army book cogs usweb

8/6/2019 Army Book COGS USweb

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A R M Y B O O K


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We are t he mas t ers of evo l u t i on !

N o o n e e s c a p e s w a r!


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Credits

E d it o r i a l d ir e c t o rJean Bey

A rt is t i c d ir e c t o r sPaolo Parente

S t u d io d ir e c t o rPhilippe Chartier

E d it or i a l m a n a g e rSbastien Clerin

M a n u f a c t u r in g m a n a g e rsRaphal Guiton, Guiglielmo Yau and Paolo Parente

D e s ig n e r s - w r it e r sJean-Baptiste Lullien and Nicolas Raoult

E d it io n s e c r e t a ryRaphael Guiton

Tra n s l a t o r Aaron Galbraith

P ro o fr e a d e r s - r e v is orJez Fairclough, Jon Finn, Grant Hill, Collin Kelly and Kenton Sheppard

G r a p h i c a r t is t sMatthias Haddad and Mathieu Harlaut

Illu s t r a t o r sMauro Dalbo, Karl Kopinski, Sebastien Labro and Paolo Parente

M in i a t u r e d e s ig n e r sMauro Dalbo, douard Guiton, Karl Kopinski, Sebastien Labro and

Paolo ParenteS c u lp to r s

Sebastien Labro, Mauro Gnani Zerbini, Juan Navarro Prez andStphane Nguyen Van Gioi

M in i a t u r e p a in t e r s a n d Terra in e le m e n t s Vincent Fontaine and Paolo Parente

P h o t o g r a p h e rJean-Baptiste Guiton

S p e c i a l T h a n k s Aaron Galbraith for such an exceptional job!


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The miniatures have been created by RACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT. They are issued from the universe of AT-43, a game published by RACKHAM. AT-43, CRY HAVOC and RACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT are RACKHAMENTERTAINMENT trademarks. Copyrig ht 2009 RACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT.

All rights reserved. All the illustrations, pictures, miniatures and miniatures names are exclusive creations owned by RACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT. MiniaturesRACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT are not toys. It is dangerous to put them in your

mouth or to swallow them. RACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT miniatures are not suitable for children under 3 years old. AT-43 miniatures are made in China. AT-43 is a game published by RACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT.

RACKHAM ENTERTAIN M E N T45 rue DelizyModule 234

93500 Pan t inFrance

Tel: + 33. (0 ) 1.55 86 89 20 . Fax: + 33. (0 ) 1.55 86 89 25w ww .r ackham.fr www.a t -4 3 .com www .rackham-s t or e .co m

Copyright RACKHAM ENTERTAINMENT, 2009. All rights reserved.COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION: March 2007 ISBN: 978-2-358830-04-1

AT-43 is published by R ackham Entertainment S.A .S.with a capital of 1 000 000

RCS Paris B 508 820 024c/o CONNELL SPEIRS ET ASSOCIATE, 3 rue Lon Jost, 75017 Paris

Legal representative: Lafte Consei l SARL represented by Lucas VELIMIROVICPrinted in China

D I S C L A I M E R

AT-43 is a work of fiction. It is a game.None of this ever occurred and, hopefully,

never will occur...

T A B L E O FC O N T E N T S

I N T R O D U C T I O N................................................

4

I N E R T I N F O R M A T I V E E L E M E N T S ......... 5

From Flesh to Machine ......................................................6Being a Cog ..................................................................... 11 The Original Worlds .........................................................13

D A T A B A S E A N D

G E N E T I C T E C H N I Q U E S ................................ 1 5

Operational Organization .................................................16 The Lines ......................................................................... 18 A-volution.........................................................................20C-naps.............................................................................24G-nocrat ..........................................................................28 T-regulator .......................................................................32Infantry .............................................................................36Stalkers............................................................................38Warmongers ....................................................................39Gunslingers .....................................................................40Sharpshooters .................................................................42Counter-snipers ...............................................................44

Gunmen ...........................................................................46Gunfighters ......................................................................47Hunters ............................................................................48Skirmishers ......................................................................49 Trackers ...........................................................................50 Armored Fighting Vehicles ...............................................51Marauder .........................................................................53Pillager .............................................................................54Prowler ............................................................................55Ravager ...........................................................................57 Vandal ..............................................................................58

A P P E N D I C E S .................................................. 5 9

The Future .......................................................................60 Troops .............................................................................62Company Sheet ...............................................................63


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The AT-43 range now includes a series of reference publica-tions, Army Books, for all players.

All AT-43 fans will enjoy the exclusive information containedin these supplements.

Knowing everything about an army means knowing not onlyhow to lead it, but also how to defeat it!

T H E C O G S

The Cogs Their forces are composed of millions of shipsand billions of armored fighting vehicles. The soldiers pro-duced on the assembly lines of their cloning factories are toonumerous to be counted. Their goal is simple: to reach thepinnacle of the evolutionary chain and become the most suc-

cessful life form in the universe. Only the combined power of the Karmans and Therians has been able to keep this war-mongering culture in check. This aggressive civilization iscontrolled by Four Lines.

Avolution developed machinery and assembled massivearmies of soldiers encased within metal bodies. Its intention isto subjugate the galaxy through its superior technology.

Whether it buys its enemies or overwhelms them withcountless numbers,Cnaps is the master of trade. The enor-mous quantity of resources it has available secures its victo-ries.

The Gnocrat line specializes in living beings. Its su-per-soldiers, capable of regenerating even the most lethal of wounds, are only the vanguard of the invincible army growingin its laboratories!

Perpetual voyagers, the members of theTregulator Linelaunch their powerful space fleet in lightning-raids which no-one can stop.

The time has come to unleash the power of the Cogs. Theirarmies will soon overwhelm the weak, assimilate the strong andensure absolute domination of the universe for their species!

D E S C R I P T I O N O F C L O N I N GP R O T O C O L A R M Y B O O K : C O G .

This Cog cloning protocol provides the details and proce-dures you will need to create a Cog company.

The first part of this protocol includes inert informative ele-ments. That is, non-organic and non-genetic elements. Theydescribe the structure of combat clone development. Theseelements are of the following type:

History : From Flesh to Machine presents the biologicalevolution of Cog civilization from a historical point of view. Thisis mandatory reading for any Cog. It presents the choices thatwere made in previous generations. Whoever knows the past,will control the future.

Social : Being a Cog describes the Cog social structure. This is an essential preamble to the establishment of an in-dustrial structure capable of producing weapons, soldiers andarmored fighting vehicles according to an optimal productionplan. Management before production is the law of industry.

Geographic : The Original Worlds reveals information onthe planets where the Cogs live and how they exploit them.

The second part of this cloning protocol contains a compre-hensive database of all available Cog soldier genomes as wellas their characteristics and the technical diagrams for theirequipment. This database includes the following elements:

Operational organization presents the specifications of Cog armies as well as rules for assembling companies.

The Lines describes each Line, its operational specifica-tions and the clone-officers available to it.

Cog Infantry offers an overview of all the infantry ge-nomes that can be produced along with their military perfor-mances.

Cog armored fighting vehicles offers an overview of the unmanned armored combat striders including their blue-prints.

The third part of this protocol,Four Lines, Four Futures ,presents a study of the various development perspectives of Cog civilization. Foresight is the incubator of domination!

In the Appendices, you will find a summary of the Cog arse-nal, a non-automated company building expert system (com-pany sheet) and a summary of the rules: everything you needto play AT-43 .

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Introduction


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I n e r t

I n f o r m a t i v eE l e m e n t s


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From

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Cogs

The term Cogs is a practical abbreviation used by biologi-cally and technologically inferior civilizations. The Cogs are, infact, a rather flexible alliance of the four most successful ge-netic lines to which their kind gave birth. Each Line considersitself a civilization of its own, or what non-Cog societies wouldrefer to as a species .

Therefore, the history of the Cogs is the history of these fourLines, the discoveries they made, and the wars they waged in

order to demonstrate their supremacy. It tells how these Lineseventually overcame their differences to form the Cog Empire.It also recounts how Cogs became, almost against their will, aunited civilization in order to defend themselves from the otheraggressive species that populate the universe. It describeshow they once believed that there was an end to evolution;how they were convinced they had reached it And how, in

AT-43, they realized there was still a long way to go.

C O P Y A N D C O N T R O L

The Cogs rose from the mud swamps of their world, Origin4, three hundred and fifty thousand years ago. They were ag-gressive, highly territorial and craved domination. Their civiliza-tion was founded on permanent war between the various indi-viduals from which it originated. The Cogs call this dark periodof their history the War of the Lines, although the Lines werethe result of it more than the cause.

After this period of conflict, the Lines had been established.Each Cog was driven by a powerful reproduction instinctwhich compelled it to subjugate other Cogs, forcing them tobecome the incubators of its offspring.

Thus, the Cogs replicated over and over again, and gradu-ally colonized their planet. In the beginning, the stronger Cogsthrived. However, as technology advanced, the most intel-ligent and ingenious individuals gained the upper hand. So,less than thirty thousand years after acquiring intelligence, theCogs had dominated their environment.

