself
on the decaying world as it became inextricably entangled in
the roots of the world tree, Yggdrasil. High upon the cyclopian
spires of the Imperial Capital, Konrad III, The Basilisk
Emperor, sat enthroned at the center of groveling kings and
whispering sorcerers. He became the unknowable center of
the colossal imperial war machine. He became the brooding
heart of greed that obsessed over what more could be devoured.
Exploiting dark magic, he traded his humanity for an eternal
life consumed by an insatiable hunger for conquest.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 7
Imperial Special Units
Imperialist battalions may include the following special units in addition to
those found in the core rules.

Imperial Artificer
One of the strongest elements of the imperial model was the adoption of those it conquers. When the Basilisk consumed the
industrial city of Cinder Forge and the secretive Machine College in 345ce, it claimed one of its greatest jewels. The Artificers are the
sons of imperial genius. By imperial decree, the Machine College was forced to receive Arcanist overseers. The proud machinists were
initially enraged, but the adversarial relationship was short lived. The tireless minds of these academic masters quickly embraced
one another. New and wondrous technologies were born from the powerful collaboration.

Artificers are a single figure at 30 points.

I M P E R I A L A R T I F I C E R | H E RO
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 1 2 2 0 6 2

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS:

Musket and Knightly Arms Tough

Gain +1 on endurance saves.
OPTIONAL UPGRADES
Artificer Abilities
Bodyguard | 10 points Artificers have the following abilities.

May include one bodyguard for 10 points. The bodyguard increases

wounds by 1 and Knightly Arms burst by 2. Bodyguards count as the
same figure as the artificer and may be modeled on the same base or
separately. They are not removed until the artificer is destroyed.

Repeating Rifle | 5 points

Musket becomes range 14 and burst 3.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

Heal 1 wound on target

M AC H I N I S T Short Special, Cunning 2” 5 - artillery piece or Imperial
Crawler.

Friendly Artillery and

J U M P S TA R T Short Special, Cunning 2” 5 - Imperial Crawler units
within range may move 2”.

Target friendly artillery or

M A S T ER Imperial Crawler unit may
GU N N ER Long Special, Cunning 2” 5 -
gain one stress to make a
ranged combat order.
Imperial Zouaves

Imperial armies featured troops from vast and varied lands, Imperial Zouaves are line infantry regiments consisting of
and the Imperial Zouaves are one of the most striking units in between three and five 40mm bases of soldiers at 10 points each.
the empire. The first Zouave units were assembled by the Basilisk Imperial Zouaves are elite line infantry and their inclusion in a
Emperor himself during his conquests in the eastern battle planes. battalion does not open the option to include an elite unit.
They combined Eastern martial traditions with new lightning
tactics and quickly gained renown for their speed and discipline.

I M P E R I A L Z O UAV E S | L I N E I N FA N T RY R E G I M E N T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 1 1 1 0 5 3

EQUIPMENT OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Musket volley and bayonets. The regimental standard and musician upgrades may both
be equipped to the same figure.
Veterans | 10 points
Hold Position becomes a Short Order.

Regimental Standard | 5 points

Gain +1 on nerve tests.

Musician | 5 points
Gain the Regimental Song free order.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 9
 Imperial Conscripts

In contrast with the highly disciplined Zouaves, the empire

regularly pressed the slave-like peasants within its iron grasp
into military service. Conscripts were far from professional
soldiers, but they were nevertheless equipped and sent into
battle. The Basilisk gladly spent countless lives at the altar of
conquest.

Imperial Conscripts are line infantry regiments consisting

of between three and six 40mm bases of soldiers at 10 points
each.

I M P E R I A L C O N S C R I P T S | L I N E I N FA N T RY R E G I M E N T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 1 0 0 0 5 4

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS:

Musket volley and bayonets. Irregular

When this unit fails a nerve test, it suffers stress wounds when its
total stress is equal to or greater than their wound characteristic.
Normally, the total must be greater than the wound characteristic to
inflict stress wounds.
Imperial Crawler (Elite)

The Imperial Crawler must be the most fearsome creation of the hateful bursts of burning lead into their foes. The monstrous
age. These mechanical titans came thundering forth from the Imperial Crawler is a beast from the Age of Myth reborn.
billowing fires of Cinder Forge. These heavily armored weapons
Imperial Crawlers are a single large machine at 60 points.
of war are the offspring of ancient arcane secrets bred with the
Imperial Crawlers are an elite unit choice.
machinist’s enigmatic imagination. Specially trained Arcanist
crews stoke enchanted engines while ingenious artificers unleash

I M P E R I A L C R AW L E R | E L I T E M A C H I N E U N I T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 1 1 1 0 7 6

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS:

Heavy Guns and Crushing Mass. Tough

Gain +1 on endurance saves.
OPTIONAL UPGRADES
Land Ship
Flame Cannon | 10 points This unit cannot be locked in close combat and enemy units cannot be
locked in close combat with it. That means the crawler can perform
Replace Heavy Guns with Flame Cannon.
ranged attacks even if enemy figures are within 2” of it. Enemy fighters
may charge and attack the crawler from within 2” as normal but they
Heavy Crawler | 20 points
are not locked in combat after they fight. If the crawler fails a close
Heavy Crawlers gain +2 Wounds and it gains 2x burst on ranged attacks combat test, the crawler does not move away from the enemy or end its
as if it were a unit of two figures. activation.

Troop Transport
During deployment, the controlling player may deploy one unit with
a maximum of 9 wounds inside the crawler. During the crawler’s
activation it may deploy the unit completely within 3” of itself for a
short order. If the crawler is destroyed while the unit is inside, place
the figures within 3” of the crawler and each figure suffers d3 wounds.
Machines and Cavalry units may not be deployed inside the crawler.

