1940: What If Germany Went East?

1940: What If Germany Went East? Rulebook

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Game Components
3.0 Set Up, Hex Control, Neutrals & Map Restrictions
4.0 How to Win
5.0 Turn Sequence
6.0 Supply
7.0 Stacking & Fog of War
8.0 Airpower & 7th flieger corps
9.0 Reinforcements, Replacements & Juggernaut Conversions
10.0 Movement & Mobile Assaults
11.0 Combat Phase Prepared Assaults
12.0 Holding Boxes, Off-Map Events & Red Rows

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Introduction

The conjectured departure from the historic timeline that resulted in the design of this game is assumed to have taken place in mid-September 1939. At that time, as his forces are completing the conquest of Poland, Hitler receives a flash of intuition. That is, he can't help but notice the strategic paralysis of the Anglo-French, who do nothing to try to prevent the downfall of their fast-disappearing eastern ally Poland. From that he concludes it would be a waste of time to redeploy the Wehrmacht to the west in 1940. He tells his generals: "The time will never be better to destroy the Bolshevik power than in the coming year. We will continue to have nothing to fear in the west. The British and French simply do not want war; they are afraid of it. Once we've taken Moscow, we'll take Paris and London by telephone."

1.2 Game Scales

The western front map is scaled at 16 miles per hexagon. The eastern front map is scaled at 25 miles per hex. All Soviet units are armies. All other forces in the game are corps. Each game turn on both maps equals half a month.

1.3 Two, Three or Four Players

This game can be played by two, three or four. If two play, one commands the Germans, while the other commands both the Anglo-French and Soviets. If played by three, one player commands the Germans, one player commands the Anglo-French, and the third commands the Soviets. If four play, one player commands the Germans on the west map; the second commands the Germans on the east map; the third commands the Soviets, and the fourth commands the Anglo-French. Note that, no matter how many are playing, the Belgians and/or Dutch, should those nations be brought out of neutral status, are always commanded by the player in charge of the west map Germans (see 3.3 and 3.4).

2.0 Game Components

2.1

The components of a complete game of 1940: What If? (40WI) include these rules, the mapsheet and 176 die-cut counters (also called "units" and "unit counters"). Players must provide themselves with a standard six-sided die to resolve combat and other probabilistic events that occur during play. You might also want to have a few pennies or other coins (or Bingo chips, etc.) on hand for use as mnemonic aids (see 11.21).

2.2 Game Map

The game map represents the militarily significant terrain found in and around the eastern and western borderlands of Germany in 1940 when portrayed at this scale. A hexagonal ("hex") grid has been printed over it to regulate unit placement and movement similar to the way squares are used in Chess and Checkers. A unit is always in only one hex at any one instant.

Each hex on the map has a unique four-digit number printed in it. They're provided to help you find specific locations referred to in the rules. For example, the town of Aachen is in hex 1905 on the west map. They also allow you to record unit positions if a match has to be interrupted and taken down before it can be completed.

2.3 Counters

Most of the counters in the game represent combat units; others are provided as memory aids and informational markers. Carefully punch out the counters. Each combat unit counter will display several of the following types of data: nationality, type, mobility class, combat strengths, reinforcement or set up status, and historic identification.

2.4 A Sample Combat Unit

This unit is the Soviet 3rd Army. It is a "Juggernaut" unit, and has an attack factor of "6" and a defense factor of "7." It begins play set up on the east map. It contains one strength step.

2.5 Sides & Colors

A unit's nationality, and therefore its "side," as well as its mobility class is indicated by its color scheme.

German Units

Mechanized: white on black
Non-Mechanized: black on 'field gray'
Luftwaffe Aircraft & Paratroops: black on 'Confederate gray'

Anglo-French Units

British: black on tan
French: black on light-blue

Soviet Units

Juggernaut: white on scarlet
Regular reinforcement: red on white
Far East Garrison: black on scarlet
1st Shock Army: red on pink
Moscow Garrison: black on brown

Neutral Nations

Belgian: black on yellow
Dutch: black on orange

2.6 Historic Unit Identifications & Other Abbreviations

Each ground combat unit is identified by the number or abbreviated name of its historic counterpart. Abbreviations are also printed on some counters to indicate their set up positions or times of entry onto the map. The abbreviations are as follows:

MG—Moscow Garrison
C—Cavalry
IRB—Independent Red Banner
S—Shock

2.7 Unit Types & Mobility Classes

Units are distinguished by their specific type and mobility class, that is, whether they move about mostly using some kind of motor vehicles, go afoot, or don't move at all. Among the units in the game there are three mobility classes: mechanized, non-mechanized and static.

Mechanized Units: Panzer/Tank
Non-Mechanized Units: Regular Infantry, Cavalry, Mountain Infantry, Shock (Juggernaut)
Static Units: Garrison, Paratroopers

2.8 Unit Sizes

Units' organizational sizes are indicated by the symbols atop their unit-type boxes. There is no real difference in functionality between corps and armies; those details are provided for historical accuracy. If a unit has its organizational size-symbol bracketed, it's an ad hoc formation not part of its nation's normal armed forces organizational scheme. The size-symbol beneath the bracket corresponds to the standard-unit-size that most closely corresponds to the actual size of that unit.

XXXX—Army XXX—Corps

2.9 Attack & Defense Factors

These numbers are measures of each unit's relative ability to attack and defend.

2.10 Movement Factors

Unlike most wargames, the movement factors of the units are not printed on their counters. Those numbers, which are measures of each unit's ability to move across the hex field printed on the map, are determined by each one's mobility class and/or nationality and/or the map on which it's operating.

The movement factor of all non-static units operating on the west map is six. Exception: if the Anglo-French succeed in fielding one or two top-rung tank corps, the movement factor of those units is eight; see 9.2 and 9.3.

The movement factor of all non-static Soviet units is four. The movement factor of the lone Soviet static unit (MG) is zero; it never moves, except perhaps to go into the dead pile, once placed on the map. It also never attacks, though its presence in a hex in no way prohibits other Soviet units from attacking from that same hex.

The movement factor of all non-static German units on the east map is given, by mobility class, on the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet after the abbreviation "GEMMF" (for German East Map Movement Factors), in this order: mechanized/non-mechanized. For example, during Game Turn 1 (Jun II), the movement factor of German mechanized-class units on the east map is 12, while the movement factor of German non-mechanized units is six.

The movement factor of the lone German static unit in the game's counter-mix, 7th Flieger Corps, is zero. After having been once deployed onto the map it never again moves, except perhaps to go into the dead pile. It's possible the 7th may participate in an attack when it deploys onto the map; see 8.7. After that, it never attacks again, though its presence in a hex in no way prohibits other German units from attacking from that same hex.

2.11 Step Strength

All units in the game contain one or two "strength steps" (also simply called "steps"). That's an arbitrary term used to express the ability of a unit to absorb certain amounts of combat losses before ceasing to be an effective formation. Those units with combat factors on only one side of their counter are "one-step" units; those with combat factors on both sides of a single counter are "two-step" units.

If a two-step unit suffers a step loss, it's flipped over so its reduced side (with the lower combat values) shows. If a one-step unit, or a two-stepper that had already been reduced, takes a step loss, it's removed from the map (eliminated) and placed in the "dead pile."

All units of both sides start the game at their full step strengths. No unit may ever give or loan a step to another. All units of both sides that enter the map as reinforcements after play has begun do so at their full step strengths.

2.12 Soviet Untried Units

Note the white-on-scarlet Soviet Juggernaut units as well as the red-on-white regular Soviet reinforcement units (see 2.5) have printing on only one side of their counters. Their all-blank reverse sides are referred to as their "untried" sides. All such Soviet units begin the game with their untried sides showing and neither player knowing exactly what's on their hidden fronts. They are not flipped over, thus revealing their exact combat strengths, until the first time they enter combat by either attacking or defending. Once revealed, untried units are never flipped back to their untried side. This rule doesn't apply to either the Moscow Garrison (MG) unit, the three Soviet Far East garrison units, or 1st Shock Army; they are always kept face-up.

2.13 Other Counters

The uses of the following counters are explained at appropriate points throughout the rest of the rules:

Game Turn Marker (see section 5.0)
Soviet Semi-Permanent Fortification Marker (see 9.8)
Airpower Markers (see section 8.0)

3.0 Set Up, Hex Control, Neutrals & Map Restrictions

3.1

After the players have decided who will control which side (see 1.3), each player should sort through and separate all the units belonging to his own side according to the instructions below. Note that players must scrupulously follow the set up sequence given below in 3.2 through 3.5. In general, each player sets up only his own units, while the German player also sets up the Dutch and Belgian units. Also note players must adhere to normal stacking rules while completing their set ups (see section 7.0), and also note the special restrictions placed on some Soviet units (see 3.2), and on Belgian and Dutch units (see 3.6).

3.2 Soviet Set Up

Soviet units are set up first. The first unit placed should always be the "0-8" Moscow Garrison (MG) unit, which, of course, goes in that city in hex 4624. As the second step in his set up, the Soviet player should take all the white-on-scarlet "Juggernaut" units and turn them face down. He should then randomly select three of those units and place them in the "Just Arrived" portion of the Soviet Southwest Front Holding Box printed on the mapsheet. He should then similarly place another two Juggernauts in Leningrad (hex 5917). That will leave him with four untried Juggernauts, which he then places on the east map, no more than one unit per hex, in any four otherwise empty hexes inside the Soviet Union, Estonia and/or Latvia. All Juggernaut placement is done without looking at their printed values; see 2.12.

Next, the Soviet player should put the three black-on-red units of his Far East Garrison (1C, 2IRB and 15), face up, in that holding box on the mapsheet. He should then place 1st Shock Army, also face up, in the Game Turn 10 (Nov I) box of the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet.

He should next take the nine units that have large red dots in their upper-left corners from among his red-on-white regular reinforcement units, as well as his single aircraft unit, and temporarily set them aside within easy reach. For details on their entry into play, see 9.6 and section 8.0, respectively.

