Armournaut can seem dense at first glance. Dice pools, four-action economy, vehicle segments, and Pillarite mutations. The key to teaching it is to front-load the fiction and back-load the rules. Get players making decisions and rolling dice within the first 15 minutes, then introduce new mechanics as they become relevant.
The game’s own advice is worth heeding: "Let them feel powerful, right up to the point it matters." Start them feeling competent, then gradually introduce the lethal and complex elements.
Before dice hit the table, align on what the game is about.
Explain the game in one paragraph:
"You are mercenaries, soldiers, or outcasts in a gritty sci-fi cluster. You will pilot mechs and vehicles, take on high-risk jobs, and navigate a world of warring factions. The system uses pools of D6s. Combat is tactical and lethal, but you have resources like Chronicle Points to turn the tide.“
Walk players through the three components of a Framework (from the GM section):
Tier: Start at Tier 2 (150 XP) . Players feel skilled but not invincible.
Progression: Use Sessional Progression for the first few sessions. It is simple and predictable.
Story: Pick one of the Campaign Frameworks (for example, Armournauts, Soldiers, or Bounty Hunters) to set tone and motivation.
Present the Cohesion tools: X-Card, Lines & Veils, Open Door. Emphasize that this is a collaborative story and player comfort is paramount.
For the first session, provide 4 to 6 characters you have made for the players. Each should focus on one core role:
Gunner: High Small Arms and Gunnery.
Pilot: High Piloting and vehicle-focused talents.
Hacker: High Interfacing and Pervade capabilities.
Medic or Engineer: High Aid and Engineering.
Face: High Persuasion, Demand, or other social skills.
Include a mix of personal combat and vehicle combat capabilities. Providing ready-made characters allows players to learn mechanics without the paralysis of character creation. After a session or two, players who wish to create their own character can do so with a better understanding of how the system works.
Teach the universal resolution mechanic with a simple demonstration:
"When you attempt something risky, you will roll a pool of D6s. You are looking for 4, 5, or 6. Each of those is a success. The GM will tell you a Difficulty Score (DS) , which is how many successes you need. Roll your dice, count successes, and tell me if you meet or beat the DS."
Demonstrate:
Roll 5 dice. "I need 3 successes (DS3). I got a 2, 4, 5, 6, 3. That is three successes, success!"
Then show a failure: "I got two successes, that is not enough."
Key points to emphasize:
Only 4, 5, and 6 count as successes.
6s are special. They become bonus dice for damage or can be shifted for effects.
Players can assist each other by giving bonus dice.
Chronicle Points allow rerolls, narrative control, and surviving death.
Avoid explaining damage, ED pools, or AP at this stage. Just get them rolling.
Drop players into a low-stakes, non-combat scene that forces a few skill tests.
"You are on a derelict orbital station called The Broken Hull. Your contact said the data core is in the command deck, but the station is falling apart. You are in a dark corridor. Flickering lights. The floor groans. What do you do?"
Let them propose actions and roll appropriate skills:
Detect to spot a safe path.
Engineering to stabilize a power conduit.
Athletics to climb a collapsed section.
Interfacing to access a locked door.
Teaching goals:
Practice rolling skill tests against DS.
Introduce the idea of complications (on a failed roll, something bad happens, but the story moves forward).
Show that non-combat solutions are valid and rewarded.
After this, transition to combat.
Run a simple combat encounter using the characters you made for the players. Use a battle map with hexes.
Enemies: 2 to 3 humanoid opponents with pistols (no vehicles yet).
Environment: Partial cover (crates, walls) and one environmental hazard (for example, a sparking conduit that deals minor damage if bumped).
Layer 1: Turn Order and Basic Actions
Explain the player-driven turn order: players decide who acts when, then the GM takes all NPC turns.
Introduce Tactical Action: Attack, Use Skill, Dash, Grapple.
Introduce Maneuver Action: Move, Aim.
Introduce Free Action: Fortitude (damage reduction using Vigour).
Run a round where players only use Attack, Move, and Fortitude.
