1918: Operation Michel, Germany's Last Chance in the West

1918: Operation Michel, Germany's Last Chance in the West Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Equipment

The Game Map: the 23" by 29" map sheet portrays the section of Northwest France over which the battle was fought. An hexagonal grid is superimposed upon the map to regularize the movement and position of the Playing Pieces.

The Playing Pieces: the two colored sets of die-cut playing pieces (henceforth known as units) represent the opposing forces in the battle. The opposing armies at the beginning of each scenario are selected from these units in accordance with the rules on "How To Set up and Play the Game." This may vary depending on the scenario that is being played.

It is highly recommended that the Players sort their units by type and color immediately after removing them from the sheet, and to keep them segregated, as this greatly facilitates subsequent setting-up and playing of the game. The playing pieces are distinguished by type, strength, nationality, and mobility, as represented by the color, numbers and symbols on the units' faces.

The unit faces show the following: the Unit Size Symbol (above the unit), the Unit Type Symbol (beside the unit), the Nationality Code (at the left of the unit), the Unit Designation (at the right of the unit), the Combat Strength (bottom left, the first number) and the Movement Allowance (bottom right, the second number). A sample unit shows the Nationality Code "F", a Unit Type Symbol of the infantry type, the Unit Designation "55", a Combat Strength of 5 and a Movement Allowance of 4.

Unit Types

Infantry: a box with a large X through it.
Cavalry: a box with a diagonal slash through it.
Supply/Artillery/Corps: an empty box.

Nationality Codes

All blue units are German units. All undesignated tan units are British. The other codes are: C= Canadian; NZ= New Zealand; A= Australian; F= French.

Unit Sizes

xx= division; xxx= corps.

Unit Designations

These are the historical "names" of the units involved, for the most part comprising solely numbers. The non-numeric designations mean:

German

S= stosstruppen
T= Trench division
R= reserve
Gd= Guard
B= Bavarian
E= ersatz
LW= Landwehr

Allied

Gd= Guard

Game Charts and Tables: various visual aids are provided for the Player to simplify and illustrate certain game functions. The Combat Results Table provides the method of resolving combat, and is fully explained where presented. The Terrain Effects Chart details the effects of terrain on movement and combat. The Turn Record Chart lets Players know how far they have progressed in the game; this is integrated with the Reinforcement Chart which gives the appropriate additional units that the Allies receive, depending on which scenario is being used. The Replacement Chart sets up the eliminated units which may be returned to play.

Definition Of Terms

Combat Strength refers to the basic offensive and defensive value of a particular unit; this strength is composed of Combat (Strength) Points. Thus a unit with a Combat Strength of "7" has seven Combat Points available.

Movement Allowance is the basic maximum number of hexagons (hexes) which a unit may move during one Friendly Movement Phase. This allowance is composed of Movement Points; basically, a unit expends one Movement Point of its total Allowance to enter one hex. Some hexes require more than one Movement Point to enter; see the Terrain Effects Chart.

Game Inventory

Your copy of 1918 should contain the following material:

one mapsheet (22" x 28")
one rules folder
one set of die cut counters
one die

If you are missing any parts or there are any questions concerning 1918, please write to:

Simulations Publications Inc. 44 East 23 St. New York, N.Y. 10010

General Course of Play

1918 is basically a two player game: the Allied Player, and the German Player. Each Player moves his units, executes attacks against the opposing Player's units, and moves again. The German objective is to destroy Enemy units and gain certain territorial objectives for the German Player, while the Allied Player tries to deny those territorial objectives to the Germans and minimize his own losses.

Sequence Of Play: the Game-Turn

1918 is played in Game Turns. Each game lasts ten Game-Turns. Each Game-Turn is composed of two Player-Turns, the Allied Player-Turn and the German Player-Turn, which are essentially the same in structure. Thus Game-Turn 1 is composed of the First German Player-Turn and the First Allied Player-Turn. Each Player-Turn is composed of three phases during which certain game functions occur.

A typical Game-Turn would proceed as follows:

1. German Player-Turn

A. First Movement Phase

The German Player first places anywhere along the Eastern edge of the map any replacements he may be receiving during this Game-Turn. He may move all of his units (including the Replacements) in any direction up to their full Movement Allowance, within the restrictions outlined in Movement and Zone of Control rules, and the Terrain Effects Chart.

B. German Combat Phase. The Combat Phase is composed of a number of Segments, each of which outlines a certain procedure. These segments must be followed in this order:

(i) Attack Allocation Segment. The attacking Player (in this case the German) specifies which of his units will attack a particular hex containing Enemy units. At the same time, he allocates which supply units will be used to furnish these units with Attack Supply (see Supply rules). These supply units should be turned face down to signify that they are being used. The attacker then allocates the artillery units which will be used to assist ground attacks or bombard independently. A blank counter should be placed on these units to signify they are being used.

(ii) Defense Allocation Segment. In the cases where the defender has more than one unit in a hex under attack, he specifies which unit will resist the attack. He then allocates any of his artillery units which are within range of the defending unit to support the defense at either full or one-half normal Combat Strength. Place a blank counter on top of the units being used at full Combat Strength.

See the artillery rules for ranges and more detailed procedure.