Next he should randomly draw two units from among the remaining regular reinforcements and place them face down (again, without looking at their printed combat values) in the "Just Arrived" portion of the Soviet Arctic Front Holding Box.

As the final step in the set up of Soviet forces, that player should take all his remaining regular reinforcement units and, again, without looking at their tried sides, place them in the various boxes of the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet according to the numbers listed there after the abbreviated phrase "Sov Reinf" (short for "Soviet Regular Reinforcements"). For example, in the box for Game Turn 1 (Jun II), he would place 11 such units; in the box for Game Turn 2 (Jul 1), he places seven of them, etc. Also see 5.5 for redeployment possibilities concerning the Soviet units just placed in the Game Turn 1 box.

3.3 German Set Up

There are four German aircraft and 42 ground units in the counter-mix. All those units are part of the initial German on-map force; there are no German reinforcement units in the game.

The German player should first take the 7th Flieger Corps unit and place it in the "Eligible to Leave" portion of his Strategic Holding Box, which is printed on the mapsheet. He should next temporarily set aside, within easy reach, his four aircraft units. He should then take all seven panzer (a.k.a. "motorized") corps and temporarily place them in the Baltic Sea on the east map. That's followed by his sorting through his 34 infantry corps and dividing them into three groups. One group goes into the "Eligible to Leave" portion of his Strategic Holding Box; another group goes into the hexes of "Greater Germany" on the west map, and the third group joins the panzers in the Baltic Sea. Note the German player is not required to place any minimum or maximum number of infantry corps in any of those three locations (but see section 12.0 for important considerations).

Once he's sorted his corps into three groups as described above, the German player should next complete his detailed west map set up. That is, he should make certain he's happy with the exact placement of all the infantry corps he's assigned to the west map, and then also set up the Dutch and Belgian armies as described below in 3.4. When he's completed that task, he should complete the detailed set up of his east map forces. Those units, panzers and infantry alike, may be set up in any hexes inside Greater Germany and/or Lithuania. (While that's going on, the Anglo-French commander should set up those forces as described below in 3.5.)

3.4 Dutch & Belgian Set Up

The German player (or German west front commander; see 1.3) sets up the Dutch and Belgian corps according to the following restrictions. All Belgian units must be set up only in town and city hexes within that country; normal stacking limits apply. Dutch units are set up, no more than one per hex, within in any hexes of that nation. Once set up, Dutch and Belgian units never move or enter combat unless their neutrality is violated by Anglo-French forces; see 3.6 below.

3.5 Anglo-French Set Up

The Anglo-French commander should begin the set up of his forces by first putting aside, within easy reach, the three British 1st Tank Corps counters as well as the three French 21st Tank Corps counters (see 9.2 for details on their entry into play). He should also temporarily set aside the French and British aircraft units (two total). To complete his set up, he should take all the other French and British corps and set them up, within normal stacking restrictions (see section 7.0) in any hexes in France.

3.6 Belgian & Dutch Neutrality

At the start of play, both Belgium and Holland are neutral. While in that state, their units may neither move nor attack. The only player who may decide, on a turn by turn and nation by nation basis, to violate the neutrality of one or both those nations is the Anglo-French commander. To do so, he simply announces the fact at the instant he begins moving units into the territory of one or both.

If Dutch neutrality is violated, those units come instantly and permanently under the control of the German west map commander. Dutch forces are thereafter moved and fought during the German player turn. Note, though, if activated into the game, Dutch units may only move and/or attack into hexes within their own country. Likewise, German forces may still not move or attack into Holland. (We're imagining a co-belligerent status here, not an outright Dutch-German alliance.)

If Belgian neutrality is violated, the Anglo-French commander should roll a die. On a result of two through six, Belgian units remain frozen in their set up hexes, where they may not be attacked by any other forces, either Allied or German, for the rest of the game. (Anglo-French units are free to maneuver around them.) On a result of six, a pro-Allied coup has taken place in Belgium and all those units are instantly and permanently on the Allied side. If the Belgians join the Allied camp, their units are thereafter free to maneuver and fight inside Belgium and Germany, but not Holland or France. See 7.4 for inter-Allied stacking restrictions. Note only one Belgian coup die roll is made per game, no matter how many turns Anglo-French forces may otherwise be operating in that country's territory.

Transcriber's note: the printed Belgian die-roll ranges overlap at six ("two through six" for frozen, "six" for coup). The text is transcribed as printed. The intended split is not stated in this document; the mapsheet or errata should be checked before play.

3.7 Luxembourg

Luxembourg is also nominally neutral; however, since that nation lacks armed forces of sufficient size to exert any influence on events, the Anglo-French player may choose to violate its neutrality at any time. There are no penalties or random events involved. Note, though, German units may never move or attack into Luxembourg hexes.

3.8 Finland

Finland is an east-map off-map neutral. For the rules concerning its possible entry into play, see 12.6.

3.9 Further Map Restrictions

German units on the west map may only move and/or attack in hexes inside Greater Germany. German panzer corps may never operate on the west map. Unlike on the east map, German operations on the west map must always be conducted using only the move/fight sequence (see 5.3). Anglo-French units, as well as Dutch and Belgian units, may never leave the west map, nor may Soviet units ever leave the east map.

3.10 Variant Set Up

As a variant to the above, players may explore the possibilities had Hitler determined on a 1940 move into the east, but had done so too late to keep Lithuania. In that case, German units may not be set up in Lithuania, while Soviet units may now be set up there. At the same time, the five "Polish Boundary Revision" hexes in the east map's southwest corner identified an orange dotted line (4302, 4301, 4401, 4402 and 4501) are now available for German set up and are removed from the Soviet set up area.

3.11 Initial Marker Placement

After all units have been sorted and placed according to the procedures described above, place the "Game Turn" marker in the Game Turn 1 box on the Game Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. Temporarily place aside, within easy reach, the markers shown in 2.13.

3.12 Hex Control

Hex control is the term used to describe which side is "in control" of important hexes at different times during play. In this game, hex control is important when determining victory (see section 4.0), and also while resolving certain off-map and logistical developments (see 6.10 and section 12.0).

At the start of play, the German side controls all the hexes on both maps that lie inside "Greater Germany" and Lithuania. The Anglo-French player controls all the hexes in France, while the Soviet player controls all the hexes inside the USSR, Estonia, former Poland, and Latvia. See 3.10 above for variant possibilities concerning the five "Polish Boundary Revision" hexes.

The control status of a hex changes the instant a unit of the other side enters it. The control status of each hex may change any number of times during a game as units of the two sides enter and reenter various parts of the map.

4.0 How to Win

4.1

The Allied player is generally on the offensive on the west map, while his German opponent is generally on the offensive on the east map. It's impossible for one side to win on one map while losing on the other. One side will win and that victory will, in effect, take place across both maps. Also note drawn games are possible (see 4.4 below).

4.2 Allied 'Sudden Death' Ruhr Victory

Play stops, and the Anglo-French/Soviet side is declared to have won the game, the instant the first Ruhr city hex is entered by any of that side's units. Note the supply status of that entering unit is irrelevant, as is the method of entry: advance after combat, retreat after combat or regular movement.

4.3 German Victory

Barring the event described above in 4.2, each time the turn sequence (see 5.2 below) comes around to step I. G., the "German Moscow-Capture Resolution Phase," that player may check to see if he's won the game provided, of course, Moscow (hex 4624) is indeed under his control at that time. At each of those I. G. steps in the turn sequence that Moscow is under his control (supply state irrelevant), the German player should roll a die and consult the Moscow Falls Table (MFT) printed on the mapsheet. Note there are four possible DRM listed under the table. If more than one applies during a given game turn, combine their effects and make just one DRM. For example, if the Finns have entered the war and Leningrad is also under German control, that would result in a +2 modifier being applied to that roll. Recalculate the applicable modifiers prior to every turn's roll on the MFT. At the same time note that German victory can not be checked unless Moscow is under his control.

4.4 Allied Default Victory & Draws

If play reaches the end of Game Turn 11 (Nov II), and the German side has failed to win, the Anglo-French/Soviet side generally wins. The exception is, if one or more Anglo-French or Belgian corps is/are in the dead pile, that game is a draw.

5.0 Turn Sequence

5.1 In General

Every game turn of WI40 is divided into three "player turns," one German, one Soviet, and one Anglo-French. That complete sequence makes up one "game turn," of which there are a maximum of 11 in one entire match. The German player turn is the first player turn in every game turn. Note, too, German activities on the west map are conducted and resolved prior to the same being done by that side on the east map.

Every action taken by the players must be carried out during the appropriate part of the game turn sequence outlined below.

5.2 The Turn Sequence

I. German Player Turn

A. German Airpower & Strategic Transfer Phase
B. German West Front Movement Phase
C. German West Front Combat Phase
D. German East Front Movement or Combat Phase
E. German East Front Combat or Movement Phase
F. German Replacement Phase
G. German Moscow-Capture Resolution Phase
H. German Terminal Supply Check Phase

II. Soviet Player Turn

A. Soviet Movement Phase
B. Soviet Combat Phase
C. Soviet Grand-Strategy Phase
- 1. Resolve Far East Front
- 1. Resolve Arctic Front
- 1. Resolve Southwest Front
D. Soviet Terminal Supply Check Phase
E. Soviet Reinforcement & Replacement Placement Phase

III. Anglo-French Player Turn

A. Anglo-French Armor Doctrine Phase
B. Anglo-French Movement Phase
C. Anglo-French Combat Phase
D. Anglo-French Terminal Supply Check Phase
E. Anglo-French Replacement Phase

5.3 German East Map Move/Fight or Fight/Move Choice

For each of his player turns, the German east map commander determines, and must declare out loud at the start of his player turns, the sequence of movement and combat phases his forces will use for that player turn. He may choose from among the two combinations presented in the title of this rule. That is, he may choose to have his east map movement (and mobile assault) phase first, followed by his east map combat (prepared assault) phase, or he may chose to fight first and then move. Note that whenever the German east map commander chooses the fight/move sequence, all the prepared assaults he launches in that player turn's combat phase gain a one column rightward odds shift, in addition to all other applicable shifts; see section 11.0.

