RULES MANUAL

game elements
Character Cards on the
The way a team is chosen and miniatures Character is any miniature
one of
gathered for a game is represented by board being managed by
oes,
the set of Character cards each group has the players. This includes her
ors
archetypes and common surviv
available to them. The Survivors Guide
For Dummies explains to you in detail how
zom bie s while
to use these cards to prepare a group of alike but excludes the
e.
miniatures for a game. these are managed by the gam
All Character cards share the following
key elements:
1. Number of miniatures - represented by a
TEAMS:
number of silhouettes.
Groups of Surv
2. General prole of the miniatures in the ivors, Motorcy
Gangs or Spec cle
ial Operations
card. are all options units
when choosing
3. Special traits of the combatants. which miniatu
res you wish to
a game of Proj play
4. Grit tokens that the card contributes to these rules we
ect Z. Througho
ut
the Grit pool of the group. refer to all thes
options as TE e
AMS.
5. Special traits & Rules summary shown
on the back of the card for convenience.

The general pro le shows four main values that

describe a character in a statistics line (stats):

Movement: A value in inches that

Combat Dice
represents the distance characters All combat resolutions in Project
from this card can move during their Z are resolved using a number of Combat
activation in the Movement Sub-phase. dice. They are specially designed dice
with three sides showing hits ( ), two
Resilience: This is the combined value sides showing defences ( ) and one side
of body armour, resistance to damage showing a surge ( ). They are used in
and training that an attacker has to dierent numbers to resolve actions and
match in order to aect a character when outcomes throughout the game.
shooting.
Loot Markers
Melee: This represents particularly In order to give a team a better
skilled hand-to-hand ghters and is chance at surviving, they must constantly
the number of Combat dice the character be on the lookout for ammo, weapons,
adds (or subtracts if they are impeded) to medicines and food. These items are
the total roll for an attack during a melee scarce and they must capture them before
action. opposition gangs nd them.
Project Z comes with 12 double sided Loot
Shooting: This represents particular markers that are deployed during the setup
skill in the use of rearms, and is the of a game according to the scenario played.
number of Combat dice the character adds Loot markers may never be dropped
(or subtracts if they are impeded) to the voluntarily, once you pick one up you must
total roll for an attack during a shooting guard it with your life!
action.

2
Zombie Entry Points Grit Tokens
Project Z is supplied with six When the going gets tough
double-sided Zombie Entry and youre facing dicult
Points to mark the positions from odds, courage, anger and some true
where the zombies enter the game in determination sometimes bring better
waves. During the Upkeep Phase, zombies results than skill itself.
are gathered adjacent to the Entry Points Your starting pool of Grit is determined
according to the scenario rules, ready to when you create your team, this can go
move during the ensuing Action Phase. up and down. Grit tokens are used in a
Zombie Entry Points are double-sided number of ways, depending on when they
markers with one side showing the are used.
Escalation Entry Point (marked with a Z). Any character can use the teams Grit,
Certain events will trigger the escalation even if they did not contribute to the pool
in numbers of zombies appearing from each themselves.
Entry Point. This escalation is explained
in each scenario. When Entry Points
escalate, ip the markers so they show Combat Cards
their escalation side. When not specied Project Z is supplied with a deck of 36
otherwise, all Entry Points escalate at the Combat cards that are primarily used to
same time. increase the number of and scored
on a combat roll.

Wound Tokens
Some characters are more adept when
it comes to surviving the daunting
environment, being either far more heavily
armoured or skilled at surviving.
Characters with multiple wounds on their
Character cards, take a Wound token ( )
after being injured, rather than roll on the
damage table. If a character already has
their allocation of Wound tokens, then roll
on the damage table as normal next time
they are injured.

Reload Tokens
Ammunition is in short
supply and weapons are dicult
to reload in the heat of battle. Whenever
a character res a weapon place a single
bullet Reload token next to it, this can
be cleared in the Upkeep Phase. If the
weapon has the Reload special rule then
one shot from it needs twice the amount
of clearing, in this case put the double
bullet Reload token next to it. A character
can never re a weapon if it has any
Reload tokens on it.

