Absolute Victory: World Conflict 1939-1945
Absolute Victory: World Conflict 1939-1945 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Game System Rules
- 2.0 The Map
- 3.0 Politics
- 4.0 Event Cards (Chits)
- 5.0 The Pulse System
- 6.0 Air Operations
- 7.0 Special Ground Units
- 8.0 Army Supply
- 9.0 Land Combat
- 10.0 Land Combat Resolution
- 11.0 Shore Bombardment
- 12.0 Amphibious Assault
- 13.0 Naval Stacking and Range
- 14.0 Naval Transit Attacks and Interception
- 15.0 Naval Combat
- 16.0 Logistical Stage
- 17.0 Infantry Recruitment
- 18.0 Production
- 18.1 Available Factories
- 18.2 Factory Designations
- 18.3 Aircraft Production (Planes)
- 18.4 Tank Production (Tanks)
- 18.5 Ship Production (1): The Naval Build Pool Card
- 18.6 Ship Production (2): The Turn-Record Track
- 18.7 Lend-Lease
- 18.8 Lend-Lease to Russia
- 18.9 Lend-Lease to Minors
- 18.10 Production Shutdown
- 19.0 Strategic Warfare (SW)
- 20.0 End of Turn Stage
- The Land Mode Grid (9.8.5)
- [1.5.2] Sequence of Play
- Official Errata and Clarifications (as of 1 Mar 17)
1.0 Game System Rules
ABSOLUTE VICTORY: World Conflict 1939-1945 ('AV') is a board wargame covering World War II on a global scale, including land, naval, air and economic warfare, as well as politics, diplomacy, and covert operations.
The GAME SYSTEM RULES (1.0 to 20.0) cover all rules essential to the whole game system.
1.1 Players
AV is a two-player game that represents World War II as a "bipolar" struggle between two coalitions or "sides" called "The Axis" and "The United Nations" ('UN'). In a two-player game, there is an Axis Player and a UN Player.
AV may be played by more than two players by having teams who share control of one or both sides. It is also designed for solitaire play.
1.2 Game Scale
[1.2.1] Each Game-Turn represents 2 months (60 days) of World War II.
[1.2.2] It is impossible to accurately portray a spherical world on a flat map, so the distance and area represented by each hex vary from place to place (see rule 2.1).
[1.2.3] The term "Army" refers to any ground unit. An Infantry unit represents up to eight divisions or 100,000 front-line troops. A Tank (armored) unit represents a smaller force equivalent to a Panzer Army or a corps. Garrisons represent one or more static divisions, heavily "dug in." A Headquarters or "HQ" unit represents one notable General and his entourage, plus roughly a corps' worth of troops (30,000 men).
[1.2.4] Army unit names are entirely symbolic. Any unit of the same type and nationality (e.g. US infantry) is as good as another. The names of armies are meant to add a degree of "historical realism" to the game. Army 'size' is given on each unit (Infantry units are normally 'armies', however vaguely defined, while Tank units are normally 'corps'; Soviet Tank units are 'armies' unless the unit says otherwise.) Each unit is actually generic.
Example: Among America's infantry units one finds the 1st Army and the III Marine Amphibious Corps. Obviously in real life an infantry army is stronger than one corps of Marines. (Marines may disagree.) But for Game purposes, both counters represent about 100,000 soldiers; the Marine counter represents a force as large as the 1st Army, with the III MAC leading other units not named on the counter.
[1.2.5] Air units are called "Planes" and include from 250 to 800 aircraft. Each 'Plane' includes a mix of fighters, bombers, and naval aircraft, with the model listed on the counter predominating.
[1.2.6.1] Naval units are called "Ships" and represent a single aircraft carrier (CV) or battleship (BB), each with cruisers, destroyers and escorts. In some cases a CV represents two escort carriers, and a BB represents two pocket battleships or heavy cruisers.
[1.2.6.2] Ships have individual names and these units represent real ships with individual qualities. They are not interchangeable; USS Midway really is bigger and stronger than USS Saratoga, and this is shown by each ship's different ratings.
[1.2.6.3] Axis Raider ships (72.5) function exactly like BB (Battleship) units for most purposes although they have a different economic effect. They represent small warships disguised as neutral or friendly merchant vessels.
[1.2.7] Admiral units are used with optional rule 74.0. Each one represents a small force of light carriers or cruisers plus the "strategic genius" of the named individual, usually sitting at a desk hundreds of miles away.
1.3 Counters and Force Pool
[1.3.1.1] Different colored, single-sided playing pieces (called counters or units) represent the armed forces that participated (or could have) in World War II. Sort units by nationality and type, and keep them segregated. This greatly facilitates setting up and playing the game.
[1.3.1.2] Important: Before you punch out the counters, please photocopy each counter sheet and store the copy in a safe place. That way, if you lose a counter, you will be able to make a replacement.
[1.3.1.3] Military Units are 9/16" counters, distinguished by nationality and type, as represented by numbers and symbols printed on their faces (see Red Card). The term "Unit" always refers to a ground, air or naval unit.
[1.3.1.4] Markers are 1/2" counters. The Information Marker Guide:
- Combat mode chits ("Fighting Retreat" / DEF MODE, "Blitzkrieg" / ATT MODE): used in battle. (Store in the Attacker and Defender Reserve boxes when not in use.)
- A single diagonal slash will indicate a marker that gets placed on the map (e.g. "Panama Canal CLOSED!", "British Gibraltar").
- A marker with no diagonal slash normally indicates that the marker will be placed on an off-map track or box (e.g. "UN Events Drawn Marker", "Silk Road Status").
- A "telephone" symbol will indicate that the marker is a Variant Marker (e.g. "Russian Whites", "War Plan Orange"). A diagonal cross shows that it is a "one turn only" variant.
- Event Chits (e.g. Axis Event VJ-6, UN Event VE-8) are drawn during Event pulses and they refer to corresponding parts of a player's Events Booklet.
- An Event Chit with a red triangle (e.g. UN Event WC-17) is not used in the game. These chits will be explained in a future expansion.
- Save markers (UN SAVE MARKER, AXIS SAVE MARKER) operate with the Event Chit system and are placed on each player's Save Events Card.
- Flag Markers (e.g. Estonia, Costa Rica) are always put on the Diplomatic Alignments Display to show which alliance a country belongs to.
[1.3.2] "Force Pool": This refers to each player's total collection of counters in the Game. Not every counter in the box is part of the Force Pool; some units can't be built right away but depend on certain Events to make them available in the Force Pool. See 1.3.2.1. The limit on numbers and types of military unit counters in the game is intended. Players should not add more units to the counter mix.
[1.3.2.1] Force Pool Restrictions: All units of a certain country (for example all German units, or all Soviet units) form that country's Force Pool. There are certain exceptions.
- [1.3.2.2] Planes (aircraft units) belonging to a particular country are not part of that country's Force Pool, and thus cannot be built or used in the game, unless the individual Plane counter is listed as part of the country's setup (listed in each scenario; see Book III), or else is added to the Force Pool by an Air Tech Event (see 4.3.4.2.1) during the game.
- [1.3.2.3] Ships (naval units) belonging to a particular country are not part of that country's Force Pool, and thus cannot be built or used in the game, unless the individual Ship counter is listed as part of the country's setup (listed in each scenario; see Book III), or else is added to the Force Pool by a Ship Build Event (see 4.3.4.22) during the game.
- [1.3.2.4] Certain Countries, when they join the war due to an Event, or when they set up their forces in the opening setup of a scenario, are not given their full allotment of ground or air units. Instead, their forces dribble in as a result of random Events. These countries are discussed in the rules for each scenario, but they are, in general: Australia (3.10), Canada (3.10), Free French (23.3), Legions (3.8), and NRA Chinese (43.5).
[1.3.3] Army Group (AG) counters - marked with coats of arms - and display sheets are provided to help with stacking Armies in congested portions of the map. To use an AG counter, simply remove a stack of units from the map, place an AG counter in its place, and place the stack in the corresponding box on the display. AG counters are used only for convenience; they do not otherwise affect the play of the game. All units in a display box are considered to be in the hex occupied by the corresponding AG counter. Their contents are not secret and are not concealed from the other player.
[1.3.4] Task Force (TF) counters and display sheets function with stacks of Ships, just as Army Group counters do with Armies.
Army Group and Task Force counters and display sheets are provided purely for the sake of convenience. They are not restricted to any game (VE, VJ or WC); you can use them at any time, to reduce map clutter. If you want to employ unused French Task Force counters to hold Japanese Armies, knock yourself out.
[1.3.5] Nationality abbreviations are found on counters, indicating which country the unit belongs to. The same abbreviations are also used on the maps, to show who owns particular bits of territory (especially islands). See 82.1 for the list of abbreviations.
The nationality abbreviations in AV are based on those oval stickers, used since about 1910, to identify a car's nationality. These are the most widely recognized international abbreviations for countries. Normally they're fairly obvious for English-speakers (e.g. "F" for France, "USA" for United States). Often they are based on native languages: "D" for Germany, "E" for Spain, "ZA" for South Africa; sometimes they don't make a lot of immediate sense ("CH" for Switzerland; "YV" for Venezuela). And in a few instances, e.g. "MCK" for Manchukuo, we just made them up!
[1.3.6] Scenario Countermixes: As shown in the rulebook illustration, a military unit marked with no special sign in the corner is used in Victory in Europe scenarios (VE: no corner mark). If the unit has a blue "P" corner symbol (for 'Pacific'), it is used in scenarios of Victory over Japan (VJ). Both of those groups, as well as all units with a "W" corner symbol, are used in World Conflict (WC) scenarios. All other markers, chits, etc., can be used in any scenario (as called for).
1.4 Dice
[1.4.1] Six-sided dice are called "d6s" and ten sided dice "d10s". When the rule says "roll 2d6," it means "roll two six-sided dice." "2d10" means "two ten-sided dice." A roll of "0" on a d10 is read "ten" not "zero," except when rolled as percentile dice (Rule 1.4.2), or when the rules specify to read "0" as "zero" (for instance, Rule 5.10.6 and Rule 6.4.14.6).
[1.4.2] Sometimes d10s are rolled as percentile dice. To do this, roll two d10s, with the first roll marking "tens" and the second roll marking "ones," such that 0+4 = 4, 3+9 = 39, and 0+0 being treated as 100.
[1.4.3] Players are encouraged to buy more dice. 6-sided and 10-sided dice are available from game and hobby stores. Players will save time rolling dice if they have more dice to roll.
Example: A stack of 11 German panzer corps, attacking an enemy on clear terrain in fair weather, and led by a 5-strength HQ unit, would roll a grand total of 49 ten-sided dice in one battle! This is admittedly a contrived example, and we have never seen it occur in play, but it could theoretically happen.
1.5 Sequence of Play
[1.5.1] AV is played in a series of Game-Turns, or "Turns." Each Turn represents two months of 'real time' and its name reflects this. (The first turn of a year is January/February, the second turn March/April, and so on; they are abbreviated JF, MA, MJ, JA, SO, ND). Each Turn is composed of a series of Stages. Each Stage is divided into Phases or Pulses. Each Phase or Pulse may be further divided into Steps. The Player whose Phase, Stage, Pulse, or Step is in progress is called the Phasing Player; his opponent is the non-Phasing Player.
The last turn on the Turn-Record Track is Turn 55, July/August 1946. However, players may always extend the game longer, if they desire, using Rule 105.0. Normally the game will have ended well before this point, either from one side surrendering, or player exhaustion, or else a variety of little trap doors built into the random Events. For instance, the Cold War Tensions system (Rule 51.0) often forces an early end.
[1.5.2] SEQUENCE OF PLAY - See back cover of this rule book (reproduced at the end of this document).
1.6 Year Start Stage
[1.6.1] This phase only occurs during the first Turn of each calendar year (JF 1940, JF 1941, etc.) During the Year Start Stage, each side (Axis and UN) must refill its own Events Cup with its own Event Chits (see 4.0). These will determine the random events you experience during the year.
[1.6.2] Each player places in his own side's cup the 15 chits for the game he is playing. If you are the UN Player, playing a Victory in Europe (VE) scenario, you would place the 15 UN-colored "VE" chits in the cup. In a Victory over Japan (VJ) scenario, at this time, the UN player would take the 15 UN-colored "VJ" chits and place them in the UN Events Cup.
[1.6.3] In World Conflict (WC) scenarios, you use the corresponding World Conflict (WC) Event Chits, plus that year's Event Chits for Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan. So in a World Conflict scenario, during the Year Start Stage of 1945, the Axis player would take the 15 "Axis Event VE" Chits, plus the 15 "Axis Event VJ" Chits, plus the 15 "Axis Event WC" Chits, and put all 45 of them into the Axis Events cup. Instead of a cup you might need a casserole dish!
[1.6.4] In the countermix there are ten Event Chits (five UN, five Axis) that are marked with red triangles and numbered 16 through 20. Do not use these Chits. They will be used in a future expansion.
1.7 Turn Start Stage
[1.7.1] As shown in the Sequence of Play (1.5.2; back cover of this rulebook), every turn begins with the Turn Start Stage. Follow the list, in order, given in the Sequence of Play. First you will roll for Weather (1.8). Then you will proceed to removing Delay markers (4.6), starting the Chinese Civil War (58.1), activating the Anglo-French Union (24.1.2), reopening Pearl Harbor (44.1.7.5.2), reopening the Panama Canal (44.5), checking for US Entry if Japan and Britain are at war (52.2.2.2), and finally making any Firepower/Fortitude upgrades (9.7).
1.8 Weather
[1.8.1] The global nature of the game multiplies the diversity of weather. Eight "Weather Areas" are separated by white lines on the map.
[1.8.2] To avoid clutter, weather lines are drawn through the middle of hexes rather than along hexsides. A given hex is always in the Weather Area containing the northernmost point of the hex. (For instance, hex A-2513 is in the "Continental" Weather Area.)
[1.8.3] There are eight Weather Areas, abbreviated on the map as follows: ARC (Arctic), CON (Continental), TEM (Temperate), NSUB (North Subtropical), NMON (North Monsoon), SMON (South Monsoon), SSUB (South Subtropical), ANT (Antarctic). Weather Area abbreviations are denoted with snowflakes to remind you they have to do with weather.
[1.8.4] During the Weather Phase of each Game-Turn, roll a d6. The result tells you which one of the six Weather Charts you're using that Turn. Put the Current Weather marker on the Weather Box, to remember what the roll was!
[1.8.5] WEATHER CHARTS (see Axis Events Card Booklet).
[1.8.6] AV simulates the following types of weather: Fair (F), Rain (R), Snow (S), Mud (M), and Blizzard (B). Unless otherwise stated, Rain has the same effects as Snow, and Mud has the same effects as Blizzard.
[1.8.7] Once the choice of Weather Table has been established for the Turn, then any Pulses performed this Turn may need to be cross-referenced with the appropriate Weather Table. Cross-index the Weather Area of the particular hex you're concerned with (in the left-hand column) with the calendar months of the current Game-Turn (top row). Where the two meet, there is a single letter (e.g. "F"). This is the abbreviation for the weather type which that hex has that Turn.
Example: It's July/August ("JA") of 1940 and you're going to attack into Paris (A-2605). You've rolled a 5 for weather, so you're on Table 5 this Turn. Paris is in the "Temperate" Weather Area, so cross-index "Temperate" with "JA" on Table 5. The result is F, or Fair Weather. So movement into Paris takes place in Fair Weather, as does any other movement or combat in the Temperate Area this Turn.
[1.8.8] Icebound Hexes: The water portion (only) of a hex experiencing "Blizzard" weather becomes "Icebound." The water freezes and prevents ships from moving in the hex. No Ship may enter, move in, or leave an Icebound hex. A Ship present in the hex is "trapped," and if the land portion of the hex is entered by an enemy Army, the Ship is sunk. No sea supply, Sealift, or Amphibious Assault may be conducted into, out of, or through an Icebound hex.
[1.8.9] Weather Effects: The current Weather can affect different aspects of the game including ground unit movement on land (5.2.2); ground unit movement at sea (5.4.9; 12.1.8); strength of land units in combat (7.2.3, 9.9.7); and the use of the "Blitzkrieg" combat mode (9.5.3). Note that weather has no other game effect on air or naval operations.
The lack of effect on air operations is a simplification, and Optional Rule 67.0 can compensate for it. We decided that with naval operations, in a two month turn there will be enough good weather for the fleets to get their job done.
2.0 The Map
2.1 Projection
[2.1.1.1] There are three mapsheets in AV. "Map A" includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of India and Central Asia. It is used in games of Victory in Europe, and in global World Conflict.
[2.1.1.2] "Map B" includes East Asia, Japan, Southeast Asia, the East Indies, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and much of the Pacific Ocean. It is used in Victory over Japan, and in global World Conflict.
[2.1.1.3] "Map C" includes North and South America. This map is only used in the global World Conflict scenarios.
[2.1.1.4] If playing a global World Conflict scenario, the maps should be arranged A - B - C, left to right.
[2.1.2] The map represents the areas where World War II took place, or could have taken place. A hexagon ("hex") grid is imposed on the map to regularize the movement and position of the playing pieces, like a chessboard. Each "hex" contains colors and symbols that show terrain and economic or strategic features. Boundaries between hexes ('hexsides') denote national and other borders.
[2.1.3] Terrain rules (2.2-2.4) describe and explain the terrain symbols on the map. The Terrain Key (2.1.4) gives a visual guide to each symbol.
[2.1.4] Terrain Key (see Red Card). For specific Terrain Effects, see the Terrain Effects Chart card (2.2.2).
[2.1.5] The map scale on the Benoidal Polyscalar Hydrophobic Projection is eclectic. Areas where the war took place are shown in more detail, while less 'important' areas are shown in less detail. Each hex in Europe and the Near East (from hexside to parallel hexside) represents about 210 km (130 miles); China and the Far East, 300 km (185 miles); Australia, 360 km (225 miles); Africa, 370 km (230 miles); North America, 330 km (200 miles); South America, 400 km (250 miles). Certain islands have their own scales. All naval distance is abstracted (land being more important than water).
2.2 Hex Types
[2.2.1] Terrain Hexes feature different types of "Terrain" as illustrated on the Terrain Effects Chart (2.2.2).
[2.2.2] Terrain Effects Chart - See separate card.
[2.2.3] The following rules illustrate other features besides Terrain which exist in hexes on the map and also have an impact on the Game.
[2.2.4] Glacial Hexes are impassable. An Army forced to enter a Glacial Hex is killed. Ships may "sail through" the water portion of the hex, if any; Planes may always overfly them.
[2.2.5] Coastal Hexes contain a portion of land and a portion of sea. An Army in a Coastal Hex is considered to occupy the land portion of the hex. A Ship, friendly or hostile, is free to pass through or occupy the water portion of the hex; but it may be subject to Air Transit Attacks (14.3.1) or Naval Air Raids (5.9). Coastal Hexes can be Amphibiously Assaulted (12.0).
[2.2.6.1] Straits Hexes are treated like ordinary Coastal Hexes. An Army in a Straits Hex is considered to occupy the land on both sides of the straits. A Ship treats the water portion of the hex like a Coastal Hex (2.2.5).