(iii) Combat Resolution Segment. The attacker resolves combats that he has initiated by comparing the attacking Combat Strengths against the defending Combat Strength(s) of a particular combat, and expressing this comparison as a simplified probability ratio; he then rolls a die, adjusts this roll for any effects given on the Terrain Effects Chart, and consults the Combat Result Table for the result of the combat. This procedure is repeated for each individual combat until all the allocated attacks have been resolved. Attacks may be resolved in any order that the attacker wishes.

(iv) Clean-up Segment. The players remove any of the artillery/supply units which were used for assisting combat-at-full-strength, or used to furnish Attack Supply. These are the units on the map that are either face down or have blank units placed on top of them.

C. German Second Movement Phase. The German Player may move his units in an identical fashion to the First Movement Phase. There is no combat following this phase.

2. Allied Player-Turn

The Allied Player repeats the same procedures as the German Player used in his player-turn, using his own units, except that he gets reinforcements with his replacements and they come on the map in the same manner as the replacements and may also move in any direction up to their full Movement Allowance, within the restrictions outlined in Movement and Zone of Control rules, and the Terrain Effects Chart.

The Allied Player moves a marker on the Turn Record Chart to indicate the passage of one Game-Turn.

Game Length

Each Game, no matter what scenario, lasts for ten complete Game-Turns, as indicated on the Turn Record Chart.

Game Scale

Each hex in 1918 is equivalent to 2.8 kilometres from side to side. Each Game-Turn in 1918 represents one day of real time.

Movement

General Rule: During the Movement Phases of a Player's Turn, the Player may move as many or as few of his units as he wishes. Each unit may be moved as many hexes as desired within the limits of its Movement Allowance, the Terrain Effects Chart, and the Zone of Control Rules.

Procedure: Move each unit individually, tracing the path of its movement through the hexagonal grid.

Cases:

(A) Movement is calculated in terms of hexagons. Basically, each unit expends one Movement Point of its total Movement (point) Allowance for each hex entered. To enter some types of hexes more or, in some cases, less than one Movement Point is expended. See the movement section of the Terrain Effects Chart for a full list of these different "entry costs."

(B) Movement is never required; it is always voluntary.

(C) Units are moved individually, or in stacks, at the player's discretion, in any direction, or combination of directions. A unit may be moved as few or as many hexes as the player wishes, as long as the Movement Allowance of a unit is not exceeded. Unused Movement Points are not accumulated from turn to turn, nor may they be transferred to another unit.

(D) No Enemy movement is permitted during a Player's Movement Phase.

(E) No combat (Enemy or Friendly) may take place during a Movement Phase.

(F) Friendly units may pass through Friendly units at any time they wish, without penalty.

(G) Units may never enter or pass through a hex containing Enemy units.

(H) Units may move over different types of terrain in the same Movement Phase, as long as they have enough Movement Points to expend as they enter each hex.

(I) Units may never move directly from one Enemy controlled hex to another, even if the two controlled hexes are controlled by different Enemy units. (Exceptions: Cases J and K)

[Illustration: a 7-5 Stosstruppen unit, marked "XX", with the German "S" nationality/designation symbols and the figures 7-5.]

(J) Infiltration

Certain German units may move through Enemy Zones of Control; these are known as Stosstruppen divisions. They were specially trained to engage in infiltration, and cut Enemy forces off by invading their rear areas. These units (which are the "7-5" units the Germans have) may move from one Enemy controlled hex to another, but may move only that single hex in that Movement Phase. They may move no further.

(K) Leapfrog Withdrawals

All units may move through Enemy Zones of Control when engaging in "Leapfrog" Withdrawals. To perform this operation, the unit that wishes to withdraw from one Enemy controlled hex to another must begin adjacent to another Friendly unit which is in the controlled hex to be entered. It may then move into that hex, but no further in that Movement Phase. The unit that was "holding the way open," in effect, may move further during the Movement Phase, at its normal rate. Leapfrog withdrawals may not be accomplished by moving a unit up to the hex to be entered by the trapped unit during the same Movement Phase; the "rescuing" unit must begin in that hex at the start of the Movement Phase.

[Diagram: an Enemy Unit in the upper-left hex, a Friendly Unit in the centre hex with an arrow showing it moving into the lower hex, a second Friendly Unit in the lower hex, and an Enemy Unit in the right-hand hex.]

(L) In both Cases J and K, i.e., when a unit may move from one Enemy controlled hex to another, the moving unit may only proceed one hex, and then must stop, and move no further during that Movement Phase.

(M) Supply effects

When a unit is isolated (see Supply rules for definition), it may not move at all; it must remain in the same hex until a supply line has been opened to it. No unit may deliberately move out of supply. Exception: Stosstruppen divisions (see Case J for definition) may deliberately move out of supply, but they still suffer the same effects of being isolated as other units.

(N) It is possible that a unit may not have sufficient Movement Points to move even a single hex in a particular Movement Phase. In this case, the unit may simply not make any move.

Example: an Allied supply unit adjacent to a German unit wishes to move through a river hex-side to a Devastated Zone hex. This movement cost would be: one Movement Point for moving the hex, one additional for crossing the river hex side, one additional for entering a Devastated Zone hex, and one additional for leaving a German controlled hex, for a total of four Movement Points. Thus the supply unit, with a Movement Allowance of three, could not move that one hex.