The War of the Lines became a simple competition whichyielded true scientific and technological progress. The Cogcivilization was deep in genetic research. While they barelymastered space travel, the Cogs expertise in biology hadreached a stage of development that allowed them to altertheir genetic inheritance at will.

What evolution hadnt granted to the few hundred greatLines ruling their planet, the Cogs could now engineer andadd to their gene pool. Their intellectual capacity doubled, andtheir life expectancy was multiplied a hundredfold. Technically,the Cogs had harnessed immortality, but their competitive na-ture made it impossible for an individual to live more than a fewcenturies: there was always an ambitious descendant downthe Line, or a bitter rival bent on revenge to assassinate it.

F R O M F L E S HT O M A C H I N EC O G R E P R O D U C T I O N

A Cog is a genderless creature, but during reproductionit assumes either an active or a passive role. The ac-tive Cog transmits its genetic code in order to produce anexact copy using the passive Cog as a matrix. This pas-sive matrix serves as an incubator. The incubating Cogintroduces a few subtle genetic variations which ensurevariety amongst the species.

After a short period of growth, a miniature replica of thefather is grown within the incubator before the clone isspawned from it.


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This urged the Cogs to developin a new direction: it allowed theOriginal Ones, Masters of theGreat Lines, to live longer. Spe-cialized creatures were developedwith limited intellectual and physi-ological capacities and their lifeexpectancy was artificially short-ened. Initially this technique wasused to improve bodyguards re-flexes, or give them a highly devel-oped muscle structure. Servants,workers, breeders, and all sortsof artificial creatures came next.

They were programmed to be of unfaltering loyalty. The Cogs maderapid progress in cybernetics andbegan creating beings able to re-ceive various implants which in-creased their abilities far beyond

what flesh could naturally support. The Cogs also generated beingsdeprived of a muscular system, oreven without a nervous system,but ready to receive prosthesismaking them more efficient thanany living thing.

After two hundred and thirtythousand years of evolution, theCogs reached their modern form.

They had become what other spe-cies now refer to as Cogs, as ev-

ery individual of their kind is only considered a part in a greatermachine - a machine of which the Original Ones are the ab-solute masters.

E X P A N S I O N A N D C O N T R O L

As they reached their current form, the Cogs became toonumerous for Origin 4 and had very little left to discover on itssurface. More importantly, they needed further resources tocontinue their development.

And so the Lines began the conquest of space. Some choseto create slow spaceships, able to travel in isolation for tens of thousands of years. Others invested in advanced physics re-search to discover the means to travel faster and farther.

The Cogs explored new planets. Some were fit for habita-tion, others were already occupied, and some were home tomore than just life: intelligence. Some Lines chose to subjugatethese planets through force and engaged in war. Other Lineswere more observant and decided to negotiate, exchange,and trade with the civilizations they encountered.

In the beginning of this new era, there were around a hun-dred recorded Lines. Gradually, the vastness of space took itsdue toll of deaths and disappearances, destroying the morefoolish Lines or the least fortunate ones.

T H E E V O L U T I O N O F T H E C O G S

BT-350,000 (approx.) ....Rise of the first Cogs on their homeworld Origin 4.BT-120,000 (approx. ) .....Cogs control Origin 4. End of the War of the Lines.BT-119,500 (approx.) .....The Original Ones emerge.BT-119,400 (approx.) .....Cog servants are created to serve the Original Ones.BT-119,000 (approx.) .....Launch of space exploration.BT-118,770 ..................... Beginning of the Golden Age of the Cogs and subsequent

birth of the Empire of the Thirty-two Lines.BT-98,968 ......................The Cogs encounter the Therians.BT-98,967 ......................The Therians annihilate an entire Line.BT-98,966 ...................... The Therians eradicate two additional Lines. The Cog Empire

collapses into civil war.BT-98,956 ...................... The end of the Empire of the Thirty-two Lines. Only four

Lines remain.BT-98,951 ......................Beginning of the Cog counter-offensive.BT-98,950 ......................Battle of LV-421, the Therians are defeated.BT-98,949 ...................... Ending of the re-conquest of the lost Cog systems and be-

ginning of the offensive against Therian worlds.BT 98,948 .......................The Cogs capture thousands of Therian worlds.BT-98,947 ......................The Cogs are thwarted by the Karmans.BT-98,946 ...................... The Cogs repel the Karmans and resume the offensive

against the Therians.BT-98,945 ......................The Karmans attack Cog worlds.BT-98,940 ......................Battle of Central C-naps 5. The Cogs are defeated again.BT-98,939 ...................... The C-naps Line negotiates with the Karmans. Karmans at-

tack the other three Lines.BT-98,937 ...................... All Lines accept an agreement with the Karmans. The front

stabilizes. AT-0 ................................The Cogs decide to resume the fight against the Therians. AT-43 ..............................The Cog forces are finally ready to resume the war.


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Cogs

The Cog Empire was formed after two hundred and thirtyyears of space exploration and colonization. Thirty-two Linesshared as many spheres of influence at the heart of the galaxy.Numbering thousands of stars, this sector of the galaxy wasparadise for a young and rapidly growing civilization a civili-zation eager to discover a universe which promised it infiniteresources.

This bountiful period constituted the Golden Age of theCogs . This was a period during which their species believedthat anything was possible: the era of the Empire of the Thirty-two Lines. Technology progressed by leaps and bounds. Re-lations with a dozen other intelligent species offered new pathsfor biological development: developments the Cogs had nevereven imagined and which allowed them to achieve heightsthey once believed unobtainable.

E N C O U N T E RO F T H E T H I R D K I N D

The Golden Age of the Thirty-two Lines lasted more than

eighteen thousand years during which the empire absorbedworld after world; star system after star system. When the

Therians appeared in BT-98,968, the Cog Empire comprisedtwelve thousand star systems colonized by the thirty two lines.It also included eight thousand star systems home to allied orindigenous species that had chosen to join the Cog Empire.

D y i n g S t a r sFor thousands of years, the Cogs witnessed the disappear-

ance of stars from their skies as the Therians extinguishedthem one after the other. The Cogs were never able to es-tablish a relationship with these strange star system shifters.

The Therians spread out in a way unfathomable to the Cogs,seeding copies of their own civilization and then returning todestroy everything once these copies had suitably altered theenvironment. When the Therian colonies reached the bordersof the Cog Empire it did not react. The Cogs thought they stillhad ample time to devise a strategy when the Therians struck by surprise. A first Line, including its entire star system, wasdestroyed within a single year of war. The other lines were slowto react and form alliances. And even then, these alliancesdid not carry on beyond the negotiation halls. All the while,the Therians were busy eradicating two more lines within a sixmonth time span.

The empire stumbled and collapsed under the blow. Thebalance of power between the various lines had been weak-ened. This balance that had been purposefully maintained by

all Lines was broken with the loss of the first Line, now jeop-ardizing the entire Cog Empire. The destruction of three ad-ditional lines triggered the return of a sinister dark age of civilwar. Old grudges re-emerged, fragments of broken empireswere scavenged, more Lines were eradicated by either theircounterparts or the voracious Therians.


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By BT-98,956, only four Lines remained. The Theri-ans had destroyed seven. Twenty-one more had eitherbeen annihilated during the infighting or had been ab-sorbed by one of the four successful lines that pre-vailed.

T h e C o g s C o u n t e r - a t t a c k The Cogs were finally ready for war. They had re-

duced the size of their empire, thus facilitating commu-nications amongst themselves. They instituted a wareconomy which produced thousands of battleshipsand millions of soldiers. More importantly, the foursurviving Lines now concentrated enormous quanti-ties of resources, divided only amongst the few sur-viving Original Ones. Each of the four remaining Origi-nal Ones ruled nearly two thousand five hundred starsystems apiece. Before the fall of the empire, even themost influential among them controlled less than fourhundred systems.

Two years later, in BT-98,951, the Cog fleet launched

its counter offensive. An armada of two million ships,manned by servants ready for any sacrifice, fell uponthe Therianization machines and freed more than onethousand worlds.

In BT-98,950 a hastily assembled Therian fleet metthe Cog armada in the LV-421 system, Zeta Reticu-li, and was annihilated. The path was wide open forthe Cog fleet. It quickly finished the re-conquest of itsformer worlds. Because of their surprise attack, the

Therian had captured over two thousand five hundredCog star systems. After only a year of war, all but onehundred of these systems were recovered. These hundred or

so planets had suffered so much damage that the Lines nolonger had any interest in them. The following year was dedicated to the invasion of worlds

already set on the course of Therian transformation. The Cogscould do nothing with already completed Therian habitats.

These worlds no longer contained resources of interest tothem. Moreover these worlds were so vast that it would havetaken centuries, as well as all of the Cog military resources, toconquer a single one. After ten months at war, the fleet of thefour Lines had amassed five million warships, and capturedmore than a thousand Therian star systems.

