Setting Up a Game
Quick Reference
- Choose Rivals — record the match in your Story Sheet; determine Underdog (lower Reputation) and Overdog (higher Reputation).
- Nominate Leader — each crew selects a non-Absent model with Natural Leader; see fallback rules if none available.
- Create the Deployment Pool and Round Tracker — place four Round Tracker Tokens and two Search Tokens next to the Battlefield.
- Determine Objectives — check for Annihilation/Ascension triggers first; otherwise the Overdog rolls on the Raid Table.
- Determine Hazards — use the crew's Home Turf Hazard, or roll on the Hazard Table for Wasteland games.
- Set Up the Battlefield — place Major Terrain, Minor Terrain, optional Decorative Features, then place all tokens from the Deployment Pool.
- Prepare Crews — set aside Absent models; players may declare models Sitting Out (minimum half the roster must play).
- Prepare Advantages — build a Cap budget; spend secretly on Common Chems, Bonus Ploys, Hired Help, or Legends of the Wasteland.
- Starting Positions — reveal purchases; Attacker picks a corner Setup Area (15" deep); both sides Deploy; gain Ploy Tokens; Attacker takes Initiative Token.
Step 1 — Choose Rivals
A game of Fallout: Factions is normally played between two players. [Rulebook pg. 36]
Once players have decided to play against each other, they check their crew's Rivals section (pg. 110) to see if, or how many times their crews have been pitted against one another: [Rulebook pg. 36]
- If the crews have not played each other, the players add each other's crew name to the Rivals section of their Story Sheet, tick the first box next to it, and both players gain 1 Reach.
- If the crews have played against each other before, they each tick one of the boxes next to the other crew's name in the Rival section of their Story Sheet. If there are fewer boxes ticked next to that Rival than any other Rival, the player marking the sheet gains 1 Reach.
- If, when marking the number of games played against a Rival, a player marks their fifth game against the opposing crew, they must pick the Annihilation objective in Step 4 — Determine Objectives.
After this step, determine which player is the Underdog and which is the Overdog. The Underdog is the player with the lower Reputation, while the Overdog is the player with the higher Reputation. [Rulebook pg. 36]
Tied Reputation
If the players' Reputations are equal, they Roll Off to decide who is the Underdog and who is the Overdog for this game. [Rulebook pg. 36]
Step 2 — Nominate Leader
Each Faction has a default Leader — a model that starts with the Natural Leader Perk. When taking to the field to play a game of Fallout: Factions, every crew must have a Leader. [Rulebook pg. 36]
At this stage, each player must select a non-Absent model in their crew with the Natural Leader Perk to lead them into battle. [Rulebook pg. 36]
If a crew has no model with the Natural Leader Perk available, check the following to determine what to do: [Rulebook pg. 36]
- If the crew has an Absent model with Natural Leader, then select a Champion model to become the Leader for this game. If there are no Champion models available, then select a Grunt instead.
- If the crew has no models with Natural Leader, then they must select a Champion model to become the Leader for this game. That model gains the Natural Leader perk (this does not affect the model's Rating). If there are no Champion models available, then they must select a Grunt instead.
- If the crew has no models with Natural Leader, and is the Underdog, you may hire a Legend of the Wasteland with Natural Leader as a temporary Leader using your Advantage budget. See Step 8 — Prepare Advantages.