Stacking (more than one unit per hex)

General Rule: each Player may have as many as two units stacked together in a single hex. These units may move together, or may separate, or may end the Movement Phase stacked together without any penalty.

Cases:

(A) Stacking limitations apply only at the end of a Friendly Movement Phase; no more than two units may be stacked in a hex at the end of any Friendly Movement Phase. If a Player cannot meet these provisions for his own units at the end of his Movement Phase, he must remove a sufficient number of units to be within the stacking limitations, with the choice of units removed being his own. There is no restriction on stacking during the Movement Phase, or during or at the end of the Combat Phase.

(B) Although units may stack two-high, only one unit in a hex may defend in combat during a particular Combat Phase. Thus if an attacker had two units in a hex, and the defender did also, both of the attacker's units could attack only one of the defender's units. The defender may only use one of his own units to defend. The attacker first chooses which units he is attacking the hex with (during the Attack Allocation Segment), and then the defender reveals which unit will defend. Only the defending unit is affected by the combat, not other units in the same hex.

Zones Of Control

General Rule: the six hexagons immediately surrounding a given unit (or stack of units) constitute that unit's Zone of Control. These are rigid, semi-active Zones of Control; Enemy units may not move through them, but they have no effect on combat. Hexes upon which a unit is exerting a Zone of Control are called controlled hexes.

[Diagram: a central hex with a stack symbol, surrounded by its six adjacent hexes, each marked with an arrow pointing into the central hex.]

Procedure: all units' Zones of Control are identical; they prohibit the movement and, in some cases, the supply of Enemy units. Friendly controlled hexes never affect Friendly units.

Cases:

(A) Units may never move directly from one Enemy controlled hex to another, with the exception of Infiltration and Leapfrog Withdrawals (see Movement, Cases J and K).

(B) Allied units, when leaving German controlled hexes, must expend an additional Movement Point, above and beyond the ordinary cost of moving one hex. There is no such restriction upon German units leaving Allied controlled hexes.

(C) Friendly supply lines may not be traced through an Enemy controlled hex, unless that controlled hex is occupied by a Friendly unit. Thus the presence of a Friendly unit negates the interdicting effect of an Enemy controlled hex upon Friendly supply lines, although that Enemy Zone of Control still exists for movement purposes.

(D) If a hex is controlled by more than one Friendly and/or Enemy unit, this has no effect on the presence of a Zone of Control. Thus it is possible for a given hex to be controlled by opposing units.

Combat

General Rule: Combat occurs between adjacent opposing units at the discretion of the Player whose Combat Phase it is; this Player is considered to be the Attacker, while the other Player is considered the Defender, regardless of the overall strategic position of the two players.

[Diagram: two adjacent hexes, the left marked "ATKR" (attacker) and the right marked "DEF" (defender).]

Procedure: Total up the Combat Strength of the attacking units involved in a specific attack, and compare it to the total Combat Strengths of the defending unit(s) in the hex under attack, including any allocated offensive or defensive artillery fire. State the comparison as a probability ratio: Attacker's Strength to Defender's Strength. Round off the ratio downward to the nearest "whole" number, to yield one of the simplified odds found on the Combat Results Tables. Roll the die, adjust it for any of the effects as given on the Terrain Effects Chart, and read the result under the appropriate odds column for that die result. Apply the result of the combat immediately before going on to resolve any other combat.

Cases:

(A) During the Combat Phase of his Turn, a Player may only attack those units to which friendly units are adjacent. Only those Friendly units directly adjacent to a given Enemy unit may participate in the attack upon that Enemy unit. (Exception: see Artillery rules.)

(B) Units adjacent to Enemy units are not compelled to attack, nor does the attacking Player have to utilize every adjacent unit if he does decide to attack. Attacking is completely voluntary.

(C) No unit may attack more than once per Combat Phase. No Enemy unit may be attacked more than once per Combat Phase.

(D) More than one Enemy-occupied hex may be attacked by a given attacking unit (or group of attacking units); that is to say, different defending units on different hexes may be treated as the objects of attacks which might be made by one hex group of attacking units if the attacking units happen to be adjacent to two or more Enemy-occupied hexes.

[Diagram: one attacking hex ("ATKR") adjacent to two defending hexes, each marked "DEF".]

(E) An Enemy-occupied hex may be attacked by as many attacking units as can be brought to bear.

(F) If more than one Enemy unit is in a hex which is under attack, only one of the units may be attacked (or defend), and only the unit under attack may be affected by the combat; the other unit will remain no matter what the outcome of the combat.

(G) Combat odds are rounded off in favor of the Defender. For example: an attack of 10 Attack Points against 6 Defense Points would round off to a one-to-one odds situation.

(H) If one unit in a stack is used in an attack, the other unit in the stack need not participate in the same attack nor in any attack at all during that Combat Phase.

(I) Units which are isolated (see Supply rules for definition) are penalized on the defense. The attacker may subtract "one" from his die-roll number (which is beneficial) when attacking units which are isolated.

(J) No unit may attack unless it is in Attack Supply; see Supply rules for explanation.