All west map German, Dutch, Belgian, Anglo-French and Soviet units are always moved and fought using the move/fight sequence as shown in the outline above.

5.4 Game Turn I Special Rule

During Game Turn 1 (Jun II), steps I. B. and I. C and III. A. are skipped. That is, there is never any German west map movement or combat during that game turn.

5.5 Surprise in the East

At the very start of step I. D. in Game Turn 1, the German player should roll the die, and then all players should openly consult and implement that result on the East Front Surprise Table (EFST) printed on the mapsheet. Note the EFST is never consulted more than once per game. If the EFST result allows for a redeployment and/or reinforcement of Soviet forces, those operations are conducted immediately by the Soviet player prior to the German east map commander continuing with his normal player turn. If the German is allowed to "ignore rivers," that means Soviet units gain no defensive benefits from them that turn; German units defending behind rivers in the following Soviet player turn would receive normal benefits. If the Soviet player is allowed to redeploy units, that redeployment takes place only inside the USSR, Estonia and Latvia, and any regular reinforcements drawn from the June pile on the Turn Record Track are transferred to the map in their untried states.

6.0 Supply

6.1

The ground units in the game need supply to operate at their full movement and combat potentials. There are no counters representing the actual materiel consumed; instead, that process is represented by "supply line tracing" to a supply source hex.

6.2 Supply States

In general, there are two supply states for the ground units in the game, and each unit always exists in one of them: 1) "in supply"; and 2) "out of supply," which is also referred to as being "OOS" or "unsupplied." On the east map, the Germans also have available a limited kind of "coastal supply"; see 6.5 below, while the Anglo-French have the same capacity on the west map.

6.3 Units In Supply

A unit is in supply if it can trace a path of contiguous hexes of any length—not blocked by the presence of enemy ground units—from its location hex to a supply source hex appropriate for units of its nationality. Units in supply have their full movement and combat factors available for use that player turn.

6.4 West Map Supply Sources

Anglo-French supply source hexes are all the French map edge hexes along the west and south side of the west front map, from 1700 to 1011, inclusive. Further, Anglo-French units located on North Sea coastal hexes (but not those of the Ijsselmeer) are always in supply while in those hexes. Note, though, top-rung Allied tank corps with only that kind of "coastal supply" available to them may not make mobile assaults (see 9.2 and 10.15 ff).

Belgian and Dutch units are always in supply while inside their own country (which will always be the case for the latter country's units). If Belgium has joined the Anglo-French alliance (see 3.6), and its units come to be operating inside Germany, from there they trace their supply to the same source hexes as Anglo-French units.

German units on the west map trace their supply to any Ruhr city hex.

6.5 East Map Supply Sources & German Rollbahnen

German units in Greater Germany, or within six hexes of a Greater Germany hex, trace their supply to any hex on the west map edge inside Greater Germany, from 4300 to 5200, inclusive. German units on the east map in hexes other than those of Greater Germany must first trace their supply to a Rollbahn hex, and from there along the course of that military highway to hex 5005. From 5005, the supply line may follow any route the rest of the way to the German supply source hexes described in the first sentence of this paragraph.

When tracing from a German unit to that first Rollbahn hex, that portion of the supply line may be no longer than six hexes. Count from the unit to the Rollbahn hex; don't count the hex in which the unit is located; count the hex in which the Rollbahn is located. Once on a Rollbahn, a given German unit's or stack's supply line may not leave its pathway until reaching hex 5005.

German units in Baltic Sea coastal hexes, from 5101 to 6017, inclusive, are always in supply while in those hexes. Note, though, panzer corps with only that kind of "coastal supply" available to them may not make mobile assaults (see 10.20 ff).

Soviet units trace their supply to any of the "red row" hexes (see 12.9) along the map's south and east edges, from 4201 to 6028, inclusive. Further, Soviet units inside Moscow and/or Leningrad (5917 and 4624, respectively) are in supply while inside those hexes. In the case of Leningrad and Moscow supply sources, once one of those cities has been under German control, its supply capacity is thereby forfeit for the rest of the game even if retaken by the Soviets.

Note that Soviet units always trace directly to their supply sources over supply paths of any lengths; they don't use the Rollbahn. Also note that Rollbahn (plural: Rollbahnen) do nothing to enhance any ground unit's movement rate; they only serve to channel German east map supply.

6.6 7th Flieger Corps Supply

Unique among all the units in the game in this respect, the Germans' 7th Flieger Corps is generally in supply no matter where on the two maps it's deployed (but see 8.2 ff for more details).

6.7 Tracing Supply Lines

A supply line (or "path") consists of an uninterrupted chain of hexes traced from the unit or stack in question back to a valid supply source. In general, such hex paths may enter and cross all kinds of terrain. Supply lines may never enter hexes occupied by enemy units, nor may they enter enemy controlled fortification (permanent and semi-permanent), city or Ruhr city hexes, even if such hexes are at that time empty of actual enemy units.

On the east map, Soviet supply lines may be traced across all-lake (but not all-sea) hexes and hexsides. That's not true for German east map supply lines. On the west map no supply lines of either side may be traced across all-sea hexes or hexsides. Further, on the west map, German supply lines may only be traced into and through hexes inside that country. Note that the coastal supply described in 6.4 and 6.5 doesn't actually involve any supply line tracing; eligible units in such hexes are simply granted that supply.

6.7 When to Check Supply

Check the supply status of each unit and stack at the start of its movement, and again at the start of each combat. When checking for the latter, called "combat supply," check the supply status for all the units involved in that battle on both sides. Units found to be OOS at the start of their movement have their movement factors halved for that phase and mobile assaulting is denied them (if otherwise eligible to mobile assault). Any units found to be OOS at the start of any battle in which they're participating, either on offense or defense, have their combat factors halved. In both cases round up remainders.

Transcriber's note: the document prints two sections numbered 6.7 ("Tracing Supply Lines" and "When to Check Supply"). Both are transcribed under their printed numbers.

6.8 Terminal Supply Check Phases

Note on the turn sequence outline (5.2) that steps I. H., II. D. and III. D. are, respectively, German, Soviet and Anglo-French "Terminal Supply Check Phases." During each of those phases, make a supply check of all the units of the particular nationality named in each particular step. Every unit of the nationality then being checked for supply that's found to be OOS at that time is reduced a step. Thus OOS one-step units will go into the dead pile, while OOS two-step units will be reduced to one-step. That process is cumulative in its effect. An OOS two-step unit is reduced during its nationality's Terminal Supply Check Phase in one game turn and, if it's still OOS when that phase comes around again in the next game turn, it's then fully eliminated.

6.9 Deliberate OOS

Within the other movement strictures, both sides may deliberately move their units into hexes wherein they will or may become OOS.

6.10 Ploesti & German Logistics

The Ploesti oil field in Romania, vital to German supply in the strategic sense, is located off the east map. It may be captured by the Soviet player if he runs a successful offensive out of his Southwest Front Holding Box (see 12.7 and 12.8). If Ploesti is once captured by the Soviets, it's lost to German control and exploitation for the rest of the game. As soon as Ploesti is captured, the following conditions take permanent effect: 1) there are no more German mobile assaults; 2) all German mechanized movement factors on the east map are halved [round up]; 3) there's a pro-Soviet die roll modifier whenever the MFT is checked; 4) there's an anti-German die roll modifier whenever the GAST is checked; and 5) the Germans must use only the move/fight phase sequence on the east map.

6.11 German East Map Attenuated Supply

Starting with Game Turn 6 (Sep I), prior to determining the final odds of each of his east map MA, MA/AA, PA, PA/AA (but not pure AA), the German player must consult the German Attenuated Supply Table (GAST) printed on the mapsheet and implement those results (leftward column shifts or outright attack cancellation) in order to get his final odds for each combat. If an MA/AA or PA/AA is cancelled by the GAST, run it as a pure AA. The GAST is never used on the west map, nor is it used if all the German units in an attack are OOS.

6.12 Former Poland & Soviet Logistical Shortcomings

Soviet units defending in, or attacking from, hexes lying within the area of the east map labeled "Former Poland," suffer a one-column odds shift in the Germans' favor when doing so. That also applies to supplied Soviet units operating inside Greater Germany and that have supply lines running through one or more hexes of Former Poland. (OOS Soviet attackers there would only be halved.)

7.0 Stacking & Fog of War

7.1

"Stacking" is the word used to describe the piling of more than one friendly unit in a hex at the same time. Note that step strength has no bearing on any unit's ability to stack. For stacking purposes, a unit is a unit is a unit, no matter how many steps it or its partners in the stack may have or how it moves on the battlefield.

7.2 Stacking & Movement

The stacking rules are in effect at all times throughout the game turn. That means players must pay attention to the sequence in which they move their units or risk having early moves block units moved later in the phase. Note, though, there is no limit on the number of units that may enter and pass through a given hex, or cross a given hexside, over the course of a movement phase, player turn, or game turn as long as stacking limits aren't violated at any one time.

Watch for stacking restrictions all through play, and make certain to check all stacks of both sides at the end of every phase and the end of the resolution of every individual combat. Whenever any hexes are found over-stacked at the start of end of any phase or combat, the owning player must immediately eliminate the excess units of his choice.

7.3 Fog o' War

Neither player may examine the units beneath the top unit of any of his opponent's stacks until a combat resolution process begins for it. No attack may be called off after such a stack check has been made.