Step 3 — Create the Deployment Pool and Round Tracker
Place four Round Tracker Tokens next to the Battlefield. Most games play over four Rounds, though some may differ. [Rulebook pg. 36]
Create the Deployment Pool by placing two Search Tokens next to the Battlefield. The Deployment Pool is a collection of tokens that will be added to during the Preparing to Play section, and used in Step 6 — Set Up the Battlefield. [Rulebook pg. 36]
Step 4 — Determine Objectives
First, check to see if either crew meets the requirements to play the Annihilation or Ascension Objectives (see below). If not, the Overdog rolls a die and checks the result on the Raid Table. [Rulebook pg. 36]
Raid Table
| Score | Objective | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Overdog Raid | The Overdog is the Attacker, raiding the Underdog's Home Turf. If the Underdog is a Nomad, this game becomes a Wasteland Encounter. |
| 3–5 | Wasteland Encounter | Roll on the Wasteland Encounter Objective Table. The Overdog may spend 2 Scouting Points after rolling this Objective to change it to a Raid with them as the Attacker. |
| 6–8 | Wasteland Encounter | Roll on the Wasteland Encounter Objective Table. The Underdog may spend 2 Scouting Points after rolling this Objective to change it to a Raid with them as the Underdog as Attacker. |
| 9–10 | Underdog Raid | The Underdog leads a Raid as the Attacker. If the Overdog is a Nomad, this game becomes a Wasteland Encounter. |
[Rulebook pg. 36]
Annihilation
In the Choose Rivals step, if the players' crews are playing their fifth game against one another, the Annihilation Objective will be triggered. This game will represent the potentially final bout between each side. To prepare an Annihilation game, follow these steps: [Rulebook pg. 37]
- Consult the Annihilation Special rules and Story Outcomes (pg. 45).
- Proceed to Step 5 — Determine Hazards. In this game the Overdog is the Attacker, and the Underdog the Defender — the game will take place on the Defender's Home Turf (or in the Wasteland if they are a Nomad).
House Rule: Annihilation in Smaller Campaigns
The Annihilation Objective is designed to provide an exciting finale to a player's crew as well as acting as an incentive for players to choose different Rivals to play against (rather than challenging the same player each game). In smaller campaigns of 3–4 players, you may decide to add a house rule changing Annihilation from triggering on a player's fifth game with the same player to their tenth, or even make the Annihilation Objective completely optional. [Rulebook pg. 37]
Ascension
In the Step 4 — Determine Objectives step, if one, or both players have completed their Tier 3 Goals, the Ascension Objective will be triggered, giving one crew the opportunity to Ascend into Legend. [Rulebook pg. 37]
To prepare an Ascension game, follow these steps: [Rulebook pg. 37]
- Consult the Ascension Special rules and Story Outcomes (pg. 44).
- Proceed to Step 5 — Determine Hazards. In this game the Underdog is the Attacker, and the Overdog the Defender — the game will take place in the Wasteland.
Reading Objectives and Hazards
Objectives and Hazards are the building blocks that make each game of Fallout: Factions unique! They can change almost any aspect of a game: [Rulebook pg. 37]
Starting Positions — Objectives and Hazards may modify how models are placed during Step 9 — Starting Positions. An Objective's Setup criteria overrule standard deployment rules. [Rulebook pg. 37]
Rounds — Some Objectives extend the number of Rounds over which a game will be played. A game is usually four Rounds. [Rulebook pg. 37]
Deployment Pool — Objectives and Hazards may add Tokens into the Deployment Pool. [Rulebook pg. 37]
Special Rules — Objectives and Hazards may change specific aspects of a game. Any special rules mentioned take precedence over the standard rules of the game and may stack with each other. For example, if you are playing a game with both the Scavenge Caps and the Scavenge Parts Objectives, you may find a large amount of Caps using the modified Rummage Action, then roll to see if you find any more loot! [Rulebook pg. 37]
Story Outcomes — The Story Outcomes of each Objective are determined at the end of each game. Similarly to special rules, all Story Outcomes are resolved. When choosing an Objective, the Story Outcomes are usually the most important aspect to consider! [Rulebook pg. 37]
Raid
If an Overdog, or Underdog Raid was rolled on the Raid Table, the Attacker must choose one Objective from the Raid Objective Table. Once they have, proceed to Step 5 — Determine Hazards. [Rulebook pg. 37]
Raid Objective Table
| Raid Objective | Effect |
