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Critical Success/Critical FailuresThe unbelievable save, the knockout punch, standing against astonishing odds… those twists of fate that make a game that much more exciting. Critical Successes and Critical Failures mean a player always has some chance to win or lose, regardless of how overwhelming the odds may appear. Critical Successes and Critical Failures occur with any unmodified D10 rolls of 1 or 10 respectively.
• A Critical Success is an unmodified D10 roll of 1: Regardless of the task’s difficulty or modifiers, a roll of 1 means the Action/task attempted was automatically successful and the model gains a free, extra Action. This extra Action must be taken at the end of the model’s current activation and does not roll over into the next turn. • A Critical Failure is an unmodified D10 roll of 10: Sometimes Bad Luck is the only kind of luck you have. Regardless of the task’s difficulty or modifiers, a roll of 10 means the attempt was automatically unsuccessful and the model is immediately burdened with a Pinned counter.
In each case it is important to remember all other dice results rolled in the same pool are calculated and resolved as normal. Resolve Critical Successes first and Critical Failures last.
• Critical Mix: In the event unmodified 1s and 10s show up in the same roll, say when making a Ranged Attack or defending against one, the Critical Successes and Critical Failures cancel each other out. There are no additional benefits or penalties and the results are tallied normally with any and all standard applicable modifiers and Stats.
Also note that Additional Actions and Pin Penalties due to Critical Successes/Failures are calculated by the round, not the individual die results in the round. For example, a 3D10 roll with two 1s and one 10 would be a Critical Mix with no Benefits or Penalties but a 3D10 roll with two 1s and a 7 would grant the model one extra Action, not two.
In the course of a single game turn, each player’s units will ‘Activate’ once. When Activated, the unit can perform any available Action. Units can perform 1, 2, or 3 separate Actions, depending on their level of Combat Experience. Combat Experience and Available Actions are explained in Section 3 (see page 11).
Stats/Modifiers To represent abilities on the battlefield, game models are assigned ‘Stats’, or numeric values corresponding to movement, attack, defense, and morale. There are two types of Stats: Model Stats and Weapon Stats (See Section 2, page 9). These Stats can be further modified by special in-game circumstances like terrain, special abilities, or equipment. 1.3 Essentials You and your comrades will need seven things to enter the Zone:
1. A flat surface of at least 3’ x 3’. For larger games with more players, use a 4’ x 4’ or 4’ x 6’ area. 2. Dice. Four D10s per player, and at least one D6 for the Zone Effects Tables. 3. A tape measure or ruler marked in inches (A cool laser pointer will come in handy too). 4. Battlefield Terrain: Appropriate terrain and scenic items to represent the dangerous sections of the Zone. The more, the better. There are dozens of excellent terrain companies out there. Model railroad trees and foliage work well too, are easy to find and inexpensive. For ruins and large buildings, our local game group is partial to Impudent Mortal’s MDF kits, and we use smaller plastic and resin scatter pieces from assorted companies. 5. Tokens and Templates: Tokens are an easy way to note a model’s in- game status. You can use paper chits, acrylic tokens, or glass beads. You will need tokens to mark Activated, Alert, Pinned, and Wounded states. For Templates, you will need a set of Blast and Flamethrower Templates (Large Blast Template is 5” diameter, Small Blast Template is 3” diameter, and the Flame Template is a 8” x 3” teardrop). These can be plastic or paper. We use an excellent set from Pyrkol. You also might want to get markers for the Zone Hot Spots, Mission Objectives, and Anomalies. These are always at specific locations on the table and we mark them with a small piece of Scatter Terrain, but we’ve found Litko tokens come in quite handy to distinguish that particular piece from the others on the battlefield. 6. A Turn Counter: Zona Alfa missions have a turn limit, so you’ll need to mark the countdown, whether that’s notations on paper, a die, or a nifty dial. 7. Miniatures: You’ll need figures for both Zone Crews and Zone Hostiles. For the Crews, dig through your collection and find 4–12 suitably-attired and equipped miniatures to represent your interests in the Exclusion Zone. Lead Adventure Miniatures offers an outstanding range of Soviet-flavored post- apocalyptic figures, but any Modern range works perfectly well. Take a look at The Assault Group, Eureka, Empress, and SASM for more inspiration. For Zone Hostiles, this is your excuse to purchase that mob of zombies you always wanted (or swarm of rats, pack of dogs, gang of bandits, horde of mutants… your call). Again, Lead Adventure Miniatures offers some excellent options, but feel free to use whatever you have to represent the Exclusion Zone’s dangerous inhabitants.