T h e W r a t h o f K a r m a The Karmans joined the battle during the year BT-98,948,

and with their arrival victory quickly changed sides. Up to thispoint, the Original Ones had thwarted the unmethodical strate-gies of the Therians (that is when they ever used any). Therianships were very often sent in thousands straight at the enemy,without any plan of attack or defined tactic.

The Karmans suddenly altered the situation due to the factthat nothing had ever hinted at their appearance. With lessthan five thousand ships, the Karman fleet might have beenpuny in size, but its cloaking systems rendered it undetect-able. In addition, the Cogs fleet was spread across a battleline three thousand star systems wide.

The Karman fleet struck as quick as lightning, destroying

garrisons and shipyards. Within only a few months time, theresulting chaos crippled the loosely allied Cogs. In BT-98,947,the Cogs communication lines and supply routes were sev-ered in numerous locations. The Original Ones no longerdared approach the front line for fear of a surprise attack fromthe elusive Karman fleet.

In response, the Cogs sent their reserves to the front lines inorder to amass forces strong enough to repel Karman attacks.

They created massive squadrons of escor t ships to convoy thesupply shipments from the rear lines.

Throughout the year BT-98,946, this tactic appeared toyield satisfactory results. Communications were restored andthe Cogs offensives against the Therians resumed. However,the Karmans developed a response of their own. Using theirstealth, they struck deep at the heart of the Cog Empire.

With the forces formerly guarding the most important starsystems sent to the forefront or escorting supply convoys, theKarmans wreaked havoc upon these weakened systems. Themeager Cog forces detached to hunt the Karmans were al-ways too late. For five long years the Cogs underwent thisshelling which culminated in the ambush of Central C-naps 5in BT-98,940. This planet was of utmost importance to the C-naps Line, and their Original One had misguidedly committeda sizable portion of its garrison to the limits of the star systemto investigate a perplexing signal.


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Cogs

The signal had been issued by the Karman fleet, which am-bushed the Cog ships. The Karmans crushed their opponentsand then launched a furious assault on the rest of the localdefenses. Central C-naps 5 was about to fall. Even though theLine was not directly endangered, the damage to this systemwas likely to cost the Original One its lofty position amongstthe other Cogs. In the worst case scenario, C-naps wouldhave been absorbed by the three other Lines, downgrading itto the insufferable rank of minor Line.

Negotiation was quickly decided as the best course of ac-tion, and the Karmans proved willing to do so.

T h e N i n e t y - T h o u s a n d Y e a r W a r The Karmans were not victorious, nor could they ever hope

to be. Their forces were too few to occupy more than one ortwo star systems.

The Cog Empire had no hope of winning either. Making theirentire empire Karman-proof would have required excessivepersonnel, and constant effort.

The C-naps Line offered the following agreement: the The-

rians stayed where they were and they would be granted theworlds which they had damaged beyond repair as well asthose that were of no use to the Cogs. For their part of the bar-gain, the Cogs retained the star systems already conqueredand which still contained useful resources. The negotiationswere complicated, but after a few revisions, in BT-98,939 thedraft-agreement was finally established.

A serious issue remained unresolved: the three other Lineswere never going to concede anything. If C-naps had sufferedany serious damage, it was its own problem. The other Lineskept on fighting.

The Karmans had anticipated the negotiations with C-naps,and so they turned their fleet to the territories controlled by theother Lines. A second and third Karman fleet began to ravagethe rest of the Cog Empire for another two years.

In BT-98,937, C-naps put its agreement on the table and itwas accepted. Not only did the war end - the front was fro-zen.

It was to remain so for ninety thousand years.

T H E T R A U M A

The Cog civilization, held in check by the Karmans, lost atthe heart of a galaxy in the hands of the ruthless enemy, stag-nated during the ninety thousand year truce. Their era of dis-covery and development had slumped, and ultimately cometo an end. Initially, the Cogs were still able to take full advan-tage of the resources of their vast territories and to explore allavailable possibilities. Their expansion had been so rapid thatmost of the planets they colonized had been barely touched

by their settlers. These colonial worlds sheltered unimaginabletreasures waiting to be discovered. It took fifty thousand yearsfor the Cogs to do so. After this first phase of intense explora-tion, the Cogs assimilated other civilizations which had alliedwith them. This period of absorption took an additional tenthousand years.

The next thirty thousand years saw the Cogs enter a period of technological and commercial guerilla warfare under the lead-ership of the C-naps Line. Since the Cogs had no chance of surviving a direct confrontation with the Therians, they decidedit best to arm the enemies of their enemy. They contacted all

known species of the galaxy, including

the least developed. They exchangedtechnology for resources to fuel their civi-lization saving it from decadence.

The Cogs despaired, mired in thecertainty that nobody had the means towage war against the Therians and win.

But their attitude changed in AT-0. The Cogs certainties were shatteredwhen they observed, with bewilderingwonder, a band of primitives who hadonly recently discovered space travel.

The irony was that these beings werethemselves a piece of the vast Therianuniversal destruction machine. Not onlydid they revolt against their creatorsthey were able to repel them. Betteryet they brought war to the Therianshomes, holding them at bay. These be-ings were the Avans.

A new, and more discreet, Cog fleetwas assembled and sent to the four cor-ners of the universe. In the year AT-43,the fleet is in position to join the party, itsvanguard infiltrated deep inside enemyterritory. The war can now resume


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Being a Cog means being part of a vast organization whosecore and leader is an Original One, a being whose geneticcode is reproduced in each of its servants.

However, there are fundamental questions that have set theCog civilization in motion and every Cog is working towardsthe answers: What is genetic perfection? Which qualities aremandatory for a genetic code to be considered absolutely

perfect? Each Line has come to its own conclusion.Every Cog is an imperfect replica of the Original One rulingthe Line. These imperfections are not random; the Cogs havelong mastered the art of altering genetic codes. In fact, theyhave purposely defined beings to perform only a selection of tasks, enabling them to do no more which would be a wasteof resources and no less making them less effective thanwhat they were created for.

W O R K E R S

Workers form the basis of the Cog society - 90% of thepopulation is composed of Workers. This class includes ser-vants: beings whose free will has deliberately been limited; itis impossible for them to take any individual initiative. Unlessgiven specific instructions, even eating and sleeping couldprove beyond their intellectual capacities. Though these be-ings are barely aware of their own lives, they are what enrichesCog society.

This mass of untiring workers are found everywhere on theLines worlds: colossal numbers of Workers gather in factoriesto manufacture weapons, erect buildings, produce food, ormaintain the Executives artificial incubators.

Despite the limitations, the intellect of a Worker can be en-hanced to the point where it becomes an advantageous re-placement to any data-processing device. Thus, within the lo-gistics management complexes, workers of separate kind, justas hard working as any general Worker, but endowed with vastintellectual resources rather than physical strength, calculatethe optimal dimensions of space-faring vessels, manage food

stores, and plan out the Lines industrial production. They effi-ciently deal with the millions of details of daily life, making it pos-sible for a fifteen thousand star empire to prosper and thrive.

A C O G I NT H E M A C H I N E

A P P E A R A N C EO F T H E W O R K E R

The working class includes an astonishing variety of be-ings. For instance, an industrial tower builder and an agri-cultural resource manager have very little in common.

The Workers designed for manual-labor are endowedwith thick limbs and develop powerful muscles, mak-ing them tireless workers. The technicians in charge of

industrial machine maintenance are shorter and morekeen. They are physically weaker but show perfect co-ordination. They are created without prehensile limbs orsensory system; these parts are later surgically implant-ed into them. As a result, their tools are directly con-nected to their bodies. These workers rely on senseswhich the Cogs did not develop naturally, but which areuseful for specialized technicians.

Calculators are little blind creatures with large heads. They have embryonic arms and legs which are barelyable to carry them. All of the systems they manage aredirectly connected to a nervous system capable of com-puting titanic amounts of data.


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Cogs

E X E C U T I V E S

The well structured Cog society and its single minded pro-duction policy alone could not adapt to the constant and un-expected evolutions introduced by situations of conflict. Todeal with such situations, the Cogs have developed a superiorclass of more aggressive and more independent beings: theExecutives.

Executives include warriors, but also managers which areable to cope with the unexpected. They are used both in mili-tary conflicts, as well as industrial accidents and natural di-sasters. Executives are flamboyant individuals which live anexistence of permanent crisis, as short as it is essential. Inorder to make sure they know where they stand and to provide

them with the means of accomplishing their duty, Executivesdevelopped hyper-active nature, show very limited survival in-stinct and have a maximum lifespan of twenty years; which isextremely short by Cog standards. They are used as labor inall the fields dealing with emergencies: the military, firefighting,emergency medical services, etc. Whenever there is a crisis,Executives are immediately shipped to the front lines.

The need for Executives is limited. As such, they representonly 10% of the entire Cog population.

T H E O R I G I N A L O N EA N D I T S C L O N E S

At the heart of every Cog faction there is an Original One. Itorganizes its entire Line with a single goal in mind: to increaseits influence in order to absorb its competitors. In other words,reducing its enemies to mere reproducers, transforming theminto a gene bank.