7.4 West Map Stacking Limits

The general rule is each player may stack up to two of his units in any playable west map hex at any time. Note, however, British and French units may not stack together. That is, they may pass through each other's hexes during movement, but they may not start or end a phase or combat stacked together. (They may take part in the same attacks from different hexes.) The same separate stacking must be maintained for Belgian units if that nation joins the Anglo-French side. Dutch units may never stack with units of any other nationality.

7.5 East Map Stacking Limits

The general rule is each player may stack up to three of his units in any playable east map hex at any time.

7.6 Free Stacking Markers & Static Units

Static units, along with the markers pictured in rule 2.13, have no stacking value. They may be added freely to any stacks according to the rules governing their particular uses.

7.7 Holding Box Stacking Limits

Stacking limits don't apply to any units located in any of the holding boxes (see section 12.0 for details).

8.0 Airpower & 7th flieger corps

8.1 Air Superiority

As step A in each of his player turns, the German player, or German east front commander, may allocate from zero to three (out of the total of four available to him every game turn) Luftwaffe aircraft units to the air superiority mission. The effect of each unit so allocated is to suppress—remove from play for that game turn—any one Anglo-French or Soviet aircraft unit of the German player's choice. Luftwaffe units flying air superiority missions are also removed from further participation in the remainder of that game turn. Exactly which of those enemy air forces are suppressed for each Luftwaffe unit so committed is entirely up to the German player, decided on a turn by turn basis. Note that none of the aircraft units involved in this process are eliminated; they're simply removed from play until the start of the next game turn.

8.2 Air Superiority & 7th Flieger Corps

The 7th Flieger Corps may not be airdropped onto a map on which there is one or more unsuppressed enemy aircraft units. Further, during game turns in which an already deployed 7th Flieger Corps (on either map) has no regular supply line available to it, and one or more unsuppressed enemy aircraft units are available on that map, the 7th is considered OOS during that game turn, or until such time during it that a regular overland supply line is opened to it.

8.3 Ground Movement Interdiction

At the start of every Soviet and/or Anglo-French movement phase, the German player may commit any number of his still-available aircraft units to interdict the ground movement of enemy forces. To do so, the German player places his interdicting aircraft units, no more than one per hex, in any hexes on the map. The effect is to double for enemy units the in-hex and hexside movement costs in and out of the hex atop which the aircraft unit has been placed, along with all six surrounding hexes and their hexsides. A Luftwaffe aircraft used for interdiction is thereby out of play for the remainder of that game turn. In games with two German players, the east front commander may loan his west front counterpart aircraft units to use for interdiction. Remove interdicting aircraft at the end of the movement phase; they have no effect on retreats or advances after combat. Also, no additional penalty is suffered by units moving into hexes that fall within the zone of interdiction of more than one aircraft unit.

The Soviet aircraft unit may not be used for interdiction missions. The Anglo-French air units may be used for interdiction, but only if they weren't previously suppressed earlier that same game turn and only against German and/or Dutch units on the west map.

8.4 Offensive & Defensive Combat Support

During any combat and movement phases throughout every game turn, the German player may commit any available Luftwaffe aircraft units to support any of his ground attacks or defenses (any number per battle). The effect of each one so committed is to shift the supported combat's odds one column in the Germans' favor. On the offense, German aircraft may support German mobile or prepared assaults.

Anglo-French aircraft units—provided they weren't suppressed earlier that same game turn—may be used similarly, either offensively or defensively, by that player, but only on the west map. In either case, the French and British aircraft units are considered interchangeable in terms of their nationalities. That is, the French aircraft unit may be used to support the attacks or defenses of its own nation's army or those of Britain and/or Belgium, and vice versa.

The Soviet aircraft unit—provided it wasn't suppressed early that same game turn—may be used similarly by that player, but only to support an attack by that nation's ground units (including in Romania against Ploesti; see 12.4, 12.7 and 12.8).

8.5 Luftwaffe Central Position

German aircraft need not be committed to, nor in any way restricted to, the east or west maps. Within the strictures given above, they can potentially operate in all hexes on both maps in every game turn, decided on a mission by mission and turn by turn basis by the (senior) German player. Anglo-French aircraft may only operate on the west map; the Soviet aircraft unit may only operate on the east map.

8.6 Indestructible Aircraft

No aircraft unit in the game on either side is ever permanently eliminated from play for any reason. Similarly, aircraft units don't require supply, and they may not be given up to satisfy combat loss requirements. Also note, though, each unsuppressed aircraft unit may only be used to fly one mission per game turn

8.7 Deploying 7th Flieger Corps

The Germans' 7th Flieger Corps always starts play set up in that side's Strategic Holding Box (see 3.3). The 7th may only leave that box, permanently, once per game, by being "airdropped" into an eligible hex on either map. There is also an air superiority prerequisite (see 8.2 above). If that prerequisite's been met, the German player may choose to airdrop the 7th, at any instant during any one of his movement or combat phases, into any hexes other than marsh or hills/mountains on either map.

To resolve the success or failure of an airdrop, the German player should roll a die, apply any applicable modifiers, and consult the 7th Flieger Corps Landing Table (FCLT) printed on the mapsheet. All potentially applicable DRM are listed beneath the FCLT on the mapsheet. Once on the ground, the 7th becomes a static unit, never again moving or attacking.

If the 7th lands atop an enemy unit or intrinsic garrison (see 11.21), it must make an "airborne assault" (AA) either alone or with the aid of regular German ground units located in a hex(es) adjacent to the airdrop hex. If the landing and airborne assault are made during a German Movement Phase, only mobile assaulting panzer corps may assist the 7th (see 10.15 ff for details). If the landing and airborne assault are made during a German Combat Phase, any adjacent German units of either mobility class may potentially participate. In either case, the 7th uses its defense factor of "8," or the reduced "7," as its attack factor. Further, if the AA hex isn't completely cleared of all enemy units, the 7th is fully eliminated. First resolve the landing itself on the FCLT, then, if any of the 7th has survived that process, resolve its AA.

If the 7th assaults (MA or PA) into a hex in conjunction with German ground units, and that enemy defense would normally be entitled to receive the river or major river defensive bonus (see 10.15 ff), that bonus is lost to those defenders due to the participation of the German paratroopers.

9.0 Reinforcements, Replacements & Juggernaut Conversions

9.1

Reinforcements are new Soviet or Anglo-French units that enter play for the first time after a game has already begun. Replacements are levies (steps) of new troops and equipment available to replenish British, French and German units already in play on the map but that have been reduced in step strength through combat losses or being cut off from supply. The Soviets have an ability to replace their fully eliminated (all one-step) units.

9.2 Anglo-French Tank Corps Reinforcements

There's a chance, over the course of a game, the Anglo-French will move toward organizing a force within their armies equivalent to those of the German panzer corps. Those two corps are the only Anglo-French reinforcements potentially available throughout the game.

To resolve this issue, at the very start of Game Turn 2's Anglo-French Player Turn, and at the start of each one thereafter until both tank corps have made their appearance, that player should roll a die twice, once for the British Army and once for the French Army. A result of one either time means that army has moved ahead with plans to organize an independent strategic tank force.

If a one is rolled for the British Army, the Anglo-French player should, without looking, draw one of the three 1st Tank Corps formations included in the counter-mix, and immediately enter it into play by placing it in any Anglo-French supply source hex (see 6.4). The process is the same for the French Army, only using the three variants of that army's 21st Tank Corps. Once either one of the western Allied armies has a tank corps in play in any configuration, on game turns thereafter, modify the die roll result needed to bring on the other army's tank corps from a one to a two.

Though drawn randomly, place a newly arriving tank corps on the map face up, at two-step strength. Entered tanks corps immediately have all normal unit capabilities available that turn and thereafter. Tank corps, once reduced in combat, may receive replacements according to the normal rules for that process given below in 9.11.

9.3 Anglo-French Tank Corps Organizational Variants

The two Anglo-French tank corps are initially available in one of three possible variant formations: a "top-rung" formation with a two-step strength of 8-4; an inferior version with a two-step strength of 6-6, and a "stillborn" version with a two-step strength of 2-2. Each version represents a different outcome to the 'tank debate' in terms of its operational and tactical aspects. There will never be more than one counter in play on the map, as determined by the random draw described above in 9.2, for each of the two tank corps.

The top rung formation has a movement factor of eight, along with all the capabilities of a German panzer corps in terms of mobile assaults (see 10.15 ff). The inferior and stillborn versions have no such capabilities, instead functioning as mechanized-class units in name only, with standard movement factors of six and no ability to mobile assault. Each time, however, an unreduced tank corps is involved in an attack and survives that combat unreduced, it's instantly promoted (in place) to its next highest organizational variant. Note there are no demotions for failure in combat; the process only goes one way: up.

9.4 Anglo-French Tank Army Formation

Whenever an Anglo-French player turn begins in which the two top-rung tank corps are deployed on the map in supply and at two-step strength, that player should again roll a die. On a result of one, the "1st Allied Tank Army" has been formed. That means, from that time on, the two tank corps may stack, move, mobile assault and prepared assault together, as if both were of the same nationality.

9.5 Soviet Regular Reinforcements

The red-on-white Soviet regular reinforcements should be taken by that player from the boxes of the Turn Record Track—into which they were sorted prior to starting play, see 3.2—at the start of each of his Reinforcement Placement Phase (step II. E.) in every game turn. The arrival of Soviet reinforcements may be delayed from game turn to game turn, decided on a unit by unit and turn by turn basis by that player; however, other than as given in 5.5, none of them may have their entry into play accelerated.

Soviet reinforcements may enter the east map by being placed into any red row hexes along its south and east edges. Normal stacking restrictions apply during placement. Alternatively, Soviet reinforcements may also enter play by being placed into any city hexes on the east map that began the game under Soviet control. In those cases, though, there are further restrictions: 1) locales chosen for reinforcement entry may never yet have been under German control, even temporarily; 2) the hex in question must be in supply at that time; and 3) there may be no German units in any hexes directly adjacent to such locales. Within those strictures, the Soviet player is free to mix his arriving reinforcements among all his available entry hexes as he sees fit every game turn.