[2.2.6.2] The Straits Hexes of the Amazon River are "navigable" as far as Manaus (C-1417). Ships (and Amphibious Assaults) can enter this hex and the Straits Hex 'downriver' (C-1418) but cannot go further west, 'upriver.' Armies may move by Sealift (5.4) through any Friendly-controlled Straits Hexes along the entire length of the Amazon River, as far as the inland port at Iquitos (C-1514).
[2.2.7.1] Isthmus Hexes are treated like ordinary Coastal Hexes. However, players will have to use common sense and remember which side of the isthmus a particular Ship is on. It is impossible for a ship to sail "over" the isthmus (unless a canal is present - see 2.4.3).
[2.2.7.2] A Port in an Isthmus Hex is adjacent to the sea it's closest to. (Example: The Port in A-3702 is adjacent to the water in the northwest part of the hex, not the southern part of the hex.)
[2.2.7.3] Battleship (BB) "Zones of Patrol" (14.1) do not extend across the land portion of an Isthmus, unless the hex contains a canal you control. However, Carrier (CV) Zones of Patrol do!
[2.2.8] All-Sea Hexes can only be entered by Ships and Planes (5.9). Armies may only cross them via Sealift (5.4) or Amphibious Assault (12.0).
2.3 Hexsides
[2.3.1.1] Blocked Hexsides prohibit land and naval movement; no land or naval unit may cross a Blocked Hexside. Units forced to do so are destroyed. Planes may, however, cross Blocked Hexsides to carry out Naval Air Raids (5.9), Air Transit Attacks (14.3.1) or battles between Aircraft Carriers (see 14.1).
Our ubiquitous "Blocked Hexsides" represent a variety of terrain features, including high mountain ranges, lakes, impassable deserts, and other strategic or perceptual obstructions added for game purposes to force unit movement in historical directions.
[2.3.1.2] Certain Blocked Hexsides are drawn to look like water; these represent big lakes (such as Lake Michigan, next to C-2913). They are treated as Blocked. (No Amphibiously Assaulting across them!)
[2.3.2.1] Crossing Arrows connect two land masses across water. Units may move freely across these hexsides. Any attack across a Crossing Arrow imposes a -1 modifier to the Violence Number of any Armies attacking. The Violence Number of any Army defending the hex is not affected. The Crossing Arrow has no effect on Ships moving through the water portion of the hex.
[2.3.2.2] Two hexes connected by a Crossing Arrow are considered "adjacent" to each other for all other purposes, including Rail and Supply. However, a hostile Ship in either "adjacent" Crossing Arrow hex will block both Supply and Rail movement between them.
[2.3.3] Russian River Hexsides represent large Russian rivers. Units may move freely across these hexsides. Any attack across a Russian River imposes a -1 modifier to the Violence Number of any Armies attacking. The violence number of any Army defending the hex is not affected.
[2.3.4] All-Sea Hexsides can be crossed by Ships. Armies may cross an All-Sea Hexside via Sealift (5.4) or Amphibious Assault (12.0).
[2.3.5] National Boundaries delineate the borders of countries. In order to cross the boundary of a neutral country, you must "Declare War" on that country (3.3) or activate it as an ally (3.4). See Rule 8.2.3 for additional effects of National Boundaries.
Observe that National Boundaries (above) and Regional Boundaries (below) may be blocked hexsides. This will often occur when, for instance, a mountain range separates the two countries or regions. In this case the political border is not relevant.
[2.3.6] Regional Boundaries normally have no effect in the game. The most common exception is where a Regional Boundary functions as a temporary National Boundary (e.g. the Vichy border north of A-2506, or the partition line running through the middle of Poland).
[2.3.7.1] Sea Boundaries exist in only six places, all on Map A: the Baltic Sea (A-3007), the Mediterranean Sea (A-2004), the Adriatic Sea (A-2311), the Black Sea (A-2413), and the Red Sea (A-1518). They represent strategic 'chokepoints' where air patrols and artillery can prevent sea traffic. The Mediterranean Sea is also closed at the Suez Canal (A-2014).
[2.3.7.2] No naval activity of any sort (Naval Movement, Amphibious Assault, Sea Supply, or Sealift) may pass through a Sea Boundary hexside without the consent of the side controlling the Boundary.
[2.3.7.3] Baltic Sea: The Axis controls the Baltic Sea Boundary if Denmark (hex A-3007, marked with a "key") is neutral or Axis-controlled. If the USSR is neutral, Soviet ships may freely enter and leave the Baltic no matter who controls the Baltic Sea Boundary. The UN controls the Boundary only if Denmark is UN-controlled.
[2.3.7.4.1] Mediterranean Sea: In addition to the normal rule for Sea Boundaries, there are special rules for Amphibious Assaults within the Mediterranean Sea (see rule 12.1.3).
[2.3.7.4.2] The side controlling hex A-2204 (marked with a "key") controls the Mediterranean Sea Boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. For the specific effect of the Gibraltar Colony, see 24.5. The side controlling Suez (A-2014, marked with a "key") controls the Mediterranean Sea Boundary with the Red Sea.
[2.3.7.5] Adriatic Sea: The side that controls Albania (A-2311, marked with a "key") controls the Adriatic Sea Boundary. An Amphibious Assault in (or into) the Adriatic must use a "Mediterranean" Assault (see 12.1.3.1).
[2.3.7.6] Black Sea: The side that controls Istanbul (A-2413, marked with a "key") controls the Black Sea Boundary. You may not conduct Amphibious Assaults in the Black Sea unless you control Istanbul or an Event permits you to do so. (Exception: the Soviets may use their own Amphibious Assault Events in the Black Sea, including to assault Istanbul.)
[2.3.7.7] Red Sea: The side that holds Aden (A-1518, marked with a "key") controls the Red Sea Boundary.
[2.3.8] Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere Boundaries (in the Pacific Ocean) are explained in Rule 42.4.
[2.3.9] Maastricht Hexsides denote the fact that the Netherlands actually extends for some distance south of hex A-2907. No Army may cross a Maastricht Hexside so long as the Netherlands is neutral; any Army can cross it if the Netherlands is at war or conquered.
[2.3.10] Switzerland Hexsides denote neutral Switzerland. They are considered Blocked Hexsides for all purposes unless the optional "Switzerland" rule is being used (76.0).
2.4 In-Hex Symbols
[2.4.1] The In-Hex Symbols Guide (see Red Card) shows the different types of symbol that can appear within a hex on the map. Some are defined here; others are defined elsewhere in the rules (the In-Hex Symbols Guide will tell you where).
[2.4.2] "Cities": The term "city" is encountered in the rules. For Game purposes, any of the following In-Hex Symbols counts as a "city" for all purposes: CAPITAL CITY, CONFIDENCE CITY, FACTORY CITY, FORT CITY, PORT CITY, SURRENDER CITY.
[2.4.3] Canals allow ships to sail through the land portion of an isthmus hex, from one sea to the other. Ships may only sail through a Canal with the permission of the Player who controls the hex. Canals also affect the ability to project sea power to the other side of the isthmus; see 2.2.11.3). There are three Canals: Panama (C-1813), Suez (A-2014) and Kiel (A-2908).
[2.4.3.1] A Ship in a Friendly-controlled Canal hex cannot fight, intercept, or be intercepted by enemy Ships or Planes unless the canal's owning Player chooses to allow it.
[2.4.3.2] Ships marked with a special symbol may not pass through the Panama Canal (C-1813). These "Panama-proof" ships are too wide to fit into the narrow (110 foot) canal. (Other canals are wide enough to fit them.)
[2.4.4] Capital Cities ("Capitals" for short) are treated as Surrender Cities (2.4.12). They are marked as capitals purely for sentimental reasons.
[2.4.5] Convoy Ports are found only in Iran and the Soviet Union. They function for all purposes as regular Ports (2.4.9). They also have a special role when sending Lend-Lease to the USSR; see 18.8.
[2.4.6] Factory Cities ("Factories") serve as Supply Sources for friendly units (8.1). They are used to produce and repair units (18.0).
[2.4.7] Great Barrier Reef Hexes along the east coast of Australia are impassable to ships (only). No ship may enter any Great Barrier Reef hex, and no supply, Sealift or Amphibious Assault may ever be landed in or through such a hex. They are not considered "coastal" for any purpose.
[2.4.8] Great Wall of China Hexes represent more than just the actual Great Wall of China, but more specifically the ranges of hills upon which the Great Wall was constructed. Armies attacking into a Great Wall hex suffer a -1 to their Violence Number.
[2.4.9] Port Cities are the terminal points of Pipelines (8.5) and the linking points of Pipelines and land routes. Armies may only use Sealift from Port to Port using a Pipeline (5.4).
[2.4.9.1] Any coastal City (Capital, Surrender City, Factory, Confidence City or Fort) is considered a Port for all purposes. Canals and Enclaves are also always considered Ports.
[2.4.10] Rail Dots represent rail networks. A Rail Dot hex is connected by rail to all adjacent Rail Dot hexes. Units may rail move (5.3) and trace supply (8.1) along railway lines.
[2.4.10.1] Rail Dots can be either standard gauge (green) or broad gauge (blue). All blue Rail Dots are treated as green, unless the optional Rail Gauge rule (65.0) is in use.
[2.4.11] Unbuilt Rail Dots are not considered to be Rail Dots, for any purposes, until they are "built" by the play of certain Events; conditions for their "construction" are explained in the Variants (4.7). The four sets of red Rail Dots represent the Ledo Road (Burma), Alaska Highway, Trans-Africa Railway (Algeria), and Baykal-Amur Mainline Railway (eastern Siberia). All of these were built (or could have been built) during World War II.
[2.4.12] Surrender Cities play a role in national surrender. See 16.1.1.
2.5 One-Hex Islands
[2.5.1] All islands or island groups contained within a single hex are one-hex islands. An island or island group covering more than one hex is not a one-hex island.
[2.5.2] Exception: An island that fulfills the above definition, but contains a Port symbol, is not considered to be a one-hex island.
[2.5.3] A one-hex island connected to another piece of land solely by a Crossing Arrow remains a one-hex island.
[2.5.4] All one-hex islands are treated as if they contained a Port.
All one-hex islands have ports in them, but islands that take up only one hex, and have a printed Port symbol in them, are not called "one-hex islands." There are reasons for this embedded in the game system. The key is Amphibious Events that allow you to attack "one-hex islands"- by which we intended tiny Pacific atolls. We didn't want you using those events to invade "big" islands like Kyushu or Sardinia.
2.6 Map Edges
[2.6.1] Movement of any unit off the South or North edge of the map is prohibited; units forced to do so are destroyed. (Exception: if the Antarctica option is used; see Rule 75.0.)
[2.6.2] Movement off the East and West edge of the complete world map is permitted and is entirely normal since the map should be considered a continuous cylinder which has been arbitrarily split through the Atlantic Ocean in order to flatten it out. Units moving off the East or West edge immediately reappear on the opposite edge in the corresponding hex row (or either of the immediately adjacent hex rows, depending on the direction in which the unit moved off the opposite edge). In all instances, the East and West edges interact as if the world map were still rolled into a continuous cylinder.
2.7 Control of Hexes
A hex is controlled by the side that controlled it at the beginning of a scenario. A hex which did not start the scenario under your control will become controlled by you if:
- The hex is in a neutral country that joins your side;
- Armies of your side were the last to pass through it (an enemy Zone of Control is not control; see 8.3);
- If a country you are at war against surrenders, all hexes pass to your control except ones that are actually occupied by a former ally of the surrendered country.
2.8 Forts
[2.8.1] There are two kinds of Forts in the game: Fort Markers (2.8.3) and Printed Forts (2.8.4). Both have the same Effect (2.8.2).
[2.8.2] Fort Effects: An existing, functional Fort assists defending units by increasing their Fortitude (9.6.3) and protecting them from TacAir Strikes (6.5).
[2.8.3] Fort Markers: If a Fort Marker is captured by enemy forces, remove the marker from the map. The hex ceases to be a Fort for any purpose, and it cannot be rebuilt.
[2.8.4] Printed Forts: There are several special Forts "printed" on the map. Printed Forts are never destroyed. Each operates as a regular Fort (2.8.2), but only when it is occupied by Armies of the nationality specified on the Fort (or by armies of a cooperating nationality). In any other cases, Printed Forts do not function as Forts.
Printed forts represent a wide variety of special cases and situations, and saved us a great deal of time writing special rules - from the fort complex at Tobruk (which only the Allies seemed to be able to use, even though the Italians built it) to hypothetical Jewish support at Birobidzhan (B-3008, a Siberian county settled by Soviet Jews as a Bolshevik alternative to Israel, and then repressed by Stalin in one of his mood swings).
3.0 Politics
3.1 Neutrality and Alignment
[3.1.1] In Absolute Victory, each country can be in one of six possible diplomatic 'alignments', as shown either by that country's flag marker on the Diplomatic Alignments Display, or by symbols on counters:
- Pro-Nazi (aligned with Nazi Germany), often marked with a Balkenkreuz
- Pro-Japan (aligned with Imperial Japan), often marked with a Red Sun
- Neutral (not aligned with any political bloc)
- Pro-Soviet (aligned with the Soviet Union), often marked with a Red Star
- Pro-US (aligned with the United States)*
- Pro-UN (aligned with the European anti-Nazi coalition), often marked with the British Air Force roundel
* The US starts neutral (its own Flag Marker is in the "Neutral" box) but it will eventually become "pro-UN," along with all its pro-US minor allies. This means the US and its pro-US allies lose their neutrality and become full members of the UN anti-Nazi coalition. (Pro-US countries remain 'pro-US' even when they become pro-UN, because the US itself moves its Flag Marker to the pro-UN box and thus takes all of its allies with it.)
A "Pro-Nazi" country (for example) is a full-fledged partner in the Axis alliance; "pro" status does not simply mean it leans toward a side.
Countries are neutral (not part of the Axis or the United Nations coalition) unless a scenario rule states otherwise. A country only loses its neutrality if it is attacked (3.3) or as the result of an Event. When a country loses its neutrality, or (as the result of an Event) switches its allegiance to a different alignment, its flag marker is moved to the appropriate box on the Diplomatic Alignments Display to show its new alignment.
[3.1.1.1] If a country's units are marked with a Balkenkreuz, then that country and its units are automatically and permanently aligned as Pro-Nazi, if that country and its units exist in the first place.
Example: Yugoslavia has been conquered by the Germans, who now create the pro-Axis puppet Croatian regime (NDH). Since this is the only possible way the Croatian Army can exist in the game, the two Croatian units are marked with the Balkenkreuz, and there is no Croatian Flag marker. You know the Croatian Army is pro-Nazi.
[3.1.1.2] If a country's units are marked with the Red Sun symbol, then that country and its units are automatically and permanently aligned as Pro-Japan, if that country and its units exist in the first place.
[3.1.1.3] If a country's units are marked with the Red Star, then that country and its units are automatically and permanently aligned as Pro-Soviet, if that country and its units exist in the first place.
[3.1.1.4] If a country's units are marked with the British Air Force roundel, then that country and its units are automatically and permanently aligned as Pro-UN, if that country and its units exist in the first place.
[3.1.1.5] Units marked with a Hammer & Sickle symbol are Communist Partisan Armies. These are aligned as Pro-UN but with special rules (see Rule 52.7).
[3.1.1.6] Most countries' units are not marked with one of the four preceding "permanent alignment" marks. This is because those countries may change their alignments over the course of the game. All such countries have Flag Markers which are placed on the Diplomatic Alignments Display (3.1.7) to indicate which camp the country is in.
[3.1.1.7] Flag Markers with a flag symbol on them represent "nonexistent countries." These are countries which do not exist unless a Scenario says they do; these countries may be created during the course of the game by random Events. Put these Flag Markers aside when setting up the game, unless the setup instructions tell you otherwise.
[3.1.2] Great Power Permanent Alignment: Three of the Great Powers (3.2.1) - Germany, Great Britain, and Japan - are permanently aligned. Germany is always pro-Nazi; Great Britain is always pro-UN (however see 24.2), and Japan is always pro-Japan. Their respective flags are printed on the DAD (3.1.7).
[3.1.3] Three of the Great Powers (Italy, USSR, and USA - 3.2.1) can themselves be neutral depending on the scenario. The terms of their neutrality are explained in the following rules: Italy (27.1); Soviet Union (28.1 and 28.2); United States (29.0 and 53.0).
[3.1.4.1] Neutrality: While neutral, a Great Power cannot fight with any other country unless specifically permitted to do so by an Event or by scenario rules.
[3.1.4.2] Neutral Great Powers produce units by the play of certain Events. Rule 18.6.7 regarding neutral production of ships is a specific application of this rule.
[3.1.5] Neutral countries' Planes are stored in a safe, peaceful place - the "Neutral Planes Box" on The Front card - until such time as their owning countries are no longer neutral (see 3.3.8).
[3.1.6] Countries Allied with Neutrals: Some Events may cause minor countries to become allied with other neutral countries. This happens most often when Latin American countries become "pro-US" while the US itself is still neutral. Such pro-US countries share America's fate: They are neutral as long as the USA is neutral; they go to war against any country which is at war against the USA; and if the USA surrenders, those minor countries surrender immediately.
This principle holds as well for countries which, due to Events, become "minor allies" of other neutral countries such as Italy. Once a minor is bound to a neutral great power like Italy, the minor shares the great power's fate.
[3.1.6.1] Countries allied with neutrals are no longer "neutral" for Random Event purposes.
Example: The United States is neutral, and an Event makes Brazil pro-US. Brazil is now "no longer neutral for Random Event purposes" and, for instance, is no longer subject to "coup" events that would affect it if it were neutral. It is, of course, still neutral in the sense that it is not at war with anyone.
[3.1.7] Flag Markers and the Diplomatic Alignments Display: Great Powers whose alignments are permanent (3.1.2) have their national flags printed on the Diplomatic Alignments Display ("DAD"). These countries can only be aligned as shown, so they have no separate Flag Marker.
[3.1.7.1] Other countries with permanent alignments (3.1.1.1-3.1.1.4) have no Flag Markers because, if they exist at all, their alignment is indicated unambiguously by the symbol on the counter.
[3.1.7.2] All other countries have corresponding Flag Markers, which almost always begin the game in the "Neutral" box on the DAD, and then join an alignment by moving their Flag Marker from the Neutral box to the box corresponding to their new alignment.
Example: It is November/December 1941 and the USA is neutral; its Flag Marker is in the "Neutral" box. Then, the USA is suddenly and deliberately attacked by Japan - this brings the USA into the Pro-UN coalition. Move the USA Flag Marker from the Neutral box to the Pro-UN box.
[3.1.7.3] A scenario's set-up instructions will indicate which countries belong to which alignments at the time that scenario begins.
[3.1.8] Divided Axis: Although "the Axis" was a coalition of nations, it is helpful to maintain a distinction between pro-Nazi countries (aligned with Germany) and pro-Japan countries (aligned with Japan).