I arrived in the Zone last night with only my backpack and rifle. We nearly got nabbed by Military patrols twice, but the guide knew his business and got us away. © Lead Adventure Miniatures
Don’t Let Them Bother You
We get them from all over, these thugs and punks. They shove and strut like roosters. They think the Zone is just another territory to control, like the streets of Moscow or the docks at Vladivostok. Bah! As if the Zone cares about prison ink and Bratva connections... Flex that attitude here and she’ll kill you in the time it takes to sneer. You want to survive, you need four things above all else: a strong back, a stout heart, a keen eye, and quick feet. Everything else is for chickens to laugh at. Part 2: Vitals
In Zona Alfa, there are two types of Game Stats: Model Stats and Weapons Stats. Model Stats are for models (no surprise there). There Four Model Stats: Movement, Combat Ability, Armor, and Will. Every model/unit is assigned a numerical value in each of these four categories. These numbers reflect the model/ unit’s general proficiency and ability in battle. Weapon Stats are separate from Model Stats and pertain to the model/units specific armament. There are three Weapon Stats: Range, Firepower, and Damage. These values represent the weapon’s in-game effectiveness. Odd as it may seem at first, these are two separate stat-lines and sets of values because a highly trained Spetsnaz Veteran’s effectiveness in combat situations will vary depending on how he is armed. Does he have a combat knife, a Vityaz SMG, or an RPG 30R? Both types of Stats are explained below.
2.1 Model Stats • Movement: The distance in inches (“) a unit can move in one Action. The average human foot soldier moves 6”/Action. • Combat Ability: The unit’s proficiency with ranged and melee weapons. The average human trooper’s Combat Ability is a 5. •
• Will: The unit’s mental resolve, knowledge, and intelligence. A combination of morale and training. This is also the primary Stat for Skill Checks (see page 13). The average human soldier has a Will of 6. 2.2 Weapon Stats • Range: Given in inches, this is the weapon’s effective range under stressful, frantic, combat conditions. In general, the smaller the weapon, the shorter the range. An Assault Rifle has an in-game range of 36”.
We were moving in for a closer look when the sky turned black and it started bucketing down like the end of the world. We waited out the storm in the hut and when it was over, we came back out to find the anomaly was gone. © Lead Adventure Miniatures
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• Damage: This represents the weapon’s stopping power or penetration. It is a negative modifier to Target’s Armor stat (Cuts through X layers of Armor). The heavier the caliber, the greater the Damage. A standard, modern assault rifle has a Damage rating of 1.
I’m out of food, down to half a canteen of water. Even worse, something big chased me last night and I lost my leg bag getting away. Only ammo is the magazine in my AK. © Lead Adventure Miniatures These two stat lines – Model and Weapon – are the foundation of Zona Alfa. They are intentionally broad so a gamer can generate reasonable values for a wide range of models, armor, and weapon types. See the Armory (page 24) and remember the WYSIWYG Rule! The details are explained further in, but here is a sample profile for a Crew Leader:
That’s it for now. Let’s move on to the Zona Alfa basic rules.
Part 3: Core Mechanics
3.1 Initiative and Alternating Activation At the start of every turn, players will each roll a D10 to determine that turn’s Initiative. This Initiative die roll result is modified (penalized) by the number of that player’s currently Pinned Units. The player with the highest result, after modifiers, activates first. The winner of the Initiative Roll may also pass that option to their opponent, if they deem it tactically advantageous. Players will then alternately activate one unit at a time, resolving all movement and combat, until every unit in both forces has Activated. No unit may be Activated more than once per turn. Once every available unit has Activated, the game turn ends and a new Initiative Roll is required. Each unit can Activate one time per game turn. When Activated, a unit can perform one, two, or three available Actions. The number of possible Actions is determined by the model’s Combat Experience. Combat Experience and available Actions are explained below. 3.2 Combat Experience (Soldatskaya smekalka – “Soldier’s tempering”) Many different kinds of people risk the Zone’s dangers. While all of them are a little crazy or at least desperate, only some of them have enough combat experience to function under pressure. In Zona Alfa, your squad mates perform according to their level of Combat Experience. There are three levels of Combat Experience – Rookie, Hardened, and Veteran – each with a corresponding ability to act in battle.