(K) Whenever supply or terrain effects on the die roll (see the Terrain Effects Chart) are ambiguous due to the attacking units engaging defending units in different hexes, resolve the effect in favor of the defender. Thus if an attacking unit is engaging two of the defender's units on different hexes, one in its own Fortified Zone, and the other not, the attacker must add two to his die roll.

Combat Results Table

1918 COMBAT RESULTS TABLE

Combat Odds (Attacker to Defender)

Die Roll	1-1	2-1	3-1	4-1	5-1	6-1	7-1	8-1	9-1	10-1
0	Dr1	Dr1	Dr1	Dr2	Dr2	Dr2	De	De	De	De
1	Br2	Br2	Br1	Dr2	Dr2	Dr2	De	De	De

Odds of less than 1-1 are treated as 1-1; odds greater than 10-1 are treated as 10-1.

Explanation of Combat Results

First letter (capitalized) refers to the Player affected: A= attacker; D= defender; B= both attacker and defender. Lower case letters refer to the effect of combat: r1, r2= affected Player has his units retreated either one (r1) or two (r2) hexes by the opposing Player. These units may not retreat into or through Enemy units or their Zones of Control, or across river hex sides, or else they are destroyed. They may retreat into or through Enemy Zones of Control if a Friendly unit occupies the hex to be retreated into. Units may ignore stacking limitations when they are retreated. In the case of "Br" results, the defender's units are retreated first. If a unit is retreated onto a hex which is subsequently attacked in the same Combat Phase, it is not affected by any results obtained against the other unit in that hex.

e= all units of the affected side are removed from the map and considered destroyed. This only applies to units involved in the combat, not to units they may be stacked with.

Ex= the defending unit(s) are destroyed, and any one of the attacking units, at the attacker's choice of unit.

Whenever a unit is eliminated, place it in the appropriate areas for the eliminated units; certain of these units may return as Replacements. (See the Replacement rules.)

Corps/Supply/Artillery Units

[Sample counter: a "XXX" corps unit with a supply box and the figures 4-3.]

Commentary: these units represent an amalgamation of corps control (communications), supply and artillery. Thus they may function in a variety of ways. Essentially, in a particular Player-Turn (whether Friendly or not), these units may function in only one of the following ways:

(i) the supply unit may be a source of General Supply; it is not consumed by doing so.
(ii) the supply unit may be a source of Attack Supply; it is consumed after doing so.
(iii) it may be used as an offensive (for the Player whose Combat Phase it is) artillery unit; it is consumed by doing so.
(iv) it may be used as a defensive artillery unit, at either full or half-strength. If used at full strength (four Combat Points), it is consumed; if used at half strength (two Combat Points), it is not consumed.

In reality, these units represent ammunition flow through the corps administration.

Cases:

(A) Consumed supply (or artillery) units are returned to the map at the beginning of the First Friendly Movement Phase of the Game-Turn after they have been eliminated (consumed), unless they have been eliminated in ground combat (see Case B). They are returned anywhere along a Friendly map edge.

(B) Supply/Artillery units, when attacked by ordinary combat units (infantry or cavalry), defend with a Combat Strength of "ONE," not "four". If they are eliminated by ordinary ground combat, they are not returned to the map as in Case A.

(C) When supply/artillery units are attacked by Enemy artillery only, they defend with a Combat Strength of "four".

(D) Supply/Artillery units may never engage in ordinary offensive ground combat; their Combat Strength may only be applied by firing as artillery.

(E) For the remainder of these rules, supply/artillery units will be referred to as either supply units or artillery units; Players must keep in mind that they are the same counters representing a unit with two different functions.

Supply

General Rule: there are two types of supply: General Supply and Attack Supply. Units need General Supply to move and defend in an uninhibited manner. Units need Attack Supply to attack.

Procedure: a unit is in General Supply if it can trace a line of hexes no longer than five hexes in length to a road leading off a Friendly mapedge (defined in Case F). Units are in Attack Supply if they are able to trace a line of hexes no longer than four hexes in length to a Friendly supply unit. If a unit is in Attack Supply, it is also considered in General Supply. When a unit is not in General Supply, it is referred to as being "isolated."

Cases:

(A) Units which are not in General Supply may not move, and, when attacked, the attacker may subtract "one" from his die roll.

(B) Units are determined to be in supply for movement at the beginning of the Movement Phase. Units are determined to be in supply for combat purposes at the instant of combat. Thus, for example, if a unit was not in supply due to an obstructing Enemy unit which is then removed during the Combat Phase, it might attack in turn after the obstructing unit's removal.

(C) Supply units are always in supply, both Attack and General.

(D) Units may remain out of supply indefinitely, i.e., units are never lost solely due to being isolated.

(E) Any number of units may be supplied from a single supply source, whether a road leading off the map (General Supply) or a Friendly supply unit (Attack or General Supply).

(F) The Friendly map edge for the Allies is the western edge, while for the Germans it is the eastern edge.

(G) Units may not deliberately move out of General Supply. Exception: Stosstruppen divisions may voluntarily move out of supply; these are the German 7-5 units.

[Sample counter: a "XXX" corps unit with a supply box and the figures 4-3.]