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

H E AV Y GU N S Ranged 12 8 5 +2, SHOCK 2

FL A M E C A N N O N Ranged 4 9 7 +2, SHOCK 6 and BURN

C RUS H I N G M A S S Close - 5 3 +3, SHOCK 4 and DISMEMBER

BURN DISMEMBER

Wounds caused by this weapon do not generate gore. Each damage roll of 6 deals 2 wounds instead of 1.

SHOCK

Units that suffer wounds from a weapon with the

SHOCK special rule increase the TN of their nerve
test by the SHOCK value.

Designer’s Notes: The model tanks used during playtesting fit on a 4” or 100mm round base. These machines drop gore when wounded just like everything else. When
they take damage, the gore could be from wounded crew members or maybe the gore is black smoke and wreckage. Either way, it adds to the chaos of the battlefield.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 11
Rocket Battery

Rockets are an ancient technology that were successfully weaponized by artificers in recent years.
Highly mobile teams of specially trained units may rush into position, take aim, and lay down
withering explosive barrages against their enemies.

Rocket teams are particularly effective in regions where field guns are too cumbersome to operate.
Rockets can be fired from the decks of Arcships, the high ridges of mountain crags, and the deep
mud of no-man’s-land with equal efficacy.

Rocket batteries are artillery units consisting of between one and three 40mm bases of soldiers
at 20 points each.

RO C K E T B AT T E RY | A R T I L L E RY U N I T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 1 1 1 0 5 2

EQUIPMENT OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Rockets and Hand Weapons. Extra Crew | 5 points

The whole unit gains +1 wound and +1 speed for 5 points.
SPECIAL SKILLS:

Dangerous Ordinance
Rocket Salvo TN rolls of 10 grant +2 burst instead of +1 but the unit
suffers 1 wound. On Rocket Salvo TN rolls of 1 this unit suffers 2
wounds and the attack fails as normal.

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

RO C K E T S A LVO
+2, DAZE and
Ranged 24 7 3
SHOCK 4

SHOCK DAZE

Units that suffer wounds from a weapon with the Each damage roll of 6 causes the DAZE status. Dazed units suffer -1 on
SHOCK special rule increase the TN of their nerve tests during their next activation, then the status is removed. Units can
test by the SHOCK value. suffer from multiple daze effects at once for greater negative modifiers.

12 | SLUDGE NATIONS
SLUDGE NATIONS | 13
SLU D GE NAT IONS

ROYA LIS T FAC TIONS

The Chimera Throne

Imperialist aggression spread with impunity throughout the monarch and will resort to extremes in service of their beloved
Scattered Planes until its expanding borders slammed into the ruler. According to legend, the Chimera claims an unbroken lineage
lands of the ancient Chimera Throne. Those first encounters from before the world broke apart, through the mythical age of
were unimaginably savage. Imperial war parties flooded into arcanism, and into the dawn of humanity. It is meaningless to
the land with gleaming red banners and thundering cannons. contest the validity of this belief because the pure earthly might of
Where minor kings and their knights would have crumbled, a the Chimera Throne is unassailable. Ancient Chimeran territories
professional army stood its ground. Thousands of lives were are fortified with dominating stone castles and complex defensive
spent in a day of blazing fires and exploding lead. Royalist networks. In addition to massive fortresses, the Chimera Throne
fortifications held fast against the imperial onslaught. It seemed has access to the largest known fleet of Arcships. So while the
that the unstoppable imperial force had met an immovable Chimeran territory is much smaller than the Basilisk Empire, the
object. What resulted was a blighted boundary between the royalist forces are able to compete on equal, if not superior, footing
Chimera Throne and the Basilisk Empire. These titanic forces in nearly every arena.
eternally vie for supremacy across savage frontiers. The fierce
Unlike many traditional military forces throughout the
competition between these age-defining powers fostered
branchways, the royalist armies are primarily composed of
continual escalation. Whenever one sought to claim new
professional soldiers. Most notable is the widely deployed Royal
territory, the other was never far behind.
Marines. Delivered to battle via massive arcships and tactical battle
The Chimera is an intensely secretive ruler who has never kites, the royal marines are able to bypass strong points to strike
been seen by outsiders. Throughout the kingdom, the divine exposed positions. They are tactically flexible and extremely well
Chimera monarch is revered as an earthly manifestation of the disciplined. The Royal Marines are a noble and steadfast fighting
god. Subjects of the Chimera Throne are fiercely loyal to their force who face any danger in the name of their monarch.

14 | SLUDGE NATIONS
 Through a complex mixture of military might and political
leverage, the Chimera continued to grow in power throughout
the west. With a professional standing army at the ready and a
fleet of mythic arcships available to impose ironclad blockades
at a whim, Chimeran emissaries negotiated trade agreements,
treaties, and alliances that established what amounted to
vassal kingdoms at best and brutal colonial holdings at worst.
For many of these remote planes, the choice was to starve to
death or to simply bow before the Chimera. However, as the
endless wars continued to rage, these minor lands became the
stage for titanic clashes between the venerable Chimera and the
ravenous Basilisk. Still, even though the Chimera had arrived
as a conqueror to these lands, it also brought a semblance of
prosperity in a doomed world. And many of these colonies and
vassals rose to the challenge to fight alongside the royal armies
in service of their beloved and terrible monarch.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 15
Royalist Special Units
Royalist battalions may include the following special units in addition
to those found in the core rules.

Royal Magician
The court of the Chimera Throne is an extremely complicated show of
careful pageantry and deadly posturing. Unlike the dark sorcerers found
throughout the branchways, the royal magicians are aristocratic officers of
the arcane. Over the centuries, the royal Chimeric Academy has developed
a path into the arcane completely unique to their order. Royal Magicians
loath to degrade themselves by entering the battlefield but, as loyal
servants to the Chimera Throne, they do as they are bidden.
Royal magicians are a single figure at 30 points.

ROYA L M A G I C I A N | H E RO
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 1 1 0 2 6 2

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS:

Knightly Arms Tough

Gain +1 on endurance saves.
OPTIONAL UPGRADES
Arcane Abilities
Bodyguards Magicians have the following abilities.