If a country joins the Axis Player's side due to an Event, that Event will normally specify which alignment (pro-Japan or pro-Nazi) it takes. If a country joins the Axis Player's side for some other reason where no alignment is specified (e.g. the country is invaded by the UN), then:
- If the country's capital is on Map A, it goes pro-Nazi.
- If the country's capital is on Map B, it goes pro-Japan.
- If the country's capital is on Map C, the Axis Player chooses whether to make the country pro-Nazi or pro-Japan; once the choice is made, it cannot be changed. Note: Even if an Event says to make a country on Map C "pro-Nazi" or "pro-Japan", you can always choose to change one to the other when first instructed to align that minor country.
All pro-Nazi countries share Germany's fate: They are at war against any country which is at war against Germany, and if Germany surrenders, that country surrenders immediately. The same for pro-Japan countries, pro-Soviet countries, and pro-US countries.
The chief distinction between pro-Nazi and pro-Japan alignment is that the USSR and Japan are not normally at war with each other, despite USSR being at war with Germany, and Japan being at war with the US/UK.
[3.1.9] Divided Allies: The "United Nations", like the Axis, is a coalition of nations, but it is helpful to maintain a distinction between pro-UN countries (aligned with Britain, and later with the USA) and pro-Soviet countries (aligned with the USSR).
If a country joins the UN Player's side due to an Event, that Event will normally specify which alignment (pro-UN or pro-Soviet) it takes. If a country joins the UN Player's side for some other reason where no alignment is specified (e.g. the country is invaded by the Axis), then the country will automatically become pro-UN.
The only countries which ever go pro-Soviet are ones that do so because of special Events.
All pro-UN countries share Great Britain's fate: They are at war against any country which is at war against Britain, and if Britain finally surrenders (due to the fall of its government in exile in Canada - see 24.2.4), that country surrenders immediately (and the game is over).
3.2 Minor Countries
[3.2.1] Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the USSR, the USA, France, and Japan are the "Great Powers." All other countries are called "minor countries" or "minors".
[3.2.2.1] Most minor countries have at least one unit (usually Infantry). The only countries (not colonies) which have no units at all are: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland and Nicaragua. (These countries all have Flag Markers, but none of them could field more than about 5,000 men for combat. Don't wear yourself out trying to find their units in the box when they join the war.)
[3.2.2.2] Units of Neutral minor countries are not placed on the map while they are neutral. See 3.4.
[3.2.3] If a minor country joins a Side, its units are owned by the Side it joins. Those units can move freely within territory controlled by that Side, and may stack with and cooperate in battle with each other and with friendly Great Power units (3.6). Exceptions are in 3.2.7.
[3.2.4] Minor country Armies draw supply from any hex inside their home country. They may also draw supply from any friendly Great Power Supply Source.
[3.2.5] Any Minor Country that is not neutral, i.e. that is "pro" one Side or the other, is called a "Minor Ally" of that Side.
[3.2.6] Minor Countries which have Ships, Planes and Tanks can build or repair these units; see Rule 18.9. For the building and rebuilding of minor Infantry units, see Rule 17.2.1.
[3.2.7] Minor Country Movement and Transport: Unless otherwise specified, Minor armies may move on foot (5.2), by Rail (5.3), or by Sealift (5.4.10). However, see the Cooperation rules (3.6.3).
[3.2.7.2] Units marked with a triangle may never leave their home country. Units marked with a rhomb symbol may not use Sealift (5.4.10).
[3.2.8] No minor Axis unit, except Legions (3.8), may ever enter Germany (except to pass through Germany by rail movement). Any unit forced to do so is destroyed. You can't man the Siegfried Line with Hungarians.
3.3 Declarations of War (DOW)
[3.3.1] Neutral countries may be attacked. Terms like "attack," "invade," and "declare war on" are all synonymous; a country that is violated by a Great Power (or by a Great Power's minor ally) has been "attacked."
[3.3.2] All countries that are not at war at the start of a scenario are neutral until they are attacked or join a Side as the result of an Event. Only Great Powers can initiate attacks on neutral countries, although their minor allies can participate in attacking the country that is attacked. Declarations of War can only occur during the Warfare Stage (5.0).
[3.3.3] Definition of attack: A Side may attack a neutral Great Power, or neutral Minor, at any moment during the Side's own Pulse in the Warfare Stage. The Player must verbally declare war on the country in order to be at war with it; the declaration must also be accompanied by a physical attack against that country's units, or by moving Armies onto its territory. (The simple movement of ships does not constitute an attack by itself, but an attack by ships obviously does.)
[3.3.4] An attack on a colony is the same as an attack on that colony's home country (with some minor country exceptions - see Rule 3.5).
[3.3.5.1] Either Side is always free to violate the neutrality of minor countries or of neutral Great Powers; exceptions are specified in the Scenarios or elsewhere in the Rules.
[3.3.5.2.1] A qualification to Rule 3.3.5.1 is that the ability of the UN Side to attack neutrals is hampered by American public opinion, which has a problem with the "Good Guys" acting like "Bad Guys."
[3.3.5.2.2] If the UN Side violates a neutral country's neutrality, the topmost functioning Factory in the United States suffers a permanent Production Shutdown. See Rule 18.10.
Exception: There are many Events, including Border Wars (4.3.4.9.1), which force a minor country to join a Side. In these cases, neither side has "attacked" that minor country for purposes of 3.3.5.2.2.
[3.3.5.2.3] The UN may always declare war on a neutral Vichy France, if it exists, with no US production penalty. See 23.2.
[3.3.6] When a country is attacked, it joins the side that did not attack it: UN if invaded by the Axis, and Axis if invaded by the UN. See 3.1.8.
The USSR may attack other neutral countries only due to Random Events. The Event itself will explain the alignment situation of the neutral country under attack.
[3.3.7] For Minor Country surrender rules, see Rule 16.1.
[3.3.8] Any Axis attack on a country whose capital is on Map C (the Americas) is considered to be an attack on both the United States and Great Britain. If the Axis country is prohibited from attacking the USA or Britain, it cannot initiate an attack on a minor country on Map C. (As with rule 3.3.5.2.2, 'attacks' that result automatically from Events do not trigger this rule.)
3.4 Activating Neutral Countries
[3.4.1] Certain Great Powers can start the game neutral. For these cases see the United States (29.0, 53.0), Soviet Union (28.1), Italy (27.1). For the anomalous situation of Japan see 59.1.
[3.4.2] Most minor countries start the game neutral, and most neutral countries are minor countries. A minor country will be "activated" as a member of an alliance as the result of being declared war on (3.3), or as the result of being "activated" by a random Event.
[3.4.3] When a minor country joins a Side, place its Flag Marker in the box on the Diplomatic Alignments Display appropriate to its new partnership. (An illustration shows neutral Hungary joining the Axis, as Pro-Nazi.)
[3.4.4] The minor country's units are deployed by its new controlling Player. One Army must be deployed on the country's capital city. Any other units can be freely deployed on any hex(es) belonging to that country, but no more than one unit per hex (unless this is impossible, in which case excess units may stack). If the country was activated by a Declaration of War, these deployments are made before any hostile units can actually enter the minor country.
[3.4.5] Activated Minor countries' Planes remain in the Neutral Air Units Box until the Unflipment Phase (16.3.5) of the Turn in which they entered the war. A country that ceases to be neutral (for any reason) may not use any of its Planes during its first turn at war.
[3.4.6] If a minor country becomes a minor ally of a Great Power, that minor country is only considered to be at war with any countries the Great Power itself is at war with.
[3.4.7] When minor countries join the Axis, see Rule 3.1.8 to determine whether they go pro-Nazi or pro-Japan.
3.5 Minor Colonies
GENERAL RULE: During the war, several "minor countries" had puny colonial empires of their own: the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, Spain and Norway. In addition, three CW nations (Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) had minor colonies of their own.
[3.5.0.1] Unless otherwise specified, any attack on a minor country's colony is considered an attack on the minor country itself, while an attack on the minor country automatically aligns that country's colonies with the non-invading Side.
[3.5.1.1] The Netherlands: The Dutch colonial empire consists of islands in the Caribbean Sea: Sint Maarten (C-2119) and the Dutch Antilles (C-2016 and C-2017).
[3.5.1.2] The massive Netherlands East Indies (NEI; capital at B-1208) was, historically, a Dutch colony. For its status in the Game, see 43.11.
[3.5.2] Belgium and the Belgian Congo: The Belgian colonial empire consists of a single colony, the Belgian Congo (with its arm to the sea at A-0910). For game purposes, however, the Belgian Congo is considered its own neutral, independent state: the Congo Free State (25.7). An attack on Belgium is not considered an attack on the Congo or vice versa.
[3.5.3] Portugal: The Portuguese colonial empire consists of Madeira (A-2001), São Tomé & Príncipe (A-1008), Portuguese Guinea (A-1302), Angola (including A-0710), Moçambique (including A-0516), Gôa (A-1724), Diu (A-1823), East Timor (B-1212), Açores (C-2224), and the Cape Verde Islands (C-1625). Portugal also owns the Chinese Concession of Macau (B-2008; see 43.13).
[3.5.4.1] Denmark: The Danish colonial empire consists of one colony each on Maps A and C: Greenland (NE corner of Map C) and the Føroyar (Faeroe) Islands (hex A-3403). An invasion of any Danish colony does not constitute an attack on Denmark. But an attack on Denmark itself automatically aligns all of its colonies with the non-invading side.
[3.5.4.2] Historically, Iceland was a Danish colony till it declared independence in 1944. For Game purposes it's an independent neutral country. Iceland's leaders, protected by US and British troops, feared that the Danes would reimpose colonial rule after Denmark was liberated from Nazi occupation, so the Icelanders took advantage of that occupation to declare unilateral independence from Denmark in 1944. The Danes have never quite forgiven the Icelanders for that.
[3.5.5] Spain: The Spanish colonial empire consists of various colonies on Map A: the Balearic Islands (A-2207), the Canary Islands (including A-1801), Spanish Sahara (including A-1702), Fernando Poo (A-1109), and Annobón Island (A-0909). For the anomalous status of hex A-2004, containing Gibraltar, see 24.5.
[3.5.6] Norway: The Norwegian "empire" consists of several uninhabited rocks: Svalbard (A-3907), Bouvet Island (A-0106) and, on the optional Antarctica map, Peter I Island (Ant-0307). An invasion of any Norwegian colony does not constitute an attack on Norway. However, an attack on Norway aligns all of Norway's colonies with the non-invading side.
[3.5.7] Australia: The Australian colonial empire consists of one 'large' colony - New Guinea, with its vital fortress of Rabaul in B-1419 - and several minor islands: Heard and McDonald (B-0103), Macquarie (B-0120), Lord Howe (B-0420), Norfolk (B-0521), Cocos Keeling (B-0906), Christmas (B-1008), Ashmore and Cartier (B-1011), and Nauru (B-1521).
[3.5.8] New Zealand: The NZ colonial empire consists of various minor islands: Chatham (B-0126), Kermadec (B-0625), Niue (B-1025), Tokelau (B-1225), Cook (C-0902), and Northern Cook (C-1301). It also includes, on the optional Antarctica map, Scott Island (Ant-1012) and Balleny Is. (Ant-1113).
[3.5.9] South Africa: The South African ("ZA") 'empire' consists of its neighbor South West Africa (including A-0411) and the Prince Edward Islands (A-0117). If South West Africa declares independence from a neutral South Africa (see, for example, the Axis WC-39-1 Event Card), this is not an "attack" on South Africa.
3.6 Cooperation
[3.6.1] With the exceptions below, units of all nations on the same Side can serve freely alongside and with each other. This working together is called Cooperation.
[3.6.2] Some countries cannot cooperate with each other. Units of countries which cannot cooperate cannot:
- Stack together (5.1.1).
- Trace supply from the other's supply sources (8.0).
- Use each other's oil and resources (62.0, 63.0).
- Use each other's Ports as "friendly" (13.2).
- Enter each other's territory or hexes controlled by each other. (Except when using Rail movement, and then they cannot end their move in the non-cooperating country's territory.)
Non-cooperating countries on the same side can still trace supply through each other.
[3.6.3] Minor Countries may not cooperate with other Minor Countries which border on them.
Example: Slovakia and Rumania may cooperate (if, for example, they were both Axis), because Slovakia and Rumania don't border on each other. However, Hungary and Rumania can't cooperate with each other, because they border on each other. Neither could Slovakia and Hungary, or Bulgaria and Rumania, or Yugoslavia and Greece, etc. Neighboring countries are presumed to be rivals; familiarity breeds contempt.
[3.6.4] Britain and the CW countries cannot cooperate with France (unless permitted to do so by an Event). However, British and CW Armies may cooperate with the French in mainland French Coastal Hexes. For this rule, Algeria (3.7.3.1) is not considered part of "mainland France". (Note: Treat "Free French" units as US, not French, for cooperation purposes.)
[3.6.5] No pro-Nazi nation (including Germany) may cooperate with any pro-Japan nation (including Japan) and vice-versa. Exceptions are specified in Events.
[3.6.6] The USSR may only cooperate with pro-Soviet countries. It may not cooperate with any other pro-UN country unless permitted to do so by an Event.
3.7 "Mainland" and "Colony"
[3.7.1] The term "Colony" is used in the Rules to indicate any dependent possession. For Game purposes, a country's "home" or "mainland" territory consists of the country's Capital, and that country's hexes accessible to that Capital by land movement.
[3.7.2] Any other hexes shown on the map as belonging to that country are its "colonies." The distinction is important for unit production (17.3.5).
[3.7.3.1] French Algeria is usually considered part of "mainland" France, not a French colony. So, the Surrender City at Algiers (A-2106) is French, not Algerian, for all purposes. Exception: For Partisan purposes (52.0), Algeria is never considered part of France; it is considered a French-occupied Arab country, liable to generate pro-Axis Partisans. That's what the French get for putting their provisional government in somebody else's country!
[3.7.3.2] Northern Ireland (A-3003) is considered part of Great Britain, not a British colony. (Sorry, Irish players!)
[3.7.3.3] East Prussia (A-2911) is considered part of Germany.
[3.7.3.4] Sardinia (A-2208) and Sicily (A-2109) are parts of Italy.
3.8 Legions
[3.8.1] During the course of the game, some anomalous Infantry units may be created as a result of Events. These entities are marked with a shield and are called "Legions." For most purposes, Legion units are treated as ordinary Infantry.
[3.8.2] A Legion is essentially the army of a country with no capital or home territory. It becomes part of a Great Power's force pool (1.3.2) as the result of a Random Event (e.g. 4.3.4.11). The Legion's alliance (pro-Nazi, pro-Japan, pro-UN or pro-Soviet) is shown with the Legion's flag marker (3.1), or with a permanent alignment symbol (3.1.1) on its Armies. Legions are part of these Great Power force pools:
- Pro-Nazi Legions = In German Force Pool.
- Pro-Japan Legions = In Japanese Force Pool.
- Pro-UN Legions = In British Force Pool.
- Pro-Soviet Legions = In Soviet (USSR) Force Pool.
[3.8.4] Legions can always be rebuilt as Infantry units of their Great Power (17.2.4). As units of their Great Power benefactor, if the Great Power surrenders, remove the Legion from the game.
[3.8.5] Certain Events can create the same Legion as a minor ally of either Side. Only the first side that gets to build it can ever do so.
3.9 National Leadership
[3.9.1] The National Leadership card (3.9.2) indicates the identity and the abilities of the leaders of Germany (22.1), Great Britain (24.3), the United States (55.0; 56.0), the USSR (28.5) and Japan (42.5).
3.10 The Commonwealth (CW)
[3.10.1] Countries whose units have a "crown" icon - Australia, Canada, India, Nepal, New Zealand, Newfoundland, Rhodesia, South Africa, and the three special "Commonwealth Polish" units - make up the "British Commonwealth" (CW). These nations have a special historical relationship to their 'kith and kin' in Great Britain - whose units also have the Commonwealth crown icon.
[3.10.2] Except for Great Britain herself, all CW countries are neutral at the start of the Game (unless specified by a scenario). They join the war as the result of Events, or if they are attacked. The UN Player may never declare war on any CW country.
Technically the CW countries were not really "neutral" in September 1939, but it took time for them to 'gear up' politically and militarily. For game purposes, Rhodesia and Newfoundland were 'upgraded' to sovereign nations. Despite being under British rule, both had (or had had) legislatures and prime ministers with power over domestic affairs.
[3.10.3] While CW countries are neutral, British (and other UN CW) units may enter them, use their rail networks and draw on their oil and resources. However, minor CW units themselves do not deploy and cannot leave their home country while neutral.
[3.10.4] All CW units may use British (or US, if UN) Sealift and may go anywhere in the world, as if they were British.
[3.10.5.1] CW units first enter the Force Pool only due to Events. No CW unit ever enters the Force Pool unless specified by an Event.
[3.10.5.2] Exception: If a CW country's own territory is invaded by the Axis, its entire Force Pool is deployed on the map at once, as in 3.3.7 (except, of course, for its Air Forces if any; 3.3.8).
[3.10.6] South Africa (ZA) is the one Commonwealth country that may 'switch sides' and join the Axis, depending on Events. If ZA goes pro-Nazi, all its units are immediately placed (by the Axis) in South Africa proper, and all hostile units in South Africa are immediately shattered.
[3.10.7] Commonwealth Poles: Three Polish units (two Armies and a Plane) are marked with Commonwealth crowns. If Poland has not surrendered, these units are treated as Polish for all purposes. Once Poland has surrendered a random Event may turn them into British units; they then represent Polish forces in exile fighting for the Allied cause.
We are aware that the Polish Air Force in 1939 was not flying Hawker Hurricanes! The Polish air unit is designed to reflect its evolution throughout the whole war. Still, even with its substandard PZL models, the Poles inflicted serious losses on the German invaders in 1939 (25% of German planes; 10% of German tanks) and so we are happy to give Poland a respectable air unit right off the bat.
4.0 Event Cards (Chits)
Wargames can grossly overestimate how much influence countries have over events, or each other. Many events in politics, technology, diplomacy and war are not the decisions of "great leaders"; they happen at their own pace - and of course world history is not a two player game! The Events system represents these facts in a way over which Players have only limited control. It forces Players to deal with the many competing agendas of World War II. The Axis for instance will just have to live with the 'irascible' decisions of Hitler and the political instability of his fellow fascists; the UN will have to deal with Stalin's megalomania and with intrigues and plots among their own minor allies. In short, there are approximately 2,500 separate "Events", the vast majority of which are based on actual events from the real war, or on plausible historical conjectures based on unrealized plans, alternate time-lines, and scholarly "what ifs."
We encourage beginners not to read the Events Booklets before you play the Game. Wartime leaders didn't know what was about to happen; neither should you!
"BUT WHERE ARE ALL THE CARDS?"
You're not the first person to ask this question! This rulebook refers to "Event Cards", but there are no actual, physical cards. Instead, each player has one "Event Cards Booklet" - one for the Axis, one for the UN. Look at each Event Cards Booklet; you will see that each one is divided into 516 discrete "Cards" containing Random Events - six to a page. For instance, the first "Card" on p. 2 of the UN booklet is "WC-39-1, The Liberian Coup."