|---|---|
| Pillage | Apply the Pillage Objective (pg. 46). |
| Assault | Apply the Assault Objective (pg. 46). |
| Occupy | Apply the Occupy Objective (pg. 46). |
| Rescue | This Objective cannot be chosen unless the Defender has Captives (pg. 55) from the Attacker's crew. Apply the Rescue Objective (pg. 47). |
[Rulebook pg. 37]
Wasteland Encounter
If a Wasteland Encounter was rolled on the Raid Table, the game will take place in the Wasteland. In a Wasteland Encounter, both players will generate an Objective. Unless specified, each Objective will be applicable for each player — though some Objectives, such as Exclusive Objectives, will alter this. [Rulebook pg. 38]
To determine Objectives, both players, starting with the Underdog, roll a die and check the result against the Wasteland Objectives Table. If both players roll the same Objective, then the Overdog must Re-roll. Either player may spend 1 Scouting Point after making their roll to re-roll their die. After any re-rolls have been made, resolve the Effects of the rolls to determine the Objectives. [Rulebook pg. 38]
After the Objectives have been determined, proceed to Step 5 — Determine Hazards. [Rulebook pg. 38]
Wasteland Objectives Table
| Score | Objective | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scavenge Chems | Apply the Scavenge Chems Objective (pg. 47). |
| 2 | Scavenge Caps | Apply the Scavenge Caps Objective (pg. 47). |
| 3 | Scavenge Parts | Apply the Scavenge Parts Objective (pg. 48). |
| 4 | Hunting Party | Apply the Hunting Party Objective (pg. 48). |
| 5 | Search for a Vault Key | Apply the Search for a Vault Key Objective (pg. 48). |
| 6 | Exert Power | Apply the Exert Power Objective (pg. 48). |
| 7 | Investigate | Apply the Investigate Objective (pg. 48). |
| 8 | Secure a Vault | Apply the Secure a Vault Objective (pg. 48). This is an Exclusive Objective; only one Exclusive Objective can be chosen per Wasteland Encounter. |
| 9 | Ambush | Apply the Ambush Objective (pg. 49) to this game. This is an Exclusive Objective; only one Exclusive Objective can be chosen per Wasteland Encounter. If another is rolled, re-roll it. |
| 10 | Duel | Apply the Duel Objective (pg. 49). This is an Exclusive Objective; only one Exclusive Objective can be chosen per Wasteland Encounter. If another is rolled, re-roll it. |
[Rulebook pg. 38]
Step 5 — Determine Hazards
After determining Objectives, determine the Hazard for this game. To do this, follow the below steps. [Rulebook pg. 39]
- If the game is being played on a crew's Home Turf, then apply the Hazard listed on that crew's Crew Roster.
- If the game is being played in the Wasteland, then the Underdog rolls on the Hazard Table and resolves its Effect. After rolling, the Underdog may spend 1 Scouting Point to Re-roll the die once.
Home Turf Ploy
If the game is taking place in a crew's Home Turf, the Defender gains access to a unique Ploy as described in the Hazard. If the Defender is a Nomad, they do not get access to this Ploy. [Rulebook pg. 39]
Stand-up Fight
If both players agree, they may decide to spend their time in less dangerous parts of the Wasteland. Instead of rolling to see what Hazards are in play, play without any special rules. Note that after a game on a Hazardless Wasteland Battlefield, neither player will be able to take the Settle Story Phase Action. [Rulebook pg. 39]
Hazard Table
| Score | Hazard | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Irradiated | Apply the Irradiated Hazard (pg. 50). |
| 2 | Minefield | Apply the Minefield Hazard (pg. 50). |
| 3 | Bog | Apply the Bog Hazard (pg. 50). |
| 4 | Security Turrets | Apply the Security Turrets Hazard (pg. 50). |
| 5 | Low Visibility | Apply the Low Visibility Hazard (pg. 50). |
| 6 | Barren | Apply the Barren Hazard (pg. 51). |
| 7 | City Ruins | Apply the City Ruins Hazard (pg. 51). |
| 8 | Unstable Fuel | Apply the Unstable Fuel Hazard (pg. 51). |
| 9 | Harrowed | Apply the Harrowed Hazard (pg. 51). |
| 10 | Choose Hazard | Choose any Hazard from this table and apply it to this game. |
[Rulebook pg. 39]
Step 6 — Set Up the Battlefield
The players now create a Battlefield, following the guidelines below. Note that some Hazards and Objectives modify this Setup. [Rulebook pg. 39]
Designer's Note: Custom Battlefields
The guidelines in this section are just that — guidelines. They'll create an interesting Terrain Setup, which will provide a fun game. However, if both players agree, they can ignore the guidelines entirely and create something more thematic! Creating beautiful Battlefields is a big part of the hobby for some players, and you shouldn't feel constrained by these guidelines.