May include up to two bodyguards for 10 points each. Each bodyguard

increases wounds +1 and Knightly Arms burst by 2. Bodyguards
count as the same figure as the magician and may be modeled on the
same base or separately. They are not removed until the magician is
destroyed.

Mount
Royal Magicians may be mounted for free. Increase to speed 6.
Mounted magicians may only have one bodyguard.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

Target friendly unit that is

FRO M T H E
H E AV EN S Short Sorcery LOS 5 - not locked in combat may
move 2”.

P S YC H I C
M U TAT I O N S Short Sorcery LOS 5 - Target unit suffers DAZE.

Target friendly unit may gain

C H I M ER I C
FU RY Long Sorcery LOS 6 - one stress to perform the
combat long order.

DAZE

Each damage roll of 6 causes the DAZE status. Dazed units suffer -1 on tests
during their next activation, then the status is removed. Units can suffer
from multiple daze effects at once for greater negative modifiers.

16 | SLUDGE NATIONS
Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are among the most illustrious military outfits
in the western branchways. Their exploits are the stuff of legend.
The men of the Royal Marines are daring and bold warriors who
will gladly undertake any hardship in the name of their monarch.
Commonly deployed behind enemy lines on strange airships, they
face mortal peril with stoic determination and have overcome every
obstacle by strength of will and martial might.

Royal Marines are line infantry regiments consisting of between

three and five 40mm bases of soldiers at 10 points each.

ROYA L M A R I N E S | L I N E I N FA N T RY R E G I M E N T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 1 2 1 0 5 3

EQUIPMENT OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Musket volley and bayonets. Veterans | 10 points

Hold Position becomes a Short Order.

Raiders | 10 points
Gain +1 Brutality.

Regimental Standard | 5 points

Gain +1 on nerve tests.

Rifles | 5 points
Musket volley becomes range 14.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 17
Royal Hussars
While there is a general sense of rivalry between the Marines and the other branches of the Royal Military, the Hussars have earned
the respect of even the most hardened Marine veterans. This light cavalry unit was originally composed of ostentatious volunteers
with a vain reputation for bravado. During the winter of 425ce, when the 4th and 6th Marines were locked in a bitter campaign
against the Death Templar, the all-volunteer 2nd Royal Hussars stayed by their side through the ice storms and harsh deprivation.
The Hussars held fast even after the winter had claimed nearly half their number and all of their horses. During the final battles
of the campaign, the 2nd Hussars showed valor and charged on foot by the Marines’ side. In the end, the 2nd Hussars earned
battle honors when they famously stormed the southernmost tower of the Iron Minarets to slay the dark sorcerer and his retinue of
bloodthirsty crusaders.

Royal Hussars are light cavalry consisting of between three and six figures at 5 points each.

ROYA L H U S S A R S | L I G H T C AVA L RY
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

5 2 0 1 0 5 1

EQUIPMENT OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Cavalry Sabres Royal Hussars may be upgraded to the following variant.

Death’s Head | 5 points
The whole unit may be upgraded to Death’s Head Hussars for 5 points.

Death’s Head Cavalry Sabres gain DISMEMBER: Each damage roll of 6

deals 2 wounds instead of 1.

Volunteer's Bravado | 5 points

The whole unit gains Noble for 5 points. Failed nerve tests that would
cause wounds only remove one figure.

18 | SLUDGE NATIONS
Battle Kite (Elite)
The Chimera Throne is an ancient monarchy that holds the largest known fleet of
Arcships in the world and it has maintained an extremely close alliance with the
Arcanist Navigator guilds for many centuries. The Arcanists who have aligned
themselves with the Chimera Throne have enjoyed unique access to various ancient
Arcship technologies. As a result, the Chimera Throne is one of the few nations to
develop new flying machines in the Age of Decay. Battle Kites are small, short range
airships that provide remarkable mobility. These machines serve as excellent scouts,
invaluable transports throughout the tangled land, and have even been adapted for use
as tactical bombers.

Battle Kits are a single large flying machine at 30 points. Battle Kites are an elite
unit choice.

B AT T L E K I T E | E L I T E M A C H I N E U N I T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

7 0 1 1 0 5 5

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS

Bombs Flying Ship

Flying ships may be mounted on any size base. Ranges are measured
OPTIONAL UPGRADES from the center point of the figure’s base. This unit can see and be seen
through other units and low terrain features such as barriers. This
unit may move unhindered through terrain and other units. This unit
Veteran Pilot | 10 points
cannot enter close combat by any means.
Battle Kite gains +1 Defense.
Strafing Run
Bomber Kite | 10 points
When this unit makes an attack with bombs, it moves up to twice its
Bomber Kites lose the Troop Transport special skill, but gains 2x burst speed. This move does not need to be in a straight line. The kite may
on ranged attacks as if it were a unit of two figures. target one unit that was within 3” of its flight path.

Troop Transport
During deployment, the controlling player may deploy a unit with a
maximum of 9 wounds inside the Battle Kite. During the kite’s activation
it may deploy the unit completely within 3” of the center of the kite as
a short order. If the kite is destroyed while the unit is inside, place the
unit within 3” of the center of the kite and each figure suffers d3 wounds.
Machines and Cavalry units may not be deployed inside the kite.

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

BOMBS Ranged 3 7 3 +3, SHOCK 2 and DISMEMBER

DISMEMBER SHOCK

Each damage roll of 6 deals 2 wounds instead of 1. Units that suffer wounds from a weapon with the
SHOCK special rule increase the TN of their nerve
test by the SHOCK value.

Designer’s Notes: Airships are amazing. The battle kite is an arcane machine to model them however you wish. They could be dragons for all I care. But my
that would be analogous to some kind of helicopter in our world. They aren’t very imagination is some kind of ornithopter.
big and they aren’t really what we think of as kites. You are obviously welcome

SLUDGE NATIONS | 19
Mortar Teams
The Royal Marines are famous for taking advantage of their air superiority to make daring attacks behind enemy lines. However,
these tactics often lead to engagements in terrain that limits the effectiveness of traditional artillery. In response, the royal armory
developed smaller light mortars that could be deployed from Kites alongside combat marines. These light artillery units first saw
widespread use in the campaign to reclaim the Gorgon Archipelago.