These "Cards" correspond to the Random Event Chits provided in the game. When you draw a particular Chit (e.g. the Axis player draws the "VJ-5" Chit during 1942), consult the corresponding "Card" in the Events booklet (the Axis "VJ-5" Chit in 1942 refers to the Axis "VJ-42-5 Percival Surrenders" Event Card in the booklet). In the rules that follow, we therefore use the terms "Card" and "Chit" synonymously, whatever way seems more relevant to the rule in question.
Creating Actual Cards (Optional Rule): If you really prefer to use cards instead of chits, this rule permits you to jury-rig a deck of them. Players are allowed to photocopy the Events Booklets, for personal use only, onto cardstock. (We use red for the Axis and blue for the UN.) Then, cut each photocopied cardstock page into six actual "cards." A copy shop will be able to do this with precision. The result will be 1,032 physical cards, which you can use instead of the corresponding chits.
4.1 General Rules
[4.1.1] There are two Events booklets: Axis and UN. Each card has its own unique identification code, for instance, "VE-43-5". It indicates that the card is part of the Victory in Europe ("VE") group; its associated chit enters the cup at the start of 1943 ("43" - see 1.6.2 on placing chits in cups at the start of the year) and it is the fifth card pertaining to that year ("5").
[4.1.2] In any Victory in Europe scenario, use only the "VE" chits, markers and cards. Likewise, in any Victory over Japan scenario, use only "VJ" chits, markers and cards.
[4.1.3] "WC" (World Conflict) chits, markers and cards are used only in global World Conflict scenarios, in which they are added to a common pile of VE and VJ chits, enabling each side (Axis and UN) to use its entire Events booklet.
[4.1.4] Each player should have one large cup at hand when playing the game. The player puts all the Event Chits possible to be drawn during the current year, during the Year Start Stage (1.6). For instance, at the start of the 1939 Victory in Europe scenario, the UN Events Cup contains the five UN Chits that will be drawn during 1939; the Axis Events Cup likewise contains the five Axis Chits that will be drawn that year.
[4.1.5] Event chits themselves do not have a year designation on them. At the end of each year they are simply 'recycled' and apply to the Events of the new year specified in the Events booklets.
Example: If you draw the Axis VE-6 chit in 1940, it refers to the Axis VE-40-6 "Operation Seelöwe" Card; if you draw that same Axis VE-6 chit in 1941, it refers to the Axis VE-41-6 "Hitler's Canaries" Card.
[4.1.6] There are no "1946" Events, although the Game may continue into 1946. An exhausted world just runs out of Events at the end of 1945.
[4.1.7] Any Event with a box around it may only be played if it is drawn during a game of World Conflict. Ignore these 'rest of the world' Events if you are playing Victory in Europe or Victory over Japan scenarios.
4.2 Drawing Chits
[4.2.1] During an Event Pulse (5.13), the Phasing Player may draw one Chit, and only one Chit. Each time you draw one Chit, you must note this on the Event Chit Draw Track (below the Omnibus Markers Track - 4.2.4) by moving the "Event Chits Drawn" marker one box to the right for each Chit drawn (see 4.2.4).
When the number of Event Chits drawn by a Side in a Turn reaches its limit - 2 Chits per Turn in a game of Victory in Europe or Victory over Japan; 6 Chits per Turn in a game of World Conflict - your Side may not draw any further Chits that Turn.
If you happen to draw a Chit that does not correspond to a card, don't move the Chit Draw marker; discard the Chit and draw another one. Move the Chit Draw marker when you've drawn a Chit you can use.
Example: It is 1945 and the UN Player draws the VJ-15 Chit. There is no corresponding VJ-45-15 Card - because there are only 11 VJ cards in 1945 - so you discard the VJ-15 Chit and pick another Chit.
[4.2.2] Before any Event is actually played, read all the Events on the Card corresponding to that Chit, and see if any of these Events modify one another or are modified or cancelled by an Event previously drawn.
[4.2.3.1] All Events on a Card are played in the order in which they appear. Two Events may conflict with each other if one contradicts an Event played on a previous card. In that case, Players should use their best judgment (or, if that fails, flip a coin) to see which Event takes precedence. If two Events may contradict, so that the play of the later event ("A") cancels out the play of the earlier ("B"), then "A" takes precedence.
There are simply too many events (ca. 2,500) to write rules governing every theoretical contingency as to what happens if two conflicting Events occur. Both Players will have to exercise good faith rather than rules-lawyering in this department.
[4.2.3.2.1] When two Events obviously contradict each other (e.g. one Event allows you to make an Amphibious Assault, and another Event says "no Amphibious Assaults this Turn"), the prohibition always wins.
[4.2.3.2.2] An Event that prohibits another Event "this Turn" only prohibits Events that may occur later this Turn; it does not change what has already happened this Turn.
[4.2.3.2.3] Obviously impossible Events, if drawn, do not occur. For instance, if Australia has surrendered, ignore any Event telling you to deploy a new Australian Army.
[4.2.3.3] All Chits, once drawn, are open to public scrutiny; the Axis player can consult the UN Events booklet and the UN player can consult the Axis Events booklet. Drawn Chits are never secret or hidden.
[4.2.4] Do not move the Chits Drawn marker when drawing additional Chits as the result of a Conference Event (4.3.4.7 and 4.3.4.27)!
[4.2.5] Rule 16.3.3 ensures that all Chits of a given year will actually get played that year, even if only at the end of the year. Thus a 1939 Event can't get delayed somehow until 1940.
4.3 Reading the Events
[4.3.1] All the information necessary for the interpretation of Events is found in the Events themselves or in the Rules below.
[4.3.2] Each Event Card is referred to by its serial number. The serial number has three parts: The first part designates the scenario set from which each Card comes, either "VE," "VJ" or "WC" (for Victory in Europe, Victory over Japan, and World Conflict, respectively). The second part is the year in which the Card enters the Active Deck (1939 to 1945). The third part is an identifying number. Each Card also has a name, usually referring to the first Event listed on the Card.
Example: The UN VE-44-3 "The Great Cut-Off" Card comes from the Victory in Europe pile; its Chit (VE-3) enters the cup in 1944; and it is the third card in that year. (Of course, when the chits are randomly drawn, it may not be the third card seen.) In 1944, if the UN Player draws this chit, it triggers the play of this card.
[4.3.2.1] If an Event does not specifically tell you which Player is to perform the action described in the Event, the Player who drew the Event Chit is always the one designated to perform the action.
[4.3.3] All Events fall into the following categories listed in alphabetical order. Exceptions are explained in the Cards themselves.
[4.3.4.1] ADMIRAL events are only used with the optional "Admirals" rule (74.0).
[4.3.4.2.1] AIR TECH events represent the design, testing, and production of new and more lethal types of aircraft. The Event lists a country and a unit type (e.g. "Italy, C.205V"); this means, "Add one Italian C.205V air unit counter to the Italian Force Pool." These new units can now be built and repaired like all other Planes.
[4.3.4.2.2] A country may have several counters of a certain plane type (e.g. the USA has several P-51 counters), but each Air Tech Event only adds one such counter to the Force Pool (so there are several separate American P-51 Air Tech events).
[4.3.4.3] ALLIANCE Events deal with "high politics" and diplomatic deals between nations. Most Alliance Events let minor countries align themselves with the Axis or the UN as a result of peaceful diplomacy.
[4.3.4.4] AMPHIBIOUS events allow Players to conduct Amphibious Assaults like the "D-Day" Normandy invasion. See 12.0 for the details.
[4.3.4.5] ANTARCTICA events only occur if the optional Antarctica rule (75.0) is in play.
[4.3.4.6] ATROCITY events depict the "crimes against humanity" for which World War II was so famous. Each such Event normally has a harmful effect on the country perpetrating the atrocity - this is to show that the various deportations, genocides, and mass killings of the period were only accomplished by diverting vital resources away from the fighting man at the front. Nothing brings home the insanity of World War II better than watching your army melt away while your dictator indulges his maniacal racial, class, and economic fantasies.
In any Atrocity event where a hex is specified, and the Event instructs you only to flip, shatter, or remove a country's unit, it must be the closest supplied unit to the specified hex. (If more than one option, the owning player chooses.)
[4.3.4.7] AXIS CONFERENCES represent Axis diplomatic meetings at which exchanges of ideas take place. Rule 4.5 explains how these Conference Events work. Imagine a room full of cackling mad scientists and Bond villains.
[4.3.4.8] BOMBING events allow the player to attack another country's economy through strategic bombing, as explained in each Event. These Events also adjust British Strategic Warfare Effects (19.1), aiding the UN or Axis war effort. Some Bombing events have their own special rules.
[4.3.4.9.1] BORDER WAR events represent small scale conflicts which, in the context of a global war, could have been "globalized" by the intervention of Axis and UN powers. Unless otherwise noted, the rules for every Border War are as follows.
[4.3.4.9.2] For a Border War Event to occur, both countries in the Event must be neutral when the Chit is drawn. If that is so, both Sides secretly choose one of the two countries named in the Border War, in writing, and then simultaneously reveal their choices. If both chose the same country, that country "wins" the war and (for Game purposes) there is no effect; both countries remain neutral. But if each Side chose a different country, then each gets the country it chose as a minor ally (see 3.1.8). A country that joins the UN due to a Border War becomes pro-UN. A country that joins the Axis due to a Border War becomes pro-Nazi if its capital is on Map A; pro-Japan if its capital is on Map B; and the Axis Player chooses its alignment (pro-Nazi or pro-Japan) if its capital is on Map C. (See Rule 3.1.8.)
Example: The Axis Player draws the Axis WC-41-9 "The Other Pacific War" Card, and both Peru and Ecuador are neutral when the Card is drawn. A "Border War" breaks out between Peru and Ecuador. Secretly, the Axis Player picks Ecuador and the UN Player picks Peru. Both sides reveal their choices: Peru goes pro-UN, while the Axis Player must choose now whether to make Ecuador pro-Nazi or pro-Japan. (Historically, both Sides "chose" Peru; the Peruvians won and both later went on to join the UN coalition.)
[4.3.4.10] COLD WAR Events occur if the advanced "Cold War" rule (51.0) is in play, and usually raise or lower the Cold War Tensions Index.
[4.3.4.11] COUP events represent violent attempts to overthrow governments. Usually a successful "coup" causes a country to shift its allegiance from neutrality to alignment with the Axis or the UN.
[4.3.4.12] DEATH Events often announce the death of various historical figures. In most instances these deaths bring some new individual to power in the manner explained in the card. If the individual is found on the National Leadership Card (3.9.2), mark his death with a "Dead Politician" marker. Other Death Events announce the deaths of mass numbers of people in some sort of natural or man-made disaster. Some "Death" events are Storms - see Rule 4.8.
[4.3.4.13] DEPLOY events instruct the Player to deploy a unit on the map. Take the unit out of the Force Pool and deploy it as if it had been produced through normal Production.
A Garrison deployed as the result of a random Event does not count as a "Pass" for purposes of Rule 5.6.8!
[4.3.4.14] DISEASE events show the historical effect of epidemics, especially in the tropics, on the fighting ability of the troops. Unless otherwise explained, each Disease Event lets each Player flip one Army belonging to the other Player. The Player whose chit it is goes first. The units flipped must be within the area or Weather Zone designated by the Event. Unless otherwise specified, the target unit must be an Infantry unit. If no Infantry is available, then a Tank unit may be chosen. If neither Infantry nor Tank is available, you may Raid (4.3.4.20.1) any one Enemy Garrison or HQ within the specified area.
[4.3.4.15] FUEL SHORTAGE Events are of two varieties. If the Event specifies a certain action, perform that action. But if the Event simply lists a country (e.g. "Japan"), then such an Event only occurs if you are using the optional "Oil" Rule (62.0).
[4.3.4.16] GRÖFAZ Events represent strategic blunders committed by Adolf Hitler and his henchmen, which helped doom the Axis to eventual defeat. The German player is saddled with Gröfaz cards and must do his best to "play around them." If Hitler has been assassinated, the German player may be able to ignore the Gröfaz Events if a more sane leader like Karl Dönitz or Ludwig Beck takes over Germany. See rule 22.2.
German generals would refer to Hitler ironically (behind his back!) as Gröfaz - an abbreviation for "Größter Feldherr aller Zeiten" ('Greatest Field Commander of All Time', a swooning title bestowed on him by the Nazi propaganda ministry).
[4.3.4.17] NUCLEAR WAR events reflect the atomic bomb research programs of the US, Germany, Japan and the USSR. See Rule 45.0.
[4.3.4.18] PARTISAN events only occur if the Partisan Rule (52.0) is being used.
[4.3.4.19] POLITICS events usually represent certain non-violent political changes in various countries, such as elections, or personnel changes that are masterminded by politicians.
[4.3.4.20.1] RAID events usually represent "unconventional" military operations, such as paratroops, commandoes and saboteurs.
[4.3.4.20.2] Unless otherwise specified in the Event, a Raid is launched against an enemy army designated by the Player drawing the Event Card. The target Army must (unless otherwise specified) be an Infantry unit. If no Infantry unit is available, then a Tank unit may be chosen. If neither an Infantry nor a Tank unit is available, then you may Raid one enemy Garrison or HQ unit (your choice).
[4.3.4.20.3] To Raid an enemy army, simply roll a d6. If the roll is greater than the unit's Fortitude rating, the unit is shattered. On any other roll, the unit is flipped. (Note: Garrisons that are successfully raided are eliminated, not flipped. If the raid on a Garrison "fails", the Garrison stays intact.) A roll of 6, regardless of any modifiers, always shatters the unit!
Example: A Raid Event is played against a French Army (Fortitude: 4) in the Maginot Line (add +2 to Fortitude because it's in a Fort, for a total of 6). The die is rolled, and the result is 4. The Raid fails, since you needed to roll a 6 to shatter a unit with a Fortitude of 6, but the target unit does still flip.
[4.3.4.21] RED SPAIN events are only used if you have used the optional Spanish Civil War rule (79.0) and the leftists won. If not using that rule, don't confuse these "Red Spain" events with 'real' (fascist) Spain.
[4.3.4.22] SHIP BUILDS allow the player to take a particular Ship and move it from the Force Pool to the "Build Pool." See 18.5.
[4.3.4.23] SOVIET ENTRY events give the Soviet Union a chance to "get into the war" by renouncing its neutrality and declaring war on the Axis. They are explained in rule 28.2.
[4.3.4.24] SUBS events usually make automatic adjustments to Strategic Warfare Effects, benefiting either the American or German economic war effort. See 19.0.
[4.3.4.25] SWITZERLAND events occur only if the Switzerland option (76.0) is in play.
[4.3.4.26] UN CONFERENCES represent UN diplomatic meetings at which exchanges of ideas take place. Rule 4.5 explains how these Conference Events work. This works well if you're playing the UN side as a team - one brings scotch, one brings vodka and one brings Jack Daniels.
[4.3.4.27] US ELECTION events raise or lower US Presidential Popularity, and affect American elections. See Rules 55.0 and 56.0.
[4.3.4.28] US ENTRY events give the United States a chance to "get into the war" by renouncing its neutrality and declaring war on the Axis. They are explained in Rule 53.2.
[4.3.4.29] VARIANT events will instruct you to place a long-term Variant marker on the map. See Rule 4.7.
4.4 Play, Save, or Discard
[4.4.1] There are four types of Event, each marked with a symbol: "PLAY" EVENT (star symbol; 4.4.2), "SAVE" EVENT (clock symbol; 4.4.3.1), "CHOOSE" EVENT (4.4.4), "CONDITIONAL" EVENT (4.4.5).
[4.4.2] "Play" Events must be played as soon as the Chit is drawn. The player has no choice in the matter; the event must occur, if the conditions prescribed for its play exist.
[4.4.3.1] "Save" Events can be "saved up" by the player. Each Side has a "Save Events Card" with a set of "Save Markers" to place on that card when instructed to do so by a Save Event; this will remind you that you now possess the ability to perform the action described in the Event. When you actually play that Event, remove the Save Marker as a reminder that you no longer have that Event available in your arsenal. As long as a Save Event Marker is in a box, you have the right to play the Event when you are ready to do so, or as long as the requisite conditions exist.
Remember: You are only "saving" the Save Event itself; any other events on the original chit/card are played as soon as you draw it.
Important: The number of Save Markers on each Side is an absolute limit. If you run out of Save Markers, you may choose to remove one from another Save Event to place it on a newly drawn Save Event.
[4.4.3.2] Any Save Event marked on the Save Events Sheet with a "+" sign indicates an Event which can be "Reloaded" by another random Event. The box containing this sign can accommodate any number of Save Markers; the player can spend each one at the time of his choosing.
[4.4.3.3] Any Save Event marked on the Save Events Card with a (telephone) icon refers automatically to a Variant (4.7).
[4.4.4] "Choose" Events require a decision right away on the part of the player. The event has to be played right away, or discarded forever. If the requisite conditions for its play do not exist at the time it is drawn, the event can never be played; it is ignored.
[4.4.5] "Conditional" Events are dependent on the play of other events on the same Card. Situations, in which a Conditional Event can occur, are explained in the Event itself, or in a stated rule.
4.5 Conference Events
[4.5.1] Axis and UN Conference Events both function in the same way.
[4.5.2] A "Conference" Event represents a high-level diplomatic meeting between your Side's national leaders or envoys. These meetings consist of strategic brainstorming and open new options and possibilities for your alliance. As a result, when you play a Conference Event, you get to draw one additional Event Chit from your cup. This special Chit draw never moves the marker on your Event Draw Track (4.2.1).
[4.5.3] Conference Events are tied to your control of the city or place specified. If a designated city is neutral at the time the Event is drawn, the Conference Event does occur and you do draw the additional Chit. But if the designated city is controlled by the other Side, the Conference does not occur and the additional Chit may not be drawn.
This led to laughter among the playtesters, wondering if, say, the UN Conference at Yalta would go on as scheduled even if Yalta were Axis-controlled, in which case Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin would all show up for the meeting and be whisked away by the Gestapo! The answer is "no."
[4.5.4] If you are playing a game of Victory in Europe or Victory over Japan, and you draw a Conference Event listing a hex on a map which is not in play, you are considered to control the hex, for Game purposes.
[4.5.5] Events drawn as a result of Conference Events are played right away, immediately after all Events are played on the Card which caused the Conference itself.
[4.5.6] Conference 'chain reactions' can occur: you can draw one Conference and then draw another Conference as a result of it, and then another as a result of that. All Events on the first Card are played one after the other, and then the events on the next Card are played.
4.6 Delay Markers
[4.6.1] Four neutral Great Powers - Italy, USA, USSR and Japan - have "Delay" markers that arrive as the result of random Events. The Event will instruct you to put the Delay Marker on a future specified Turn Box on the Turn Record Track, usually the result of a random die roll. The effect of the Delay Marker is to prevent the designated neutral country from entering the war on a Side, until the Turn Start Stage (1.5.2) of the Turn on which the marker was placed.