(H) Supply units are consumed when they are used for Attack Supply; they are not consumed when they are used for General Supply. Attacking units may only attack when they are in Attack Supply; defending units are treated at full strength, with no inhibitions, if they are in General Supply. Consumed supply units appear at the beginning of the First Friendly Movement Phase of the Game-Turn after they have been consumed, at a Friendly map edge (see Replacement rules).

Artillery

General Rule: unlike other units (infantry and cavalry), Artillery units may participate in attacks or in defense "at range" by being within a certain number of hexes of the defending unit (or all of the defending units, if it is a multi-hex attack). It is able to apply its Combat Strength over a radius of three hexes from its position.

[Diagram: a hex-grid showing the three-hex radius around a central artillery unit, which is a "XXX" corps counter with the figures 4-3.]

Procedure: the attacker states which of his units are attacking a particular hex. He also states which Artillery/Supply units will be used in aiding the attack. The defender then states which artillery unit (if any) will assist in the defense, and whether it will be used at full or half Combat Strength. The odds are then computed including the artillery strengths, and combat is resolved in a normal fashion. Artillery units are never affected by combat results when they are being used to assist an attack or defense.

Cases:

(A) The normal Combat Strength of an Artillery unit is its printed value of "four". However, this may be modified in two ways. German artillery when attacking from a hex in their own Fortified Zone are doubled to a Combat Strength of "eight" when attacking only. All artillery, when assisting in the defense, have the option to apply only one-half of their Combat Strength (two), and thereby not be consumed.

(B) Artillery units when supporting an attack or a defense at full (or doubled) Combat Strength are removed from the map at the end of that Combat Phase. They are returned to the map at the beginning of the First Friendly Movement Phase of the following Game-Turn, on a Friendly map edge (west for the Allies, east for the Germans). Place the expended unit on the Time-Record Chart directly on the Game Turn in which it is due to re-appear.

(C) Artillery units may attack by themselves, without assisting any ground units. The combat is resolved in the same fashion as an assisted ground combat, i.e., comparing the attacking Combat Strengths to the total defending Combat Strengths. Artillery units, like infantry and cavalry units, may not divide their Combat Strength among different combats. They may attack different hexes of defending units, but they must total up the Combat Strengths of all the defending units, and compare the whole Combat Strength of the unit to it. Artillery units may not use this independent fire against hexes that are under attack by Friendly infantry or cavalry units, since this would be a case of attacking the same unit twice; they may only assist that combat, and if they choose to do so, they may not make an unassisted attack during the same Combat Phase.

[Diagram: "1 to 1 Artillery Attack" showing a 2-7 unit, a 4-3 artillery unit and a 2-7 unit in a row of three hexes, with arrows from the artillery to each of the two outer units.]

(D) As many Artillery units as are within three hexes of a particular hex may apply their Combat Strengths to that combat, both on offense and on defense.

(E) If however a non-artillery, attacking unit is attacking more than one hex of defending units, the assisting artillery unit must be able to apply its Combat Strength against all of the defending hexes in order to be added into the combat.

(F) Artillery may only attack once per Combat Phase, just as other units.

(G) Artillery units may not be used to assist a Friendly unit on the defense if it is being attacked solely by Enemy artillery (as in Case C).

(H) Artillery/Supply units may not function as Artillery if being used for supply in a particular Combat Phase.

(I) If a given infantry or cavalry unit is attacking two separate hexes of Enemy units, either Enemy or Friendly artillery units may assist the combat offensively or defensively by applying their Strength to all of the defending hexes. Both of the defending hexes need to be in range of an assisting or attacking artillery unit for its Combat Strength to be included in the attack.

(J) Artillery units need not be in Attack Supply to function as artillery units. They may always fire, at any strength, even if not in Attack Supply.

Replacements

General Rule: when infantry or cavalry units are destroyed (through combat), they are set aside in the designated areas on the map; replacements are drawn from these. Consumed supply/artillery units are also replaced.

Procedure: whenever a supply unit is consumed, it is placed in the Replacement Pool area on the mapsheet. Whenever three Friendly, non-supply/artillery units have been lost in combat, the owning Player may choose one of them and put it in the replacement area; the other two go to the permanently eliminated unit area on the mapsheet.

Cases:

(A) Units that are eliminated while out of General Supply may not be used for replacement purposes. They are placed directly into the permanently eliminated area.

(B) Supply units that are eliminated by Enemy ground attack (when they use their strength for defense of one) are not replaced; they are placed directly into the permanently eliminated area, and are counted as permanently eliminated units.

(C) Replacement units are returned to the map anywhere along a Friendly map edge on the First Friendly Movement Phase of the Game-Turn following their removal from the map. The Allied Friendly map edge is the western one, while the German is the eastern map edge.

Example: an Allied artillery/supply unit is used at full strength for defensive artillery support during the Combat Phase of the First German Player-Turn. It is not received back onto the map until the First Movement Phase of the Allied second Player-Turn.

(D) When returning replacement units to the map, the first hex moved onto the map is counted as part of their movement expenditure. They do not magically appear at the first hex on the edge of the mapsheet. These units may not enter into an Enemy controlled hex. Units may be deliberately withheld from appearing, delaying their entrance for some more opportune point in the play of the game.