9.6 Soviet Juggernaut Conversions

The nine Soviet Juggernaut units all have regular reinforcement counterpart units, which have been made more easily identifiable by having large red dots in their upper-left corners. Whenever a Juggernaut unit is eliminated, immediately put it back into your storage container; it's out of play for the rest of the game. At the same time look through Juggernaut substitute counters, find the one corresponding to the eliminated Juggernaut, and place that substitute into the dead pile (and see 9.10 below).

9.7 1st Shock Army

This unit is different from Soviet regular reinforcements in that it's entered into play with its combat factors showing. Further, any time 1st Shock Army participates in a Soviet attack, alone or in conjunction with other Soviet units, a one column rightward odds shift is generated for that attack. The 1st Shock Army, once eliminated, may not be brought back into play via replacements.

9.8 New Semi-Permanent Soviet Fortifications

Every game turn, starting with step II. E. in Game Turn 5 (Aug II), the Soviet player may receive new, semi-permanent, fortification counters as part of his reinforcements. To determine how many such counters he receives during a given turn, the Soviet player should roll a die and subtract one from that result, thereby receiving zero through five new forts each game turn. If a given die roll authorizes more construction than there are actual fort markers available at that time, the difference is forfeit. The Soviet player need not construct all, or even any, of the forts he's authorized to place by a given die roll.

A newly arriving fortification may be placed in any non-city hex in the USSR (not Estonia) within five hexes of Soviet-controlled Leningrad and/or Moscow, decided on a counter by counter and turn by turn basis by that player. Further, hexes chosen must have a supply line to a red row hex that also passes into and through the Moscow or Leningrad hexes. Even further, there may be no German units in any hex directly adjacent to the placement hex. And last for these strictures, no construction may take place within range of Moscow if one or more German units is in any hex(es) adjacent to it, and no construction may take place within range of Leningrad if one or more German units is any hex(es) adjacent to it.

No more than one fortification counter may be in a given hex at any one time, though repeated constructions may potentially take place within the same hex over the course of a game. When counting the five hex construction range, count outward from Leningrad or Moscow; don't count the city hex itself; do count the placement hex. Thus, for example, hex 4519 (Vyazma) is five hexes from Moscow.

Whenever the German player takes control of hex containing a fortification counter, he should give that marker back to the Soviet player. That player should, in turn, put each returned fortification marker back into his pool of available forts. Each such fort may be placed again, based solely on each subsequent game turn's fort construction die roll. There is never any amount of die roll construction carry over from one turn to another; each turn's roll is discrete.

Also note that these fortification counters, unlike the Soviet fortifications printed on the east map, have no intrinsic garrison strength (see 11.21). Also unlike the Soviet fortifications printed on the map, these semi-permanent forts have no step strength of their own, nor do they count for stacking. They only work to generate a one column leftward odds shift for Soviet defenders within their hex, while also preventing mobile assaults from being run in their hex and enemy supply lines from being traced through. Also note the fact these counters are printed on both sides doesn't mean they have two steps. The reverse printing was done only to make sorting them easier at the start of play.

9.9 German Replacements

Starting with his Replacement Phase in Game Turn 1 (step I. G. of the turn sequence; see 5.2), and in each such phase throughout the rest of the game, the German player may use his replacement capacity to replenish to full two-step strength any one of his supplied-but-reduced infantry corps and any one of his supplied-but-reduced panzer corps. The units chosen may be located anywhere on either of the maps or the GSRHB or the "In Romania portion of the SSWFHB (see section 12.0). The 7th Flieger Corps never receives replacements, nor may any fully eliminated German unit of any type be brought back into play from the dead pile. This replacement capacity may not be saved or in any way accumulated from turn to turn. A replacement step not used during the turn of its availability is simply lost. Neither can any substitution be made between the two types of replacement, infantry and panzer. Note that Dutch and Belgian units never receive any replacements.

9.10 Soviet Replacements

Soviet replacements are awarded to that player based on the numbers shown for that capacity on the Turn Record Track starting on Game Turn 4 (Aug I). Since there are no two-step Soviet units in the game, that nation's replacement procedure varies from that of the Germans and Anglo-French. That is, each time a Soviet red-on-white regular reinforcement unit (including Juggernaut conversion units; see above, 9.6) is eliminated, that player should turn its untried side up and set it aside, within easy reach, in a separate "dead pile" of all such units. When one or more replacements is allowed him by the Turn Record Track, he should randomly pick that number of units (one Soviet replacement step reclaims one eliminated unit) from the dead pile and enter it just as if it were a reinforcement (see 9.5 above). Within those strictures, each red-on-white Soviet army unit may potentially go through the elimination and replacement cycle any number of times during each game.

Note that the three Far East Garrison Armies, the 1st Shock Army, and the MG static unit, may never be brought back into play via the replacement process once they've been eliminated. Also note the supply state of a regular red-on-white Soviet army at the time of its elimination(s) in no way prohibits those units from going through the replacement process.

9.11 Anglo-French Replacements

Starting with his Replacement Phase in Game Turn 1(step III. E. of the turn sequence; see 5.2), and in each such phase throughout the rest of the game, the Anglo-French commander may use his replacement capacity to replenish to full two-step strength any one of his supplied but reduced French corps and any one of his supplied but reduced British corps. The units chosen may be located anywhere on the west map. No fully eliminated British or French unit of any type be brought back into play from the dead pile. This replacement capacity may not be saved or in any way accumulated from turn to turn. A replacement step not used during the turn of its availability is simply lost. Neither can any replacement substitution be made between the two nationalities, even if the 1st Allied Tank Army rule is in effect (see 9.4).

10.0 Movement & Mobile Assaults

10.1 In General

Every non-static unit in the game has a movement factor as described in rule 2.10. That movement factor is the number of "Movement Points" (also referred to as "MP" and "MF") available to the unit to use to move across the map during its side's movement phase every game turn.

10.2 General Movement Strictures

MP may not be accumulated from turn to turn or phase to phase, nor may they be given or loaned from one unit to another. A player may move all, some, or none of his non-static units in each of his side's movement phases throughout the game at his own discretion. Units that move are not required to expend all their MP before stopping. The movement of each individual unit or stack must be completed before that of another is begun. Units move from hex to adjacent hex—no "skipping" of hexes is allowed—paying varied movement costs to do so depending on the terrain or water barriers in the hex being entered and along its hexsides.

An important exception to the paragraph above is: Soviet movement always costs those units only one MP per enterable hex, no matter the terrain involved. Soviet units do pay the +1 cost involved in crossing a river hexside.

In general, the movement of your units takes place only during your own player turn; no enemy movement takes place during your player turn (exception: see 11.11 and 12.4).

10.3 Minimum Movement Capability

Every non-static unit in the game is guaranteed the ability to move one hex during each of its movement phases throughout the game by expending all of its MF to do so, no matter the terrain and water costs otherwise involved. This guarantee does not, however, give units the ability to make moves that are otherwise against the rules, nor does it grant units an unconditional ability to launch mobile assaults; nor does it grant any unit the ability to cross all-lake/reservoir or all-sea hexsides.

10.4 Stack Movement

To move together as a stack during a friendly movement phase, units must begin that phase already stacked together. Units are not, however, required to move as a stack simply because they started a movement phase in the same hex. In such situations those units might be moved together, individually, or in smaller sub-stacks. Note, too, static units don't become mobile because they may happen to stack with non-static units.

10.5 Splitting Stacks

When moving a stack you may halt it temporarily to allow one or two of its units to split off and move away on a separate course. The unit(s) left behind in the original (or "parent") stack may then resume their own movement, even splitting off another unit if desired. Once you begin moving an entirely different parent stack, however, you may no longer resume the movement of earlier-moved stacks without your opponent's permission.

10.6 Stack MF

If units with different movement factors are moving together in a stack, the stack must use the movement factor of the slowest non-static unit within it. Of course, as the slower units exhaust their MP, you may leave them behind and continue with the faster units.

10.7 Enemy Units

With two crucial exceptions (see below, mobile and airborne assaults, 10.15 ff), it's not permitted for your units to enter hexes occupied by enemy units.

10.8 Terrain

There are two general classes of terrain on the map: natural and manmade. Each class is further divided into several different types (see below). There is never more than one type of natural terrain in any one hex, but more than one type of manmade terrain may exist in a hex.

10.9 Natural Terrain

There are seven types of natural terrain and water barriers: clear hexes, forest hexes, hill/mountain hexes, Ardennes hexes, marsh hexes, along with river and major river hexsides. The effects those various terrains and water barriers have on the movement of units are described on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet. For example, mechanized-class units pay two MP to enter forest hexes, while non-mechanized units pay only one MP to do so.

10.10 Ardennes Hexes

At the start of play, only French and Belgian cavalry corps may potentially move into, attack from, defend in, and trace supply through, Ardennes Forest hexes. That may change: at the start of his player turn on Game Turn II (July I), and at each such time in the game turn thereafter, the Anglo-Allied player should roll a die. On a result of one, the Anglo-Allied high command have allowed themselves to be convinced of the Ardennes Forest's actual accessibility. Accordingly, from that time on throughout the rest of the game, the Ardennes are treated just a regular forest hexes.

10.11 Water Hexsides & Hexes

Unlike terrain, the rivers and major rivers on the map run between hexes, along hexsides, rather than lying in-hex. River (and canal) hexsides may be crossed by all non-mechanized units at the cost of one extra MP, and by all mechanized units at the cost of two extra MP. Major river hexsides may be crossed by all non-mechanized units at the cost of two extra MP, and by all mechanized units at the cost of three extra MP.

Note that city and Ruhr city hexes negate river hexsides around them for all purposes. That's not true, however, in relation to major river hexsides.

There is no ground unit in the game able to move or attack across all-lake (and reservoir) or all-sea hexsides.