3
 Main RULES
Project Z is a scenario driven skirmish wargame 1. INITIATIVE PHASE
played in a series of turns in which opposing At the beginning of each turn players roll ve
players move and combat with their miniatures Combat dice to determine the order of initiative
in order to achieve the greater number of Victory during the turn. The player that scores the most
Points during a set number of turns. becomes the ACTING player. Players who tie
While all this happens, a horde of zombies, re-roll all their Combat dice.
controlled by the game, tries to get to them for
a good meal! 2. ACTION PHASE
When initiative order has been resolved the
Game SET UP sequence follows this simple structure:
A fter the players have decided which scenario to Movement Sub-phase
play, it is time to set up the gaming area, grab the ACTIVE player moves.
counters and each players team. Next player moves.
To create a team, players must agree on the Zombies move.
number of Character cards they will be using
between 1 and 4. The scenario will describe the Shooting Sub-phase
location of the Zombie Entry Points and their ACTIVE player shoots.
escalation rules. Once these have been clearly Next player shoots.
marked, players arrange the desired scenery Zombies groan incoherently.
elements according to their taste and collections.
If you are playing with the Additional Rules - Melee Sub-phase
For True Survivors, players also receive 5 random ACTIVE player moves and ghts.
Combat cards from the Combat cards deck and Next player moves and ghts.
their corresponding number of Grit tokens. Zombies move and ght.

The Tur n 2.1 MOVEMENT Sub-Phase

Each turn is divided into four phases as follow: M ovement is a key aspect of survival. In Project
Z characters move around to capture particular
1. Initiative phase objectives representing supplies and equipment
vital for the survival of the team. Of course
2. Action phase
Movement Sub-phase avoiding rival gangs and the hordes of zombies is
Shooting Sub-phase crucial.
Engage and Melee Sub-phase Characters can be moved in any direction a
number of inches indicated on their Movement
3. Upkeep Phase
Recover Shocked miniatures pro le ( ) with no restriction other than the
Roll to Reload weapons interference of certain terrain features and other
Replenish Combat card hand obstacles that can sometimes hinder them. See
rules for Scenery & Terrain in the Appendix
4. Spawn Zombies
section on page 10.

4
 All players may pre-measure a characters the shooting action in the following manner. The
movement before committing to the nal position, shooting character is called the attacker with the
but once a character has been moved it cant be objective miniature being the target.
taken back. After declaring the intended target, the attacker
You may move through characters from your checks the Line of Sight (LOS) and range.
own team with no penalty, but you may not nish
on top of them. You may not nish your movement 2.2.1 Deter mine Line of Sight
within 1 of a non-friendly model in the Movement For a character to be able to take a shot it must
Sub-phase. be able to see its target. Use the movement ruler
To complete a movement action, place the to show the corridor of the shot. If there are no
movement ruler provided, or use a tape measure. enemy miniatures (including zombies), obstacles
Place the device at against the base of the or walls (see page 10) then the shot is clear.
miniature and move it along so by the end of this If there are any of the above elements in this
movement no part of the base has moved beyond corridor then the target is deemed to be obscured.
its movement value in inches.
Target Obscured:
Shots taken against obscured targets become
Inaccurate. Inaccurate shooting actions receive
a penalty of -1 for each obstruction or rule that
makes the shot Inaccurate . This may mean that
some shots become impossible as the number of
penalties reduce the Combat dice to 0 or less.

The Biker moves 5 out of his 10 towards the LOS Blocked:

Survivor to be in a position to engage him later in If the entire corridor of the shot is covered by a
the turn. Notice the measurement is made from single element then the LOS is blocked and the
the front of the base to the front of the base. shot may not be taken.

