An international contingent of Allied forces have infiltrated deep into one of the harshest environments on earth: the icy plains of Antarctica. Having taken up position in Queen Maud Land they feverishly hope that their presence remains unknown.
This ragtag collection of armored personnel carriers and MCW’s, a.k.a. medium combat walkers, have united for a single purpose: to intercept and recover one of the largest shipments of a mysterious substance known as Vk, purportedly en route from this glacial wasteland to a research facility buried deep in Axis territory.
The year is 1947 and World War II rages on. The political powers across the globe have taken entirely new forms, with the dissolution of old alliances and the creation of new ones. These shifts have resulted from the surprising discovery of extraterrestrial life by the Axis, and alien secrets that have transformed the advance of technology for all. New war machines and never-before-imagined weapons continue to be developed.
Dust Tactics
is a tactical miniatures board game that can be learned in minutes, yet the system offers layers of strategic depth and remarkable tactical challenges that you can enjoy for many years to come!

The box is jam-packed with two platoons of equal size for the Axis and Allies, matching unit cards, nine double-sided boards that depict both Antarctic and industrial terrain, two tank traps and four ammo crates to use as cover, obstacle tiles, a quick start reference sheet, a rulebook, scenario booklet and dice. Each platoon is composed of the following units: 1 hero, 3 five-man squads and 2 imposing combat walkers. It’s a beautiful set, and the only thing you’ll need is an opponent.
Dust Tactics
is ready to play right out of the box, and your first game will be set up in mere moments. Every miniature in the set is a highly detailed, unique sculpt equipped with a different combination of weapons and comes painted in its faction color: grey for the Axis forces and green for the Allies. In addition the four walkers have unit marking decals already applied, making this entire set playable without any further time investment on your part. Set up your terrain, place hard and soft cover, along with obstacles, then start deploying troops.
If you’re a miniatures painter, and because the models have already been base-coated, you can quickly personalize your models even further. The primed surface will perfectly accept any standard
model paint and weathering. Look for future “How To” articles and painting tips on our website.
Dust Tactics
is played over a number of rounds, and the length of a game can be dictated either by scenario or by the players. As each round begins, both sides will roll three dice, and whichever side rolls the most hits must choose who has initiative.
Starting with the player who won initiative, you will take turns activating a single unit at a time. After all units currently in play have been activated once, the current round ends and a new one begins.
When a unit is activated, it may take one of the following combinations of actions:
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Move up to 2 times (Move + Move)
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Move, then Attack if desired (Move + Attack)
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Attack, then Move if desired (Attack + Move)
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Sustained Attack (Attack + Attack)
Each unit’s reference card displays all the in-game information you need including movement, armor and health values, unit special abilities, and its army points value. The army points are used when you’re creating your force list or building a customized scenario; just make sure the number of Army Points is the same on both sides and you can be assured of a balanced game.
The included double-sided terrain tiles are divided into 3 by 3 grids, and most battles will be fought across a 9 by 9 board. For example, each of the eight scenarios in the included campaign are great examples of how to use terrain, cover, obstacles and deployment to bring an exciting narrative to life.
Measuring movement and range is a simple matter of counting the number of squares between both locations, for example between the attacker and their target. Diagonal distances are measured a bit differently. The first diagonal counts as one space, and every diagonal beyond the initial counts as two spaces worth of distance. Line of sight is just as easy to calculate because each space on the board has a center dot marking. If you can trace an unbroken line between the center of the attacking unit’s space and the target unit’s space, you have line of sight.
Unit facing is not an issue as your units are free to turn in all directions as needed. Therefore, when firing at multiple targets a unit can split their available attacks between whichever units are in range.
Dust Tactics
liberates you from unclear rules and arbitrarily complex turn sequences. Instead, you are free to focus on the activity on the battlefield. Every decision you make carries weight as firefights are fast and furious. Dust Tactics delivers an exciting, cinematic experience filled with nail-biting tension and streamlined gameplay, without compromising depth of play or re-playability.
If you want to expand your games of
Dust Tactics
even further, keep your eyes on our website for a downloadable ruleset that will allow you to move your
Dust Tactics
games onto your favorite tabletop terrain! These rules will be made available via a free PDF some time after the game’s release, and add a whole new dimension to your
Dust Tactics
experience.
Join us next week when we explore combat resolution in depth, examine some key units in the game, and learn more about the included campaign. See you then!
Dust Tactics
is a tactical miniatures game of brutal combat for 2-4 players. Based on the popular universe created by artist Paolo Parente, Dust Tactics presents
an alternate 1940s reality in which alien technology fuels gigantic machines of war, and the world's superpowers clash over rare mineral deposits that could ultimately decide the outcome of WWII.