10.12 Manmade Terrain

Manmade terrain exists in four types: fortified hexes, towns, cities and Ruhr cities. More than one type of manmade terrain may exist in a given hex together with other such terrains as well as natural stuff. If more than one manmade and/or natural terrain exists in a hex being entered by a moving unit, the unit pays all costs involved for both manmade and natural terrains, as well as for crossing any water hexside. For example, a mechanized unit entering a mountain hex (3 MP) by crossing a major river hexside (+3 MP) would pay a total of six MP to do so. Note that all river and major river hexside-crossing costs are cumulative to the costs involved for in-hex terrain.

10.13 Fortified Hexes

All non-static units of both sides may enter fortified hexes at no extra cost. That includes all fortifications printed on the map and also the "semi-permanent" ones in the Soviet Union represented by counters (see 9.8). That is, fortifications generate no movement costs of their own. When entering such hexes, simply ignore them when calculating movement costs (and also see 10.22 for an exception concerning MA).

10.14 Towns, Cities & Ruhr City Hexes

It costs all units of both sides one MP to enter any city or Ruhr city hex on the map (plus any water hexside crossing costs). All Ruhr cities and cities on both maps exist in what would be clear hexes in terms of natural terrain. Other than the important distinction set out in rule 4.2, there are no functional differences between cities and Ruhr cities.

10.15 Mobile & Airborne Assault (MA)

All German panzer and Anglo-French top-rung tank corps may conduct a special form of attack during their own side's movement phases called "mobile assault," or simply "MA." Similarly, the German 7th Flieger Corps must conduct a similar "airborne assault" (AA) when landing atop an enemy unit or stack (see 8.7). To conduct an MA/AA, an eligible unit or stack enters the enemy occupied hex chosen to be attacked, paying twice the normal MP cost to do so.

No unit or stack may conduct more than one MA/AA per friendly phase; neither into the same hex nor into different hexes. Further, though, any given defended hex may potentially be mobile assaulted any number of times during any one movement phase as long as each such effort is delivered by a different force of eligible units. Each new mobile assault force, though, must enter the defended hex from a launch hex not overstacked with friendly units at time of that moving force's launch of the MA. The stacking limits for the two opposing sides' involved units within an assaulted hex itself are mutually exclusive. A mobile assault's "launch hex" is the last hex occupied by the assaulting force just prior to entering the defender's hex.

10.16 More MA/AA Limits

MA/AA may be launched into any kinds of hexes other than marshes, and across any kinds of hexsides. The concentric assault odds shift bonus (see 11.10) is never available for MA; it may be available for MA/AA; see below, 10.29.

The guaranteed ability of units to move at least one hex per friendly movement phase by expending all their MP to do so (see 10.3), doesn't work to guarantee otherwise ineligible units the ability to launch an MA; the assaulting unit or stack must have sufficient MP available to pay for the MA or it may not be made.

10.17 MA & Supply State

The supply state of units involved in an MA is determined at the instant of battle and at the location of that battle's launch hex. That is, an otherwise eligible unit or stack may not conduct an MA if it is without regular overland (not coastal) supply in the launch hex of that MA. Remember: 7th Flieger Corps is always in supply when it airdrops; see section 8.0.

10.18 MA Stack Eligibility

To be able to MA together during a given movement phase, eligible units must have begun that phase already stacked together. Note, though, the fact some collection of MA-eligible units begins in a single hex doesn't mean those units are required to MA as one force. For example, say the moving player had a hex containing two supplied units, and he wanted to MA an enemy occupied hex next to it. He could take both units and make one grand-MA, or he could take just one of those units and MA with it; then, supposing the enemy held against that first effort, he could go in again with the other unit. The idea behind breaking up a large force into more than one MA would be to try to burst through an enemy defense while still retaining some units that hadn't yet expended their ability to MA that phase. That way, those still unused units could move through the hex just cleared of the enemy and move on to try to do more of the same elsewhere.

10.19 Unfavorable MA/AA Combat Result

If an MA achieves any result that fails to entirely clear the defended hex of all enemy units, the involved MA force suffers whatever losses are dictated for it by that same result and the survivors are placed back in the launch hex for that MA; they may not move farther or MA again that phase. Such units could potentially make a prepared assault, into the same or a different enemy defended hex, in the following friendly combat phase, provided the phase sequence being used was move/fight (see 5.2). If the 7th Flieger Corps was involved in an AA, or a combined MA/AA, which failed to clear the target hex of all enemy units, it is fully eliminated.

10.20 Favorable MA/AA Combat Result

If an MA force completely clears its target hex of defending enemy units, those victorious units may continue their movement from that hex with the MP remaining to them. Exception: the 7th Flieger Corps would simply be placed in its landing hex; it's done moving and attacking for the rest of the game.

Victorious MA forces may still not launch any further MA that same phase. They could make a prepared assault later in that same player turn, provided the phase sequence being used was move/fight (see 5.2).

There is never any automatic advance-after-combat in victorious MA as there is in victorious prepared assaults. All post-MA movement is governed by the MP left to the moving units.

10.21 MA & Phase Sequence

The ability of units to MA in any given movement phase is not effected by the phase sequence chosen by their owning player. When using the fight/move sequence, eligible units might participate in a prepared assault during that player turn's combat phase and then, during the following movement phase, also move and/or launch an MA. The same is true when the move/fight sequence is chosen: units that launch an MA during the movement phase might also participate in a prepared assault during the combat phase later that same player turn.

10.22 Fortifications & MA/AA

If a hex being mobile assaulted contains a fortification, the MP cost for that assault is twice the normal MP entry cost plus one. That is, for example, if a force was launching a mobile assault into a forest hex that also contained a fortification, the cost of that MA would be five MP. That's twice the normal forest hex entry cost of two (2x2=4), plus one extra MP (4+1=5) for the presence of the fortification. And finally on this, note units never obtain any benefit for defending in fortification hexes that were under enemy (or neutral) control at the start of the game.

10.23 MA Across River Hexsides

Otherwise eligible mechanized units may launch MA across river/canal hexsides, but not across major river hexsides. In addition to all other applicable odds shifters, though, their attack suffers a one column leftward odds shift for doing so unless that MA is being conducted by a German force that also contains 7th Flieger Corps.

10.24 MA & AA Distinctions

In essence, when the 7th Flieger Corps is conducting a landing assault alone during a German Movement Phase, that attack is referred to as an AA. If it's conducting a landing assault during the German Movement Phase in conjunction with an MA into the same hex by one or more panzer corps, that assault is a combined MA/AA. Procedures in both cases are the same, except that in a pure AA the river hexside consideration will never come into play. Note that it's also possible for the 7th to airdrop during a German Combat Phase, in which case it may again make an unassisted AA or combine its attack with a combat phase prepared assault. Within the strictures and exceptions given above, airborne assaults and mobile assaults are otherwise resolved the same way as prepared assaults; see section 11.0.

11.0 Combat Phase Prepared Assaults

11.1 In General

Combat phase combat—referred to as "prepared assaults" or "PA" so as to distinguish it from the "mobile assaults" or "MA" conducted by eligible units during movement phases—occurs between/among directly adjacent enemy units, potentially in every combat phase of both sides during the game. Attacking is always voluntary; the mere fact of enemy adjacency doesn't require units to attack or be attacked. The player whose player turn it is, is termed the "attacker," and the other player is the "defender," no matter what the general situation across the map.

11.2 Static Unit Attack Limits

The Soviet static unit (MG) never attacks, even if other Soviet units launch an attack from its hex. It simply sits passively as the battle rages around it. On the defense, though, it always participates fully and normally. The same is true for the German 7th Flieger Corps, with the sole exception of its ability to launch a single AA if it airdrops atop enemy units (see above, 9.20 ff).

Transcriber's note: the cross-reference "9.20 ff" as printed does not match any section in this document; the airdrop rules are in 8.7 and 10.15 ff.

11.3 Combat Procedure

The attacker totals the combat strength of all the units attacking a given hex and compares that total to the total combat strengths of the defending units in the hex under attack. The comparison is expressed as a ratio between attacking and defending strength points (attacking strength points divided by defending strength points), and is simplified by rounding down to one of the odds ratios listed across the top of the Combat Results Table (CRT) printed on the mapsheet. For example, if 13 strength points were attacking four strength points, the combat odds ratio would be 3.25 to 1, rounded off, always in favor of the defender, to three to one (3:1).

Having determined the combat odds, the attacker rolls a die. The result indicates the line on the CRT that's cross-indexed with the column representing that combat odds ratio. The intersection of line and column yields a combat result. That result should immediately be applied to the involved units before going on to resolve any other combat. Separate combats may generally be resolved in any order, as long as each is entirely resolved before the resolution of another is begun.

11.4 Attack & Defense Limits During Combat Phases

No unit may attack more than once per friendly combat (prepared assault) phase, and no enemy unit may be attacked more than once per friendly combat (prepared assault) phase.

11.5 Multi-Unit & Multi-Hex Combat

All defending units in a single hex must defend as a single force; the strength of all the defending units in one hex is always totaled. A single attack may potentially involve any number of attacking or defending units, but no single attack by either player may have as its objective enemy units located in more than one hex.

If more than one attacking unit is in a given hex, those units need not be used as an integral combat force; they may be committed to different attacks on a unit-by-unit basis. Similarly, not every unit in a hex containing attacking units is required to attack; the attacker is always free to hold back units that are otherwise eligible to attack. Friendly units in two or more hexes may combine their attack strengths and attack a single hex of defenders as long as that defender hex is adjacent to all attackers.

11.6 Defender Commitment & Integrity

The defending player may not withhold a unit in a hex under attack. The attacker must attack all the units in a defending stack together; different enemy units in the same hex may not be attacked separately.

11.7 Combat Strength Unity

A single unit's combat strength is always unitary. It may not be divided among different combats either on attack or defense.

