THRONE
FREE · START HERE · 11TH EDITION
Your first games, one step at a time.
Learn the flow, give your units a job, and build confidence at the table.
Before your first game
Start small. Bring your army list, current unit rules, mission, dice and measuring tools. Tell your opponent you are learning and agree to explain decisions aloud. Compare your mission’s setup and terrain instructions before deploying.
Give every unit one job: hold something, protect something, move somewhere, or attack a target. Write those jobs down before deployment.
Rounds and turns
A battle round contains both players’ turns. Follow Command, Movement, Shooting, Charge and Fight, then finish turn-end bookkeeping. Your opponent still has decisions during your turn.
Ask “Any reactions before I continue?” at important triggers. The Turn Companion tracks which player is active and advances the round after the second turn.
Command: prepare the turn
Use the checklist’s five steps in order. Update CP, check combat readiness, resolve abilities and consult the mission at the scoring window.
Before moving, say your plan aloud: “These units hold; this unit scores; this unit pressures the middle.” Look at your mission, not just the enemy army.
Use the phase checklist →Movement: give every unit a purpose
Check the chosen move type and its restrictions in your current rules. Think about where the unit should finish, not just how far it can travel.
Plan scoring units first. Measure important distances before committing. Keep useful support within reach and avoid moving your last defender away from an objective without a replacement.
Use the phase checklist →Shooting: choose useful targets
An ordinary attack proceeds through hit, wound, allocation, save and damage. Special weapon rules can change that sequence; check the profile you are using.
Read the weapon and target profile together. For your first games, resolve small batches and explain each roll. Use Dice Lab to practise the expected outcome before relying on an attack.
Use the phase checklist →Charge: plan the destination
Check charge eligibility and the route before rolling. A successful charge needs a legal finish, not simply a high roll.
Consider what the charge achieves for your mission and what happens if it fails. Keep a scoring plan that does not depend on one ambitious charge.
Use the phase checklist →Fight: both players participate
In 11th edition, pile-in, fighting and consolidation have distinct steps. Follow the current selection order and eligible moves; do not carry over an older edition’s sequence.
Pause before choosing a unit. Discuss which combats matter most and check special rules that affect timing. Keep track of casualties and each unit’s completed attacks.
Use the phase checklist →Stratagems: remember the opportunity
Read the timing, eligible target, CP cost, effect and restrictions before spending CP. A phase reminder is an opportunity to check a rule, not permission to use it.
Start with three reminders: a defensive option, an offensive option and a reaction on your opponent’s turn. Keep their exact triggers on a short reference card. Ask “Would this change the outcome enough to spend CP?”
Scoring: win the mission
Your mission defines the scoring conditions, timing and limits. Keep VP separate from CP, and record results when the mission tells you to.
Before ending a turn, ask: What did I score? What can my opponent score next? Which unit needs to survive? A quiet unit holding a position can be more valuable than another attack.
Use the phase checklist →Learn your army without memorising everything
Keep a short reference for your army’s most useful abilities and stratagems. Review their timing before the game; keep your full rules nearby for details.
Practise one interaction at a time. After a game, write down one forgotten trigger and one movement decision to improve. Keep a short note instead of trying to memorise the whole army at once.
Keep your reference close
Official 11th-edition Core Rules · Current downloads and updates
Practise attacks in Dice Lab · Find help in the Fractured Throne Discord