The concept of the Original One is a concept only knownto the Cog civilization. It can be translated as: individual whois the genetic origin from which all its clones and servants re-sult. The genome of an Original One is primarily cloned andaltered to create useful variations without introducing diseasesor deformities resulting from natural reproduction. The perfect

genome, the Holy Grail of Cog society, cannotbe reduced to immense physical power or brainpower capable of dealing with astronomicalamounts of data. The perfect genome needs tobe completely stable and malleable.

The Original One is the heart of all decisionmaking processes of its Line. It rules over sev-eral million copies of itself. Some are exact rep-licas that are unable to reproduce while othersare designed with flaws that limit their capabili-ties. These clones manage large chunks of theCog society in their fathers name. They leadits army from infantry units all the way up tospace fleets. They are in charge of local, global,and even interplanetary economicsAnythinghaving to do with organization on any scale istheir responsibility. The further down the geneticladder a clone stands from its Original One, the

more limited its responsibilities will be. For example, a perfectreplica made sterile to de facto prevent it from overthrowing

its Original One will be appointed commander-in-chief of theLines armed forces. An immortal clone of the Original One,whose intellect is reduced to an Executive level, will only everlead a single unit. A clone whose physical capacities were pur-posefully limited, but which has the intellect of its father maymanage the Lines scientific research.

A

Cogin

the

Machin

e

A P P E A R A N C EO F T H E O R I G I N A L O N E

Apart from C-naps and A-volution, the Original Onesresemble their Executives: slender with long thin limbs,they voluntarily limit their size and physical power. If theywere to be any bigger or stronger their everyday physi-cal needs would be unreasonable. For the same reason,their intellectual abilities, which are already higher thanmost other species in the galaxy, do not reach that of some of their Workers.

The Original One, and all its copies, are immune to ag-ing. Outside of an accident, they are virtually immortal.

A P P E A R A N C E O F T H E E X E C U T I V E S

The Executive class is decidedly homogeneous. Since they aremeant to deal with a multitude of unpredictable situations, Executivesremain uniform in appearance, though they can be periodically im-proved upon.

Their musculature is nervous by nature, yet powerful. They move veryquickly on their long legs which feature a complex double articulationsystem. Their arms are long, ending in a hand with four fingers and op-posable thumbs. This allows them to seize a wide variety of objects whilemaintaining exceptional coordination. All Executives are ambidextrousand able to perform different tasks with each hand. They are born withno eyes; artificial eyes are implanted after birth. The cybernetic ocularimplants include six eyes, divided into two clusters of three, one on eachside of the head. This configuration grants them a broad field of visionallowing them to make the most of their ambidexterity.


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The Cogs give their worlds an objective value, but have noreal affection for them. A planet is more or less a convenientlocation to install their industrial sites, administrative centers,laboratories, or space infrastructure. The loss of a planet issignificant only if it slows the progression of the Line. The con-quest of a world has meaning only in terms of the resourcesit can make available to them. It doesnt matter to the Cogs if a planet ever was the homeworld of an Original One, or evenof their entire civilization. If it has no more resources to offer,and if they are not firmly established on it, they will abandon it

without remorse. The Karmans were well aware of this. They did not strikesymbolic targets, such as the Cog civilizations homeworld.Instead, they attacked the Cogs most industrialized planets,their supply lines, and commercial hubs. Their first victimswere the worlds held by the C-naps Line in order to disrupttrade routes between Cog worlds.

In AT-43, most of the planets the Cogs considered importantwere home to an Original One, or were at least used as basesof operation. These worlds are perfect study cases when try-ing to understand what kind of planet each Line regards asuseful, well developed, and worth preserving.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are wasteland plan-ets which have been abandoned. Origin 4 is a good example.Hardly anything is left of the world that saw the Cogs rise intospace. This is only one among many, but it illustrates how thisspecies consider the worlds on which it lives.

A functional world is defended and developed with a timetested skill developed by a civilization thousands of years oldand wielding superior technology. Useless worlds are shame-lessly abandoned to become but an empty shell of its formerself, discarded like the molting of a giant interstellar reptile.

O R I G I N 4

Origin 4 is the worldwhere the Cogs origi-nated. Lying at the heartof the galaxy, it is perma-nently bathed in light. Thesurrounding stars are somany and so near that

Night there is almost asclear as day. Orbiting at agood distance from its sun, it is just warm enough to allow lifeto flourish, and flourish it has, at an amazing rate.

When Origin 4 was the capital of the Empire of the Thirty-two Lines it was completely covered with cities - a true globalmetropolis. This enormous city covered all of the land and alsoextended onto, and even under, the seas.

After the Therian attack, the Cogs found out about the dan-gers of centralization. In the bloody civil war which ensued, theempire was destroyed and the Lines that had their Original Oneon Origin 4 were annihilated. The planet itself suffered massivedamage during confrontations between the Cog Lines.

So, the four Lines that emerged from the civil war desertedtheir world of origin, abandoning their cities. The four OriginalOnes didnt wish to waste their time fighting over this world of ruins. And so the planet was left to its fate.

Yet life still prospers on Origin 4. The vast city is buried underabundant vegetation and colonized by all sorts of animal spe-cies.

There remain a few million Cogs on Origin 4, driven madby loneliness, hidden deep inside the ruins, dreaming of theformer glory of their planet, and making plans to restore it. Animpossible reconstruction

So passes the glory of Origin 4.

T H E O R I G I N A L

W O R L D S


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Cogs

C E N T R A L A - V O L U T I O N 2

The A-volution Line hasfrequently changed capitalsthroughout its history, leavingbehind fully automated, butwasted, worlds. The Line hasspent the last hundred thou-sand years on a former Theri-an world whose astromorpho-sis had failed leaving behindsuperior technology that had

profoundly altered the fauna and flora. This half living, half ma-chine planet was renamed Central A-volution 2. Despite theextended period of Cog colonization, the world has yet to yieldall its secrets.

Numerous Cog automatons roam the devastated lands of Central A-volution 2 in search of Therian machines to whichthey can interface. Patrols identify and neutralize any rogue

Therian machines. Most would consider Central A-volution 2an insult to life. However, to A-volution it is paradise!

C E N T R A L C - N A P S 5

The C-naps Line neverleft its homeworld, CentralC-naps 5. This large planetis bathed by the light of athousand stars, making itone of the hottest planets in

the galaxy. It never knowsnight, only twilight. Life onits surface is only bearableat best.

Central C-naps 5 is thecentral hub of a vast business empire. It is here, beneath thesurface of a planet haunted by mirages and reptiles, that theC-naps Line keeps its treasures and administrative accounts.Billions of servants centralize, memorize, and save the Linescommercial information, in armored climate controlled com-plexes. The only buildings visible on its surface are huge zig-gurats that serve as communication relays with the Linesother members scattered across the universe. Thousands of defense satellites and fortified palaces, occupied by the Linesmost respected Executives, orbit around Central C-naps 5.

The depths of Central C-naps 5 hold a secret: Fort C-nox,the bastion of the C-naps Lines Original One. This labyrinthinenetwork entirely built by machines is a real dungeon: two thou-sand square kilometers of corridors connected to all of theLines computer systems. C-naps lives alone in this prison-cityof gold and steel, where it enjoys collecting the genes of eachand every species of fauna or flora throughout the galaxy.

C E N T R A L G - N O C R A T 0 3

Central G-nocrat 03 is thecore of an unusual star sys-tem. It includes no less thanthree habitable worlds, aswell as an additional elevenplanets on which the G-nocrat quickly set up basesto exploit the available re-sources.

Life on Central G-nocrat03 was completely wiped

out following an ill-fated experiment. The abundant resourcesof the star system coupled with the Lines exceptional knowl-edge of genetics allowed G-nocrat to revive the planet withina decade. Central G-nocrat 03 harbors more than just artificiallife. Consequently, zones were cut out to shelter mutant vege-tation serving as an ecological factory. As for the fauna, it was

purposely engineered to ensure the maintenance of CentralG-nocrat 03. This perfectly rational organization of life made itpossible to build the largest research facility of the four Lines.

A billion researchers work day and night there, assisted bymore than fifteen billion Workers and Executives.

C E N T R A L T - R E G U L A T O R 6

Central T-regulator 6 is alegend amongst the nomadicwarriors of the T-regulator Line.

Some believe it is a frozenplanet, others have heard it is aforest covered planet. The restsimply imagine it as a virgin andsavage wilderness where sur-vival of the fittest is the only law.Its location is a secret even the

Lines most ancient members seem to have forgotten. T-regulator, the Original One, is the only one who knows the

truth, and occasionally spreads rumors to excite the imagi-nation of its offspring. War transformed Central T-regulator 6into a barren rock long ago, when the Line triumphed over itsrivals. Apart from space industries and shipyards dedicated tothe maintenance of T-regulator Prime , the Original-Ones flag-ship and home, Central T-regulator 6 is of no interest to it. Thepopulation of the planet is comprised of poor wretches whopainstakingly extract the planets last scrapes of mineral re-sources. Once these resources are exhausted, Central T-reg-ulator 6 will simply become an anchoring point for the spacestations in orbit around it. T-regulator could not care less aboutthis parched rock revolving around its sun. The Lines destinylies in space, not on a miserable planet!

