Trailing clouds were lit orange by a westering sun. The troops moved slowly, in open formation, using the strewn rocks, copses of water-starved trees and bracken as cover. Spread out, with dirty and dark kit, this was worlds away from the tight drill and sparkling uniforms of the parade grounds in which Jean had begun his military career. Way ahead, Nicholas signalled: stop… spread out… down… enemy… look… a series of sharp gestures that the Section of Veteran French Marines responded to instinctively.

A sharp whistle broke the strained silence. Merde! Marines threw themselves to the ground, covering their ears. A series of thunderous explosions rocked them. Smoke and stinging debris rained down and through them. The sound was deafening. A shockwave hit Jean’s face, smashing it into the rocky ground beneath him. Blood streamed from smashed teeth.

“Prêt! Prêt!” Nicholas’ voice could be heard faintly above the ringing. Jean stumbled up and forward, crouching behind a large rock not far behind his NCO. “Ennimi!” Nicholas cried.

Over the valley top above them, Covenant Commandos burst from cover and rushed forward, snub weapons firing a deadly staccato. Andre and Michal fell in the rapid burst of fire.

Swinging a sword above his head, the Covenant Officer led the charge; suddenly, his body folded backwards as the back of his head ruptured. Gervais! Their sharpshooter! French Marines cheered. Nicholas stood, firing his pistol as the Commandos closed. Jean rose too, fired his rifle from the hip, then let it fall and pulled out his bayonet. Then screamed.

Order the Version 2.0 Core Rulebook by the end of October and receive TAC Cards for FREE

Like a section of Elite Covenant Myrmidon Jetpack Assault troops, Spartan HQ has hit full throttle as the Dystopian Legions 2.0 Rulebook ships, along with the Codename: Iron Scorpion Battle Box.
Codename Iron Scorpion sets the foundation for the explosion arrival of Dystopian Legions, including the new Dystopian Legions 2.0 Core Rulebook and a host of carefully-planned releases intended so that no matter which of the Core Nations you play, there will be soldiers there for you to command.

Dystopian Legions is a 32mm scale Platoon-level combat game, where Sections of Infantry, Cavalry, Jetpack Troops, Artillery, Ironclads and more fight quick and bloody engagements. The game system has been carefully designed with an emphasis on ease of play and speed, but we have also maintained a core focus on tactical decision-making, offering plenty of choices for gamers.

Officers and Line Infantry form the core components of every Platoon:

The role of Officers is now critical to a game of Legions as the new command and control system is vital for your military success; Officers can give orders, support troops making morale tests and perform a range of other fundamental duties.

Line Infantry rise to the occasion because the seizure of Objectives is often a vital element in achieving victory, and Line Infantry provide the backbone of every army. Sections of Line Infantry can be upgraded to include NCOs, Gun Teams, Specialists, Attachments and Field Guns. In addition, taking a Section of Line Infantry opens up more choices on the Platoon Structure chart, allowing a force to take more Elite and Support Sections — or even giant Ironclads!

Movement, Line of Sight, Firing and Melee have all been streamlined to create as tactical an experience as possible, with as clean a set of mechanisms as possible. As you might expect of 1870, Sections activate, move and fire as one, targeting enemy Sections, not individuals (taking a kill shot on an enemy Officer is the province of a deadly Sniper, after all). Orders and Tactical Action Cards can be vital in combat, to ensure troops are steadfast and able to fire in good order.

Ironclads, on the other hand, are their own beast. Dystopian Legions 2.0 includes a whole new set of rules that separate these mighty behemoths of war from the man on the ground. The new Ironclad rules are simple, and allow for some huge fun! Scoring big on the Ironclad Damage Table can have some explosive results!

Rules for Terrain allow Sections to use a small stone wall as a defensive position, or occupy a building. Steam Bikes and Ironclads can thunder through low strung barbed wire that will catch Infantry and make progress difficult, while Tank Traps will stop an Ironclad, but may provide needed cover for an Infantry Section under fire.

Dystopian Legions 2.0 also comes with a simple, yet flexible, scenario generation system, allowing every game to stand apart, and providing a set of battlefield conditions around which to very easily create a narrative.
Veteran Dystopian Legions players you will still recognise the core elements, and whether you were with us from the start or are stepping in now: we hope you’ll find an engaging, tactical, quick-playing and above-all fun game!

Dystopian Legions 2.0 is a highly flexible system, with an emphasis on action, story, and having to make tough tactical choices under fire. Brief your Officers, call in the Elites, marshal your Infantry, and let the kettle drums ring… Dystopian Legions 2.0 has arrived!

NOTE 1: Several changes to the core rules have resulted in parts of the original rules no longer being used. Primarily this affects the Game Cards that come in the older Starter Sets and with some units and characters. These are no longer used in the 2.0 game engine. The unit Activation Cards are also now an Optional Rule with the 2.0 rules, left in for those players who may like to use an Order of Play.

NOTE 2: Tactical Action Cards (TACs) are now used in Dystopian Legions 2.0. Codename Iron Scorpion comes with two decks of TACs. However, to make it easier for gamers, from now until the end of October 2014 we will be giving a free deck of Legions TACs, worth £4, away with every order or our Dystopian Legions 2.0 core rulebook placed via the Spartan Games Online Store. Don’t worry if you have already ordered your book via our Mail Order store, we will just add the TACs to your order.