Written and Photography By Martin Krasemann

 

The Right People For The Right Job

 

At the heart of HAYWIRE MODERN lies a simple idea: Modern military operations are not won by numbers, but by the right people performing the right action at the right moment.

 

HAYWIRE MODERN’S class and unit system was designed to reflect that reality while giving players a high degree of flexibility in how they approach each mission. The game is built around classes, each representing a specialized battlefield role inspired by modern military doctrine. Some focus on breaching and close-quarters combat; others excel at reconnaissance, support, or command. The goal is to create meaningful tactical choices, encouraging coordination and pushing you to find synergies.

 

HAYWIRE MODERN comes with 36 playable classes divided into 3 tiers: Tier 1 represents your typical special forces. Tier 2 represents regular armies, and Tier 3 is local guerrilla forces. Each class comes with its own skills, from Leaders coordinating teammates and calling in support assets to Breachers opening new entry points.

 

Tier 1 Team Leader Class Example

 

 

Every class comes with its own card. At the top, you have the class name, its Tier, and its combat statistics. Every class in the same Tier has the same stats to keep things as simple as possible.

 

Next are the class skills. Each playable class has unique skills they can use in addition to the 14 standard actions. Some skills are passive, while others require action points to be used. For the Team Leader, his first skill is Support, which allows him to call one of two randomly selected support actions. These support options range from mortar strikes to reconnaissance drones and communication jammers, with thirty different support assets available in the game.

 

His second skill is Empower, allowing him to transfer one of his Action Points to a nearby friendly model. This can be especially useful when supporting a sniper with a clear line of sight or an automatic rifleman laying down suppressive fire.

 

Finally, because his first two abilities focus on assisting the team, his Threat Assessment skill allows him to automatically enter Overwatch if he did not fire during his turn. Overwatch lets him react and fire during the enemy phase when an opponent moves into his line of sight.

 

At the bottom of each class card is the equipment available to that class. This includes their primary weapon systems, such as assault rifles or submachine guns in this example, as well as secondary gear like grenades, knives, and body armor.

 

Absolute Units

 

Classes are organized into a roster of 24 predefined units. A unit represents a group of complementary classes, each designed around a specific role, such as reconnaissance, direct action or hostage rescue, ensuring that the composition reflects the type of mission it is expected to perform. As an example, the Hunter Unit is the most generic team, a kind of jack-of-all-trades. In it, you will find 6 classes: The Team Leader, The Assault, The Combat Lifesaver, The Support, The Sniper, and The Demolition. As you can imagine, there is very little they aren’t prepared for! 

 

Aside from those pre-defined units, players can also create their own by combining the classes they want. A player might create a stealth-oriented squad focused on infiltration and intelligence gathering, or a heavily armed assault team built for confrontation. This dual approach makes the game accessible for quick play while still giving players the freedom to build highly personalized teams that feel distinct from one mission to the next. 

 

This flexibility is central to the HAYWIRE MODERN experience. Missions can vary dramatically in objectives, terrain, and enemy presence, and no single team composition is optimal in every situation. Players are encouraged to adapt their choices, balancing firepower, versatility, and specialized skills based on the demands of each operation.

 

 

 

Designer’s notes: One of my favorite units in the game is the Jawbreaker team. A CIA-style covert group of 2 classes. The undercover operator skill allowing him to move on the board undetected is one of the most useful skills in the game, while the Deniable asset can turn any enemy model into a friendly soldier, which can save a mission if played at the right time.

 

Ultimately, the class and unit system defines HAYWIRE MODERN. It emphasizes coordination, adaptability, and good planning. Every operator matters, every role has a purpose, and success often depends on how effectively those roles are combined. When the situation inevitably spirals out of control, it is not just the plan that determines the outcome but the people executing it.

 

Next up, we’ll talk you through the enemy AI and how it challenges you! In the meantime,  you can preorder HAYWIRE MODERN and get the PDF right now. Not ready to dive into the foxhole just yet? You can get the HAYWIRE MODERN Quickstart for FREE from .net or .us.