Mortar teams are artillery units consisting of between one and three 40mm bases of soldiers at 20 points each.

M O R TA R T E A M S | A R T I L L E RY U N I T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 1 1 1 0 5 2

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS

Light Mortar and Hand Weapons Indirect Fire

Mortars may draw LOS through one other unit or terrain piece.
OPTIONAL UPGRADES Mortars on a hill may draw LOS over two units or terrain pieces.

Dangerous Ordinance
Extra Crew | 5 points
Light Mortar TN rolls of 10 grant +2 burst instead of +1 but the unit
The whole unit gains +1 wound and +1 Speed for 5 points.
suffers 1

wound. On Light Mortar TN rolls of 1 this unit suffers 2 wounds and the
attack fails as normal.

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

L I G H T M O R TA R
+2, SHOCK 2 and
Ranged 18 7 3
DISMEMBER

DISMEMBER SHOCK

Each damage roll of 6 deals 2 wounds instead of 1. Units that suffer wounds from a weapon with the
SHOCK special rule increase the TN of their nerve
test by the SHOCK value.

20 | SLUDGE NATIONS
SLUDGE NATIONS | 21
SLU D GE NAT IONS

FREE PEOPLES FAC TIONS

The Roc Coalition

There are countless nations in the inconceivable tangles of the Gilded Peninsula. The imperial army made massive gains in the
decaying world tree. The mightiest nations sail through the initial battles against the local tribes and quickly took control
branchways on ancient Arcships with powerful armies. They of a large southern territory. With the whole region under
prowl through the skies like predatory animals on the hunt. dire threat, the six remaining tribes gathered their elders in a
At any moment, bloodthirsty warlords may emerge from dark historic council.
storms or impenetrable fog to pillage, burn, and conquer all
For centuries, the people had been free from outside influence.
they come across. The truth is that most nations are not mighty
The eight original tribes were fiercely independent and had
empires, rather they are desperately small and hanging on from
fought many wars within the gilded lands. Forty years prior,
the brink of destruction. In the face of imperial conquest, there
Nodu the Betrayer launched a bloody war in an attempt to
is little chance of survival. Bereft of hope, there are many proud
subdue and unify the tribes. It was only by the rise of a noble
free-peoples who persist in bitter defiance of a merciless world
warrior named Mokosa that Nodu and his brigands were
and hateful enemies.
quelled. Mokosa convinced one legendary warrior from each
There are numerous tribes and minor states that might be of the eight tribes to join him as equals. These knights gathered
identified as free peoples by an outsider. These groups are under one banner to face a mortal enemy. The heroic events
best defined by their fierce independence and profound sense of that war had solidified the proud identities of those eight
of identity. One of the most iconic examples of a successful independent tribes forty years earlier, but the imperial war had
independent nation in the western branchways is the Roc exploded to a completely new level. The strangers had emerged
Coalition. In the latter part of the fourth century common era, from the firmament mere weeks before, and two of the eight
High Marshal Broadmoor led an expedition in force on the proud tribes had been completely wiped from the face of the

22 | SLUDGE NATIONS
earth. It was clear that in this new age, the old ways would be
challenged like never before.

Passionate arguments and savage accusations echoed in the

smoky hall where the elders of the six remaining tribes were
gathered. The roar finally subsided when Mokosa’s eldest son
took the floor. He held his father’s carefully folded banner in
his hands. A quiet murmur spread through the gathering as
the legendary object was unfurled. The emblem of a massive
golden eagle was once again displayed before the assembled
tribes. Mokosa’s son was the first to pledge the oath and soon
all six remaining tribes were unified under the Roc Coalition.
Each tribe maintained their independence, but their might was
joined in brotherhood against a common enemy. On that fateful
day, Mokosa’s son became the First Among Equals. What
followed was a legendary clash between the merciless Basilisk
Empire and the proud Roc Coalition.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 23
Free Peoples Special Units
Free Peoples battalions may include the following special units
in addition to those found in the core rules.

Knights of the Realm

In myths and legends, the Knights of the Realm were heroes Knights of the Realm are a special commander unit consisting of 5

who protected the land against the forces of evil. In the 4th individually based figures at 40 points.

century, the Knights of the Realm became a powerful symbol Knights of the Realm replace the free battalion commander. If the
of tribal unity and noble purpose. Each champion is appointed Knights of the Realm unit is destroyed all units in their battalion
by the elders from the assembled warrior clans in accordance gain one stress.
with tradition. These knights are extremely powerful warriors
who assume this mantle of authority with grim reverence. It is
vital among the free people to celebrate their traditions, and it
is a point of pride that they are led by a council of their finest
warriors rather than a single individual.

K N I G H T S O F T H E R E A L M | H E RO I C C O M M A N D E R U N I T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 2 2 2 0 7 2

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS:

Knightly Arms Tough

Gain +1 on endurance saves.
OPTIONAL UPGRADES
Noble
The First Among Equals | 15 points Failed nerve tests that would cause wounds only remove one figure.

The Knights of the Ream gain one additional figure. All friendly units Ceramic War Blades
gain +2 Faith while within 15” of this figure.
This unit’s Knightly Arms gain DISMEMBER. Each damage roll of 6
Mounts | Exchange deals 2 wounds instead of 1.

The Knights of the Realm may be mounted for free. Increase to speed 6 Command Abilities
but reduce the unit size by 2 figures.
The Knights of the Realm have the following abilities.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

I N S PI R E
Remove 4 gore from within range or
Short Special, Cunning 10” 5 -
Remove 1 stress from the target.

WA RC RY
Self or ally Target gains +1 Burst on next combat
Short Special, Cunning 5 -
within 5” order.