2.1.1 Moving Zombies 2.2.2 Check Range

Once all players have moved their miniatures, Once the Line of Sight has been conrmed, check
each player moves the zombies on the board that the range against the target.
are closer to their opponent. All weapons have an eective range described
The zombies always move 4 towards the in inches in the weapons pro le ( ). However,
nearest living enemy character - whether visible characters can re their weapons up to two times
or not - ignoring any obstacles (see page 10). Like the eective range but the shooting action is then
other miniatures, during the Movement Sub- considered Inaccurate (see above).
phase a zombie must nish its movement when
within 1 of any enemy character. 2.2.3 Resolving the Shooting Action
Once the range and any Inaccurate eects have
2.2 SHOOTING been considered, the player resolves the shooting
Again, starting with the ACTING player, each action. In order to do so, the attacker rolls the
team has a chance to open re with its characters. correct number of Combat dice. The number of
Choose a character from your team and resolve dice to roll is the sum of:
5
1. Weapons value (this is expressed in a Claiming Cover
number of Combat dice to be rolled). When a target is in base to base contact with an
2. Characters modier value (a number of element of scenery that obscures a shooting action
Combat dice to add or subtract from the total (eectively making the shooting Inaccurate) the
in the characters stat line). miniature also benets from cover.
3. Subtract 1 for every obstruction or other
rule that makes the shot Inaccurate. When behind cover, the target gets +1 .
Zombies can never claim this bonus.
The defender then rolls a number of Combat
dice based on: 2.3 MELEE SUB-PHASE
1. Defenders value (this is a number of Once all characters and zombies on the table have
Combat dice to be rolled). moved, and after resolving the shooting actions,
characters engage their enemy.
2. Add 1 for cover if claimed.
The ACTING player can now move any of
Each the defender rolls will cancel a their characters that are within 2 of an enemy
scored by the attacker. If any are left, apply miniature into base contact with it. This is an
damage as explained on page 9. engage movement and initiates a melee action.
When a zombie is the target of a shooting Once engaged, resolve the melee actions one at
action, the opposing players must roll the zombie a time, bearing in mind any multiple combats as a
Resilience dice to resolve the combat. result of the engaging movement.
The engaging miniatures receive +1 on their
rst round of attacks to represent the momentum.
Completely resolve each melee before moving
to the next. In order to do this, both combatants
(attacker and target character) roll a number of
Combat dice based on:

1. The characters melee weapon value

(this is expressed in a number of Combat dice
to be rolled).
2. Combatant melee modier value (a number
In this example a Zombie has received a shooting of Combat dice to add or subtract from the total
attack from a Survivor armed with an assault in the characters stat line).
rie that has scored 3 . The Zombie rolls 1 3. Other modiers:
for its 1 value and scores 1 that cancels
one of the scored. The other 2 remain and I. Engaging modier: +1 to the attacking
count as HITS. miniature.
The attacker takes these two dice and rolls II. Multiple attacks: +1 cumulative after the
them on the damage table, scoring and . rst character attacking the same target.
Applying the best result, the zombie is now III. Height advantage: +1 to the miniature
Shocked and must be laid down on the table. holding higher ground (see King of the Hill on
page 11).

6
 Compare the results obtained by both The player controlling the Survivor scores 2
combatants. The side that scored the highest while an opposing player rolling as the zombie
number of wins the melee round and resolves scores only 1 .
the damage. See next page for damage. The Survivor inicts one HIT on the Zombie and
When a zombie is involved in the melee, the rolls once on the damage table.
opposing player will roll the zombies Combat dice
to resolve the combat. All rules apply normally. Example of a multiple melee combat
All weapons showing c in their range value on
the weapons pro le table can be used in melee.