The most important thing to remember is that a game of Fallout: Factions is at its best when there are lots of places for models to hide and plenty of Terrain that breaks up the Lines of Sight; unless, of course, you are playing with the Barren Hazard. [Rulebook pg. 39]
Place Major Terrain
To begin Battlefield layout, the Underdog places one piece of Major Terrain (pg. 10) onto the Battlefield. After they are happy with their placement, the Overdog does the same. All Major Terrain must be placed at least 3" apart from any other Major Terrain. This process continues until both players agree there is enough Terrain. In general, Fallout: Factions operates best with 4–6 pieces of Major Terrain. [Rulebook pg. 39]
Place Minor Terrain
After all Major Terrain has been placed, the player who did not place the last piece now places up to two pieces of Minor Terrain anywhere on the Battlefield. Unlike Major Terrain, there are no spacing restrictions to the placement of Minor Terrain. Once the first player has placed their pieces, the second player does the same. This continues until both players agree that there is enough terrain. [Rulebook pg. 39]
Optional: Place Decorative Features
If the players wish, they can add Decorative Terrain to the Battlefield. Remember that these have no impact on the rules, so players can add as many or as few as they wish. [Rulebook pg. 40]
Place Deployment Pool
The player who did not place the last piece of Minor Terrain chooses any Token in the Deployment Pool (created during Step 3), then places it onto the Battlefield. They must observe the following rules: [Rulebook pg. 40]
- If there are no Tokens of this type on the Battlefield, it must be placed within 6" of the center of the Battlefield.
- If there is at least one Token of this type already placed, the Token must be placed at least 6" away from all Tokens of the same type, but within 9" of at least one Token of the same type.
Once the Token has been placed, the other player does the same, picking a Token in the Deployment Pool and placing it onto the Battlefield. This continues back and forth, until all Tokens in the Deployment Pool have been added to the Battlefield. [Rulebook pg. 40]
Hazards
Some Hazards change the Setup of the Battlefield, as shown in the table below. The full rules for each Hazard can be found on pgs. 50–51. [Rulebook pg. 41]
| Hazard | Effect |
|---|---|
| Bog | Each player must agree which parts of the Battlefield are considered "ground level." This is usually any part of the tabletop without any Terrain. |
| Security Turrets | Two Security Turrets (pg. 50) are added to the Deployment Pool. |
| Barren | When placing Major Terrain, no piece of Major Terrain can be placed within 12" of another. |
| City Ruins | When placing Terrain, you must place a minimum of 6 pieces of Major Terrain and 8 pieces of Minor Terrain. If you cannot place this much Terrain, place as much as you can. |
Occupy Objective
The Occupy Objective (pg. 46) changes Set Up the Battlefield as follows: [Rulebook pg. 41]
While placing Major Terrain, there must be at least one piece of Major Terrain for each Facility on the Defender's Home Turf. Before placing terrain, the Defender must designate which piece of Major Terrain corresponds to each of their Facilities (i.e., one building is their Infirmary, and another as their Monument). When placing Terrain, the Defender places these pieces first, prior to the standard Terrain placement rules. [Rulebook pg. 41]
Step 7 — Prepare Crews
Each player now gathers their crew for the game. [Rulebook pg. 41]
If any models from a crew are Absent on the Crew Roster, they cannot take part in this game, and are set aside. [Rulebook pg. 41]
Sitting Out
Players can declare that some of the models in their crew can Sit Out the game. When a model Sits Out, they are not Deployed to the Battlefield in Step 9 — Starting Positions, and cannot be added to the Battlefield in the game for any reason. However, a model that Sits Out can still be used during the Story Phase. A player cannot do this if it will mean that fewer than half of the models on their Crew Roster (rounding down) will take part in the game. [Rulebook pg. 41]
The Overdog must declare any models that are Sitting Out first, followed by the Underdog. [Rulebook pg. 41]
Step 8 — Prepare Advantages
Each player then follows the below steps to create an Advantage budget: [Rulebook pg. 41]
- For every 10 points in difference between the Underdog and Overdog's Reputation, the Underdog gains 10 Caps into their budget.