BASTION
This unit gains +1 on endurance saves
Short Special, Cunning Self 5 -
until its next activation.

MART YRDOM
Remove one figure from this unit. All
Short Special, Cunning Self - -
allies within LOS lose one stress.

GO AT T H EM
Target gains +2 Speed on their next
Short Special, Cunning 5” 5 -
charge order.

H ERO I C S PEEC H
Remove 3 stress tokens from within
Long Special, Cunning 10” 5 -
range.

24 | SLUDGE NATIONS
Longbowmen
Many minor kingdoms had very limited access to black powder
and had difficulty bringing the full might of the musket to bear.
However, in the face of this disparity the proud free peoples
train harder and exercise extreme discipline with traditional
longbows. The longbow is a powerful weapon in able hands, but
mastery of the longbow is a lifelong pursuit. Arrayed on the field
with their colorful banners, noble regiments of longbowmen are a
living relic of a lost age. Enemy commanders have been known to
view these units as powerless primitives. But it is a mistake they
rarely have an opportunity to make twice.

Longbowmen are line infantry regiments consisting of between

three and six 40mm bases of soldiers at 10 points each.

L O N G B OW M E N | L I N E I N FA N T RY R E G I M E N T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 1 1 1 0 5 3

EQUIPMENT

Longbows and hand weapons

OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Longbowmen may choose from the following

upgrades.
Regimental Standard | 5 points
Gain +1 on nerve tests.

Musician | 5 points
Gain the Regimental Song free order.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

R EG I M EN TA L S O N G (FR EE) Free Special, Faith - 5 - Remove 4 gore from within 5”

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

LO N G B OW VO L L E Y Ranged 16 7 3 +1, BLEED

BLEED

Each damage roll of 6 generates one additional gore.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 25
Heavy Infantry

Limited access to black powder is an influential factor for

many free nations. Soldiers find themselves charging into
battle armed with swords and spears like warriors from
ancient times. The disparity of equipment often instills
a fiery determination to fight at a new level of brutality.
In some cases, the technological emphasis is shifted away
from gunsmithing into crafting fine armor for every
soldier in the regiment. These heavily armored troops
have had great success in recent conflicts in the western
branchways.

Heavy Infantry are line infantry regiments consisting

of between three and six 40mm bases of soldiers at 10
points each.

H E AV Y I N FA N T RY | L I N E I N FA N T RY R E G I M E N T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 2 1 1 0 5 3

EQUIPMENT OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Pole weapons Heavy Infantry may choose from the following upgrades.
Full Armor | 10 points
Gain +1 Defense.

Regimental Standard | 5 points

Gain +1 on nerve tests

Musician | 5 points
Gain the Regimental Song free order.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

R EG I M EN TA L S O N G Free Special, Faith - 5 - Remove 4 gore from within 5”

26 | SLUDGE NATIONS
Men-at-Arms
There are many martial traditions among the free peoples. Men-at-Arms consist of between four and eight figures at 5
Men-at-Arms are a class of free soldiers who have chosen a life points each. Full units of eight Men-at-Arms add an elite unit
of battle. They are travelers who lend their strength to warring choice to your battalion as if they were line infantry.
clans according to need. They have developed a unique martial
culture and usually fight in loose skirmishing formations. They
are a complicated group of mercenary-like warriors who are
often preoccupied with notions of honor and personal glory.

M E N - AT - A R M S | S K I R M I S H E R S
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 1 1 1 0 6 1

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS

Martial Weapon and Ceramic Shield or Heavy Weapon Shield Wall

Units with ceramic shields may assume the column formation as if
OPTIONAL UPGRADES
they were line infantry.

Line Breakers | 5 points

The whole unit’s close combat weapons gain DAZE for 5pts. Each
damage roll of 6 causes the DAZE status. Dazed units suffer -1 on tests
during their next activation, then the status is removed. Units can
suffer from multiple daze effects at once for greater negative modifiers.

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

MARTIAL WEAPON Close - 6 2 +2

H E AV Y W E A P O N Close - 6 2 +3

SLUDGE NATIONS | 27
Sacred Icon (Elite)

The free peoples have remained free by their stern determination nations may gather around ancient idols, cryptic relics, or even
and unyielding sense of independence. The central pillar of their an anointed princess. The traditions are vast and varied, but the
ironclad identity is often personified by a sacred symbol. For power of these sacred symbols to inspire free people is undeniable.
example, the Roc Coalition is pledged under the ancient banner
Sacred Icons are a single figure at 30 points. The Sacred Icon
of Mokosa. When Roc warriors look upon this golden standard
may be mounted on a 25-60mm base. The Sacred Icon is an
they are filled with overwhelming pride, and they will fight like
elite unit choice.
demons to protect their banner from enemy hands. Other free

SAC R E D I C O N | E L I T E
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 0 0 2 0 7 3

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS

The icon and attendants do not carry weapons. Optional Tough

bodyguards are equipped with Knightly Arms Gain +1 on endurance saves.

Sacred Abilities
OPTIONAL UPGRADES
The Sacred Icon has the following abilities.

Bodyguards | 10 points each

May include up to two bodyguards for 10 points each. Each bodyguard
increases wounds +1 and Knightly Arms burst by 2. Bodyguards count as
the same figure as the sacred icon and may be modeled on the same base
or separately. They are not removed until the sacred icon is destroyed.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

Target unit gains Tough until the user’s

Y I EL D N OT!
next activation to gain +1 on endurance
Short Prayer 10 5 -
saves. Units with the Tough special skill
cannot benefit from this.

R I G H T EO US FU RY
Target friendly unit may gain one
Long Prayer 10 5 -
stress to perform the combat long order.

Remove up to 8 gore from within range.

If 8 gore was removed, one friendly unit
B L ES S ED
R ESU R R EC T I O N Long Prayer 10 5 - within range heals three wounds, even
returning figures from the dead. Units
cannot exceed original unit strength.