Example of Replacement Procedures:

During German Player-Turn 3, as a result of German attacks, the German Player loses one 7-5 unit and one 6-4 unit, while the Allied Player loses one 6-4 and two 4-4 units. The German Player expended five artillery/supply units, while the Allied Player expended two. The artillery/supply units, as they are expended, should be placed in the Friendly Replacement area on the Turn Record/Reinforcement Chart for the following Game-Turn (i.e., Game-Turn 4). As each non-supply unit is destroyed, it should be placed in the Replacement Pool on the mapsheet for its own nationality (German or Allied). As soon as there are three units in the Replacement Pool, the owning Player should choose one of the units to be a replacement (in this case, obviously the 6-4 unit) and put that unit onto the Replacement area of the Turn Record/Reinforcement Chart for the Game-Turn following the destruction of the third unit (in this case, Game-Turn 4). The other two units are then placed in the permanently eliminated area.

In the Allied Player-Turn 3, the only unit eliminated is a German 5-3. As soon as this unit is eliminated (since the Germans already have two units in the Replacement Pool), the German should choose which of the three units available he wishes to take as a replacement (obviously the 7-5 unit), and place that unit in the German replacement area for Game-Turn 4. The other two units are put into the permanently eliminated area.

Thus the Allied units lost in the German Player-Turn effectively lose one entire Friendly Player-Turn, and one Enemy Player-Turn, while the German unit lost in the Allied Player-Turn are brought back in the very next Player-Turn, not missing any. This is not so for all units; some units may be out of action for several full Game-Turns if there are no losses.

How To Set Up And Play The Game

Each Player has a variety of Orders of Battle (mix of forces) to choose from. Some are obviously better than others. Players may resolve any possible unfairness in the Orders of Battle by nominating one Player to choose an Order of Battle from both the German and Allied Order of Battle Options, and permitting the other player to pick which side he wishes to be. (See HOW TO USE THE ORDER OF BATTLE OPTIONS.) Or they may choose to use the Handicapping and Player Victory rules.

When each Player has received his initial forces, they may proceed to place them onto the mapsheet. The Allied Player always places his units on the map first, followed by the German Player. Play may then proceed according to the Sequence of Play. Each Game-Turn, the Allied Player receives the reinforcements due him according to the Reinforcement Chart, and both Players receive their replacements. Play continues until the end of the tenth Game-Turn, when the Players performances are evaluated in light of the Victory Conditions.

When placing their units before initiating play, Players must meet only one general requirement in every Order of Battle. All hexes in their own Fortified Zone must be occupied by Friendly units, or be a controlled hex of a Friendly unit.

Allied historical deployment: the Allied Player must place all of his units in the exact position as marked in codes on the map. These codes are:

6=6-4; 5=5-4; s=4-3 supply unit; 2=2-7.

Allied free deployment: all Allied units are deployed anywhere on the map, from the Allied Fortified Zone (inclusive) to the west edge of the map, except for the following units:

(i) all the cavalry units (2-7) and at least ten of the infantry units must be placed five or more hexes distant from the nearest Allied Fortified-Zone hex.

(ii) all the supply units (4-3) must be placed at least four hexes from the German Fortified Zone.

German Historical deployment: the German Player must place all of his units in the exact positions as marked on the map by codes. These codes are:

7=7-5; 6=6-4; 5=5-3 s=4-3 supply unit.

German free set up deployment: all German units must be placed anywhere on the map in or to the east of their own Fortified Zone.

Each of the Orders of Battle give the number of units of each type that the Player receives to begin with. The Players should sort these out, and then deploy their forces according to the instructions above, and "How to set up and Play the Game."

How To Use The Order Of Battle Options

The German Player has seven possible Orders of Battle (labelled 1 through 7) and the Allied player has six (labelled 8 through 13). Note that some of these Orders of Battle list identical forces. These are distinguished by virtue of being deployed differently, or in slightly modifying the usual rules.

Basically each player has two methods of deploying his forces: the historical and the Free set up.

HOW TO USE THE ORDER OF BATTLE OPTIONS

Allied Order of Battle Options	4-4 (XX infantry, 17)	5-4 (XX French infantry, 162)	6-4 (XX infantry, 4A)	2-7 (XX French cavalry, 4)	4-3 (XXX French corps, 35)
8	36	18	3	3	16
9	34	9	3	3	14
11	36	2	3	3	11
10, 12, 13	32	2	3	3	11

German Order of Battle Options	7-5 (XX Stosstruppen, 50R)	6-4 (XX infantry, 206)	5-3 (XX Trench division, 23)	2-7 (XX cavalry, 3)	4-3 (XXX corps, 14R)
1	47	22	15	0	19
4	47	16	15	3	19
2, 3, 5, 6, 7	47	16	15	0	19

The figures in each row give the number of units of that type received under that Order of Battle option. The unit designations in the column headers are those printed on the counters.

How to use the Reinforcement Chart (see map): Reinforcements should never be confused with replacements. These are additional units received in the course of the game. Note that the Germans never receive reinforcements; they started with everything they had. Note that the Reinforcement Chart also serves as the Time-Record device; move the time record-marker to indicate the Game-Turn in progress.