TheOrigin

al

Worlds


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D a t a b a s e

a n d G e n e t i cT e c h n i q u e s

W E A R E T H E P I N N A C L EO F E V O L U T I O N,

T H E M A S T E R S O F L I F E. T H E U N I V E R S E W I L L

B O W D O W N B E F O R E U S !

The Cogs are of a superior cut. Their fighters are sharp and accurate. They strike without mercy, annihilating theenemy and advancing rapidly. Their combat striders areversatile, powerful and fast. To face the Cogs is to facethe promise of a sudden defeat by a whirlwind of fire and destruction.


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O P E R A T I O N A LO R G A N I Z A TI O N

Cog forces deploy two kinds of units. One is specialized andincludes limited manpower allowing a large number of theseunits to be deployed. Thus, they retain tactical superiority andsubmerge the enemy in attacks from all directions. The otherbases it power on its many members, able to face any threatand crush the enemy as soon as he shows up.

Though they are known for their long range skills, the Cogsare far from helpless when it comes to mle. They are theworthy heirs of their ancestors predatory aggression.

Cog standard units are equally effective in close combat asthey are in ranged combat. A quantum pistols rate of fire isequivalent any other armys MG. Quantum blades are amongthe best close combat weapons in the entire galaxy. The sec-ond line is composed of elite troops, dedicated exclusively toranged warfare. The heart of the infantry consists of type threesoldiers protected by virtually impenetrable cybernetic armorand equipped with only the most effective weapons in the Cogarsenal.

Cog combat striders are unmanned machines that fightwith mechanical efficiency knowing neither passion nor pity.

Armored and equipped with a vast array of weaponry, these

combat machines ruthlessly attack any enemy army and lay

waste to it before moving on in search of their next target. The light Marauder, Pillager, Prowler and Ravager striders arestrike attack specialists. As for the colossal Vandal strider, itsfirepower is famous throughout all known worlds.

Infantry Unit ( ) ! Infantry Unit (all) Infantry Unit ( / ) or Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit ( ) Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit ( ) Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit ( / )

! Priority slot. It must always be picked first.

C O G O F F I C E R S A N D H E R O E S

The Cogs are unaware of the concept of the officer otherarmies use.

All soldiers are nearly identical clones. They are thereforeinterchangeable. Thus any soldier can be designated as theleader before a battle.

The only figure of authority a Cog will recognize is a cloneof its Original One. For a Cog, they are demigods whose exis-tence must be protected at all costs. They are heroes whosemere presence is a source of endless inspiration.

O P E R A T I O N A LO R G A N I Z A T I O N


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The Cogs are genetically programmed toblindly obey their Original One. This behavioralso extends to the clones of the latter. Thecloser the clone is to the Original One in thegenetic bloodline, the more authority it has.

This organization has several implications: No Cog will ever question the chain of

command, since it is par t of what they are. Asfar as the forty-fifth generation a clone is anundisputed, and undeniable, figure of author-ity - to which there is only one possible dispo-sition: total obedience. The closer the cloneis genetically to its Original One, the strongerthis hereditarily implanted subservience is.

This allows Cog units to include several of-ficers without suffering from disorganization,as long as the officers belong to different gen-erations. Any Cog will blindly obey the ordersof a higher ranking clone.

A clone is merely a copy of an individual

that can be replicated over and over again. They are perfectly aware of this and considerit completely natural. Cog companies may in-clude several copies of a same hero, as longas some elementary rules of precedence arerespected: clones that belong to the furthestgenerations are genetically unable to assumecommand of a whole company. Thus a com-pany needs to include a clone of the eigh-teenth generation or higher. Cloned officersmay be recruited in unlimited number as longas they have a unit to command. After all, a

clone can be reproduced at will!

The box above gives the rules for managing multiple heroesin a unit or company. The Cogs heroes are ranked accordingto the number of generations that separate them from theirOriginal One. The closer this number is to zero, the higher theclones Rank.

Rank 0 : Cog

Rank 1 : G45

Rank 2 : G36

Rank 3 : G27

Rank 4 : G18

Rank 5 : G09

B U I L D I N G A C O M P A N Y

The briefing for each mission indicates the number of A.P.available to each company, the share for assault units and re-inforcement units, as well as potential special rules. Once theplayers have all of this information they can start building theircompany.

If the number of A.P. is not given, the players can agree onone as long as they respect the directives of the briefing.

Assault and Reinforcement Units

Once the company has been built, the player splits his unitsinto assault units and reinforcement units.

Assault units are available from the beginning of the battle. Reinforcement units join the battle later on in the game,

once the player has taken secondary objectives described inthe briefing.

The highest ranking officer in the game becomes the Com-mander (see Tactical phase, AT-43: The Rulebook ) of the com-pany.

C O G H E R O E S

Within a unitCog heroes are played according to pages 76-77 of the rulebook (see

Heroes , AT-43: The Rulebook), with the exceptions listed below.

A Cog unit may include several officers, provided they have the sameLine name (T-regulator, G-nocrat, etc.) and are of different ranks(G09, G45, etc.).

Example: T-regulator G09 may be accompanied by T-regulator G27 and/or T-regulator G45. However, it can not be accompanied by a second T-regulator G09 (because they are the same rank) or by a G-nocrat G27 (because it does not share the same Line name).

The highest ranking hero is the units officer and leader.Example: In a unit including A-volution G18, A-volution G-36 and A-vo-

lution G45, A-volution G-18 is the officer and leader of the unit.

When there are only heroes in a unit, only the highest ranking herobenefits from the hero rules . All others act as ordinary fighters.

Example: A unit that includes G-nocrat G09, G-nocrat G27, and G-no-crat G45 treats G-nocrat G27 and G-nocrat G45 as normal soldiers. Only

G-nocrat G09 is regarded as a hero.If G-nocrat G09 is eliminated, G-nocrat G27 is regarded as a hero, and G-nocrat G45 as a normal soldier, etc.

Within a Company A company may include heroes from several factions, provided it uses

the generic Cog platoon pattern. If a specific factions platoon pattern isused, only heroes belonging to that faction may join the company.

A company may include several copies of a same hero and does nothave to respect officer limitations.


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R e s e r v e U n i t sControlling secondary objectives allows players to change

reinforcement units, waiting far from the battlefield, into re-serve units ready to jump into action at any time.

During the control phase , each side counts the reinforce-ment points (RP) earned. Once this is done, the players, be-ginning with the loser of the last Authority test, can call uponreinforcement units by spending RP. Each RP spent this wayallows the player to change 1 A.P. of reinforcement units into1 A.P. of reserve units.

The card of the reserve unit is placed in the activation se-quence. The player can choose to leave the unit in reservewhen its card is revealed.

At the beginning of the game , the player can choose toleave as many units as he wishes to in reserve.

R e i n f o r c e m e n t O f c e r s

An officer in a reinforcement unit cannot be designated asthe Commander. However, he may become Commander oncehis unit becomes a reserve unit.

U N I T S

In this section the Cog units are reviewed. Each unit is de-scribed under its designation. Then a few paragraphs presentits story, tactical deployment and technical information need-ed to play the unit.

The composition of a unit gives its potential number of fight-ers, from standard to maximum, as well as the number of spe-cial fighters and officer ranks available.

The Cost of a unit table gives its value (in A.P.) depend-ing on the number of fighters, its equipment options, and itspotential officer.

C o m p o s i t i o n o f a U n i t Type : Gives the units type. This information is used to fol-

low the platoon pattern. Numbers : Indicates the minimum and maximum number

of fighters in the unit. The maximum number can be exceededusing an officers numbers bonus .

Standard equipment : This equipment is included in theunits cost. All of the units fighters, apart from special weaponbearers and heroes, are equipped in this manner.

Special weapons : The special weapons the unit mayuse. All the special weapon bearers of the same unit mustcarry the same weapon.

Optional equipment : The list of options available to theunit. Each option increases the cost of the unit as indicated inthe table. The effects of the equipment are described later.

Specialists : Details the various specialists the unit caninclude. Each specialist replaces a standard fighter for free.

The number of specialists allowed per unit is indicated in theCost of a unit table.

Note : The only officers Cogs can have are their heroes.

C o s t o f a U n i t T a b l e Standard and maximum number : For each kind of unit

a table gives the value (in A.P.) of its standard and maximumnumber of fighters. This table also details the number of spe-

cial weapon bearers and specialists related to the numberof fighters. In order to have more than one special weaponbearer the unit must be at its maximum number of fighters.

And in order to be considered to be at its maximum numberof fighters, a unit must include the number of special weaponbearers indicated.