2.3.1 Melee Resolution

A fter resolving the melee action, check the
overall result and apply the outcome:

All of the combatants on one side are Slain

The winner needs to do nothing else and the
melee ends. In this example of a multiple combat, three
All of the combatants on one side are zombies have moved to engage a motorbike team
Shocked. The winner can immediately member and his companion. The Gangers use the
use a Grit point or an additional attack, bunch of chains ( 2, Entangling) as the close
if available, to nish o a Shocked target. combat weapon for this melee - it is the only melee
This is Slain and removed from play. Any weapon available. The rst Zombie ( 2) engages
Shocked miniatures left are pushed back 1 the Gangers and rolls to hit 3 Combat dice (2
by the winner and the melee ends. for its melee value, +1 for engaging).
There are fully operative combatants If the couple of Gangers stands, the second zombie
on both sides. The attacking characters will attack with 4 Combat dice (2 for its melee
- including those that are Shocked - are value, +1 for engaging, +1 bonus for being the
pushed back 1 by the side that did not second miniature to attack the same target).
engage and the melee ends. The biker and his companion have a good chance
to resist such a bash with their combination of
melee attacks and wounds resistance. However,
if the third zombie attacks, it will do so with a
threatening total 5 Combat dice (2 for its melee
value, +1 for engaging, +2 bonus for being
the third miniature to attack the same target).
If during this process a zombie manages to Shock
the biker couple, a following zombie could nish o
the couple automatically!
A Survivor armed with a two-handed combat
weapon ( 4), has engaged a zombie 2.
The Survivor receives the engaging bonus of 1
to his combat roll for a total of 5 Combat dice.

7
2.3.2 Zombies 3. UPKEEP PHASE
Zombies move and engage in the same way as the At the end of each turn, starting with the
rest of the characters. ACTING player, each player resolves the
After all characters have engaged and resolved following steps.
their melee actions the zombies get to Engage
the nearest character within 2. Once in base 1. Recover Shocked miniatures
to base contact, zombies attack immediately 2. Roll to Reload weapons
following the normal rules for combat and 3. Replenish Combat card hand
multiple combats described above. Zombies act 4. Spawn zombies
in groups and for this reason whenever possible
several zombies must always engage one single
character. 3.1 Recover Shocked Miniatur es
Zombies have the following pro le: Starting with the player with the initiative, all
players stand their Shocked characters back up.
Zombie Traits Zombies stand up last.
Brain-dead
Blood Thirst
4 1 2 - (Hunter*)
3.2 Roll to Reload Weapon s
When using the Additional Rules - For True
*Zombies become Hunters when the scenario escalates Survivors, every time a character uses a re
(see scenarios in the Survivors Guide For Dummies)
arm, the controlling player places one Reload
token ( ) next to the character. During the
DAMAGE Upkeep Phase, each character rolls one Combat
A fter determining the number of HITS during a die for every Reload token they have. A player
shooting or a melee attack, you must determine may remove a Reload token for every scored.
the fate of the target by making one damage roll A character with a Reload token cannot use
on the damage table below for every left. any of their ranged weapons until all tokens are
removed in this way.

3.3 Re plenish Combat Car ds

Draw as many Combat cards as needed to ll in
Flesh Wound: The character is Fully Operative. your starting hand.
Alternatively, do not replenish your hand and
Shocked: Lay the model face down on the receive one Grit token.
spot. Shocked characters are recovered during
the Upkeep Phase (see next). Grit tokens can 3.4 S pawn Zombies
also be used to recover a Shocked character Zombies are placed back in the game according
immediately after they have been Shocked (see to the mission rules for Zombie Entry Points.
Additional Rules - For True Survivors on page 9). If you run out of zombies to spawn in all Entry
Points, players can choose where to place the
Slain: Remove the model from the table remaining ones and all zombies receive the
immediately. Nothing can be done to avoid this. Hunter special trait for the rest of the game.
But dont worry, the character will probably
come back to eat the rest of your team!
8
 ADDITIONAL
URVIVORS
RULES
FOR TRUE S COMBAT CARDS
When using Combat cards, each player
GRIT TOKENS starts the game with a hand of 5 cards.
Facing waves of zombies in a hail of shots During the Set Up, shue the Combat
means every moment can be life or death. card deck and deal 5 Combat cards to each
Characters can show real mettle and player.
perform feats that they would not normally During each turn players can use their
be capable of. cards to reinforce hits and defences during
All Grit tokens received when putting combat actions. A few special Combat
together a team form the Grit pool for cards will also allow players to change the
the player. These Grit tokens can be used results of dice scored in other rolls through
during the game to do one of the following: the game like Damage or Reload rolls, for
example.
Remove one Reload token at any Here is a quick description of the icons
time. found on the combat cards:
Re-roll all or any Combat dice from a
single hand roll immediately. Can be played during a combat
resolution to add to any roll after all
Immediately recover a Shocked
have been calculated.
miniature right after the result was
scored.
Can be played during a combat
Finish O an enemy Shocked resolution to add to any roll before any
miniature during the melee round. cards have been played. cards must
always be played rst.
In case of a clash of actions between
players, whoever holds the initiative Re-roll any or all the dice of a single
resolves rst. hand of dice.