[4.6.2] Beginning with the Turn the marker appears on, the controlling player has the option of activating that nation in its alignment (3.4). The player may choose not to activate the country; in this case, you may leave the marker on the Turn-Record Track as a reminder that you still have the option of bringing the country into the war at a future time.
4.7 Variants
[4.7.1] A "Variant" Event refers you to the list of Variants found at the end of that side's Events Booklet. Each Variant has its own marker which is placed on the map, unless the Variant says otherwise.
[4.7.2] The instructions in the Events Booklet will use a square sign, or another sign. Any Variant with the square sign should be placed in the particular Hex designated in the Variant instructions; a Variant with the other sign should simply be placed in some obvious location that will remind players of its effects.
[4.7.3] Variant markers cannot be "captured" or "attacked" unless the Variant specifies this. A Variant marker with a special symbol, however, must be removed from the map (permanently) if the hex it is in is occupied by a hostile army.
Variants represent important developments with long-term implications for the war. Possessing the Marker affects the game over and over again, unlike most other types of Event which happen once and then you forget about it.
[4.7.4] Any Variant instruction on an Event with a clock - for example, "VARIANT: 'BUSHIDO DOCTRINE'" on the VJ-44-9 Card - means that you must immediately put a Save Event Marker (4.4.3.1) on the relevant Save Events Card. You can expend that Marker at the appropriate time to actually create the Variant.
4.8 Storms
[4.8.1] A "Death" Event may instruct you to place a Storm marker on the map. In this event, roll 1d10 on the Storm Table (4.8.2). Read a result of "zero" as "ten."
[4.8.2] Storm Table - See separate card.
[4.8.3] A result on the Storm Table specifies an area subject to violent tropical storms, and the months during which those storms can appear.
Example: It is the July/August Turn of 1943 and you roll a 3; the result is "B-1602 - Bay of Bengal - May-December." This means that the Storm marker should be placed in hex B-1602, off the coast of India; but also that violent tropical storms can only appear there from May to December (in game terms, the May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December turns - not the January/February and March/April turns). Since it is currently July/August, the Bay of Bengal is subject to tropical storms, so you do place the "STORM" marker in hex B-1602.
[4.8.4] The Storm marker has a 'zone of storms' extending out three hexes from the marker. Any hex within three hexes of the Storm marker is subject to the effects of the Storm.
[4.8.5] Storm Effects: In every hex currently affected by a Storm, no Ship unit may move. No Ship unit may enter such a hex, and no naval combat can occur in such a hex. No Air activities of any sort (Air Raids, 5.9; or any Air Operations, 6.1) may be conducted, even in the context of land or naval combat. The weather (1.8) in any Storm-affected hex is automatically considered Mud regardless of what the ordinary Weather roll says.
[4.8.7] The Storm marker will be removed at the end of the turn, or if another Storm event is drawn while the Storm is already on the map. In that case, pick up the Storm marker from the map and place it in the new location (if possible). The original Storm has ended and its effects go away.
5.0 The Pulse System
GENERAL RULE: In chess, you move one piece at a time, and then it is your opponent's turn to move one piece. Absolute Victory employs a similar alternation between Players, known as the Pulse System.
In chess, individual pieces move one at a time, and the movement of one piece is called a "move." In AV, individual Stacks move one at a time, and the movement of one Stack is called a Pulse.
Well, at least that's the idea! As you will see below, some Pulses do not actually involve the movement of any units, but this is a good way to conceptualize things for beginners. Experienced gamers will quickly appreciate how the Pulse System ensures there is hardly any "down time" for the non-Phasing Player.
5.1 Stacks and Pulses
[5.1.1] A Stack is defined as one or more units of the same type (i.e. either Land or Naval) in a certain hex. There is no limit to the stacking of Armies, except for Garrisons (7.3.3); the stacking of Ships is restricted (13.0).
[5.1.2] A Stack may consist of Armies or Ships. If Ships and Armies are together in the same hex, they are treated as separate Stacks.
[5.1.3] Remember that a "Stack" may often consist of only one unit.
[5.1.4] During the Warfare Stage, Players move and fight with their Armies and Ships. Play proceeds by a series of alternating Pulses, with the Axis Player moving a stack of his units first and the UN Player moving a stack of his units next. This alternation is repeated until all Stacks have been moved, or until both Players "pass" and no longer wish to move any Stacks or conduct any other sort of Pulse.
[5.1.5] During an Axis Pulse, the Axis Player moves one (and only one) Stack of his units (or performs one - and only one - other kind of action). Once these units are finished moving, it is the UN Player's Pulse.
A UN Pulse works the same way.
[5.1.6] During an Axis Pulse, the Axis Player is called the "Phasing Player." During a UN Pulse, the UN Player is called the "Phasing Player." The opposite side is always called the "Non-Phasing Player."
[5.1.7] When it is a player's Pulse, the player is free to choose the type of Pulse he will perform. A Player may only choose one type of action per Pulse. There are 13 types of action, each Pulse being one action:
- Land March [5.2]
- Rail Movement [5.3]
- Sealift [5.4]
- Amphibious Assault [5.5]
- Garrison [5.6]
- Ultimatum [5.7]
- Naval Movement [5.8]
- Naval Air Raid [5.9]
- Submarine Potshot [5.10]
- Supply Raid [5.11]
- Bug Out [5.12]
- Event [5.13]
- Pass [5.14]
5.2 Land March Pulse
[5.2.1] During a Land March Pulse, the Phasing Player may move one, and only one, Stack of Friendly Armies (5.1). The Stack must start the Pulse unflipped. ("Flipped" status is crucial in this game: see 10.2).
[5.2.2] Each Army - except Garrisons, which never move - has a movement allowance of 4 Movement Points ("MPs"), and expends Movement Points whenever it enters a new hex. The cost to enter a hex depends solely on the type of weather in the hex. Terrain has no effect on Movement point costs. The costs to enter hexes are as follows:
- "Fair Weather" hex: 1 MP
- "Rain Weather" hex: 2 MPs
- "Snow Weather" hex: 2 MPs
- "Mud Weather" hex: 3 MPs
- "Blizzard Weather" hex: 3 MPs
Terrain has no effect on movement costs? Yep - units move along roads. A road through the mountains isn't that much slower than a road through the prairies, not in a two-month Turn, at any rate. Terrain does affect combat, since when you fight, you get off the road into more defensible terrain.
[5.2.3] If the hex being entered contains enemy Armies, movement pauses and combat must occur; the combat procedure (described in 9.0) is applied. There is no additional MP cost for entering an enemy-occupied hex to initiate combat.
[5.2.4] As long as a Stack has any MPs left, and is not flipped, it may keep moving after combat and continue to attack. There is, additionally, no limit at all to the number of times a given unit can be attacked.
Note the implications: If you enter a hex and attack enemy armies there, you may force those enemy armies to retreat. You may also be able to continue your move - so you can 'follow' those retreated enemy armies into the hex they retreated into, and attack them again!
[5.2.5.1] Any Stack may, as it moves, "drop off" Armies. An army which is dropped off in a hex while the rest of the Stack moves on, must flip as soon as it is dropped off.
[5.2.5.2] The exception is an army or armies left behind in the hex where the rest of the Stack began the Pulse. Those Armies do not flip if they are left behind. The owning player may move them in a later Pulse.
[5.2.6.1] As a Stack moves, it may "pick up" unflipped units in hexes that it moves through, but only if the moving Stack contains an HQ unit. The HQ unit must move into the hex where a unit is to be picked up. A stack without an HQ can't move into a hex and pick up a unit, even if the unit to be picked up is an HQ itself.
[5.2.6.2] A Stack which 'grows' in this fashion does not get an increase to its movement allowance. The Stack as a whole may only move as far as the one unit in the stack that has expended the most MPs.
[5.2.7] Any Army which moves to the fullest extent of its Movement Allowance (even if it does not engage in any combat during the turn) flips as soon as it enters the last possible hex of its movement. Even if some MPs remain, a Stack flips if a Player ceases to move it and ends his Pulse. Once Flipped, it cannot be moved again during that turn. A Stack ends its move by a) running out of MPs and flipping; b) deciding not to move any further, and flipping; c) being forced to flip and cease movement because of a Combat result. In any case, once a Stack has ended its move, it flips; the Pulse ends and the other Side's Pulse begins.
[5.2.8] Any land unit marked with a triangle is prohibited from leaving its home country. A unit marked with the rhomb symbol may leave its home country (by a Land March Pulse or a Rail Movement Pulse), but it may never move by Sealift (5.4).
5.3 Rail Movement Pulse
[5.3.1] If a Player chooses a "Rail Pulse," he may move one Stack of friendly Armies by rail, along Rail Dots (2.4.10). Only one Stack can be moved during one Pulse, and units can only Rail-move if they are still unflipped at the start of the Pulse.
[5.3.2] Units moving by rail can move an infinite distance along Friendly, controlled Rail Hexes - all the way from Narvik to Bangkok, as long as the same Side controls all the Rail Dots along the way. (Note that HQ units can function as Rail Dots: see 7.1.7.) The path taken by the unit cannot enter any hex which is not a Friendly-controlled Rail hex. Rail movement may cross Crossing Arrows between adjacent Rail Dot hexes. Rail movement may never occur along neutral or uncontrolled Rail Dots, unless an Event says so.
[5.3.3] For this purpose a Friendly-owned Rail hex in enemy ZOC (8.3) is not considered Friendly-controlled.
[5.3.4] Important: When any unit finishes its Rail movement, it flips.
[5.3.5] Any Stack moving by Rail may "drop off" units in different Hexes as the "train" moves across the map. The procedure for "dropping off" units is the same as that given in Rule 5.2.5. HQ units (see 5.2.6) may move by Rail and may pick up units along the journey as they normally would.
[5.3.6] Once all units in a stack have been Rail-moved, whether they are dropped off or stop in the last hex moved into, the Player's Pulse is over and it is now the other Player's Pulse.
[5.3.7] Note that because a unit cannot enter an Enemy-controlled hex during a Rail Pulse, units which use Rail Movement during the Turn cannot initiate combat.
5.4 Sealift Pulse
[5.4.1] Sealift represents large-scale movement of troops by ship from one Friendly Port to another Friendly Port.
[5.4.2] Sealift is not to be confused with Amphibious Assault (5.5 and 12.0). However, Sealift can be used to reinforce a beachhead captured by Amphibious Assault earlier in the Turn.
[5.4.3] If a Player chooses a "Sealift Pulse," he may move friendly Armies overseas by Sealift. The units to be moved must start the Pulse unflipped, and in a friendly-controlled Port.
[5.4.4] The Player first chooses a stack, one or more units of which he wants to move. He rolls a d6; the result is how many units in that Stack he is allowed to move by Sealift during that Pulse.
Example: The US has 4 Infantry and 2 Tank units in New York (C-2816) which it wants to transport overseas to Europe. The US Player designates this stack and rolls a d6, rolling a "4." The US Player chooses to take the 2 Tank and 2 of his 4 Infantry and move them by Sealift. The remaining 2 Infantry units stay in the hex - but they do not flip; on a subsequent Pulse he can roll again and try to move them.
[5.4.5] Units which are permitted to move by Sealift this Pulse can then be moved at sea across all-sea or coastal hexes, up to a distance of 40 hexes. Note: The path taken by the units must move from Friendly Port to Friendly Port, with no more than 15 intervening hexes between Ports.
[5.4.6] Armies never remain "at sea." They only move from port to port during the Sealift Pulse.
[5.4.7.1] When a unit arrives at its destination, it flips. The phasing Player's Pulse is then over, and it is the other Player's Pulse.
[5.4.7.2] Note that like Rail Movement (see Rule 5.3.5) a Stack moving by Sealift can also "drop off" Armies as it moves through Friendly-controlled Port hexes. Units "dropped off" in this fashion must flip as soon as they are "dropped off."
[5.4.8.1] Enemy naval action can affect Armies during Sealift. Armies are never "lost at sea," but may be forced to stop moving at a port prior to their intended destination.
[5.4.8.2] Every time a unit being moved by Sealift passes through a hex occupied by an Enemy Army, BB, or CV unit, or through the Zone of Patrol of a CV unit (14.1.3), the movement of the unit being moved by Sealift may be interdicted. Roll a d6 for each Enemy Army or Ship through which each Friendly Army moves. On a 6, the Army is interdicted and it must return to the last Friendly Port through which it moved (even if this is the hex it started in). A unit which is thus interdicted must flip; it cannot move again this Turn. This means that some units in a stack may get through, while others may be forced to stop for the turn in a port along the way.
[5.4.9] No unit may move by Sealift into, out of, or through an Icebound Hex (1.8.8) in Snow or Blizzard weather, or through a Storm (4.8).
[5.4.10] Land units with the rhomb symbol may never use Sealift.
[5.4.11] Any side with ports on the Caspian Sea may use Sealift between them.
5.5 Amphibious Assault Pulse
During an Amphibious Assault Pulse, the Phasing Player may attempt to launch Friendly troops across an all-sea hexside onto Enemy-controlled territory. Since this is a complicated action, rules for Amphibious Assaults are found in a separate section, 12.0.
5.6 Garrison Pulse
[5.6.1] If a Player chooses a "Garrison Pulse," he may attempt to build a Garrison unit on any Friendly-controlled Hex. The hex must contain at least one supplied, unflipped Infantry unit, of the same nationality as the Garrison he intends to build. This is the only action taken during a Garrison Pulse. This is also the only way Garrison units are ever deployed on the Map (except for the play of certain Events).
[5.6.2] The Phasing Player designates a particular Hex under his control, in which he wishes to build the Garrison.
[5.6.3.1] Next the Player rolls a d6 and consults the Garrison Table (5.6.3.2, see Red Card).
[5.6.4] If the result is "Failure," the Garrison is not built, and the Infantry unit flips. The Pulse is now over.
[5.6.5] If the result is "Loss," the Garrison is built, but the Infantry unit building it is shattered. The Pulse is now over.
[5.6.6] If the result is "Success," deploy the Garrison in the hex, and flip the Infantry unit. The Pulse is now over.
[5.6.7] If the result is "Freebie," deploy the Garrison in the hex, and leave the Infantry unit unflipped. The Pulse is now over, and you can use the Infantry unit for some other purpose later in the Turn if you wish.
[5.6.8] Important: Taking a Garrison Pulse counts as a "Pass" for purposes of rule 5.14.2, if the Garrison is attempted in a hex which is adjacent by land to an Enemy Army unit.
Remember that a Garrison created by an Event (not a Garrison Pulse) never counts as a "Pass" for purposes of this rule; see Rule 4.3.4.13.
[5.6.9] No Stacking: Under no circumstances may more than one Garrison ever exist in a single Hex.
[5.6.10] As an exception to 5.6.1, you may attempt to Garrison a friendly controlled hex that does not contain an Infantry unit. To do so, you must shatter the supplied, unflipped, same-nationality Infantry unit nearest (by land) to the hex you are trying to Garrison. Then roll on the Garrison Table and deploy a Garrison if the result is either "Success" or "Freebie."
5.7 Ultimatum Pulse
An "Ultimatum Pulse" represents a siege conflict where the officers of the encircling forces order the surrounded enemy troops to 'surrender or die!' A unit destroyed in an Ultimatum Pulse is said to have surrendered to the encircling forces.
[5.7.1] The Phasing Player's armies may 'attack' Isolated enemy forces (8.4) during an Ultimatum Pulse.
[5.7.2] To conduct an Ultimatum Pulse, the Phasing Player designates any one Isolated Enemy Army. The unit must be adjacent to a supplied, unflipped, Phasing Player Army.
[5.7.3] The Phasing Player then rolls a d10. If the die roll is greater than the Fortitude of the Enemy unit, that unit is destroyed and goes to the Force Pool. Any other result is a failure.
[5.7.4] After the die is rolled and the result is implemented, the unit making the Ultimatum must flip. The Pulse is now over and it is the other Player's Pulse.
5.8 Naval Movement Pulse
[5.8.1] During a Naval Movement Pulse, the phasing Player may move one Stack of his Ships. Ships are BB (Battleship) and CV (Aircraft Carrier) units. (Optional Axis Raiders count as Battleships; see Rule 72.5.)
[5.8.2] The term "Task Force" is sometimes used to mean a "Stack" of Ships. The terms "Stack" (of Ships) and "Task Force" are synonymous. For rules about the stacking of Ships, see 13.0.
Any stack of Ships can be called a "Task Force." Don't confuse this with a Task Force marker (1.3.4) which is simply a device that allows you to stack ships off the map to avoid map clutter.
[5.8.3] Every Ship has a "movement allowance" of 30. This is the number of MPs (movement points) available to the unit during the friendly Naval Pulse. A unit can move up to its full movement allowance during a friendly Naval Pulse, spending one MP for each hex it enters, regardless of weather.
[5.8.4] Ships can be moved individually or in Task Forces (stacks). Moving Task Forces can drop off units as they move; units thus 'dropped off' must "flip" and cannot move again that Turn. (Exception: A unit left behind in the hex in which that unit began the Turn is not flipped; such a unit or units may move freely during a subsequent Pulse.)
[5.8.5] A moving Task Force can pick up additional unflipped Ships as it moves (by entering the hex occupied by the additional units). Ships joining an already moving stack are assumed to have used up as many MPs as the stack that they join.
[5.8.6] Ships may move anywhere in an all-sea, coastal, straits, isthmus, or canal hexes, within the restrictions of the terrain type of the hex into which they are moving (2.2-2.4 has the list of hex types and restrictions.)
[5.8.7] The presence of Enemy Armies in a hex never affects the movement and combat of Ships, and all Ships may enter or pass through Neutral country coastal hexes, regardless of the presence of Neutral units.
[5.8.8] Exception: A moving Task Force may be subject to Air Transit Attacks (14.3).
[5.8.9] While a Task Force is moving, it may be subject to Naval Transit Attacks (14.0).
[5.8.10] While a Task Force is moving, it may move into a hex containing enemy Ships and attempt to Intercept those units and initiate Naval Combat (see 14.0).
[5.8.11] When a stack is completely finished with all its movement (either because the unit ran out of MPs, the Player moved the unit as far as he wants, or the unit was defeated in a battle) the unit is "flipped" (turned face-down) to indicate that the unit cannot be moved again until the next Turn. The Phasing Player's Pulse is now over; it's the other Player's Pulse.
5.9 Naval Air Raid Pulse
[5.9.1] In a Naval Air Raid Pulse, the Phasing Player may conduct a Naval Air Strike (6.6) against one stack of enemy Ships if those units are within Naval Air Range (6.2.2) of any of the Phasing Player's Air Bases (6.3).
[5.9.2] If the Player chooses to conduct a Naval Air Strike in this fashion, he designates an Enemy Naval Stack as his target.
[5.9.3] The non-Phasing Player may attempt to launch Counter-Air against the Naval Air Strike (6.4).
[5.9.4.1] If the Phasing Player has Air Superiority, each of his Planes remaining on The Front must attempt to Intercept the enemy Task Force. Only those Planes which successfully Intercept may attack; those which fail to Intercept are placed in the Air Committed Box.