Rookie (Dukh translates as ‘ghost’ in Russian). Despite the dangers, there’s no shortage of newcomers in the Zone. Not the best, brightest, or most well-equipped, they are cheap to recruit. Rookies are capable of one Action per Activation. They start with no Skills and only one Equipment Slot.
Hardened (Kirza translates as ‘hard leather’ in Russian). These are the individuals who have survived the first couple months and stuck around. With a few missions under their belt and decent gear, they can hold their own in the Zone. Hardened squad mates are capable of two Actions per Activation. They have learned enough to acquire one Skill and have two Equipment Slots.
Veteran (Tyazheliy translates as ‘heavy one’ in Russian). Few and far between. Lean, quick, quiet, the stupidity burned off, these are the ones who have stared the Zone’s dangers in the face and lived to tell about it. Veterans are capable of three Actions per Activation. They have two Skills and three Equipment Slots. 3.3 Actions When Activated, a player will select any one of their units to perform various Actions. The amount of available Actions is determined by the level of Combat Experience. Actions can be performed in any order, as many times as possible. Below is the list of available Actions. With the exception of ‘Alert’, each of the Actions below counts as a single action in the normal rigors of a Zone mission.
Complex efforts such as defusing a bomb or repairing a generator generally require multiple Actions and have a related Skill Check.
Aim Use immediately prior to an Attack Action. Aim can be used for Ranged or Melee Combat. It adds a +1 bonus to model’s Combat Ability in the subsequent Attack Action and a +1 bonus to Weapon Damage if the attack was successful. An Aim Action can be used when firing into Melee, although the +1 bonus to the shooters’ Combat Ability and Weapon Damage is negated by frantic movement. However, the shooter is able to select their target and roll as normal without the possibility of hitting a friendly model/unit.
Alert (Special) At the cost of two Actions, a unit may hold One Action in reserve to interrupt an opponent’s Activation. This interruption can be any Action. For example, Move, Shoot, Aim, even Prep and Throw a Grenade etc.
Attack One Ranged or Melee attack: • Ranged Attack: Fire a ranged weapon one time at an enemy unit. Roll the number of Firepower dice appropriate to the particular weapon. • Melee Attack: One Melee Attack at one enemy model currently in base to base contact. Roll the correct number of Firepower dice assigned to the melee weapon.
Climb The model can scale any appropriate vertical surface more 1” tall, such as a building face or rock wall. Calculate the model/unit’s movement at half its regular Move stat (e.g. Climb 3” = 6” of Movement or one Action). This does not apply to stairs or ladders. These are traversed at model’s regular Move rate.
Inspect Similar to Aim, this Action is used when a model is in LOS and within 12” of a suspect location such as a Zone Hot Spot or Mission Objective. This Action allows the player to add or subtract 1 from the Zone Hostile Table roll for that particular location during this turn. This only applies if the Action is taken in the same turn prior to the crew engaging that location.
Jump Allows the model to jump a horizontal gap up to 2” wide for the cost of 1 Action. Jumping beyond 2” requires a Move Action prior and a Skill Check with the target number being the model/unit’s Will Stat.
Move Model/Unit moves up to its Movement Stat in inches. Movement does not have to be in a straight line and the model is not required to move the full amount. Model may move up or down a level in multi-level terrain via a slope, stairs, or ladder at their normal, unmodified, distance.
Prep and Throw a Grenade This counts as a single Action. Rules for Grenades and Molotov Cocktails are listed in the Armory in Section 5 (see page 24).
Remove one Pinned Counter from an earlier combat result. Removal is automatic at one Action per counter and does not require a Will check.
Recover Similar to Rally, this is essentially standing up and getting your bearings. In the event of a fall, an environmental or scenario specific event, the Model uses an Action to regain footing after being knocked prone.