Before beginning a Friendly-Player Turn, the Allied Player should consult the Reinforcement Chart along the row of the Order of Battle Option that he is using, under the appropriate Game-Turn. These reinforcements arrive from two directions, north or south. The units enter on the designated side of the map anywhere from the Allied Fortified Zone (exclusive) to the west edge of the map. These units may not enter the map into Enemy Zones of Control. The Allied Player may then bring the indicated units onto the map at the beginning of his First Friendly Movement Phase of the indicated Player-Turn.

The reinforcements are identified by quantity (one, two, etc.), type of unit (combat Strength-Movement Allowance), and direction of appearance (n= north edge of the map, s= south).

Summary Of Order Of Battle Options

German Options

Deployment & Explanation

German Option 1; Relative Strength: 100. More withdrawal from the Eastern Front. The Germans could have taken more troops from the Eastern front (Russia) than they did. They simply didn't realize what was happening there. This option adds troops that could have been sent to the Western front.

German Option 2; Relative Strength: 99. Historical forces, changes in terrain features. In this Option only, there is no additional Movement Point cost for entering Devastated Zone Hexes. They are treated as clear terrain hexes. This presumes that the Germans had not wrecked the area when they retreated to the Hindenburg line in 1917.

German Option 3; Relative Strength: 97. Historical forces, Free deployment. Same forces as option 5, but they may be deployed freely.

German Option 4; Relative Strength: 96. German Cavalry. The Germans had disbanded almost all of their cavalry divisions. This option assumes that they had put three of them in the proper place at the proper time to exploit the Breakthrough.

German Option 5; Relative Strength: 95. Historical deployment; Germans must set up their forces exactly as shown on the map.

German Option 6; Relative Strength: 89. Improved British tactics. In this option German artillery units are not doubled in Combat Strength when firing from their own Fortified Zone. This presumes that the British had not used the idiotic tactics of packing their front line with troops.

German Option 7; Relative Strength: 85. No infiltration tactics. This presumes that the Stossdivisions had not been retrained to the new tactics. They may not move out of supply deliberately, nor may they move through Enemy controlled hexes. Thus they become the same as any other unit.

Allied Options

Deployment & Explanations

Allied Option 8; Relative Strength: 53. Maximum French frontage, free deployment. In this option the Map is divided into two sectors: south of the Road running from Amiens to Peronne to Cambrai, and North of it (including the Road itself). In addition to other deployment restrictions the Allied forces must set up in the following fashion:

South sector: Eighteen 5-4, five 4-3 supply.
North sector: All other units.

No unit may be placed outside of its sector.

Allied Option 9; Relative Strength: 44. Increased French front, free deployment. In this option the map is divided into two sections: south of the road running from St. Quentin to Amiens, and North of it (including the Road). In addition to other deployment restrictions, the Allied forces must set up in this manner:

South sector: nine 5-4, three 4-3 supply.
North sector: All other units.

No unit may be placed outside of its sector.

Allied Option 10; Relative Strength: 43. Actual Forces, Free deployment.

Allied Option 11; Relative Strength: 42. Free set up, reinforcements not sent to Italy. This option presumes that the Allies did not send assistance to Italy after the Austro-German victory at Caporetto (1917).

Allied Option 12; Relative Strength: 41. Free deployment, greater French reinforcement. This assumes the French would send maximum possible aid to the British and risk a possible German offensive on their own front.

Allied Option 13; Relative Strength: 39. Historical set up; Allies must deploy their forces as shown on map.

Standard Game Victory Conditions

(or How to Win the Game)

Victory is awarded to one Player or another according to the amount of Victory Points that are achieved by the Player. The German Player accumulates Victory Points by exiting units off the edge of the map at certain points, and by controlling certain objectives on the map at the end of the game. An objective is controlled if the German Player either occupies the particular hex, or was the last to occupy it, and that hex is within the General Supply requirements at the end of the game.

The Germans receive the following Victory Points for controlling these hexes at the end of the game:

Victory Points	hex(city)
10	Arras
15	Amiens
5	Montdidier

The Germans receive the following Victory Points for exiting units off the map sheet by the end of the game (these may never return once exited):

4 Victory Points per unit exited between points "X" and "Y" on the map.
1 Victory Point per unit exited between points "Y" and "Z" on the map.

The Germans only receive the Victory Points for these exited units if the last hex from which they exited is within the General Supply requirements at the end of the game; these hexes may be kept track of by using blank counters, or pennies.

Historical Levels of Victory

Victory comes in many shapes and forms. The Germans really needed a decisive victory in this battle; anything less was simply postponing the day of decision to some less advantageous time. The Allies needed something better than a draw, if only for their own self respect. For each of the following total number of German Victory points, that Historical level of Victory for a particular Player is achieved.

Victory Points achieved / Historical Victory level (by German Player)

Victory Points	Historical Victory Level
25 or more	German Decisive Victory
15-24	German Substantive Victory
10-14	German Marginal Victory
5-9	Draw; no one wins, try again
0-4	Allied Victory; actually decisive

Handicapping And Player Victory

In historical simulation games with varying scenarios, such as 1918, the situations are often unbalanced, affording one side or the other a greater chance of Victory. The Historical Victory conditions are based upon historical realities, and as such, can't really be altered too much without distorting the simulation. This leaves Players with the problem of not being able to calculate how well they performed (from the viewpoint of pure skill) in the unequal situation in which they competed.