28 | SLUDGE NATIONS
SLU D GE NAT IONS

CULT FAC TIONS

The Manticore Cults

The decaying world is a mind-shattering landscape. Not justice and revenge in the decaying world. Printing presses
only is the entirety of the world a mutilated mockery of the churned out pamphlets containing the Witchfinder’s writings.
natural order, but the very pillars of reality are collapsing Weekly essays about the Manticore’s wrath reverberated with
into one another. In this terrible condition humanity grasps the people. The horrors they had suffered in the endless wars
for threads of continuity, and belief becomes a commodity of and the hateful dreams that consumed their minds had been
paramount importance. Within every empire, kingdom, and given a voice. The pamphlets contained accounts of horrific
nation strange cults have burst into existence. The cults and deeds that required the Manticore’s judgement alongside searing
their beliefs are as diverse as the people of the world, but many admonitions and dire warnings. As the Witchfinder’s writings
of these unholy religions share grim similarities. Thankfully, became ever more widely distributed, violent fervor swept across
most of these doom cults are sequestered in fortress monasteries the Basilisk Empire.
or distant and forgotten planes, but not all cults are content to
That following year, The Witchfinder General was at the head of
live in solitude. The Spires of Penitence, The Blind Citadel, The
a fierce crusade. Hastily constructed gallows burst like weeds in
Mountain of Solace in the Pale Moon, and The Death Templar
every town square. Statesmen and peasants alike were dragged
have all launched cursed crusades into the western branchways.
before zealous mobs to face trial. The convicted were burned
These singularly violent belief systems appear to be born from a
upon great pyres. Black smoke and screams of agony filled the air.
shared nightmare known as the Manticore.
In the age of decay, no one was without blame, and none were
The phenomenon now known as the Manticore was first safe from the Manticore’s judgement. The Witchfinder General
identified by the Imperial Witchfinder General Sigmund Roth presided over these grim rituals. Human beings were sacrificed
in 266ce. His obsessive writings meticulously outlined a sinister as burnt offerings at the altar of divine revenge. But with each
cosmology. The Manticore became the central figure in this step the vengeful crusaders trod deeper down the path of endless
emerging world view. The Manticore is a creature that is believed bloodshed themselves. The Witchfinder’s mind slipped in the gore of
to lurk in the collective subconscious. It is a symbol of humanity’s his conquests, and the crusade erupted into a fractious ruin. The
privileged place in creation as beings that are both half-god and endless bloodshed they reviled was a shimmering reflection of their
half-beast. Empowered by a belief in their own primal authority, own murderous deeds. The blasphemy they had sought to uproot
the devotees of the Manticore assumed the burden and duty to had nested in their souls. The first Manticore Crusade splintered
execute vicious retribution. They would become vessels of both into dozens of cruel factions which drove deeper into the berstial

30 | SLUDGE NATIONS
Manticore ideology to become homicidal revenge cults. Over the Manticore cults have become a consistent feature of the
following decade, the First Manticore crusade was crushed by the decaying world. The endless bitter wars waged by heartless
imperial legions. The Witchfinder General was executed and his rulers create fertile soil for the Manticore’s Venom to sow
writings were outlawed by imperial decree. Despite the Basilisk its poisonous seeds. As narcissistic rulers abandon their
Emperor’s fathomless capacity for violence, militant Manticore humanity to bask in dark immortality, their people’s lost souls
cults remained a major player in the balance of power across the hunger for revenge. Terror and nihilism consume countless
western branchways. souls, and the promise of the Manticore’s primal justice is a
precious temptation. A shared hate-filled nightmare burns
The prominence and might of various Manticore cults wax and
like a wildfire in the dry tinder of human suffering. The savage
wane following the tide of human suffering. However, some of
thoughts of the Manticore gnaw at the root of the mind. Visions
these cults have become powerful assets to enterprising warlords
of the Manticore percolate through humanity’s lived horrors to
looking to leverage the fanatical might of a violent faith. The
manifest as new cults, and blood-soaked crusades against the
Arcanists of Divinity were among the most powerful factions
pillars of civilization have become a perennial tragedy. At the
formed in the dissolution of the first crusade. Accordingly, they
center of these virulent crusades stands the dark governance
were mercilessly hunted and their remnants were exiled on the
of a destroyer. The shadow of the Manticore is cast upon
desolate Keth Planes. Keth had become synonymous with a civil
every mind in these dark days, and the imminent madness it
war that was as brutal and unrelenting as its hellish landscape.
promises lurks just beyond sight.
It was under these harsh conditions that the Arcanists of Divinity
made an alliance with the Northern Keth Sultanate. The Sultan
was as artfully deceitful as the Arcanist cult, and their alliance
was balanced on a razor edge. The exact depth of Manticore
corruption in the Keth Sultanate is a matter of debate, but the
brutal efficacy of this alliance is undeniable. This murderous
regime launched a fanatical crusade with renewed vigor. And
against The Sultan Divine the bitter nations of Keth were cast
into unplumbed depths of abyssal war.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 31
Cultist Special Units
Cultist battalions may include the following special units in addition to those
found in the core rules.

Priest of the Manticore

The cults of the Manticore have become widespread. The Manticore’s Venom manifests as dark thought and once a population
is exposed to this intellectual contagion the poison will spread. The Priests of the Manticore are dark sorcerers who have become
completely consumed by this cruel venom. Their obsessive minds gnaw endlessly at the tangled web of existence. Their dark dreams
spread into humanity’s collective subconscious and find fertile grounds in downtrodden souls. These priests are the progenitors of
corruption and the madness from which they suffer spreads outward from the cracks in their darkened souls.

Priests of the Manticore are a single figure at 30 points.

P R I E ST O F T H E M A N T I C O R E | H E RO
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 1 1 0 2 6 2

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS:

Knightly Arms Tough

Gain +1 on endurance saves.
OPTIONAL UPGRADES
Arcane Abilities
Bodyguards Priests of the Manticore have the following abilities.