Grit tokens are dicult to recover, which

makes them a precious resource! During Double all the scored during a
the Upkeep Phase, players can recover combat action.
1 instead of replenishing their hand of
Combat cards.
Cancels all scored and any card
played during a combat action.
AMMO CONTROL
Every time a rearm is discharged, the Use this card as if a had been rolled.
character receives one Reload token.
Place a single bullet token ( ) next to Use this card as if it where a .
the characters base. Certain weapons,
especially those with an automatic
function, are harder to reload. They This card can be played at any time,
produce a two bullet Reload token ( ) including during another players turn or to
when red. aect the result of dice rolled for any action
A character carrying one or more Reload or event resolution.
tokens cannot open re again until these
are cleared during the Upkeep Phase.

9
 Appendix
SCENERY AND TERRAIN
The streets of Project Z are littered with
trash; from boxes and oil drums to old
appliances as big as refrigerators, all being
the result of previous raids or from the chaos
that occurred years ago when the plague
started.
All rules for movement and combat are
designed considering that the combat area is
littered with small piles of rubble and general
rubbish that would not hinder the actions of the Trying to escape from the menacing zombie horde,
characters to the extent of having an eect on these two Survivors are trying to reach the other
the game. However, there are certain elements side of the barrier.
that could reduce the mobility, visibility or the The Survivor with the chainsaw checks the
combat eectiveness of the characters. distance to the other side of the obstacle. He must
clear his base from the obstacle by moving up to 3
(his 6/2). Unfortunately, he would not be able
1. OBSTACLES to do this and must stop his movement in base
contact with the closest side of the barrier.
We consider obstacles as the more bulky The second Survivor, armed with an assault
elements of scenery that present a physical rie, is closer to the barrier and can clear his
barrier between the character and the movement to the other side by moving the
place they wish to move to, or between hindered value (again, 3)
the character and their target when
determining the Line of Sight to resolve an 2. WALLS
attack. Common examples of obstacles are
Sometimes an obstacle can be a real
cars, urban barricades or large white goods
challenge to cross due to its height. These
(like fridges, washing machines, or even a
obstacles act as impassable high barriers
bath tub!).
for which we will use the generic term
A miniature cannot end its movement
walls. Walls cannot just be walked through
inside or in the middle of an obstacle, but
or jumped over, but instead must be
otherwise can try to cross it by halving its
moved around. Walls can be the obvious
normal movement value ( ) if any part
four facades of a building, high vehicles
of the movement would be aected by the
like trucks or vans or a car on its side, for
obstacle.
example.
If the character cannot cross the obstacle
To check if an obstacle is also considered a
in one go, they will need to nd a dierent
wall, stack two Combat dice together. If the
route or stop in base contact with the
obstacle is taller than the height of the two
obstacle before crossing it in the next turn.
dice, the object is considered a wall. A wall
Obstacles interfere with the LOS when shooting
blocks all movement and LOS
making any shot passing through them.
through it (see page 5).
Walls block the LOS
lie s in th e wa y of a altogether and shooting
Anything that
ot he r fr ien dl y through them is not
minature, except permitted.
dered an
miniatiures, is consi
obstacle.
than two combat
An obstacle higher
er is also a
dice stacked togeth
wall.
10
3. KING OF THE HILL
The way Project Z is presented and the
way it plays, invites you to make a more
cinematic use of the scenery elements than
just mere obstacles. When surrounded by a
erce horde of zombies, some high ground
could be the dierence between life and
death.