To solve this problem (and to allow Players to have their cake and eat it too) we have created a second kind of victory called Player Victory. Player Victory is used in conjunction with Standard (simulation) Victory; i.e., it is not meant to replace the Standard Victory, but to supplement it.

Player victory differs from ordinary victory in that the victory Conditions vary according to Order of Battle Option used by each player. The Summary of Order of Battle Options contains Relative Strengths of all the options for each Player.

To compute the Player Victory Conditions, first subtract the Allied Order of Battle Option Relative Strength number from the German Relative Strength number. This is the Player Victory Condition Base number. The various levels of Victory are computed from this base number in the following fashion:

After the Players compute the Base Number for the particular mix of Orders of Battle that they are using, they need only look across the appropriate line on the chart to see what the Victory Points corresponding to a particular Victory Level are.

PLAYER VICTORY CHART

Victory Level if Germans achieve the indicated number of Victory Points

Base Number	German Decisive	German Substantive	German Marginal	Draw	Allied Victory
32	16 (or more)	8 to 15	6 or 7	3 to 5	2 (or less)
36	18 (or more)	9 to 17	7 or 8	3 to 6	2 (or less)
41	20 (or more)	10 to 19	8 or 9	4 to 7	3 (or less)
42	21 (or more)	10 to 20	8 or 9	4 to 7	3 (or less)

Example: the German Player is using his Order of Battle Option 7 (Relative Strength of 85), and the Allied Player is using his Order of Battle Option 8 (Relative Strength of 53). The base number for computing the Player Victory Levels is thus 32 (85 minus 53). During the game, the German Player captures Arras, and exits one unit off the map edge between "X" and "Y". Thus he has achieved 14 Victory Points, which is a Substantive Victory for the Germans.

Players may wish to use the player Victory system in conjunction with a two-game series: play two games in a row, changing sides in the second game in order to give each player an opportunity to manipulate the same forces as his opponent. Then add up the total scores for both games to determine the winner of the series.

Charts And Tables

The following charts are printed on the companion charts sheet (1918Charts.pdf) and are transcribed here in full.

Terrain Effects Chart

Terrain	Effect on Movement	Effect on Combat
Clear	None	None
River hex side	Two additional movement points to cross	Add one to attacker's die roll if all units attack through a river hex side
Road	One movement point to enter from another road hex,* no matter what terrain it passes through.	None
Devastated Zone	One additional movement point to enter each hex.	None
Fortified Zone (Allied or German)	One additional movement point to enter Enemy Fortified Zone.	Add two to attacker's die roll if defender is in own Fortified hex.
Town	None	Add one to attacker's die roll if defender is in the Town hex.
German controlled hex	Allied Player must expend an additional Movement Point to exit.	None

All movement and combat effects are cumulative; thus it costs three Movement Points to enter a hex which is both Devastated Zone and Enemy Fortified Zone. The attacker must add three to his die roll if he attacks a unit in its own Fortified Zone through a river hex side.

1918 Combat Results Table

The Combat Results Table is reproduced in full under Combat Results Table above. Odds of less than 1-1 are treated as 1-1; odds greater than 10-1 are treated as 10-1.

Replacement Pools

German Replacement Pool: When three units have been placed in the pool, any one of the units may be returned to play on the following Game-Turn. The remaining two units are removed from the pool and placed in the "Permanently Eliminated" unit-group.

Allied Replacement Pool: When three units have been placed in the pool, any one of the units may be returned to play on the following Game-Turn. The remaining two units are removed from the pool and placed in the "Permanently Eliminated" unit-group.

Allied Reinforcements (Time Record Chart)

The Time Record Chart shows the Allied reinforcements due in each Game-Turn for each Allied Order of Battle option. Game-Turn 1 (21 Mar 18) has no reinforcements for any option. The suffix "n" marks units arriving on the north edge and "s" units arriving on the south edge.

Order of Battle	GT 2 (22 Mar)	GT 3 (23 Mar)	GT 4 (24 Mar)	GT 5 (25 Mar)	GT 6 (26 Mar)	GT 7 (27 Mar)	GT 8 (28 Mar)	GT 9 (29 Mar)	GT 10 (30 Mar)
8	two 4-4n, one 2-7s	two 4-4n, one 5-4s	three 4-4n, one 4-3s	three 4-4n, one 5-4s	three 6-4n, one 5-4s, two 2-7s	one 4-4n, two 5-4s	one 6-4n, one 4-4n, two 5-4s	one 6-4n, one 4-3s	two 4-4n, one 5-4s
9	three 4-4n, one 5-4s, one 2-7s	one 4-4n, one 5-4s	one 4-4n, one 5-4s	two 4-4n, two 5-4s, one 4-3s	three 6-4n, one 5-4s, two 2-7s	one 4-4n, three 5-4s	one 6-4n, two 5-4s, one 4-3s

The Time Record Chart also carries Allied and German Replacements Due boxes, which are filled in during play as units are placed there (see Replacements above).