May include up to two bodyguards for 10 points each. Each bodyguard

increases wounds +1 and Knightly Arms burst by 2. Bodyguards count
as the same figure as the priest and may be modeled on the same base
or separately. They are not removed until the priest is destroyed.

Mount
Priest may be mounted for free. Increase to speed 6. Mounted priests
may only have one bodyguard.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

+1, DAZE. If this attack removes a

figure from play, replace that figure with
MIND POISON
a new Zealot under your control. Zealots
Short Sorcery 12 7 2
created this way activate after all other
units have activated, right before the
nerve phase.

Friendly units gain DAZE on their

weapons while within 12” of the priest.
M A N T I CO R E V EN O M Long Sorcery 12 5 - Weapons that already have DAZE cause
two DAZE effects on a 6. This sorcery lasts
until the user’s next activation.

SIGN OF DOOM Long Sorcery 12 6 - All units within range gain 1 stress.

DAZE

Each damage roll of 6 causes the DAZE status. Dazed

units suffer -1 on tests during their next activation,
then the status is removed. Units can suffer from
multiple daze effects at once for greater negative
modifiers.

32 | SLUDGE NATIONS
Cultist Throngs
The Manticore cults gather howling mobs to tear down their earthly masters. Blood will run in the streets and fire will consume
fertile lands wherever these raving throngs pass. They have become like plague-born swarms. As the rioters spread destruction,
the rioting mass only grows larger and more fervent. They are both the result of the disease and the disease itself. The Manticore’s
devotees suffer from unending nightmares that whisper dark secrets into their fragile minds. Following these dreams, the cultists
obsessively assemble and stockpile poison gas grenades. These bombs are a concoction of heaving dread that damages the mind and
soul as much as the body.

Cultist Throngs are line infantry regiments consisting of between three and six 40mm bases of soldiers at 10 points each.

C U LT I ST T H RO N G S | L I N E I N FA N T RY R E G I M E N T
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 0 0 1 1 5 4

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS

Sinister Blades and Poison Grenades Fanatical

Gain +1 on combat orders for each stress on this unit instead of the
usual -1.

Irregular
When this unit fails a nerve test, it suffers stress wounds when its total
stress is equal to or greater than their wound characteristic. Normally,
the total must be greater than the wound characteristic to inflict stress
wounds.

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

S I N I S T ER B L A D ES Close - 7 3 +1, DAZE

P O I S O N G R EN A D ES Ranged 8 7 3 +1, DAZE

DAZE

Each damage roll of 6 causes the DAZE status. Dazed

units suffer -1 on tests during their next activation,
then the status is removed. Units can suffer from
multiple daze effects at once for greater negative
modifiers.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 33
 Zealots
The teachings of the Manticore cults transform devotees’ minds and
bodies into living weapons. Violent zealots are fanatical creatures.
They are both heralds who spread the Manticore’s thought poison and
assassins who embody the Manticore’s venom. They are the Manticore’s
carefully perfected tools. It is believed that Manticore Zealots are
already widely spread throughout the branchways as spies. These
agents quietly infect others long before their respective cult emerges
in force. In one instant they are subtle agents and in the next they are
rabid attack dogs. And the change from a sleeper agent to a savage
killer is only a matter of their master’s dark thought.

Zealots are skirmishers consisting of between three and six figures

at 5 points each.

Z E A L O T S | SK I R M I SH E R S
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 2 1 1 1 5 1

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS:

Hidden Blades and Hidden Poison Bombs Fanatical

Gain +1 on combat orders for each stress on this unit instead of the
OPTIONAL UPGRADES usual -1.

Zealots may be upgraded to the following variant.

Assassins | 10 points
The whole unit may be upgraded to Assassins for 10 points. Do not
deploy this unit at the beginning of the game. Instead, at the end of any
Activation Phase, and before the Nerve Phase has been resolved, the
controlling player may place the assassin unit within 4” of any board
edge and not within 4” of an enemy unit. The assassins activate in the
following Activation Phase as normal.

NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

H I D D EN B L A D ES Close - 7 2 +1, DAZE

H I D D EN P O I S O N
G R EN A D ES Ranged 8 7 2 +1, DAZE

DAZE

Each damage roll of 6 causes the DAZE status. Dazed units suffer -1 on
tests during theirnext activation, then the status is removed. Units can
suffer from multiple daze effects at once for greater negative modifiers.

34 | SLUDGE NATIONS
Crusaders (Elite)
Many knightly orders are insular warrior cultures that exist separate from society and already exhibit many cult-like tendencies. It
is reasonable to believe that the corrupting tendrils of the Manticore have infiltrated every aspect of society. But there is undeniable
certainty that the savage crusades launched by once respected knightly orders are intimately linked to the Manticore’s sinister goals.
Crusaders are a diabolic hybrid between the unyielding savagery of the zealot and the unmatched combat prowess of the noble knight.

Crusaders consist of between three and six figures at 15 points each. Crusaders are an elite unit choice.

C R USA DE R S | E L I T E SK I R M I SH E R S
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 2 1 2 1 6 2

EQUIPMENT
Fanatics | 5 points
The whole unit gains Fanatical for 5 points. Gain +1 on combat orders
Knightly Arms for each stress on this unit instead of the usual -1.

OPTIONAL UPGRADES Blood Knight | 10 points

The whole unit becomes blood knights for 10 points and gains the
Mounts | Exchange Blood Ritual skill.

The whole unit may be mounted to gain +1 speed, but the maximum
unit size is reduced to four figures.

NA ME OR DER TY PE A ND BONUS R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

Remove up to 8 gore from within

5”. If 8 gore is removed, this
B LO O D R I T UA L
unit recovers d3 wounds, even
Long Prayer 5 5 -
returning figures from the dead.
This unit cannot exceed the
original unit strength.

SPECIAL SKILLS

Tough
Gain +1 on endurance saves.