Layer 2: Damage and Resilience
When a player hits:
"You roll your attack (Small Arms) against their Defense. If you hit, you roll your weapon’s damage dice (DD) and add the weapon’s base damage. That total is compared to their Resilience. If it is higher, they take wounds equal to the difference."
Demonstrate one full attack, including the target using Fortitude to reduce wounds by spending Vigour.
Layer 3: Introduce One New Action
In the second round, introduce one of these options:
Aim: Reduces called shot penalties.
Suppress: Halves enemy speed.
Grapple: Show how restraining works.
Layer 4: Environmental Interaction
Let a player use the sparking conduit as an improvised attack (using the Improvised Weapons rule). Reward creativity with bonus dice or narrative advantage.
End the Combat Early
When half the enemies are down or one takes a severe wound, have the rest flee or surrender. Enforce the GM advice: "NPCs should reconsider their chances of survival when faced with severe damage."
After the first skirmish, introduce a vehicle encounter. Use the characters you made, each assigned a vehicle (light AFVs or MOAs).
Players: One vehicle each (or one shared vehicle if you prefer).
Enemy: One light enemy vehicle (for example, a technical with a light cannon).
Environment: Open terrain with some obstacles.
Vehicle Stats: Show the vehicle sheet. Explain AP (Armor Points), Resilience, Defense, Speed, and Segments.
Vehicle Actions: Most actions (Attack, Ram, Dash) work the same, but use Piloting instead of Athletics.
Segment Damage: Explain that vehicles have segments (1 to 6) with equipment slots. Damage can destroy equipment.
Repair: Mention that Engineering tests can restore AP or fix destroyed gear after combat.
Run a short round where players learn to:
Attack with vehicle weapons.
Ram an enemy (using the Ram action).
Use cover and movement tactically.
After the session, introduce the loop between missions.
Earning XP: Using Sessional Progression, players roll a D6 at the end of the session and bank XP.
Spending XP: Show how they can improve skills, attributes, or buy talents.
Downtime Actions: Present the Additional Downtime Actions list. Let each player pick one for the next session’s preparation.
Repair and Salvage: If vehicles were damaged, show how Engineering tests repair them.
Backers: Briefly mention that they can gain a backer for resources and perks.
Once players are comfortable with the core, introduce one new system per session:
| Session | Introduce |
|---|---|
| Session 2 | Called Shots and Reflex Actions (Riposte, Trip, Overwatch). |
| Session 3 | Pervade (hacking) and Networks. |
| Session 4 | Organization management and Faction Reputation. |
| Session 5 | Character Arcs (flaws and challenges). |
Create a one-page handout for players with:
| Concept | Summary |
|---|---|
| Rolling Tests | Roll D6s, count 4, 5, and 6 as successes. Meet or beat DS. |
| Actions | Tactical (main), Maneuver (move), Brief (quick), Reflex (reaction), Free (small). |
| Combat | Attack, hit vs. Defense, roll damage, compare to Resilience, wounds, Fortitude (spend Vigour to reduce). |
| Chronicle Points | Start with 2. Reroll, add successes (costs Vigour), narrative control, survive death. |
| Vehicles | Use Piloting instead of Athletics. Have AP, Segments, Equipment. |
| Vigour | Spent to reduce wounds via Fortitude. Regain on rest. |
| Conditions | Physical (arm injury, leg injury, etc.) and Mental. Need diagnosis and treatment (Aid test plus cost plus time). |
| Pillarite | Grants powers and mutations but causes corruption. Risky to use. |
Start at Tier 2: Players have enough XP to feel capable but not so much that they are overwhelmed by options.
Use the App: The Armournaut app can handle tracking, rolls, and maps, reducing cognitive load.
Embrace the Wheel of War: Use the Call to Arms, Contact, Turning Point, Aftermath structure to keep sessions focused.
Reward Creativity: The system explicitly encourages improvised actions, clever skill use, and non-violent solutions. Say "yes, and" often.
Lethality is a Tool, Not a Punishment: Enemies should retreat, surrender, or negotiate. Player death should feel like a dramatic moment, not a random occurrence.
By following this phased approach, you will have players confidently rolling dice, piloting mechs, and navigating faction politics within a few sessions, without ever feeling overwhelmed.