11.8 Terrain & Water Effects on Combat

Defending units in certain types of terrain have their combat strength enhanced by shifts to the combat odds. See the "Combat Effects" column of the Terrain Effects Chart. For example, a unit defending in a hill/mountain hex would have its combat odds shifted two to the left (in its favor) when calculating the odds for that battle. Note that all applicable terrain and water hexside odds shifters, both natural and manmade, are applied cumulatively in every combat.

Similarly, prepared assaults by both sides usually suffer a one column leftward odds shift for coming across a river hexside. Again, though, if German units attack together across such a hexside in conjunction with a 7th Flieger Corps AA, that odds shift is lost to the defenders. Otherwise, in the case of a multi-attack-hex PA, all the involved attackers would have to be coming through river hexsides or the river shift is again lost to the defender.

11.9 German Fight/Move Column Shift Bonus

Shift the odds one column right for all German prepared assaults by made during combat phases when using the fight/move sequence on the east map.

11.10 Concentric Attack Bonus

If a defending unit or stack is attacked (PA only) by non-Soviet enemy units from opposite sides, or by units from three hexes with one hex between each and the next, or by units from more than three hexes, that PA gains a one column rightward odds shift. This favorable odds shift is never available to attacking Soviet units.

A German PA or MA is also considered concentric, and therefore receives this bonus, if it's a combined PA/AA or MA/AA. That is, if one or more German ground units are attacking into a hex with the assistance there of the airdropped 7th Flieger Corps, even though those attacking ground units haven't achieved positions otherwise necessary to get the bonus odds shift, that combination of ground AA assault makes for concentricity, even against defenders in cities. This is the only instance an MA can receive the concentric assault bonus, and it's also the only instance in which an assault into a city can receive it.

11.11 Defender Retreat After Combat (DR)

When a combat result requires a player's units be retreated after combat—the "DR" result—the defending player must immediately move the affected units one hex. If no such hex is open to receive the retreat, a blocked unit or stack is instead kept in place and must there suffer a DE result instead (see 11.17 below).

Units retreating from the same hex must be retreated into the same hex unless stacking limits would thereby be violated in the new hex. In that case, the owning player must carry out the minimum stack-break up necessary in order to meet stacking limits.

Both players retreat their own units. If more than one retreat destination hex is open to retreating units, they should be retreated into the hex that brings them closest to their nearest supply source. If two or more retreat-destination hexes exist equidistant to the nearest such hex, the player is free to choose between/among them.

In a PA or PA/AA, if a force is retreated onto another friendly unit or stack that is subsequently attacked that same combat phase, the retreated-in force doesn't contribute its combat strength to the new defense, but it does share in the result of the attack made into its new hex. In an MA or MA/AA, if a force is retreated onto another friendly unit or stack that is subsequently attacked that same movement phase, the retreated-in force does contribute its combat strength to the new defense and, of course, also shares in the result of the attack made into its new hex.

If any unit or stack of either side is entirely blocked from retreating for any reasons other than overstacking (see below), it suffers a DE result in place (see 11.17 below).

11.12 Displacement

If the only hex available to a retreating unit or stack is one into which it normally couldn't enter because of stacking limits, one or more of the friendly units already in the hex being retreated into must be displaced. The displaced unit is simply moved away one hex by the owning player as if it were making a retreat after combat, and its place is taken by the original retreating unit. One retreating unit displaces one unit in a stack; two retreating units displace two, etc.

If a displacement would cause the displaced unit to be eliminated for any reason, the original retreating unit is eliminated instead and no displacement takes place. Always perform retreats one unit at a time.

Displaced units may themselves displace other friendly units in a kind of chain reaction of displacements, if that is the only path of displacement/retreat open to the owning player.

11.13 Advance After Combat (PA Only)

Whenever a defended hex is vacated as a result of PA or PA/AA combat, at least one involved victorious attacking unit may be advanced into that vacated hex. Within normal stacking limits, more than one involved attacking unit may advance. Exactly which involved unit(s) conduct(s) the advance-after-combat is up to the owning player. Advances after combat don't involve the expenditure of any movement points by the advancing units; they are, in essence, free movement.

Advances after combat are always voluntary, but each must be performed immediately as the opportunity for it occurs, before any other PA are resolved. Note there are never any defender advances after combat; victorious defenders simply remain in place. Also note there is never any free advance after combat in MA; there such movement is governed according to rules 10.24 and 10.25.

Transcriber's note: the cross-reference "10.25" as printed does not appear in this document.

11.14 Odds Limits & Odds Shifts

All attacks (MA, MA/AA, PA, PA/AA and AA) with final odds greater than 5:1 are resolved at 5:1 odds. Attacks with final odds less than 1:3 have automatic AL1 results. When calculating odds, always apply all applicable shifters first, then—and only then—bring the odds within the range of ratios shown on the table.

11.15 Attack Stalled (AS) Result

In effect, nothing happens. No losses are suffered, nor does any movement take place, by the involved units of either side.

11.16 Attacker Lose One (AL1) Result

One step from one involved attacking unit, owning player's choice, is eliminated. Surviving attacking units, if any, remain in place.

11.17 Defender Eliminated (DE) Result

First, all involved defending units that contain only one strength step are removed from the map and placed into the dead pile. Then also eliminate one strength step from all involved defending units containing two or more strength steps. Surviving defending units, if any, remain in place. If the hex is entirely cleared of defenders, the victorious involved attackers may conduct an advance after combat.

11.18 Defender Retreat (DR) Result

All involved defending units must retreat after combat as described above in rules 11.11 and 11.12.

11.19 Defender Retreat Conversions

DR results obtained against defenders in their own nation's permanent fortifications (those printed on the map), or in city hexes anywhere, or in Ruhr city hexes, must be converted to either AL1 or BB results. The choice as to which result, AL1 or BB, to convert the DR into is up to the attacking player, decided and announced on a case by case basis after the resolution die roll is made.

If the German player has defending units on either map in hexes other than permanent fortifications within Germany, Ruhr cities, or cities of any country, and those German defenders receive a DR result, he may choose to convert that result to a DL1 (Defender Lose 1), a result not otherwise on the CRT. That is, by choosing to eliminate one step from a conversion-eligible force, the survivors of that force then stay in place and there is no enemy advance after combat. This option may not be chosen if it would eliminate the only step contained in an otherwise eligible German force. The choice to make this kind of conversion is made by the German player on a case by case basis after each battle's resolution die roll is made. Also note it's impossible for both types of DR conversions to apply in the same combat. (If, in your mind, you believe you've found a situation in which both apply, then the kind described in the first paragraph of this rule is given priority.)

11.20 Bloodbath (BB) Result

First count the number of strength steps in both involved forces. If one player has fewer involved steps than his opponent, no matter if attacker or defender, all that lesser side's involved units are eliminated and placed in the dead pile. Then the player who had the greater number of involved strength steps must remove an equal number of steps from among the units of his attacking force. It's important to note this procedure is worked through entirely on the basis of involved strength steps, not combat factors.

Surviving units in the attacking force, if any, may advance after combat if this attack was a PA or PA/AA, or they may continue moving if this was an MA or MA/AA and they still have MP left to do so.

If both players had an equal number of strength steps involved in this combat, the attacker announces how many steps will be exchanged. He may pick any number from one up to the number of steps involved on both sides.

11.21 Intrinsic Garrisons

All cities on the east map, other than Moscow, that begin play under the control of the Soviet player, as well as all Soviet fortifications printed on that map, have within them intrinsic Soviet defensive garrison forces.

All Ruhr city hexes, as well as city hexes on both maps that lie within the boundaries of Greater Germany, along with all German fortifications printed on the west map, have within them intrinsic German defensive garrison forces.

All city hexes inside Holland, as well as all the fortifications printed within the boundaries of that country, have within them intrinsic Dutch defensive garrison forces.

Each such force has one strength step and a defensive combat factor of one. The garrisons need no supply, but they are also entirely ignored whenever one or more actual friendly units are also in their hex. Further, the intrinsic garrisons are also instantly eliminated whenever any actual friendly unit(s) defending in their hex are cleared from it by any combat result. Intrinsic garrisons never attack. Once such an intrinsic garrison is eliminated, it never returns into play.

In order to aid in the recall of which of the hexes discussed above have been cleared of their intrinsic garrisons, players may find it handy to mark each such hex by placing a coin (or Bingo chip, etc.) within it at the time of its garrison's elimination.

12.0 Holding Boxes, Off-Map Events & Red Rows

12.1 German Strategic Transfer Phase

The German begins each of his player turns with an Airpower & Strategic Transfer Phase. During each of those phases, after finishing with airpower resolution (see section 8.0), he should move the units in the "Just Arrived" portion of the German Strategic Reserve Holding Box (GSRHB) into the portion marked "Eligible to Leave."

He should then look over both maps and determine if there are any German infantry corps on one or both that he wants to move into the "Just Arrived" portion of his GSRHB. The only restrictions are: such units must be in supply; and the 7th Flieger Corps, once in play on either map, may not be moved back into the box. Other than those strictures, there is no limit on the number of German infantry units that may be moved from the maps and into the "Just Arrived" portion of the holding box. Note that panzer corps will never be in the SHB.

Last, he may take any of the units in the "Eligible to Leave" portion of the box and move them onto the west or east maps according to the following strictures. Note that he isn't required to empty the "Eligible to Leave" area; units may remain there as long as he wants. Also note no given German unit may both go into and come out of the GSRHB (either portion) during the same game turn.

12.2 German Entry onto the West Map

German infantry corps moving from the GSRHB onto the west map do so by being immediately placed in any map-edge hexes within Greater Germany (1014 through 2909, inclusive) that aren't occupied by any enemy units at that time. Alternatively, decided on a unit by unit basis by the German player, they may immediately be placed in any town, city or Ruhr city in Greater Germany that's in supply and has no enemy unit in any hex immediately adjacent to it at that moment. All arriving units are eligible to move and fight normally for the German commander on the west map during the rest of that game turn and thereafter.