Most of the time a unit costs the same number of A.P. nomatter the weapon chosen. When this is not the case the extracost is indicated according to the special weapon chosen.

Extra fighter : This value indicates the cost in A.P. of eachfighter added to the chosen number of fighters. This value isused to add fighters to the standard number of fighters (with-

out exceeding the maximum number of fighters), or to exceedthe maximum number of fighters (when there is a hero in theunit). The heros numbers bonus indicates the number of fighters the unit can include beyond its normal maximum num-ber of fighters.


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The Cog civilization is composed of four Lines: A-volution,C-naps, G-nocrat and T-regulator.

Each line bears the name of its Original One, the individualfrom which all of a Lines members are derived. Each Line con-siders itself a species of its own and regards the other Linesas cousins, at best.

Relations between Cogs stemming from different Lines areproblematic. Cog society was built around reproduction, astressful process amongst the Cog species because it alwaysinvolves submission of one partner to the other. In spite of this,

a symbiosis emerged between the four remaining Cog Lines. An armed and forced ecology structures Cog civilization. Thisunique society ensures the survival of a civilization spread overfifteen star systems and currently at war against the Theriansuperpower whose controlled star systems number in the mil-lions!

These four Lines, resulting from thousands of years of con-flict and evolution, absorbed or destroyed all other Lines.Some of these defeated Lines were preserved, providing bothgene pools and skilled officers useful to the victorious OriginalOne. These minor families, as the Cogs call them, are seenas intermediate members on the social ladder, above the Ex-ecutives, but granted only limited autonomy.

This is sometimes a source of conflict within a Line, espe-cially when two minor families are competing for a covetedposition or when one of them believes it is ready to reclaim itsautonomy. So far, no uprising has ever been successful. Evenwhen a minor family manages to escape the supervision of theLine that absorbed it, it is still at the mercy of the three othermajor Lines.

T H E L I N E S

T H E H I E R A R C H Y O F C L O N E S

The Cogs are ranked based on their genetic proximityto their Original One. Thus a Cog created directly fromthe Original One is known as a first generation clone. A clone of this clone is a second-generation clone, and is

therefore lower in rank because its genome inherits thelimitations of the first generation as well as any limitationsintroduced into the new generation. A Cog cloned from asecond-generation clone will have an even lower rank and status, and so on and so forth. The Executive clonesbegin at the 1,750 th generation. Soldiers are generallyrecruited from the Executive clones. The Worker clonesbegin at the 3,162 nd generation. Executives and Workersare such a large genetic variation from the Original Onethat their generation is noted using a C (for cog) ratherthan a G (for generation). Most often this distinguishingletter is omitted altogether.


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T H E M A S T E R SO F T E C H N O L O G Y

A-volution is the smallest Cog Line, both in terms of overallpopulation and number of planets. However, it has turned thisapparent weakness into a strength. The fundamental mecha-nism of Cog psychology, which always drives them to come-back stronger after they are weakened, has worked well forthis Line and allowed it to develop in a unique way.

The A-volutions creed is industry and automation. Becausethey are limited in numbers and cannot accommodate hordesof workers, these Cogs have developed semi-autonomousmachines that only require supervision by an Executive forcrisis situations. Since they do not have access to the inex-

haustible resources as the other Lines do through the manyworlds they control, A-volution makes the most of its proficientindustry. At the cutting edge of technology, this Line produces

more goods using fewer resources, calling forth the triumph of automation. The Worker is a type of Cog almost unknown tothe A-volution Line.

The A-volution Cogs, the leading specialists in industrialtechnology and artificial intelligence, are the inventors of manyinnovations that have transformed the Cog art of war. Thus,they have developed the unmanned combat striders, whichhave become the standard AFV of Cog forces.

O R G A N I Z A T I O N

A-volution Cogs are passionate about the management of their colossal industry and, to a lesser extent, technologicalresearch. The first of these two tasks occupies the majority of the Original Ones, and its clones, time.

Nearly 90% of them are employed full-time at tasks suchas overseeing industrial production, directing maintenancecrews, monitoring repair workshops and restructuring assem-bly lines following technological advances.

The remaining 10% include small scientific teams working onfundamental research, an area this Line is very keen on. The

A-volution Line is composed of engineers rather than research-ers. Besides, the researchers are almost all clones belonging tominor Lines that were left alive solely for this purpose.

A R T I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C E

In general, the Cogs, and the A-volution Line in par-ticular, are not interested in strong artificial intelligence,that is, autonomous systems that perfectly reproduceintelligence. They do not see the usefulness of real intel-ligence in a Worker; they would rather just clone anotherCog. However, the development of compact and effi-cient expert-systems and weak artificial intelligence is of more interest to them. Machines never tire and make nomistakes. Which is not the case of the living!

A - V O L U T I O N


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An A-volution clones favorite pastime consists in devis-ing ways to further increase the efficiency of automation, sothey have to intervene as little as possible. The technologicalprogress of the Line never ceases. Each clone continuouslycomes up with new programs, new monitoring systems, newverification systems and other small technical innovations. This

rarely leads to major discoveries. However, the sum of theseimprovements allows them to stand almost level with the G-nocrat Line in terms of research, even though they operate incompletely different fields such as weak artificial intelligence.

T R O O P S

The A-volution Line would rather deploy machines than anyother kind of troops. They do not have the infrastructure nec-essary to produce soldiers in mass quantities.

Being highly advanced in the field of expert systems grantsthem the ability to assemble powerful units of combat striders,

able to concentrate firepower that no other army can match. As for coordination, units of A-volution combat striders aremore effective than any equivalent piloted by a living being.Even the Therians are unable to coordinate two eighty-ton ar-mored combat striders launched at full speed and firing alltheir weapons. The advanced Therians are forced to separatethem into two individual units to make sure they do not shooteach other or collide while performing delicate maneuvers.However, this feat was achieved by A-volution. It offers themundeniable AFV supremacy, as a single unit consisting of twosupport striders is a match for almost any army.

Their deliberately limited use of infantry is no longer a weak-ness. Anyway, there is not much resources left for infantry in acompany that includes so many armored vehicles. The mini-mum number of soldiers is more than enough to ensure vic-tory as long as the striders stomp the opposition under theirsteel feet while their guns mercilessly blast any remaining re-sistance.

Unfortunately, A-volutions obsession for armor has becomeso great that some companies completely overlook infantryonly including a single, yet powerful, unit of support striders.

P L A Y I N G A - V O L U T I O N

The player can choose any platoon pat tern to build hiscompany, but he can only choose one at a time. Only

A-volution platoon patterns benefit from the advantageand disadvantage below.

A-volution advantage : The maximum number of

each armored fighting vehicle unit is increased by one. This additional armored fighting vehicle is free. Only unitswho have a maximum number value benefit from thisadvantage.

A-volution disadvantage : The standard number of each unit of armored fighting vehicles is increased byone. This additional required armored fighting vehiclescost is that of an extra fighter of the same type.

Platoon Pattern : Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit (all)! Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit (all) Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit ( ) or Infantry Unit

( ) Infantry Unit ( / ) Infantry Unit ( / )



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To create the most powerful infantry unit, gather the most powerful soldiers into one unit a unit that no enemy could ever conceive.

- A-volution G03

The A-volution Line took a bold gamble and succeeded. They chose to develop the machine rather than the flesh. Sothey developed stronger, faster and more robust clones byadding servomotors, activators and defense systems that na-ture could have never given them. Thus, the A-volution cloneswere born, designed to support more cybernetic implantsthan any other Cog before them. It makes no difference to

A-volution whether its clones have superior intellect or are en-dowed with an innate sense of strategy. These things becomeirrelevant when one has enough firepower. And no-one canoutperform an A-volution clone in terms of firepower.

A-volution cybernetic armor acts as a mobilecommand system that few other species canmatch. This system serves as a relay coordinatingthe innumerable autonomous combat striders of which A-volution is fond.

A-volution G18 was specifically developed tocommand A-volution companies. The performanc-es of this generations already brilliant intellect arefurther enhanced by many expert systems thatgrant it extraordinary communication and coordi-nation skills. A-volution G18 is worth any command

staff. The armaments of this clone are more power-ful than any infantry of equivalent type.

A-volution G36 is even more heavily armed. Itsrole is to support its unit with a vast array of weap-ons while reinforcing its numbers. G36s coordina-tion systems are slightly below that of an A-volutionG18 but they will still allow it to take command if necessary.

A-volution G45 is employed as a fighter ratherthan an officer. Its electronic assistance systems al-low it to use the phenomenal arsenal at its disposalwith great efficiency. A-volution G45 is worth a unit

on its own, a unit of armored fighting vehicles!

T A C T I C S

A-volution G18 is an excellent commander, ca-pable of coordinating six to seven cybernetically-enhanced battlesuits gathered into a single unit.Such a battle group is nearly unstoppable. Like all

A-volution heroes, it has the ability to call free AFV reinforce-ments.

A-volution G36 fulfils the same role, albeit less effectively.Instead it adds a touch of brutality by offering a wider range of weapons than A-volution G18.