[5.9.4.2] To conduct an Air Interception, you designate the Planes attempting the Interception and roll a d6 for each Plane; the Interception succeeds on a 1-4, and fails on a 5-6.
[5.9.5] The Phasing Player's Planes which successfully Intercept enemy Ships may attack them. The procedure is given in Rule 6.6.3.
[5.9.6] Once all Naval Air Strikes are completed, the Phasing Player places all his surviving Planes from the mission in the Air Committed Box. It is now the end of his Pulse, and the other Player's Pulse begins.
5.10 Submarine Potshot Pulse
[5.10.1.1] A "Submarine Potshot Pulse" simulates using subs to ambush Battleships and Aircraft Carriers. Only Germany and the USA may conduct Submarine Potshot Pulses: The USA only in VJ and WC scenarios and the Germans only in VE and WC scenarios.
[5.10.1.2] Each Side may only conduct one Submarine Potshot Pulse per Turn.
[5.10.2] During an Axis Submarine Potshot Pulse, Germany may conduct one Submarine Potshot. During a UN Submarine Potshot Pulse, the United States may conduct one Submarine Potshot (thus only when the US is at war). Each time one Side conducts a Potshot, place that side's "Potshot Taken" marker in the "Submarine Potshot Taken" Box on the Naval Task Force Display Sheet.
[5.10.3] In order to conduct a Submarine Potshot, the phasing Player reduces his own Strategic Warfare Rating (19.1) by one. A German Potshot reduces German SW; a US Potshot reduces US SW. If his SW Rating is already 1 (or lower), he cannot perform the Potshot.
[5.10.4] Next, the phasing Player rolls percentile dice (1.4.2). If the roll is higher than his current SW Rating, the Potshot automatically fails; your Pulse is over and the other Player's Pulse begins.
[5.10.5] If the percentile roll (5.10.4) was equal to or less than the phasing Player's current SW rating, then the phasing Player next selects any enemy BB or CV unit on the map to be his "target ship." (He may not select an Admiral or a Raider unit.) The Target Ship must be within five hexes of a cooperating Friendly port, and there can't be an intervening Enemy-controlled Sea Boundary.
[5.10.6] The Phasing Player rolls a d6 and a d10. He adds the result of the die roll. (Note: Read "0" as "zero" not "ten".) If the total is equal to or greater than the Armor Rating of the target ship, the target ship is hit. Any other roll is a failure.
[5.10.7] If the target ship is hit, roll a d6. The ship is sunk on a 6; any other result is the Repair Box in which the ship is immediately placed on the Naval Repair sheet.
[5.10.8] Once the die roll is made, and the result implemented, the Pulse ends; it is now the other Player's Pulse.
5.11 Supply Raid Pulse
[5.11.1] The Phasing Player can perform a Supply Raid Pulse if the non-Phasing Player has any Armies which trace supply through an interdicted Pipeline (8.6). Such Armies are referred to below as the "enemy Stack."
[5.11.2] The Phasing Player picks an enemy Stack and rolls a d6. The roll is the number of Armies in the Stack which the Enemy Player must flip. (Exception: If the roll was 6, the Supply Raid fails and no units are flipped.)
[5.11.3] Once the die is rolled and the unit (if any) is flipped, the Pulse is over; it is now the other Player's Pulse.
[5.11.4] Note that you can "raid" the same enemy Stack any number of times in a Turn, but only once per Pulse.
5.12 Bug Out Pulse
[5.12.1] The Phasing Player chooses a Bug Out Pulse if he wishes to eliminate any of his own Infantry, Tank, or HQ units.
[5.12.2] You don't need a Bug Out Pulse to eliminate Garrisons, since these can be voluntarily shattered at any moment during the Turn (Rule 7.3.4).
[5.12.3] In a Bug Out Pulse, the Phasing Player may voluntarily shatter any one or more of his Infantry, Tank, or HQ units on the map, and put them in the Shattered Remnants Box.
[5.12.4] Isolated units (8.4) and Japanese units may never be voluntarily shattered. (Isolated units have no place to bug out to, and Japanese units just stand and die, for macho cultural reasons.)
5.13 Event Pulse
[5.13.1] If the Phasing Player chooses an Event Pulse, he may draw one Chit from the cup if he is otherwise allowed to do so (see 4.2.1).
[5.13.2] Rules and procedures for Events are covered in Rule 4.0.
5.14 Pass Pulse
[5.14.1] If a Player is unable or unwilling to perform any other type of Pulse, he must choose a "Pass Pulse." In this case, he does nothing, and "passes the baton" back to the other Player.
[5.14.2] If both Players choose to "Pass," one after the other, the Warfare Stage ends. Neither player can "take back" his Pass; the Warfare Stage is over and you proceed to the Logistical Stage (16.0).
[5.14.3] Note that a Garrison Pulse (5.6.8) counts as a "Pass" for this purpose, if it is conducted in a hex adjacent by land to an Enemy Army. If one Player garrisons a hex in this fashion, the other Player may, if he chooses, call "Pass!" and end the Warfare Stage.
6.0 Air Operations
GENERAL RULE: To avoid cluttering the map, and to simulate the rapid redeployment of air forces from one area to another, Planes in AV exist solely in an abstract realm on "The Front." Planes are never deployed on the AV map itself; instead, they interact with armies and ships, and with each other, only on The Front. Unlike many other games, air missions occur "on demand" in individual operations, and are not grouped together in a specific "air phase."
Note that Air operations are never affected by Weather (1.8), except by Storms (4.8). In the Advanced Rules, Air operations may be affected by Weather; see 67.0, "Air Grounding."
6.1 Planes and Displays
[6.1.1] Planes have two numbers on them; see illustration on the Red Card. The first is the Air Strike Rating and the second is the Ground Strike Rating. A number followed by "G" indicates a particularly "good" unit (6.4.17.1 - often a torpedo bomber). A number followed by "B" indicates a woefully "bad" unit (6.4.17.2). A letter "T" denotes a Tank Buster (6.5.9). A letter "x" indicates that the unit is especially vulnerable to a Ship's anti-aircraft fire (6.6.6.2).
[6.1.2] A Plane may be at one of five operational statuses:
- Available: The Plane is located in the "Air Available" box. It is capable of flying a mission this Turn.
- On The Front: The Plane is currently being used on a mission, and is on the display card called "The Front." The Plane will be in its own side's "Ready" or "NavAir" box, and is either attempting a TacAir Strike (6.5) or a NavAir Strike (6.6).
- Air Superiority: The Plane is currently located in its side's Air Superiority Box. This means that the Plane is performing a counter-air mission, and is engaging in air-to-air combat with enemy Planes in their own Air Superiority Box.
- Committed: The Plane has already been used this Turn; it has returned to base but can't be used again. It is located in the "Air Committed" box.
- Damaged: The Plane has been damaged in Air-to-Air or Air-Naval combat. It cannot fly a mission. It is located in the Shattered Remnants Box.
[6.1.3] At the start of the Warfare Stage, any Planes available for use will be found in the "Air Available" Box of the appropriate Side. As the Turn progresses, Planes will be used as explained in the rules below; they will move to The Front, engage in battle, and the survivors will then go to the Air Committed Box, while those Planes which were damaged in combat will go to the Shattered Remnants Box to await repair.
Planes are never completely destroyed in battle, only shattered!
[6.1.4] The Phasing Player's Planes can be sent on two distinct kinds of Air Mission: A Tactical Air Strike and a Naval Air Strike. In addition, the other player's Planes can respond by performing a "Counter-Air" mission.
[6.1.4.1] Tactical Air (TacAir) Strike. A Tactical Air Strike is only declared as part of a Ground Combat; see Rule 6.5.
[6.1.4.2] Naval Air (NavAir) Strike. Unlike TacAir Strikes, Players have considerably more freedom about when to launch Naval Air Strikes. The Phasing Player can launch a Naval Air Strike as an Air Raid Pulse (5.9). The Non-Phasing Player can launch a Naval Air Strike as an Air Transit Attack (14.3). Both Players can launch Naval Air Strikes in conjunction with a Naval Combat (6.6).
[6.1.5] Counter-Air Strike. A Counter-Air mission can only be declared when the other Player has declared a Tactical Air Strike or a Naval Air Strike. See 6.4.
[6.1.5.1] If a Player chooses not to launch Counter-Air, then only the other Player has Planes in the battle; proceed directly to the TacAir (6.5) or NavAir (6.6) strike.
[6.1.5.2] If a Player does choose to launch Counter-Air, then count the number of Planes committed on each side. The one with more Planes has Air Superiority. (See 6.4.)
[6.1.5.3] The Player puts his Planes in his side's Air Superiority Box. Planes engaging in Air Strikes against Armies (6.5) or against Ships (6.6), the Player's Planes go to the enemy's "TacAir/NavAir" boxes on the other side of the display.
It does not matter which column each plane is placed in, but no more than one Plane goes per column. A Plane will be able to "shoot" at a target in a different column from the one where it is placed.
Example: Germany has 3 Planes committed to a particular ground battle, and the Soviets have 2. The Germans therefore have Air Superiority (6.4) for the battle. The Soviets, with the smaller number, commit all their Planes (total of 2) to Air-to-Air combat, putting them in the UN Air Superiority Box. The Germans must match them and also commit 2 Planes to Air-to-Air combat; those Planes are put in the Axis Air Superiority Box. This leaves 1 German Plane available to conduct a ground strike later on; that 1 German Plane remains on The Front in its "Air Ready" box. It doesn't matter which column the German Plane goes in; you might as well use Column 1. It goes in the Axis TacAir box.
That one "extra" German Plane will be used for a ground strike (TacAir - 6.5) on a Soviet Army. Proceed to the air-to-air combat between the Air Superiority Boxes as explained in Counter-Air (6.4). Once that is over, proceed to TacAir (6.5).
6.2 Air Range
[6.2.1] Tactical Air Range: Only Armies placed on The Front may serve as Air Bases for Tactical Air ("TacAir") Strikes, and then only against Enemy Armies also on The Front. See Rule 6.5. Counter-Air flown against these TacAir Strikes, likewise, can only come from Armies placed on The Front.
Therefore, there is really no such thing as Tactical Air "Range", as it is only used within the hex the battle is taking place in.
[6.2.2] Naval Air Range: When conducting a Naval Air Strike (6.1.4.2 and 6.6), Planes may attack the "Target Hex" (the hex containing enemy ships) if it is within Naval Air Range of the Air Base from which they are flying (6.3). Naval Air Range is two hexes (three for Japanese Planes) from the Air Base to the Target Hex.
[6.2.3] Crucial Distinction: Naval Air Range refers to land-based aircraft (Planes units in the Air Available Box) flying from Air Bases (ground units), in order to conduct Naval Air Strikes against Ships. This is a completely different game mechanic from Naval Zones of Patrol (14.1), where carrier-based aircraft fly from CV units and conduct ordinary Naval Combat (15.0) against other Ships.
6.3 Air Bases
[6.3.1] All Air Strikes (TacAir and NavAir, as well as Counter-Air Strikes that oppose them) originate in air bases. The flipped or non-flipped status of an Army in no way impedes its use as an Air Base. Using an Army as an Air Base does not flip the Army.
[6.3.2] For purpose of TacAir Strikes, and of any Counter-Air Strikes launched in the context of a TacAir Strike, an air base is any supplied Infantry, Tank, or Garrison unit committed to the battle and present on The Front (9.2).
[6.3.3.1] For purpose of NavAir Strikes, and of any Counter-Air Strikes launched in the context of a NavAir Strike, an air base is any supplied Infantry, HQ, Tank, or Garrison unit within Naval Air Range (6.2.2) of the Target Hex (the hex containing the enemy Ships you wish to attack).
[6.3.3.2] Note that a Garrison, in order to function as an Air Base, must not be Neutralized; see 7.4.
[6.3.4] IMPORTANT: No Air Base may fly more than one Plane during a single combat, under any circumstances, regardless of how many Planes might be available in the Air Available Box.
Example: The Japanese have one Garrison on Marcus Island (B-2317). A task force of American CV units approaches the island and the Japanese Player announces he is launching an Air-Naval Interception against the Americans, who are in hex B-2320. Because he has only one Army in the hex, he can only commit one Plane to the mission. If Japan also had an Infantry unit there, the hex could have flown two Planes.
[6.3.5.1] Each Plane must be of the same nationality as the Air Base.
Example: A stack of two German Infantry and one Italian Tank units can serve as an Air Base for two German Planes and one Italian Plane.
[6.3.5.2] American, Free French (23.3), British and Commonwealth Planes and Armies (if UN) are all the same nationality for purposes of rule 6.3.5.1. You may use a Rhodesian Army to launch South African Air, or a American Army to launch Indian Air, and so forth.
[6.3.6] In a Naval Air mission, or Counter-Air mission against it, Planes from multiple different hexes may be committed to the same mission, so long as all the Air Bases are within Range of the Target Hex.
Example: If an American task force is in hex B-2319, it can be simultaneously attacked by Japanese Planes operating from Midway (B-2521), Marcus Island (B-2317) and Wake Island (B-2119), assuming all those islands are under Japanese control and contain at least one active Air Base.
6.4 Air Superiority and Counter-Air
[6.4.1] If a Player announces that he is committing Planes, all play stops and the Plane commitment and combat procedure is resolved immediately before any other action of play proceeds.
[6.4.2] If one Player announces that he is launching an air mission, the other Player must immediately announce whether or not he is launching a Counter-Air Strike to fend off his opponent's air mission.
[6.4.3] If the player decides not to launch Counter-Air, he loses the opportunity to do so during that Pulse. He may not change his mind.
[6.4.4] Counter-Air must be launched from a friendly Air Base. If no such base exists within range of the Target Hex, then no Counter-Air can be launched.
[6.4.5] The Air Base for a Counter-Air mission is the same as for the type of air mission which the Counter-Air mission is countering. That is, Counter-Air flown against a TacAir Strike must be flown from friendly Armies on The Front; Counter-Air flown against a NavAir Strike must be flown from friendly Armies within Air Range of the Target Hex.
[6.4.6] If a Player responds to an air mission by launching Counter-Air, then both Players must secretly write down the Planes they wish to commit to the battle. The number of units each can launch is restricted by 6.3.4; the nationality is limited by rule 6.3.5.
[6.4.7] A Player announcing Air or Counter-Air must commit at least one Plane to the battle.
[6.4.8] Both Players simultaneously reveal their Plane commitments. If Optional Rule 67.0 is in play, proceed to Air Grounding; otherwise, proceed directly to 6.4.9, Air Superiority.
[6.4.9] Air Superiority: If one Side has committed more Planes than the other Side, the Side which commits more has Air Superiority. If both sides commit the same number of Planes, then neither Side has Air Superiority.
Example (see illustration of The Front): In this battle, there are three Italian Infantry attacking one Rhodesian. The Italians have committed their full complement of aircraft - three Planes, placed in the Axis TacAir boxes; the Rhodesian can fly only one Plane in his defense, and the US P-40 is placed in the UN TacAir box. Because the Italians have three Planes and the Allies only have one, the Italians will automatically have Air Superiority. Move the one US Plane and one Italian Plane (Axis player's choice) to their respective Air Superiority boxes at the top of The Front sheet; those two Planes will engage each other in Air-to-Air Combat (6.4.12) and play no role in the ground battle. The remaining two Italian Planes on The Front can conduct TacAir Strikes (6.5) against the Rhodesian ground unit unopposed.
[6.4.10] The Side with Air Superiority (only) may use its excess Planes to continue with the original TacAir or NavAir mission (if any).
[6.4.11] Units which are not excess can only fight each other in air-to-air combat and are not used on the original mission against ships or armies.
Example: Three American Infantry units are attacking two German Infantry units in Tunisia. The American Player announces he is committing Air to the battle (for a TacAir Strike). The German Player responds by announcing Counter-Air. Both Players write their Plane commitments and reveal them; the American has committed three Planes and the German has committed only one. The American side has Air Superiority. Since the American has a "surplus" of two units, those two units can continue with the original mission and launch TacAir Strikes against the German Infantry units; they remain on The Front. The American and the German must each place one Plane in their respective Air Superiority Boxes, to fight an air-to-air battle against the other.
[6.4.12] Air-to-Air Combat occurs simultaneously between Planes of the opposing sides, in their respective Air Superiority Boxes, with both Players rolling on the Air Strike Table (6.4.13.1). Each Plane must shoot at a Plane of the opposing side. No Plane may be shot at twice until all the other Planes on that Side have been shot at at least once, and so forth. Players may wish to tilt any unit shot at, as a reminder that it has been shot at.
[6.4.13.1] AIR STRIKE TABLE (see Red Card)
[6.4.13.2] When using the Air Strike Table for air-to-air combat, each side fires simultaneously at the other. Each Player chooses one Enemy Plane to fire at with one of his own Planes, and compares the Air Combat Value of the two units using the Air Strike Table. (For Air Combat Values with a "G" see 6.4.17.1; for Air Combat Values with a "B" see Rule 6.4.17.2.)
Simultaneously means that if one Player rolls his dice first, any shattered planes of the other side still get one chance to fire back.
[6.4.13.3] Note: A Player is not limited in his choice of which enemy planes to shoot at. If the German player has two Planes (a "Ju-87" and a "Do 17Z") and the US Player also has two Planes (a "B-25" and a "Hudson"), the German Player may choose to have his "Ju-87" unit shoot at the American's "B-25" unit, while the American Player uses his "B-25" unit to shoot at the German's "Do 17Z." In other words, you don't have to shoot at the exact same plane that shot at you.
[6.4.13.4] The Plane doing the "firing" is considered the "Attacker," and the Plane, Ship or Army being fired at is the "Defender," regardless of the overall strategic situation.
[6.4.13.5] The Attacker finds his own Air Strike Rating on the top row ("Attacker Forces") and cross-indexes this with the enemy Air Strike Rating in the left-hand column ("Defender Forces"). He cross-indexes the two, and notes the number in the box.
Example: The German's Air Strike Rating is 3 and the American's Air Strike Rating is 4. The German Player cross-indexes Attacker column 3 and Defender row 4 to find the number "7" in the box.
[6.4.13.6] The Attacker now rolls a d10. (Read "0" as "zero".) If the die roll is equal to or greater than the number in the box, his Air Strike is a success, and the enemy Plane is "hit." Any other result is a failure.
[6.4.14] A Plane which is "hit" is placed in the Shattered Remnants Box.
[6.4.15] Air Combat occurs in a single round only. Once all Planes on both Sides have shot at their targets once, remove the Planes from the Ready Boxes on The Front and place the survivors in the Air Committed boxes.
[6.4.16] Planes which were in the Air Superiority Boxes to establish Air Superiority but which didn't actually engage in any combat must still move to the Air Committed Box at the end of Air Combat.
[6.4.17.1] G for Good: Certain "good" Planes have a "G" after their Air Strike number. In this case, you may roll the attack die in Air-to-Air Combat twice; the attack is a success if either die roll counts as a hit.