Beyond that, the 7th Flieger Corps is moved from the box to the west map by being airdropped (see 8.7) into any hex within Greater Germany other than the Hunsruck Mountains. In doing so, it may make an unassisted AA if it lands atop enemy units. Alternatively, the German player may wait until his west map combat phase, and then airdrop the 7th into a combined PA/AA combat.

12.3 German Entry onto the East Map

German infantry corps moving from the GSRHB onto the east map do so by being immediately placed in any map-edge hex within Greater Germany (4300 through 5200, inclusive) that aren't occupied by any enemy units at that time. Alternatively, decided on a unit by unit basis by the German player, they may be placed in any German-controlled and supplied city or town, provided there is no Soviet unit in any hex immediately adjacent to it at that moment and, if lying outside Greater Germany, the locale is located in a Rollbahn hex. Such units are eligible to move and fight normally for the German commander on the east map during the rest of that game turn and thereafter.

Beyond that, the 7th Flieger Corps is moved from the box to the east map by being airdropped (see 8.7) into any hex on it other than hills/mountains or marsh. In doing so, it may make an unassisted AA, or a combined MA/AA if dropped during the movement phase. Alternatively, the German player may wait until his west map combat phase, and then airdrop the 7th into a combined PA/AA combat.

Design Note. In both 12.2 and 12.3, normal stacking restrictions also apply at all times when those units are placed onto the maps.

12.4 German Forces in Romania

The first time the Soviet player sends any of his forces into Romania (see 12.7 below), the German player may respond by temporarily interrupting the Soviet player turn to immediately send, from the "Eligible to Leave" portion of the GSRHB, any number of available infantry corps (and/or the 7th Flieger Corps) to defend that nation and its vital Ploesti oil field. During game turns after the first entry of Soviet units into Romania, the German no longer has that turn-interrupting ability. If he wants to reinforce his forces inside Romania after that first turn, he must anticipate that need ahead of time and send such units there from the "Eligible to Leave" portion of the GSRHB during his own Strategic Transfer Phase. Similarly, German infantry corps already inside Romania, which that player wants to transfer out of there, may be moved back into the "Just Arrived" portion of the GSRBH using the same procedure as given in paragraph two or rule 12.1. The 7th Flieger Corps is an exception here in that, if it's once sent to Romania, it may never be brought back from there.

German aircraft units may fly defensive support in Romania. Such support doesn't involve entry into any holding box. If available at the time of combat, the German player simply announces the aircraft unit's commitment in that way.

German units in Romania never attack; while there, they only defend against Soviet attacks. German units in Romania are always considered to be in supply.

Transcriber's note: the printed text reads "GSRBH" once in this paragraph; it is the same box as "GSRHB" and is transcribed as printed. The cross-reference "paragraph two or rule 12.1" is also as printed.

12.5 Soviet Far East Garrison Resolution

As step II. C. 1. of each of his player turns, the Soviet player should resolve the situation in the Far East for that turn. He does so by deciding whether he will bring onto the map one or more of the three garrison armies initially placed (see 3.2) in the Soviet Far East Holding Box (SFEHB). If he wants to do so, he should simply take from that box the one, two, or three units he will transfer to the map and temporarily place them in that game turn's box on the Turn Record Track. When the time comes during that same Soviet Player Turn for reinforcement entry (step II. E.), the transferred units are entered under the same strictures as regular Soviet reinforcements.

As soon as he transfers one or more Far East Garrison units out of the SFEHB and onto the Turn Record Track, the Soviet player must also check to see if that move has tempted the Japanese into invading Siberia. He resolves that by consulting the Japan Invades Far East Table (JIFET) printed on the mapsheet, rolling a die and applying the one applicable modifier.

Note the Soviet player is never required to transfer units from the SFEHB. Further, he may preclude Japanese entry into the war simply be refraining from making any such transfers. If Japan enters the war while there are still one or two Far East Garrison Armies left in the SFEHB, that force is frozen in place there for the rest of the game. Also note the SFEHB may never be reinforced, either before or after any transfers have been made from it.

Other than freezing in place any units still in the SFEHB, the only other effect of Japanese entry into the war is an anti-Soviet DRM should the Moscow Falls Table ever need to be consulted (see 4.3). Once Japan is in the war, its unalterably in it for the rest of the game.

12.6 Soviet Arctic Front Resolution

At the start of the game, two non-Juggernaut armies are placed in the Soviet Arctic Front Holding Box (SAFHB). Those armies are understood to be along the off-map Finnish border north of Leningrad. As step II. C. 2. of each of his turn's, the Soviet player should resolve the situation in the Finnish Arctic for that turn. Unlike the Far East, here the Soviet player may decide to reinforce the SAFHB, transfer units from it onto the map, or leave the situation there unaltered. As long as there are three or more Soviet armies in the SAFHB, there's no chance Finland will enter the war. If there are two or fewer armies there, there is a chance for Finnish entry into co-belligerency with Germany against the Soviet Union.

To transfer units from the SAFHB onto the map, the Soviet player should follow the same procedures as described above in paragraph one of rule 12.6. To transfer units into the SAFHB, simply reverse that process with the desired number of armies taken from that game turn's box on the Turn Record Track. Units may potentially go in an out of the SAFHB any number of times during play; however, they may do so in only one direction per game turn. Also note that going into or coming out of the SAFHB doesn't serve to reveal the combat strengths of any untried armies involved; that still takes place in accordance with rule 2.12.

After each turn's SAFHB decision has been made and carried out, if the total number of Soviet armies there is two or fewer, that player should consult the Finland Joins the War Table (FJWT) printed on the mapsheet, roll a die and apply the appropriate die roll modifier. If Finland enters the war, the effect is a pro-German DRM whenever (if) the Moscow Falls Table is consulted. Further, all Soviet units in the SAFHB at the time of Finnish entry into the war are thereafter frozen in place. Once Finland is in the war, it's unalterably in it for the rest of the game.

12.7 Soviet Southwest Front Resolution

At the start of the game (see 3.2), three Juggernaut armies are placed in the "Just Arrived" portion of the Soviet Southwest Front Holding Box (SSWFHB). Those armies are understood to be near the off-map Soviet/Romanian border to the south. As step II. C. 3. of each of his player turn's, the Soviet player should resolve the situation in the SSWFHB for that turn. Here the Soviet decision is centered on whether to invade Romania in order to try to capture the Ploesti oil fields. There's no chance Romania will enter the war against the USSR unless provoked by such an invasion.

If he wants to invade Romania, the Soviet player should take as many ground units as he desires from the "Eligible to Leave" portion of the SSWFHB and move them into the "In Romania" portion. Any number of available units may be transferred in that way in each Southwest Front Resolution Phase of every game turn.

Units once in the "In Romania" portion of the box never leave there during the rest of the game, except possibly to go into the dead pile. Once the Soviet player has decided to invade Romania in that way, he is at war there for the rest of the game. Alternatively, decided by him on a turn by turn basis until such time as he does start such a war, the Soviet player may refrain from invading Romania. In either case, Soviet forces in the "Eligible to Leave" portion of the SSWFHB are also available to him for potential use as reinforcements on the east map. Use the entry procedures given for the transfer of units from the two other holding boxes described above.

Additionally, whether or not he's at war with Romania, the Soviet player may, potentially each game turn, send arriving reinforcements and/or replacements into the SSWFHB, simply by putting them into the "Just Arrived" portion of the box. Likewise, Soviet units that start any step II. C. 3. in the "Just Arrived" portion of the SSWFHB may be moved from there into the "Eligible to Leave" portion of the box. And further, should the Soviet player decide on war with Romania, his units in the "Eligible to Leave" portion of the SSWFHB may go from there into the "In Romania" portion of it, there to participate in the push on Ploesti. Note that no given Soviet unit may move into more than one portion of the SSWFHB during any one Soviet player turn, no matter where it started that turn, either in or out of the box.

12.8 Combat in Romania

Each Soviet player turn, immediately after that player has made any transfers he wants to make into the "In Romania" portion of the SSWFHB, if there are any German units also in that portion of that holding box, the Soviet units there must launch an attack against them. Such an attack is resolved as one grand PA into clear terrain in which both sides are fully in supply. On this front any DR result rolled by the Soviet player is converted into an AS.

The Soviet aircraft unit, if otherwise available, may fly an offensive ground support mission in Romania. Such support doesn't involve any movement by that unit into or out of any holding box. If otherwise available (see 8.1), the Soviet player simply announces its use in that way and the bonus rightward odds column shift is applied to that turn's Soviet attack inside Romania.

The war continues in that way inside Romania, one Soviet attack per turn, until such time as a step II. C. 3. ends with only Soviet units inside the "In Romania" portion of the SSWFHB. At that time, Ploesti is considered to have been permanently captured by the Soviet side. See 6.10 for those effects.

If a step II. C. 3. ends with no units, or only German units, inside the "In Romania" portion of the SSWFHB, there's no penalty for the Soviet player. That is, that player may decide to go in again in the next turn or the turns after that and start the whole process over again (including a new German initial reaction counter-move as given in 12.4), or he might refrain from any further moves into Romania.

12.9 Soviet Red Row Hexes

The Soviet "red row" (hexes with a red star symbol) hexes along the map's south and east edges represent the fact the USSR has greater strategic depth than can be reached by the German invaders. Accordingly, red row hexes may never be moved or attacked into by German units. (Luftwaffe interdiction missions may be placed in red row hexes.) Newly arriving Soviet units may be entered into play via red row hexes, and they may also attack while in them. Note, though, Soviet units once on the map in non-red hexes may not be moved directly back into red row hexes. The only way for that to occur would be for a Soviet unit to be withdrawn into the SAFHB or SSWFHB and then, on a later turn, be reentered into play on the map via a red row hex.