Noble
Failed nerve tests that would cause wounds only
remove one figure.

Fury
During this unit’s activation, it may gain one stress
to perform the combat long order as a free action.
Saint
As the pillars of reality decay, the nine hells bled together in a their virulent congregations. They promise that the saints of old
maddening tangle. Daily life was dominated by ever-present would soon be reincarnated. These saints would not be reborn as
dread. Heavy black clouds drifted through immense branches the faithful healers they were in life, but in their second coming,
that stretch across the darkened sky. Nations of men scratched they would be vengeful destroyers. They would be man-eating
out their bitter existence on brutal tracks of bleak land. The demons and instruments of divine justice.
Manticore’s poisonous religions found fertile grounds in the
Saints are a single large figure at 45 points each. The saint’s
hearts of beleaguered peoples. The priests pulled prophetic
base should be between 50mm and 80mm.
visions from ever-churning nightmares to deliver grim hope to

S A I N T | H E RO
SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

3 2 1 0 1 6 5

EQUIPMENT SPECIAL SKILLS

Knightly Arms Tough

Gain +1 on endurance saves.

OPTIONAL UPGRADES Huge Warrior

Saint gain 3x burst on close combat attacks as if it were a unit of three
Psychotic | 15 points figures.
The Saint gains Fanatical and Fury for 10 points.

Fanatical
Gain +1 on combat orders for each stress on this unit instead of
the usual -1.

Fury
During this unit’s activation, it may gain one stress to perform
the combat long order as a free action.

36 | SLUDGE NATIONS
SLU D GE WA R

SLUDGE N ATIONS
A PPENDIX

SLUDGE NATIONS | 37
 I M P E R I A L I ST U N I T S
NA ME SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

I M PER I A L A R T I FI C ER 4 1 2 2 0 6 2

I M PER I A L ZO UAV ES 4 1 1 1 0 5 3

I M PER I A L CO N S C R I P T S 3 1 0 0 0 5 4

I M PER I A L C R AW L ER (EL I T E) 3 1 1 1 0 7 6

RO C K E T B AT T ERY 3 1 1 1 0 5 2

ROYA L I ST U N I T S
NA ME SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

ROYA L M AG I C I A N 4 1 1 0 2 6 2

ROYA L M A R I N ES 3 1 2 1 0 5 3

ROYA L H US S A R S 5 2 0 1 0 5 1

B AT T L E K I T E (EL I T E) 7 0 1 1 0 5 5

M O R TA R T E A M S 3 1 1 1 0 5 2

FREE PEOPLES UNITS

NA ME SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

4 2 2 2 0 7 2
KNIGHTS OF THE REALM

LO N G B OW M EN
3 1 1 1 0 5 3

H E AV Y I N FA N T RY
3 2 1 1 0 5 3

M EN -AT-A R M S
3 1 1 1 0 6 1

3 0 0 2 0 7 3
S AC R ED I CO N (EL I T E)

C U LT I ST U N I T S
NA ME SPEED BRUTA LITY CU NNING FA ITH A RCA NA DEFENSE WOU NDS

PR I ES T O F T H E M A N T I CO R E 4 1 1 0 2 6 2

CU LT I S T T H RO N GS 3 0 0 1 1 5 4

ZE A LOT S 4 2 1 1 1 5 1

C RUS A D ER S (EL I T E) 4 2 1 2 1 6 2

SAINT 3 2 1 0 1 6 5

38 | SLUDGE NATIONS
 CLOSE WEAPONS
NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

B AYO N E T S Close - 7 3 +2

C AVA L RY S A B R ES Close - 6 2 +2, SHOCK 2 on Charge

C RUS H I N G M A S S Close - 5 3 +3, SHOCK 4 and DISMEMBER

HAND WEAPONS Close - 6 1 +2

H E AV Y W E A P O N Close - 6 2 +3

H I D D EN B L A D ES Close - 7 2 +1, DAZE

K N I G H T LY A R M S Close - 6 2 +3, SHOCK 2 on Charge

MARTIAL WEAPON Close - 6 2 +2

POLE WEAPONS Close - 6 3 +3

S I N I S T ER B L A D ES Close - 7 3 +1, DAZE

R A N GE D W E A P O N S
NA ME TY PE R A NGE TN BURST DA M AGE OR EFFECT

BOMBS Ranged 3 7 3 +3, SHOCK 2 and DISMEMBER

C ROS S B OWS Ranged 14 7 2 +1

C ROS S B OW VO L L E Y Ranged 14 7 3 +1

FI EL D GU N Ranged Guess+d10 - 3 +5, Bounce d10, SHOCK 4

FL A M E C A N N O N Ranged 4 9 7 +2, SHOCK 6 and BURN

H E AV Y GU N S Ranged 12 8 5 +2, SHOCK 2

H I D D EN P O I S O N G R EN A D ES Ranged 8 7 2 +1, DAZE

L I G H T M O R TA R Ranged 18 7 3 +2, SHOCK 2 and DISMEMBER

LO N G B OW VO L L E Y Ranged 16 7 3 +1, BLEED

M US K E T S Ranged 12 6 1 +2

M US K E T VO L L E Y Ranged 12 6 2 +2, SHOCK 2

P O I S O N G R EN A D ES Ranged 8 7 3 +1, DAZE

RO C K E T S A LVO Ranged 24 7 3 +2, DAZE and SHOCK 4

Special Rules
BLEED DISMEMBER

Each damage roll of 6 generates one Each damage roll of 6 deals 2 wounds
additional gore. instead of 1.

BURN SHOCK

Wounds caused by this weapon do not Units that suffer wounds from a weapon
generate gore. with the SHOCK special rule increase the
TN of their nerve test by the SHOCK value.

DAZE

Each damage roll of 6 causes the DAZE

status. Dazed units suffer -1 on tests
during their next activation, then the
status is removed. Units can suffer from
multiple daze effects at once for greater
negative modifiers.

SLUDGE NATIONS | 39