[6.4.17.2] B for Bad: Certain "bad" Planes have a "B" after their Air Strike number. In this case, you must roll the attack die in Air-to-Air Combat twice; the attack is only a success if both die rolls count as a hit.
6.5 TacAir Strikes
[6.5.1] A Tactical Air ("TacAir") Strike occurs during a ground combat, as each side sends its land-based Planes from Air Bases in order to affect the odds of the ground battle on The Front. TacAir Strikes are only conducted in the context of a ground combat (see Rule 9.1 for sequence of play).
[6.5.2] Any TacAir Strike may be opposed by Counter-Air (6.4) from enemy Air Bases (6.3, 6.4) at The Front. Only the side with Air Superiority may actually fire at enemy Armies.
[6.5.3] Each Player may attempt to conduct TacAir Strikes against the other, and may do so simultaneously. In this case, both sides are said to be flying Counter-Air against the other. Once Air Superiority is determined, and Air-to-Air Combat resolved, the side with Air Superiority may then use its Planes still on The Front to conduct TacAir Strikes against the enemy Armies there.
[6.5.4.1] To perform a Tactical Air Strike, each opposing Plane selects a target Army and compares the Ground Strike Factor of the attacking Plane to the Fortitude Rating of the defending Army. The comparison uses the same Air Strike Table (see Red Card; 6.4.13.1), except that the left-hand column is used for the defending Army's Fortitude Rating. The Player rolls a d10 on the Air Strike Table (read 0 as "zero"), and if the roll is equal to or greater than the number in the box, he scores a "hit" against the defending Army: the defending Army is "shattered." It is removed immediately from The Front and placed in the Shattered Remnant Box. Any other result is a failure.
[6.5.4.2] Each Plane must shoot at an enemy Army. No Army may be shot at twice until all the other Armies on that Side have been shot at at least once, and so forth.
[6.5.5] Shattered Armies are removed from the battle and put in the Shattered Remnants Box at the end of Tactical Air combat and before ground combat. The effect of a TacAir Strike on ground forces is to clear those ground forces out of the way of the battle, preventing them from contributing to their side's success in the ensuing ground combat.
[6.5.5.1] If TacAir Strikes end up removing every attacking Army from The Front, then there is no ground combat and the Phasing Player's Pulse is over. Likewise, if TacAir Strikes end up removing every defending Army from The Front, then there is no ground combat and the Phasing Player's pulse continues (regardless of any results that would have been called for in the Combat Modes chosen for the battle). The attacking Stack is reassembled in the Battle Hex and may continue moving if that is the Phasing Player's choice.
[6.5.6] After all TacAir Strikes are resolved, all surviving Planes committed to TacAir Strikes are placed in their side's Air Committed box, to show that they can't be used again that Turn. Play proceeds to the battle between any surviving Armies (9.0), or to Shore Bombardment (11.0) if necessary.
Example (see illustration on previous page): 3 Italian Infantry are attacking one Rhodesian Infantry (Fortitude: 3) in Gimma, Italian East Africa (hex A-1316). The Italians commit 3 Air units, an MC.200 (3-1), a C.R.32 (2-1) and a C.R.42 (3-1). The Rhodesians have no Air of their own, but can commit any (6.3.5.2) Commonwealth or US Air unit; the UN player commits one American P-40 (3-1) to back up the gallant Rhodesians. All those air units come out of their respective Available Boxes and are placed on The Front, the UN unit in a "UN Air Ready" box and the three Axis units in three "Axis Air Ready" boxes. Since the Italians have Air Superiority, each side takes one of its own Air units (the Italians take the C.R.42, and the Rhodesians, of necessity, take the P-40) and they fight each other in Air-to-Air combat (6.4.12) in the Air Superiority Boxes.
Once that is over (it has no effect on the ground battle underneath), the Italians still have 2 Air units on The Front (the MC.200 and C.R.32) for a TacAir Strike on the Rhodesians. Each Italian Plane has a Ground Strike number of 1, so (consult the Air Strike Table) they will only successfully hit the Rhodesian 3-Fort infantry on a roll of 7 or higher. The MC.200 rolls a 4, but the lucky C.R.32 does roll a 9. The Rhodesian is shattered and moves to the Shattered Remnants Box. Put the Italian Air units in the Axis Air Committed Box. Since the Italian armies now occupy Gimma unopposed, they may be able to continue with their move (Rule 5.2.4).
[6.5.7] An HQ unit or a Garrison unit cannot be "Air Struck" unless all other Armies in the Stack have been "shot at" (though not necessarily hit) first. If the stack contains both an HQ and a Garrison unit, then you have to strike the HQ before you can strike the Garrison.
[6.5.8] If a stack of Armies in a Fort hex (2.4.8.1) is being hit with a TacAir Strike, the Player who controls the Fort may designate any one Army in that hex "immune" to TacAir Strikes (the Fort protects it).
[6.5.9] Tank Busters: Planes with a "T" designation are "Tank Busters." They have an advantage conducting Air Strikes against enemy Tank units. In this case, always roll two d10s on the Air Strike Table; if either roll is successful, the Tank unit is successfully hit.
[6.5.10] G or B: If a Plane's Ground Strike Rating has a G or B modification, then the unit must make the same die roll adjustments found in Rule 6.4.17 when executing a TacAir Strike.
[6.5.11] Flak: If the Plane executing a TacAir Strike has an "x" designation, it is especially vulnerable to ground-based anti-aircraft guns. Such a Plane is automatically shattered ('shot down') at the end of the TacAir Strike, regardless of its outcome. Place it in the Shattered Remnants Box.
6.6 Naval Air (NavAir) Strikes
[6.6.1] A Naval Air (NavAir) Strike occurs during an Air Transit Attack (14.3) or a Naval Air Raid Pulse (5.9), as one side sends its land-based Planes from Air Bases to intercept and attack an enemy Task Force at sea. Any Naval Air Strike may be countered by Counter-Air (6.4), if the other side has an Air Base within Range (6.2.2) of the hex where the Air Transit Attack is set to occur. As is always the case with Counter-Air, only the side with Air Superiority may actually fire at enemy ships (6.4).
[6.6.2] Each Player may attempt to conduct NavAir Strikes against the other, and must do so simultaneously. In this case, both sides are said to be flying Counter-Air against the other (6.4). Once Air Superiority is determined, and all Air-to-Air Combat resolved, the side with Air Superiority may use its Ships still on The Front to conduct NavAir Strikes against the enemy ships. Any Air Base involved in the fighting can only send one Plane to the hex, and only if the hex is in Range (6.2.2).
Unlike a land battle, where the number of Planes is restricted by the number of Armies in the battle, the only restriction in this case is the number of Air Bases within range.
[6.6.3] To perform a NavAir Strike, each opposing Plane selects a target Ship (BB or CV) and rolls a d6 plus a d10 (read 0 as "zero"). To the total, add the Plane's Ground Strike Factor. If the total (two dice plus Strike Factor) is equal to, or greater than, the Armor Rating of the ship being shot at, the target ship is damaged (and is moved into the "Hit -1" box on The Front). If the total is less than the target ship's Armor Rating, the target ship escapes unharmed and the Plane returns to the Committed Box.
[6.6.4.1] Dive Bombers: If the Ground Strike Factor of a Plane has a "G" designation, then TRIPLE that number when attacking ships. (These specialized naval dive bombers are extremely effective against warships.)
Example: The US F6F3 Plane has a strength of 6-1G. The Ground Strike Factor of "1G" is tripled to "3" when attacking ships.
[6.6.4.2] If the Ground Strike Factor of a Plane has a "B" designation, then ignore the "B" (it has no effect on NavAir).
[6.6.5] Note that you do not use the Air Strike Table when conducting a NavAir Strike. (Of course, Counter-Air flown against a NavAir Strike still uses the Air Strike Table when shooting against enemy Planes in Air-to-Air Combat.)
[6.6.6.1] How Ships Shoot Back: When a Player rolls a Naval Air Strike, pay special attention to the d10 in the roll. If this die roll is equal to, or less than, the Ship's own Airstrike Factor or Gunnery Rating (whichever is greater), then the attacking Plane is "shot down" (regardless of its success or failure at shooting at the ship). If the Plane is "shot down," place it in the Shattered Remnants Box.
[6.6.6.2] Anti-Aircraft Fire: If the Plane executing a Naval Air Strike has an "x" designation, it is especially vulnerable to the ship's anti-aircraft guns. Such a Plane is automatically shattered ('shot down') at the end of the Naval Air Strike, regardless of its outcome. Place it in the Shattered Remnants Box.
[6.6.7] Ships which are damaged in the single round of NavAir Strikes must check to see how bad the damage is. Roll a d6 for each ship damaged in NavAir Strikes. On a roll of 6, the ship is sunk. If the roll is 1-5, the ship suffers that level of damage and is placed at once in the corresponding Naval Repair Box (Rule 15.8).
[6.6.8] Once all NavAir Strikes are completed, all surviving Planes on both sides are placed in the Air Committed Boxes. Play then proceeds to the ordinary ship-to-ship naval battle, if any (15.0); or else it is the end of the Air Raid Pulse, if you were doing an Air Strike (5.9).
Example: A Task Force of two Japanese BBs, the 5-13 Ise and the 3-12 Kongo, sails out of Rabaul (B-1419). Rabaul is within Air Range of a UN stack at Port Moresby (B-1218), so the two UN units there - an American Infantry and an Australian Infantry - announce they are going to attempt an Air Transit Attack (14.3) against the Japanese Task Force before it leaves Rabaul. The UN Player commits two Planes - the Australian 5-2 "Beaufighter VID", and a US 3B-3G "B-25" - to the effort.
There are five Japanese ground units within Air Range of Rabaul, but only one Japanese Plane - a 1B-2 "Ann" - is still in the Axis Air Available Box because of other air operations earlier in the turn. The Axis decide to send the Ann into the fray.
The operation counts as an Air Transit Attack (14.3), which has the same mechanics as an Air Raid Pulse (5.9). Because the UN side has more Planes in the battle, the Japanese Ann is diverted to Air-to-Air Combat, against the Beaufighter (UN Player's choice). This leaves the B-25 to conduct the Air Strike against the Japanese ships. The UN Player chooses to bomb the weaker Kongo (Armor Rating: 12) with the B-25's 3G Ground Strike Rating, its "G" rating illustrating the B-25's superb role as a torpedo bomber. This triples the Plane's strike rating from 3 to 9 (Rule 6.6.4.1). The UN Player rolls a d6 plus a d10 (Rule 6.6.3), for a disappointing total of 4 (1 on the d10; 3 on the d6) - then adds the +9 for the Plane's own Ground Strike Rating for a combined total of 13. This is higher than the Kongo's Armor Rating of 12, so the Kongo is hit. Roll 1d6 to determine the level of damage: it's a 5, so the Kongo is placed on the "5 Turns (Repair)" box of the Naval Build Pool card. Finally, check for any impact on the Plane from the Kongo anti-aircraft guns (6.6.6.1). The d10 in the battle was a 1, which is less than the Kongo's Gunnery Rating. The result is that the B-25 is shot down and placed in the Shattered Remnants Box. The Japanese BB Ise continues on its mission unharmed.
7.0 Special Ground Units
7.1 Headquarters (HQs)
[7.1.1] An HQ Unit (7.2.3) is treated exactly like an Infantry Unit of the same nationality, with the following exceptions.
[7.1.2] For the construction, deployment and rebuilding of HQ units, see Rule 17.4.
[7.1.3] For TacAir Strikes against HQ units, see Rule 6.5.7.
[7.1.4] Friendly HQ units may stack freely with each other in hexes, but only one HQ at a time may be located on The Front (9.3.5). An HQ on The Front only takes up one column (9.3.5).
[7.1.5] Only a Stack containing an HQ may "pick up" other Armies as it moves across the map. See 5.2.6.1.
[7.1.6] At the start of any friendly Land March Pulse, an unflipped HQ unit may "fly" to any cooperating friendly-controlled hex (outside of enemy ZOC - 8.3), and may then, in the same Pulse, move normally to the extent of its movement allowance. The unit does not flip after its "flight"; it flips only after it performs its normal land move (and may include unflipped cooperating armies in its normal land move). The "flight" may be of any distance, even from Greenland to Australia. If the Player does not wish to do anything but "fly" the HQ unit, he must flip it after its "flight" and end his Pulse.
[7.1.7] Any HQ in a coastal hex functions as a Port. And in a hex that contains no Rail Dot (or a Rail Dot of the wrong gauge - see Rule 65.0), the HQ itself functions as a friendly Rail Dot for all purposes.
The ability of an HQ to function as a Port or a Rail Dot - indispensable in this game! - represents an intensive application of engineering to a particular operational situation.
7.2 Tank Units
[7.2.1] Tank Units function as Infantry Units for all purposes except as listed below.
[7.2.2] Tank Units and Infantry Units stack differently on The Front (see Rule 9.3); pay attention to the solid and hollow squares in the stacking spaces.
[7.2.3] A Tank unit on the Front has its Firepower Rating (9.6.1) doubled (that is, it throws twice as many dice in combat) if, and only if, the Tank fulfills all of the following conditions simultaneously:
- The Battle Hex is a Clear Terrain Hex;
- The Combat is taking place in Fair Weather;
- The Tank itself is in Supply.
[7.2.4] Mech Tech (Optional Rule): Tank units normally have the same combat strength (Firepower/Fortitude) as Infantry units of the same nationality. However, there is an optional rule, which will be published in Paper Wars magazine, that will improve the strength of Tank units over the course of the game to reflect technical, industrial, and doctrinal changes. The seven "Mech Tech" markers in the countermix will be used with that rule.
7.3 Garrisons
[7.3.1] A Garrison unit represents a force of one or more static divisions, about 20,000 men including engineers, heavily entrenched and lavishly provisioned.
[7.3.2] Garrisons are only built during a Garrison Pulse (5.6) or as the result of Random Events.
[7.3.3] A Garrison unit:
- Can never move;
- Functions as a Port if in a coastal hex (but does not change the status of a One-Hex Island - Rule 2.5);
- Functions as a friendly Rail Dot;
- May never stack with another Garrison unit;
- Is protected against TacAir Strikes (see 6.5.7);
- Must be attacked first if the attacker is using Shore Bombardment (11.6);
- Must take losses first if it is part of a Stack defending against Amphibious Assault; but:
- Takes losses LAST in all other combats;
- Ignores any retreat results in combat; if the Garrison survives, it never retreats. A stack containing a Garrison cannot pick the "Fighting Retreat" Combat Mode. But:
- You can voluntarily destroy the Garrison before the modes are chosen in Combat; see 7.3.4.
- A Garrison itself never requires supply (i.e. it is always in supply for all purposes - but see Rule 7.4 below.) However:
- Regardless of the previous paragraph, a Garrison itself is never, on its own, a supply source for any other unit (see 8.1.4).
[7.3.4] Eliminating a Garrison: A Player may destroy any or all of his own Garrisons voluntarily, and return them to the Force Pool, at any time during the Turn. Japanese garrisons may not be voluntarily eliminated. This is usually done because a Player has no more Garrison Units in his Force Pool and wishes to build a new Garrison in some strategically important place. The only way is to "free up" an existing Garrison by removing it from the map and returning it to the Force Pool.
7.4 Neutralizing Garrisons
[7.4.1] Garrisons are always considered to be "in supply", and as such can always function as Air Bases (6.3.3). However, it is possible to "neutralize" a Garrison Unit in a One-Hex Island (2.5). To do so, an Enemy Player takes one or more Ships and, during his Naval Movement Pulse, circles around the Garrison so that his Ship enters each of the six hexes surrounding the Garrison. Place a "Neutralized Garrison" marker on top of the Garrison to remind everyone that the Garrison is neutralized.
[7.4.2] The Garrison remains neutralized until the owning Player enters the hex with one of his own Ships. When he does so, remove the Neutralized Garrison marker; the Garrison is no longer neutralized.
[7.4.3] Don't confuse a "flipped" unit with a "neutralized" Garrison; neutralization and flipping are different things.
[7.4.4] A neutralized Garrison remains a normal Garrison for all purposes, except that it cannot serve as an Air Base.
[7.4.5] A particular Garrison may be neutralized and "un-neutralized" any number of times during a Turn. If still neutralized at the end of a Turn, it simply remains so (it can be "un-neutralized" normally the next Turn).
7.5 Élite Units (Optional Rule)
All Infantry and Tank units whose strengths appear inside a gold box (for example, the Soviet "1 Gds" Tank Army on the Red Card), are considered "Élite Units."
For the time being, treat Élite Units the same as other units of the same strength. Élite Unit rules will be published in a supplement to this game.
8.0 Army Supply
8.1 Supply Sources
[8.1.1] An Army is "in supply" if it is on or adjacent to a Friendly Supply Source.
[8.1.2] A Supply Source is any one of the following hexes. Note that to qualify as a valid Supply Source, the hex listed below must be Friendly-controlled and not in enemy ZOC (8.3). A Supply Source is:
a) Any Factory or Capital in the unit's home country; b) Any Factory or Capital in a cooperating (3.6) Great Power; c) Any Rail Hex which can trace a line of Friendly-controlled, non-Enemy-occupied Rail Hexes, to "a" or "b"; d) Any Port hex that can trace an overseas Pipeline (8.5) to "a" or "b"; e) Any combination of "c" and "d"; or f) Any Friendly HQ which is itself in supply thanks to "a", "b", "c", "d", or "e"; note that an HQ can, by itself, function as a Rail Dot or as a Port (or both); see 7.1.7.
Minor countries without Capitals can trace supply from any home country hex.
[8.1.3] A single Supply Source can supply any number of Friendly Armies.
[8.1.4] Garrison Units are always themselves in supply, but they do not function as supply sources for other units (unless they are acting as Ports or Rail Dots). Because a Garrison is always in supply, it can always serve as an Air Base, unless it is neutralized (7.4).
[8.1.5] Desert Supply: See the Terrain Effects Chart for the special rule on supply in Desert hexes. Veteran gamers will recognize this as "Bucket Brigade" supply. It makes long-range operations in the desert difficult, but not impossible.
8.2 Supply Status and Effects
[8.2.1] A unit is either "in supply" or "out of supply" for purposes of movement and combat. The supplied or out-of-supply status of an Army is judged at the moment the movement or combat occurs.
[8.2.2] Since Supply status is judged at the moment of movement or combat, Armies may be cut off from Supply and return to Supplied status several times during a Turn.
[8.2.3] Supply status directly affects an Army's ability to move and fight. Any Army which is out of supply functions just like a supplied unit, except that it:
- Subtracts 1 from its Violence Number;
- Subtracts 1 from its Fortitude, but only if the unit is both flipped and out of supply;
- Flips automatically after any combat;
- Can't employ the Blitzkrieg combat mode;
- May not use Rail Transport;
- May not cross a national border hexside (except to retreat after combat, or to re-enter its own home country);
- May not function as an Air Base;
- Tank units, if out of supply, lose their Tank combat bonus (7.2.3).
[8.2.4] Armies may remain out of supply indefinitely; Armies are never destroyed simply due to lack of supply (however, see Rule 8.4 for "Isolated" units).