A-volution G45 is concentrated death. It can annihilate anyunit with the implacable efficiency of a hurricane all this inaddition to being an officer!

U N I T F O R M A T I O N

A-volution G18, G36, and G45 can be recruited individuallyor in groups. They can join any infantry unit, each in a differentunit or all within the same. They are added to the numbersalready present. Their cost is added to that of the unit.

A - V O L U T I O NG 1 8

,G 3 6 A N D G 4 5

O


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The rules for playing multiple Cog heroes in a single unit ap-pear on page 17 of this Army Book.

R E C R U I T I N G A U N I T

A-volution G18: + 240 AP A-volution G36: + 215 AP A-volution G45: + 215 AP

A - V O L U T I O N G1 8 G 3 6 & G 4 5

All three of these generations of A-volution have the follow-ing equipment.

E q u i p m e n tCyberoptics : Fighters with this equipment gain the De-

tection ability. They gain +1 Accuracy with all their direct fireweapons. This bonus is already taken into account in their pro-

file. In addition, they ignore their enemies Stealth ability. A.I. beacon : A fighter equipped with an A.I. beacon gains

the Reinforcement ability. As long as it controls an objective,the player may pay 4 LP to bring in a Type 1 Combat Striderthat is not already a part of his company. The Combat Strideris placed on the board in contact with the Hero and consti-tutes a unit of its own. Its card is placed into the Activation Se-quence for the next round. The player must have the miniatureand enough room to place it on the battlefield.

Quantum wings : Fighters equipped with quantum wingsgain the Rocket jump ability. They can jump over miniaturesand terrain elements during their movement.

A-volution G18

18 11 11 5

Ranged WeaponROCKET LAUNCHER 6 3/1 - 11/2

Mle WeaponQUANTUM BLADE (1) 5 2/1 - 6/1QUANTUM BLADE (2) 5 2/1 - 6/1

+3 5 6

A-volution G36

18 11 11 5

Ranged WeaponQUANTUM RIFLE (1) 8 2/1 - 5/1QUANTUM RIFLE (2) 8 2/1 - 5/1ROCKET LAUNCHER 6 3/1 - 11/2

+2 2 2

A-volution G45

18 11 11 5

Ranged WeaponQUANTUM MG 7 4/1 - 7/1ROCKET LAUNCHER 6 3/1 - 11/2

+1 1 2


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i M A S T E R S O F T R A D E

The C-naps Line is the glue that binds the Cogs together. This faction negotiates the alliance between the Cogs when-ever an outside crisis requires them to end their infighting andleave their petty squabbles behind. The C-naps Line is thekeeper and upholder of the Cogs strength. Without them,each individual Line would only constitute a minor power.Whereas united, they stand on an equal footing with the mostpowerful galactic civilizations.

The C-naps Line owns 80% of Cog commerce. Its merchantfleet is its greatest strength. It has no reason to be ashamed inother fields either. Its military fleet ranks second only to the T-regulator Line. It manufactures quality clones - almost as goodas those of the G-nocrat Line. Its industry produces immensequantities of goods and is surpassed only by A-volution.

The other Lines only regard C-naps in terms of their own su-periority. C-naps trades without making its customers nervousand weaves prosperous bonds as the other Lines disrespectcauses these traders to appear inferior to them.

It is an illusion, however. This faction is a formidable oppo-nent whose only weakness is its hunger for profit. Its influenceis significant on the entire Cog civilization: it is the C-naps Linestrade policies that decide the policies of all its customers. The

presence of its commercial ships mean either the fortune or

ruin of entire star systems and its containers flood or choke theproduction of thousands of Cog worlds.

O R G A N I Z A T I O N

The C-naps Line is undoubtedly the Line that best embod-ies Cog lifestyle. Its organization is typical of Cog society. Bil-lions of Workers tend farms and man the factories, Executivesintervene in times of crisis and the Original One and its clonesmastermind the entire operation.

The main activity of the C-naps Line is not the administra-tion of its planets. It primarily operates a huge business empireconsisting of three separate branches:

The C-naps commercial fleet is the best known of the threebranches because it visits all the worlds belonging to the otherfactions. In addition to the procurement of goods which theC-naps Line is unable to produce, its function is to satisfy itscustomers quickly and at the best price. In this way they arenot tempted to produce their own goods because they areable to import them through C-naps trade lines.

The second branch is in charge of internal logistics. Ittransfers resources to where they are needed and deliversfinished products to those that require them. Thanks to thisbranch, the worlds of the C-naps Line are never short on

C - N A P S


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supplies and are generally wealthier than the worlds of otherfactions. The Lines transport fleet yields nothing to its com-mercial fleet, neither in volume of goods freighted nor in fre-quency of travel.

Finally, the least known of the three branches is foreigntrade. The C-naps Line has negotiated numerous tradeagreements with other species in the galaxy. Its fruitful ex-changes range from exotic products to technology transfers;and anything else than can make them wealthier: geneticcode, information, raw materials, char ts...

T R O O P S

The C-naps Line dislikes not enjoy war, though it is regu-larly forced into it. It is an expensive activity whose profitsought to be well worth the costs. C-naps would rather winthrough negotiation than armed intervention.

The Line does not like spectacular triumphs. An opponenthumiliated by a crushing victory makes a bad customer! It is

not uncommon to see the C-naps generals negotiate tradeagreements with their unfortunate opponents before the bat-tle has even ended, sometimes at the cost of victory. A smallgesture of goodwill towards an enemy that is being domi-nated is the best way to remain in its good graces.

The vision that C-naps has of a good war stems from itsnon-martial principles. It deploys troops only when absolutelynecessary. Thus keeping costs as low as possible. Its troopswill ever only be engage in rapid combat reducing casual-ties to a minimum, and earning C-naps quick victories. Everyminute of battle is a potential waste of valuable resources.

Therefore, in terms of infantry, this faction favors battle-

suits and elite troops which amass heavy firepower even insmall unit. If these tactics fail to achieve quick victory then C-naps will consider the battle lost, or at least that it cannot be

won without unreasonable expenses. In the same vein, theC-naps Line prefers support-style armored fighting vehiclesconsidered more cost-efficient than light armored fightingvehicles.

All this cutting edge materiel requires superior logistics. This is not a problem for the C-naps Line which is never short

on supplies. Its generals are often willing to invest their ownpersonal resources in addition to those the Line provides forthe battle. C-naps companies always deploy in record time.

P L A Y I N G C - N A P S

The player can choose any platoon pat tern to build hiscompany, but he can only choose one at a time. OnlyC-naps platoon patterns benefit from the advantage anddisadvantage below.

C-naps Advantage : At any time, the C-naps playercan spend 1 LP to earn 50 RP.C-naps Disadvantage : At any moment, an enemy

company that has fewer VP can buy VP from the C-napscompany. The buyer spends 100 RP and gains 1 VP,and the C-naps company gains 50 RP and loses 1 VP.

This loss of VP by C-naps is unavoidable.

Platoon Pattern : Infantry Unit ( )! Infantry Unit ( / ) Infantry Unit ( / ) Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit ( / ) Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit ( )



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i

So tell me, what is your price? Before you answer that you are not for sale, keep in mind that I always have resources withwhich to pay you with, rather then the currency of war: total

and utter violence and destruction!C-naps G09

C-naps is very pragmatic when it comes to structuring itsarmies. The development cost of a combat clone is prohibitiveand the C-naps Lines genetic traits do not help: the qualitiesuseful in a diplomat or a merchant do not provide a very usefulbasis when designing a fighter.

So the C-naps Line recorded the per formances of all otherCog officers and selected only those that seemed suitablefor C-naps army. It then negotiated with the other Lines tobuy the genetic code and any updates for its future officers.

Apart from some minor physiological adjustments to intro-duce these clones at the level corresponding to their rank,the operation required minimal research effort. The price setby the other three lines was far more affordable than even afraction of the cost it would have been for C-naps to developits own combat-clones. This was a win-win situation for allparties involved.

C-naps first needed an able commander. T-regulator G09and G-nocrat G09 had comparable performances, but theformers price was much more reasonable than the latters.So T-regulator G09 was preferred. This exceptional tacticiancan be easily integrated into any unit, making it a very versatilecommander.

C-naps then sought an officer for its battlesuit units. A-volutionG36 was far more efficient and much cheaper than A-volutionG45, while retaining almost equally impressive firepower.

Finally, all that was needed was an officer for basic infantryunits. The most natural choice, adding further medical assist-

ance, was G-nocrat G45: a proficient fighter, well-armed andrelatively cost efficient.

Thus, the C-naps Line formed its command team. The Orig-inal One has never regretted its purchases as it now can counton the most versatile officers of all Cog civilization!

T A C T I C S

C-naps G09 is one of the best Cog tacticians. Its place is ina strong infantry unit whose size is its best protection.

C-naps G36 is primarily a replacement in case

a higher ranking Cog is eliminated. It also adds atouch of unmatched brutality to the C-naps armythanks to a surprisingly vast range of weaponry.