Reload Reload Ranged Weapon. Certain ranged weapons or specific combat conditions, such as Unload, require a weapon to be reloaded after use. See the Armory in Section 5 for details (see page 24).
Use Item/Interact A catch-all Action that covers a variety of different events. This Action is used to Search a Terrain Item, Toss a Bolt at a Hot Spot, Apply a Med-Kit to an ally, Free a prisoner, Switch on a doomsday device… 3.4 Complex Tasks and Skill Checks While not related to Combat, Complex Tasks and Skill Checks add a dramatic element to Zona Alfa missions. These checks represent difficult or complicated situations that require the character to spend a number of Actions as well as utilizing their Will Stat. The specifics will be left to your imagination and the requirements of the scenario. Some examples of a Complex Task/Skill Check would be repairing a generator, defusing an IED, picking the hatch lock on a BTR-80, or hacking a computer terminal. Situations like these require a model to spend between one and three Actions, as well as make an initial one-time D10 Skill Check roll against the model’s Will stat. This Skill Check roll is a Free Action. To attempt a Complex Task, the model/unit must first be in base to base contact with the terrain item or model that represents the difficult task, be that a vehicle, a computer console, or a locked crate. Second, it must make a successful Skill Check to start the Task. This Skill Check is a single D10 roll made against the model’s Will stat and does not cost an Action. Complex Tasks have Difficulty Ratings. Most often this is 0 and the Skill Check roll is made at the model’s straight Will stat. However more complicated jobs might have a Difficulty Rating of 1, 2, or even 3. This value is a penalty to the model’s Will Stat, so defusing that IED (Difficulty 2) might require 2 Actions at -2 Skill Check. Bear in mind, special Gear and/or Skills will also modify Skill Check rolls. Again, the Skill Check roll is free and does not require an Action. Once a successful roll has been made, the model/unit may then expend actions to accomplish the task.
‘Savak says bring me this!’ ‘Savak says wait there!’ ‘Savak says stay away from here!’ Savak, Savak, Savak… Ugly little weasel. Who does he think he is, ordering me around? © Lead Adventure Miniatures
 
When Actions are spent on Complex Tasks, they do not have to be performed all at once and can be ‘banked’. Make a note on the model’s stat sheet or use chits to mark the number of Actions spent. While the Actions can be rolled over from turn to turn, they must be spent by the initiating model. Should that model move away from the task area, be injured or killed, a new unit may attempt the task, but it must start over and roll a successful Skill Check to start. Some Skill Checks may be restricted only to those models with specific Skills or Equipment. For example, mechanical repairs are much easier for a technician, while IED removal might be a bit less nerve-wracking for a demolition and ordinance expert. Regardless of how you want to play it in Zona Alfa, special abilities make characters better at certain Skills/Tasks than others. 3.5 Movement, Field of View, and Terrain Movement When performing a Move Action, movement is measured from the front of the model’s base and ends on the rear of the model’s base (Front to Rear). Yes, this adds the base width to the Move Action but it really cuts down on arguments. Movement does not have to be a straight line, neither is the unit required to use its full movement. A model can turn at any point during their movement and end facing any direction. I’m a big fan of movement gauges but, if necessary, using a length of string for complicated maneuvers can also do the job.
Field of View The Zone is a dangerous place that requires constant vigilance. All models are considered to have a 360-degree field of vision, regardless of the facing of the model.
Terrain Most terrain features are large scenic items that add atmosphere to the game. This includes hills, trees, buildings, foliage, walls, industrial equipment, storage containers, signage, and the like. These items block and/or affect model’s Movement, Line of Sight, and Line of Fire. “If you can see it, you can shoot it!” is the rule, so unless the model/unit is equipped with an Indirect Fire capable weapon, any terrain feature taller than the model blocks or prevents Ranged/Melee attacks, unless one party is at a higher elevation. Terrain features will affect a unit’s Movement and require the unit expend additional Actions and Movement to go around, through, or over it. 3.6 Cover: Obstructions, Soft Cover, and Hard Cover Terrain items shorter than a model’s height can be used to conceal or protect it by interrupting LOS/LOF or adding to model’s defense. If a terrain item partially covers a model from a specific angle, it may grant a Cover bonus to that model. To receive a Cover bonus, the Defending model must be in base to base contact with the terrain item, and in position to benefit from Cover in relation to the angle of attack. Cover falls into four broad categories: Obstructions, Soft, Hard, and Hardened.