3.1 Jumping onto Obstacles JUMPING ONTO OBSTACLES

When in base contact with an obstacle, The kid is facing an imminent attack from the
zombie horde. To win some advantage in the
instead of following the normal rules for upcoming melee and to get a good shooting
crossing it (see page 10), a character may position, he decides to jump onto the truck ready
decide to jump onto it. This costs half a for action.
characters normal move in the same Luckily his previous action brought him in base
way as crossing it would. To jump o, a contact with the scenery element and therefore he
character just measures his movement can jump straight onto the bonnet and even move
from his current position. This costs no up to 3 anywhere atop the truck (half his 6
extra movement. value for interacting with an obstacle).
The only limit to the number of characters
that can stand on an obstacle is its actual
physical capacity. 4. SCENARIOS
Any melee attacks made against a Project Z is played using one of the
character on top of an obstacle are resolved scenarios provided in the Survivors Guide
by engaging the obstacle itself (move the For Dummies. More scenarios will be
attacking miniature so it ends in base created in our future product releases and
to base contact with the obstacle). The also on our website www.warlordgames.com.
target character receives a +1 bonus Scenarios are won by scoring more
for being on higher ground and cancels the Victory Points than the opponent. Each
+1 that miniatures normally receive for Survivors Guide For Dummies will explain
engaging. the way VP are awarded and if gangs have
If two characters are engaged in a melee any special rules or eects that could aect
action while on top of an obstacle neither of the rewards received.
them receives any bonuses or penalties for
engaging on high ground.

11
After reading these rules you are now Credits
ready to take to the streets and try to Original Concept, Game & Product Design:
survive a zombie apocalypse. Ricard Fortun

Assume control of one of the many teams Additional Game Rules & Scenarios:
of Survivors, groups of left-behinders that Andrew Chesney, Ricard Fortun & Gabrio
have bound themselves to each other to Tolentino
get a slim chance of making it through to
another day. Cover Art:
Antonio Manez
Kill or be killed in a world that no longer
has rules. So choose your friends wisely as Internal Art:
not all are created equal. EDGE Studio & Angelika Rasmus

Alternatively, take control of a mean Content & Graphic Design:

motorbikers gang or a dreaded unit of the EDGE Studio, Asun Loste-Campos & Gabrio
Special Operations in order to accomplish Tolentino
your next incursion into the quarantine zone!
Editing:
Play one-o scenarios or take your team Ricard Fortun, Mal Green & Duncan
through a series of linked missions using Macfarlane
all your guile and cunning to make sure
you nd the few supplies that are left in Miniatures Designed:
this hellish landscape before your opponent Wargames Factory & Warlord Games
steals them from you.
Miniatures Painting:
Will you nd out how amazing Rodriguez is Andrs Amin
with a baseball bat? Whether Deidre from
the hair dressing salon down the road can Terrain Making & Photography:
handle an Uzi? Or will it be up to Dave from Gabrio Tolentino
accounts to re up the chainsaw and save
the day yet again! Warlord Games Studio Manager:
Paul Sawyer
Go and explore now the options available
and the scenarios you can try your team Playtesters:
on by reading the Survivors Guide For Andrew Chesney, Charlie Coult, Jack Coult,
Dummies next. Darren Evans, Mal Green, Tim Harris,
Harry James, Dominik Krischer,
Bernard Lewis, Michael Mingers, Lorenzo
Pala, Markus Pltz, Simon Tift, Gabrio
Tolentino.

Special thanks to:

Simon Tift, Andrs Amin, Jose Manuel
Rey (EDGE Entertainment) & Alberto
Gonzlez (AGRpriority), Asun Loste-
Campos & the Warlord Games team for
their help and eternal patience.

Copyright Warlord Games Ltd. 2016. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be
otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published and without a similar
condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
13