Finally, C-naps G45 is a frighteningly effectivespecial weapon bearer. It is also a medic, makingit a valuable recruit in any unit.


C-naps G09, G36, and G45 can be recruitedindividually or in groups. They can join any infan-try unit, each in a different unit or all within thesame. They are added to the numbers alreadypresent. Their cost is added to that of the unit.

The rules for playing multiple Cog heroes ina single unit appear on page 17 of this ArmyBook.

R E C R U I T I N G O F U N I T

C-naps G09: + 130 APC-naps G36: + 215 APC-naps G45: + 165 AP

C - N A P SG 0 9

,G 3 6 A N D G 4 5


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C - n a p s G 3 6Cyberoptics : Fighters with this equipment gain the De-

tection ability. They gain +1 Accuracy with all their direct fireweapons. This bonus is already taken into account in their pro-file. In addition, they ignore their enemies Stealth ability.

A.I. beacon : A fighter equipped with an A.I. beacon gainsthe Reinforcement ability. As long as it controls an objective,the player may pay 4 LP to bring in a Type 1 Combat Striderthat is not already a part of his company. The Combat Strideris placed on the board in contact with the Hero and consti-tutes a unit of its own. Its card is placed into the Activation Se-quence for the next round. The player must have the miniatureand enough room to place it on the battlefield.

Quantum wings : Fighters equipped with quantum wingsgain the Rocket jump ability. They can jump over miniaturesand terrain elements during their movement.

C - n a p s G 4 5Medic : The medic has the First aid ability. Once per round

he can save a member of his unit. The player announces theuse of this ability by shouting Medic! right after the fighteris eliminated. A medic cannot save himself. A medic who hastaken damage points cannot use his ability for this salvo.

C-Naps G36

18 11 11 5

Ranged WeaponQUANTUM RIFLE (1) 8 2/1 - 5/1QUANTUM RIFLE (2) 8 2/1 - 5/1ROCKET LAUNCHER 6 3/1 - 11/2

+2 2 2

C-Naps G45

18 11 8 5


Mle WeaponQUANTUM BL ADE (1) 5 2/1 - 6/1QUANTUM BLADE (2) 5 2/1 - 6/1

+1 1 2

C-Naps G09

18 11 7 4

Ranged WeaponQUANTUM RIFLE 6 2/1 - 5/1

Mle WeaponQUANTUM BLADE 4 2/1 - 6/1

+3 6 9


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30/65

The G-nocrat Line currently has several projects on coursefor completion:

A new generation of servants equipped with higher in-tellectual abilities to replace the on-board computers on themost modern spaceships. This would also allow the OriginalOne and its first generation clones to expand their mental ca-pacities to incredible levels.

Another project is seeking to create a super-soldier able toregenerate any damage inflicted to it. The projects objectiveis to grant true immortality to the Original One so it can neverbe killed.

The last project on the verge of success is engineering anorganic spaceship and biological power plants.

T R O O P S

The G-nocrat Line produces only infantry. Their autonomy(in terms of AFVs) is close to zero: all the armored vehicles itowns it purchased from A-volution. The only pieces of mili-

tary equipment produced by its limited industry are cyberneticprostheses, various small arms and protective armor, all of which is amassed and stored in colossal quantities.

This apparent weakness is compensated for by their abilityto produce Executives. No other line is able to field infantry insuch large numbers, or with such lack of concern. The G-no-crat Line produces every thing from basic infantry to the heavy,cybernetically-enhanced soldiers. Their clone production isunrivaled by all standards of quality, quantity and lead times.

The G-nocrat Line is aware of this strength and hopes thatone day it will grant it supremacy over the rest of the Cogs.Its biological combat strider and spaceship projects are tak-

ing the Line there. From the moment they succeeds, G-nocratindustry will become a well-oiled machine perfectly suited forwar and capable of assembling complete armies within a fewmonths time.

In the meantime, it is necessary to compensate for its im-plied weaknesses. So far, out of G-nocrats great plan, only thesuper-soldier project has come to fruition. The Lines infantryis able to regenerate massive amounts of damage. This indus-trial secret is jealously guarded by a genetic self-destruct code.

The corpses of G-nocrats super-soldiers deteriorate extremelyquickly, leaving behind a genetically worthless pulp.

P L A Y I N G G - N O C R A T

The player can choose any platoon pattern to build hiscompany, but he can only choose one at a time. Only G-nocrat platoon patterns benefit from the advantage anddisadvantage below.

G-nocrat Advantage : Every G-nocrat infantry unitleader has the First Aid ability. Once per round he cansave a member of his unit. The player announces theuse of this ability by shouting Automedication! right af-ter the fighter is eliminated. A leader cannot save himself.

A leader who has taken damage points cannot use hisability for this salvo. A Hero leader who already has thisability can use this ability a second time.

G-nocrat Disadvantage : Any disorganized unit isimmediately eliminated.

Platoon Pattern : Infantry Unit (*)! Infantry Unit (*/***) Infantry Unit (**/***) Infantry Unit (*/**/***) Armored Fighting Vehicle Unit (*/**/***)



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i

I tasted your genetic code. It was predictably irrelevant. Accordingly, I have ordered its destruction.

G-nocrat G09

The G-nocrat Line boasts it produces the best fighters, andits heroes live up to that reputation. The G-nocrat super-sol-dier project succeeded some time ago. The Original One wasthe first beneficiary, closely followed by its clones. However,this Line maintains so many soldiers that updating them allwill take years. It is likely that the soldiers produced before thecompletion of the project will never benefit from it. Exceptionsare made for some particularly valuable fighters, including allclones of the 45th generation or higher. The G-nocrat Line hadto compromise: when an Executive arrives at the end of itsshort existence, the Line will replace the obsolete individualwith a new super-soldier. Though the genetic perfection of itsarmy will suffer from this solution in the short term, G-nocrathad to admit that even its massive cloning industry cannotproduce super-soldiers fast enough to replace all the Execu-tives at once.

G-nocrat G09, G27 and G45 have two valuable assets: theyare among the best Cog officers and are the keepers of amedical technology that makes them virtually impossible toeliminate.

G-nocrat G09, even freshly released from its training pro-grams, can compete, with fair a chance of success, againstan already battle-hardened T-regulator G09! All G-nocrat pro-

jections reveal that this new generation of clones will achievesupremacy once they have had the opportunity to fight in afew military campaigns.

G-nocrat G27 is an intermediate officer and a medic. Its lowproduction cost destines it to be recruited in every G-nocratunit as a replacement officer.

Finally, G-nocrat G45 is designed to boost any unit with itstwo quantum blades and its rocket launcher. Its weaponry isalready a valuable support, but G-nocrat G45 is a qualifiedmedic too!

G - N O C R A TG 0 9

,G 2 7 A N D G 4 5


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T A C T I C S

G-nocrat G09 is a tactical genius whose function is to leadan army. Its unit, when at full medic capacity, has invaluableendurance. G-nocrat G27 is an interim officer capable of giv-ing orders after G09 is eliminated. When included in the sameunit as a G-nocrat G09, it doubles the medic capabilities of itscommanding officer, which in turn multiplies the survivabilityof its unit tenfold. Finally, G-nocrat G45 is a special weaponsbearer that is very versatile and frighteningly efficient. It is alsoa medic which makes it worth recruiting in any unit. When theyare all fielded in the same unit, the G-nocrat heroes are virtu-ally immortal!


G-nocrat G09, G27, and G45 can be recruited individuallyor in groups. They can join any infantry unit, each in a different

unit or all within the same. They are added to the numbersalready present. Their cost is added to that of the unit.

The rules for playing multiple Cog heroes in a single unit ap-pear on page 17 of this Army Book.

R E C R U I T I N G A U N I T

G-nocrat G09: + 135 APG-nocrat G27: + 100 APG-nocrat G45: + 165 AP

Medic: All G-nocrat heroes, regardless of generation, havethe First aid ability. Once per round he can save a mem-

ber of his unit. The player announces the use of this ability byshouting Automedication! right after the fighter is eliminated.

A medic cannot save himself. A medic who has taken damagepoints cannot use his ability for this salvo.

G-nocrat G45

G-nocrat G09

18 11 8 5



+3 5 9

G-nocrat G27

18 11 8 5



+2 3 4

18 11 8 5


Mle WeaponQUANTUM BLADE (1) 5 2/1 - 6/1QUANTUM BLADE (2) 5 2/1 - 6/1

+1 1 2


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T H E M A S T E R S O F S P A C E

The T-regulator Line is a nomadic Line that does not give anysignificance to its planets. Planets are simply considered to bebases they come back to after long periods spent traveling inspace. Even so they only return to repair T-regulator ships andto replace lost crewmen. The T-regulator Line has developed araiding economy. It preys on a civilized planet, forcing it to thelimits of its production capacities. After the planet has beendrained of its resources, the T-regulators leave, returning onlyafter the planet has recovered.

Surprisingly, this tactic is not considered detrimental by theCogs that fall victim to these attacks. Plundered planet

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