• Obstructions are the first form of terrain modifier. They are any low terrain scenic that interrupts but does not totally block the Line of Sight/Line of Fire in the intervening span between the Attacker and the Defender. It’s not protecting them but it is partially blocking the shot. Obstructions give a -1 penalty per item to any Attacker’s Combat Ability. Obstructions are cumulative with each other and other types of Cover.
• Soft Cover items are wooden boxes, low bushes/scrub brush, a chain link fence, and the like. Soft Cover gives -1 penalty to Attacker’s Combat Ability and +1 bonus to Defender’s Will Stat. • Hard Cover items are brick walls, jersey barriers, dragons’ teeth (tank obstructions), and similar solid material. Hard Cover provides a -1 penalty to Attacker’s Combat Ability, a +1 to Defender’s Armor stat, and +2 bonus to Defender’s Will stat. • Hardened Cover is serious protection like that offered by concrete bunkers and sandbag weapon emplacements. Hardened Cover, when encountered, gives a -2 penalty to Attacker’s Combat Ability, a +2 to Defender’s Armor stat, and +3 to Defender’s Will stat.
The mutant hunter Raven is shooting at a Rad-Ghoul. There is a low hedge in the way (Obstruction) and the irradiated creature is crouching behind a stone wall (Hard Cover). Raven’s Ranged Attack suffers a combined -2 penalty (-1 for the Obstruction and -1 for the Stone Wall) while the Ghoul defender is granted a +1 Armor bonus and +2 to their Will check. If Raven’s Combat Ability is 6 and she is shooting an Assault Rifle, Raven would roll three D10s hoping for a 4 or less (Assault Rifle Firepower is 3). Each result of 4 or less would count as a Hit. Wolf and I were tracking a mutant pack down the Number 9 Highway near that village with the red water tower when we came across an abandoned BMP. © Lead Adventure Miniatures Elevated Attacks In case you needed another reason to take the high ground, any Ranged or Melee attack made from a higher elevation against a target in Cover reduces the Defender’s Cover level by one degree. This means Hard cover shifts to Soft, Soft cover shifts to Obstruction, and Obstruction modifiers are cancelled entirely when the Attacker is at a higher elevation than the Defender. 3.7 Squad Cohesion and Actions Zona Alfa is designed to be a skirmish game with players controlling a squad of individual soldiers, specialists, and characters. However, there may be an occasion where a “Unit” is composed of multiple models. In this case, the Squad Cohesion and Common Actions rules will apply.
Because the squad is trained to act as a team, they must stay together and engage in identical Actions when Activated. Squad Cohesion means models in a multi-model unit cannot be further than 1” from at least one other model within the unit. Think of this like a chain rather than a clump, so a skirmish line is fine. Common Actions require all models in the unit undertake the same Action together, e.g. to all Move, all Shoot, all Melee, etc. In addition, when attacking, all models concentrate their attacks on the same target.
A majority of the time, the only multiple model units are Zone Hostiles who act as a mob or a swarm like zombies or rats. Essentially, treat a multi-model unit as a single model with more Firepower and Wounds than a single model.
Part 4: Combat And Wounds
These are the two types of combat: Ranged and Melee.
4.1 Ranged Combat When engaging an opponent with a Ranged Attack, the attacker must have three things:
1. At least one Action to expend performing the attack. 2. Line of Sight to the Target model. 3. A weapon with sufficient range to reach the Target. Pre-measuring is allowed. If any part of the target unit’s base falls within the effective range of the attacker’s weapon, the attack is allowed. If not, there’s no shot or hit.
Attack Roll To perform a Ranged Attack, the Attacker declares they are expending the Action, identifies the intended Target, then checks the range and Cover modifiers (see page 15). They will then roll the appropriate number of Firepower Dice according to their weapon type (see the Armory, page 24). The target number for a Hit is the model’s Combat Ability, plus or minus any modifiers (Cover, Terrain, Aim, Special Gear etc). Any die rolls of the modified target number or less are a Hit.
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