- Each player rolls a die, and gains a number of Caps into their budget equal to the roll.
- Each player may add any number of Caps from their Stash into their budget.
- If the Defender is the Underdog in an Ascension game, they then double their budget.
After creating their budgets, each player may secretly spend Caps from the budget to purchase temporary Advantages. These include Bonus Ploys, Common Chems, Hired Help, and Legends of the Wasteland. Any Caps not spent from the Advantage Budget are lost when beginning Step 9 — Starting Positions, so use them or lose them! [Rulebook pg. 41]
Common Chems
A Common Chem can be purchased for the costs listed below. When purchasing a Common Chem, mark a single diagonal line in the first available box for that Chem on the Crew Roster (pg. 25). Remember that once all three boxes are marked, no more doses of that Chem can be purchased for this game. [Rulebook pg. 41]
Chem Table
| Chem | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Rad-X | 5 Caps | Allows a model to ignore the effects of Radiation. |
| Psycho | 6 Caps | Grants 2 Bonus Dice to an Attack Test. |
| Nuka-Cola | 8 Caps | Temporarily increases a model's Control Area by 3". |
| Stimpak | 9 Caps | Allows a model to Recover up to 2 Harm. |
| Steady | 10 Caps | Temporarily increases a model's Perception by 1 for an Attack Test. |
| Jet | 15 Caps | Allows a model to Recover 1 Fatigue. |
[Rulebook pg. 41]
Bonus Ploys
A Bonus Ploy can be purchased for 50 Caps. During Step 9 — Starting Positions you gain an additional Ploy Token. No player may have more than three Ploy Tokens, so this Advantage does nothing for a Tier Three crew. [Rulebook pg. 42]
Hired Help
Temporary Grunts from your Faction List may be purchased for an amount of Caps equal to their Rating. You cannot purchase more than two Grunts of the same Class with the same Weapon Set. Grunts purchased this way gain the Outsider Perk and are added to your Crew Roster. During the next Story Phase, any Grunts purchased via this Advantage are removed from the Crew Roster, but do not count as dead models. [Rulebook pg. 42]
Legends of the Wasteland
If your campaign has any Legends of the Wasteland available for hire (pg. 65), you may purchase one for an amount of Caps equal to their Rating. Legends purchased this way gain the Outsider Perk and are added to your Crew Roster. During the next Story Phase, any Legends purchased via this Advantage are removed from the Crew Roster, but do not count as dead models. During Step 9 — Starting Positions, if both players have purchased the same Legend, both remove the Legend from their Crew Roster and their Advantage Budget remains the same — clearly, the Legend took all the Caps and ran away. [Rulebook pg. 42]
Step 9 — Starting Positions
Following the purchasing of Advantages, both players reveal what they have spent their Caps on before taking the following steps to finish the Prepare to Play stage: [Rulebook pg. 42]
- If the Objective has not stated the Attacker, the Underdog becomes the Attacker.
- The Attacker selects a corner of the Battlefield as their Setup Area, which extends 15" into the Battlefield from that corner. They then Deploy their models, by placing all non-Absent, non-Sitting Out models on their Crew Roster within their Setup Area.
- The Defender then does the same, using the Battlefield corner opposite the Setup Area of the Attacker.
- Each player gains a number of Ploy Tokens equal to their crew's Tier, plus one for each Bonus Ploy Advantage Purchased; to a maximum of three.
- The Attacker gains the Initiative Token, and will take the first Turn of the game.
- Both players may Reposition by using Scouting Points (pg. 27).
Preparing to Play has now finished, and the first Round may begin! [Rulebook pg. 42]
Designer's Note: Temporary Models
Hired Help and Legends of the Wasteland have no effect on Crew Limits and are always removed from a Crew's Roster during the Story Phase. Because of this, some players prefer to note down the model's S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics on a separate sheet or run them directly out of the Fallout: Factions rule book. [Rulebook pg. 42]