8.3 Zones of Control (ZOCs)
[8.3.1] Infantry, Tank, HQ and Garrison units have Zones of Control (ZOCs).
[8.3.2] Generally speaking, the 6 hexes immediately surrounding a hex constitute the ZOC of any Army in that hex. Hexes on which a unit exerts a ZOC are called controlled hexes and they block supply for Enemy units.
Think of the army sending out "patrols" to scout nearby areas.
Example: Look at the six hexes surrounding the Peruvian Army in the illustration. The Peruvian has no ZOC in the mountain hexes (1412 and 1313) because ZOC is blocked by the intervening Blocked Hexsides. He also has no ZOC in hexes 1311 and 1211, because those are All-Sea Hexes and land unit ZOCs never extend out to sea. The Peruvian has no ZOC in hex 1411, because the enemy Japanese Army is in that hex, and a ZOC never extends into a hex containing an enemy Army. The only hex that the Peruvian actually has a ZOC in is hex 1212.
[8.3.3] A Player does not have a ZOC in a hex if the hex is occupied by an Enemy Army. The presence of a Friendly Army in a hex always negates an enemy ZOC in that hex. If a hex contains no units, and is adjacent to both Friendly and Enemy Armies, then the hex is in the ZOC of both sides.
Old Hands Note: There is no such thing in this game as a "contested" ZOC. A hex is either in a ZOC or it's not.
[8.3.4.1] ZOCs block supply. A unit may not trace supply by land through any hex in an enemy ZOC.
[8.3.4.2] ZOCs block Rail Movement (5.3.3). A unit may not move by Rail through any hex in an enemy ZOC.
[8.3.5] ZOCs never extend through Blocked Hexsides, All-Sea Hexsides or Crossing Arrows. ZOCs do extend, however, across Russian Rivers.
[8.3.6] A unit cut off from supply by ZOCs may (if unflipped) move to put itself back in supply, but must flip immediately once it is back in supply; it can't advance further.
[8.3.7] Important: A unit may not voluntarily put itself out of supply by moving into a hex where its supply would be blocked by enemy ZOCs. If a unit is already out of supply, it cannot move into another hex in which it would still be out of supply.
A unit may not move through a "hole" in an enemy line and then 'wander around' behind enemy units. A Stack of units may "punch a hole" through an enemy line and then move to the limits of its movement allowance, but it must "drop off" a Friendly unit in each hex it enters, in order to negate the Enemy ZOC.
8.4 Isolation
[8.4.1.1] An out-of-supply unit which, in theory, could not get back into supply no matter how many hexes it moved by land, is considered Isolated. This happens mainly when a unit is surrounded by Enemy units or Enemy ZOCs.
[8.4.1.2] This imaginary unlimited march route may not be traced through a neutral country's territory or enemy units or enemy ZOCs.
[8.4.2] An Army in a Coastal Hex is not considered to be Isolated, if it can (or could) trace Sea Supply to a friendly Supply Source. See 8.5.
[8.4.3] An Isolated Army suffers all the normal penalties for being out of supply (8.2.3), and is also subject to the following additional penalties.
[8.4.4] An Isolated Army may not conduct an attack, unless a mathematically possible victory (however unlikely) in such an attack would result in the Army regaining its supplied status. Isolated Armies may attempt to break out of pockets, but not launch suicidal 'banzai' attacks designed simply to maul enemy units.
[8.4.5] Units attacking isolated units add +2 to their own Violence Number.
[8.4.6] In any combat (no matter who wins or loses, or who initiates it) an isolated unit must flip at the end of the combat.
[8.4.7] Any isolated unit which shatters (whether voluntarily, or in combat) is put in the Force Pool, not the Shattered Remnants Box. (The stragglers can't escape.) A unit which is damaged in combat can't absorb hits twice (i.e. it can't be shattered to absorb some hits and then destroyed to absorb more hits); it is shattered as soon as it takes enough hits to be shattered, and is placed in the Force Pool. Another unit will have to absorb the remaining hits.
[8.4.8] Isolated units may be forced to surrender during an "Ultimatum Pulse"; see Rule 5.7.
8.5 Pipelines and Sea Supply
[8.5.1] Armies may trace supply over water. A supply line traced over water is called a "Pipeline." Supply can be traced across all-sea or coastal hexes, an unlimited distance. Note: The path taken by the supply must go from Friendly Port to Friendly Port, with no more than 15 intervening hexes between Ports.
[8.5.2] A Pipeline begins in a supplied port, is traced over sea hexes (including the water portion of coastal hexes) and ends in a friendly port (including a Garrison or HQ serving as a Port; see Rules 7.1.7 and 7.3.3).
[8.5.3] The friendly port at the "receiving" end of a Pipeline serves as a supply source for units at that end.
[8.5.4] A friendly-controlled Port cannot be used in a Pipeline if it is in an Enemy ZOC.
[8.5.5] A Pipeline can't be traced through an enemy-controlled Canal or Sea Boundary, or through the land portion of any Isthmus.
8.6 Interdiction of Pipelines
[8.6.1] Ships can interdict a Pipeline by exerting a Zone of Patrol (14.1.3) over any hex in the Pipeline.
Example (illustration, Africa/Indian Ocean): Is the supply pipeline to the Japanese army in 0816 interdicted? The carrier in 0718 blocks supply to 0717 and 0817. The BB in 0818 blocks supply to 0818 only. The British army in 0917 does not block supply at sea. So the Japanese can trace a supply pipeline 0919-0918-0917-0816.
[8.6.2] An otherwise empty hex which is in the ZOP of both Friendly and Enemy ships is not considered interdicted. In this case the one ZOC blocks the other ZOC. (The best way to interdict a Pipeline is to put a Ship in the port itself.)
[8.6.3] Interdiction of a Pipeline does not put units at the end of the Pipeline out of supply. But it does render them vulnerable to Supply Raids (5.11).
[8.6.4] Enemy Armies (or ZOCs) do not extend out to sea, and thus do not interrupt Pipelines at sea, even in the coastal waters of a hex the unit occupies.
[8.6.5] Land-based Planes (e.g. 6.6) never interdict Pipelines.
9.0 Land Combat
9.1 Sequence of Play
[9.1.1] During a March Pulse, a Stack can enter a hex containing an enemy Stack and fight a combat or "battle." A unit entering the hex is always considered to be the attacker; a unit already in the hex is called the defender, regardless of the overall strategic situation. The hex where the combat takes place is called the "Battle Hex."
[9.1.2] Only one Stack at a time may move into an enemy-occupied hex to initiate combat. A single Stack may be attacked several times during the Turn, by different enemy Stacks during subsequent Pulses. Players may not bring in "reinforcements" from the battle hex, or from other hexes, during the battle.
[9.1.2.1] Each Combat always follows this Sequence of Play:
[9.1.2.2] Land Combat Sequence of Play
- Attacking Stack enters Battle Hex
- Both sides send Armies to The Front (9.2) and to Reserves (9.4)
- Both sides secretly choose Modes (9.5)
- Both sides commit Tactical Air Support (6.5), if any
- The attacker commits Shore Bombardment (11.0)*, if any
- Both sides compute Air Superiority (6.4) and then resolve Tactical Air Strikes (6.5), if any - including any NavAir Strikes against any ships conducting Shore Bombardment.*
- Attacking side resolves Shore Bombardment (11.0)*, if any
- Both sides reveal the Modes (9.5) they have chosen
- Land Combat is resolved (10.0).
* Shore Bombardment (11.0) only occurs with Amphibious Assault (12.0).
9.2 "Troops: To The Front!"
[9.2.1] "The Front" is an off-map display representing the small part of an individual hex where fighting actually takes place. During combat, units are moved out of the hex in which the fighting is taking place, and are placed on this off-map display. Only units on The Front actually face each other in combat.
[9.2.2] When the attacker has moved forces into a Battle Hex, both the attacker and the defender remove all their armies from the Battle Hex, and assemble them in separate piles off the map. A "Battle" marker is placed in the hex to remind everyone which hex is the Battle Hex.
[9.2.3] Not every unit in the hex actually participates in battle. Only units "sent to The Front" actually face each other in combat. The other units are in Reserve (9.4); they wait somewhere "behind the lines" and do nothing. (They play cards, watch propaganda films, drink coffee and hang out with the local women, but AV doesn't actually show this.)
[9.2.4] Each player secretly selects units from his own pile and decides which of these units he will "send to The Front." Units chosen to go to The Front are placed on the off-map display called "The Front." Other units go into the Reserve (9.4).
[9.2.5] Units that were flipped on the map before the battle should be placed on The Front either flipped or tilted - just to remind the Player that the Army has been flipped and that when it goes back onto the map after the battle, it should be placed face-down. (Flipped status has no impact on the unit's ability to perform in battle, unless the unit is both flipped and out of supply - see 8.2.3.)
[9.2.6] Both sides move units from their piles to The Front. Once a unit is placed on The Front, it can't be withdrawn until the battle is over.
[9.2.7] Each side must commit at least one unit to The Front. Aside from this unit, each side may keep as many units off The Front, "in Reserve," as it wants. For Reserve units, see Rule 9.4.
[9.2.8] If the defender has a Garrison unit in the battle hex, this unit must be committed to The Front. (If you don't want it going to The Front, you can voluntarily eliminate the Garrison right away under Rule 7.3.4.)
And if the attacker has a Garrison unit in the battle hex, you've done something wrong; Garrison units can't move, so they can't possibly attack.
[9.2.9] The Axis Player places his units, one after the other, in the "Axis Ready" boxes of The Front sheet. The UN side does the same with his units in the "UN Ready" boxes. The order in which the units are placed does not matter, so both Players can do this simultaneously. Units not placed on The Front are kept in Reserve (9.4).
Example: A coup has brought Afghanistan into the Axis fold, so the British XIII corps and the Indian Eastern army rush into Afghanistan to do battle with the Afghan Royal Household Division. The Axis player puts the one Afghan army in the first column. The UN player puts his British infantry in the first column, and leaves the second column empty because of stacking limits (9.3.4). His other infantry goes in the third column. The two sides can now do battle (depending on whether any Planes have been committed to the fight).
9.3 Front Stacking Limits
[9.3.1] "Stacking" is a wargame term that refers to the number of units you can put in a single hex. A "Stacking Limit" restricts that number.
[9.3.2] Ordinarily there is no limit to the number of Armies that can be in a Stack on the map. There is one crucial exception: The Front.
[9.3.3] There are twelve "Ready Boxes" on each side on The Front. Each box can hold one unit. So no more than twelve Armies on each side may be placed on The Front.
[9.3.4] Infantry Stacking: When arranging units on The Front, Infantry units must be placed in a Ready Box with a black square or white square in it. In addition, the next Ready Box to the right must be left empty; no Army can ever be to the immediate right of an Infantry Army.
The Infantry unit is effectively taking up two columns, because an Infantry unit represents a much larger force than a Tank, Garrison, or HQ unit. Therefore it takes up more "space" on the battlefield. Careful Players will note how much this rule increases the importance of Tank units in a battle. Remember that the number of Armies in a battle determines the number of Air Bases (and thus the number of Planes - 6.3) in the battle. The Player will observe in practice how much more effective Tank units are in combined arms operations compared with Infantry, because you can cram more Tank units into a battle, and they can draw on more air support.
[9.3.5] While HQ units can always stack with each other on the map, HQ units may never stack on The Front. Each side may put only one HQ on The Front. One guy has to be in charge, and generals don't like sharing the glory.
9.4 Reserve Forces
[9.4.1] Not every unit in the battle hex (whether attacking or defending) need be committed to the Front. Units in the battle hex, but not sent to the Front, are called "Reserve Forces."
[9.4.2] Units in the attacking stack, which are not sent to the Front, are the attacker's Reserve Forces. Put them in the Attacker Reserve Box.
[9.4.3] Units in the defending stack, which are not sent to the Front, are the defender's Reserve Forces. Put them in the Defender Reserve Box.
[9.4.4] Reserve forces are not on The Front, and never participate in combat. Once the rest of the stack is sent to the Front, the Reserve forces wait around until the combat is resolved and then the Stack is "reassembled" in the Battle Hex.
[9.4.5] Determination of which units will be in Reserve and which ones will go to The Front is made separately before each combat; a particular unit can be in Reserve during one combat, then in battle during the next.
9.5 Combat Modes
[9.5.1] Once units are placed on The Front, each side secretly chooses one of the five Combat Modes appropriate to its side. There are ten chits in the countermix that indicate combat modes (marked with a combat symbol); secretly pick the appropriate chit and hide it until after Tactical Air Strikes and Shore Bombardment are resolved. Both sides then reveal their chits.
[9.5.2] The effect of the Modes on the battle is illustrated in the rules below, and on the Mode Grid (see card). Each Mode has a specific meaning and purpose and represents real objectives and decisions made by strategic-level military leaders. The Mode system is a sophisticated approximation of historic operational approaches and of their relative success against one another. It is not a simplistic "rock, paper, scissors" guessing game. Although a good guess never hurts!
[9.5.3] There are five possible Attack Modes:
- Blitzkrieg represents a swift and violent attack upon one weak spot in a line; it is designed to conquer the battle hex and keep on moving in a short amount of time. Blitzkrieg is best launched from a position of strength; if you choose Blitzkrieg and attack a stronger force, you can find yourself obliterated. The best defense against Blitzkrieg is the Defense in Depth Mode. Blitzkrieg may only be chosen in Fair Weather.
- Frontal Assault is designed to inflict casualties on the enemy, and make him bleed; it is less concerned with capturing the battle hex. It is the bloodiest kind of combat and Players who use it can expect to suffer heavy casualties themselves.
- Normal Attack is the most basic, ordinary attack; it carries with it no special bonuses or risks and is generally a "cautious" style of attacking. It is a relatively safe option when fighting over a hex which is not key to some grand strategic design.
- Night Attack represents a "low-cost" method of capturing a hex using infiltration tactics, and is especially helpful in difficult terrain like mountains and forest, because it negates the defender's advantage in rough terrain by sneaking around and through the defender's lines. A "defense in depth" position can be overwhelmed by this tactic, though it is comparatively ineffective against other Modes of defense. It is the slowest kind of attack in terms of time; even if you win the battle, your Armies must "flip" and stop moving for the rest of the Turn.
- Holding Attack is not designed to capture territory, but to hold the enemy back from being able to use his troops elsewhere. It is generally a "safe" attack if you don't have much of a numerical superiority over the defender. It is especially useful when trying to "pocket" an Army; if you hit that Army with a Holding Attack, your other Stacks can hit neighboring Armies with Blitzkrieg and blow through his lines, surrounding the first Army. Be warned: A Holding Attack can be shredded if the Enemy chooses to Counterattack.
[9.5.4] There also are five possible Defense Modes:
- Counterattack exemplifies the old adage that the best defense is a good offense: Hit him before he hits you! Counterattack is the most violent form of self-defense, and is extremely sensitive to the overall odds of the battle: if you're outnumbered, you might get totally wiped out. But you will be very effective against anybody attacking at weak odds, especially a Frontal Assault or Blitzkrieg. It is also a good option to use if you expect to be hit with a Holding Attack.
- Hold at all Costs: If you absolutely, positively must hold the hex, this is the option. Hitler liked this one ("don't give up one sacred inch of German soil!"), but don't get carried away with it like Hitler did. "Hold at all Costs" is designed above all to keep control of the hex you're defending; the price you pay is in blood and casualties. But when the smoke clears, the hex may still be in the hands of a few valiant survivors. (Then, on your Pulse, you can move in fresh troops from a different hex to bolster that part of your line.)
- Balanced Defense is the defensive equivalent of the Normal Attack; it is boring and usually safe. It is a "cautious" style of defense, a nice balance of concern for casualties and territory.
- Defense in Depth represents a layered defense, full of multiple fall-back positions. The best kind of defense against the Blitzkrieg, it is vulnerable to Night Attacks. Usually a poor choice in bad terrain - but versus tanks in clear terrain, it may be the only thing that stops the enemy.
- Fighting Retreat is the opposite of "Hold at all Costs." Its objective is to keep your Army alive to fight another day by trading time and space for lives. You give up the battle hex and minimize casualties, but you will slow the enemy down and buy time for your own side. This is a favorite Russian tactic - up to a point. Blitzkrieg is the best tactic against a Fighting Retreat. If the defending Stack contains a Garrison unit, it may not choose the "Fighting Retreat" option - because Garrisons can't retreat. However, you may choose to eliminate the Garrison (Rule 7.3.4) and then immediately choose Fighting Retreat for the remaining armies in the stack.
[9.5.5] Optional Solitaire Mode Choices: If playing the game solitaire, the player makes the best mode choice as the attacker, and then rolls 1d10 to randomly determine the defender's mode:
| d10 roll | Defender's mode |
|---|---|
| 1 | Counterattack |
| 2-3 | Hold at all Costs |
| 4-7 | Balanced Defense |
| 8-9 | Defense in Depth |
| 0 | Fighting Retreat |
If the defender is in a City (2.4), a "Fighting Retreat" roll is always converted into a "Hold at All Costs" result.
9.6 Firepower and Fortitude
Land combat in AV revolves around "Firepower" and "Fortitude." In the vocabulary of the combat soldier, Firepower is "how much you can dish out"; Fortitude is "how much you can take." A typical ground unit's strength might be 2-4 - which you read as "2-Fire, 4-Fort."
[9.6.1] Armies are rated on Firepower as either 1 or 2 strength. (Abbreviated: 1-Fire and 2-Fire). 1-Fire is bad; 2-Fire is good. The number is simply how many dice the unit throws in a normal combat. The more dice you roll, the more damage you can inflict on the enemy.
Firepower is essentially an index of offensive power, and takes into account morale, equipment, low-level commanders, and national temperament.
[9.6.2] Armies are rated on Fortitude by a number between 1 and 4. (Abbreviated: 1-Fort, 2-Fort, 3-Fort and 4-Fort). The higher the number, the higher the quality.
Fortitude is essentially an index of defensive strength, and takes into account morale, equipment, low-level commanders, and national temperament. Fortitude ratings tell you how resilient your army is to damage. Low-rated Armies tend to evaporate in combat while highly rated Armies are much more difficult to kill.
Note: Players should note that while Firepower seems like an "offensive" quality and Fortitude seems like a "defensive" quality, both ratings are used by both sides in a battle, because combat is normally simultaneous. While most games have a simplistic "I attack you all along the front, then you attack me all along the front" system, AV accurately represents the intricate ballet of forces on the battlefield.
[9.6.3] Forts (whether Printed Forts or Fort Markers - 2.8) improve the Fortitude ratings of any units defending in them, so long as the units choose the "Hold at All Costs" Defense Mode. All units using the "Hold at All Costs" Defense Mode in a Fort Hex have their Fortitude ratings raised by +2. (A Stack in a Fort hex must choose the "Hold at All Costs" Defense Mode to get the +2 bonus!)
Example: French units normally have a Fortitude of 4. However, any French unit defending with the "Hold at All Costs" mode in the Maginot Line (A-2607) has a Fortitude of 6 for such combats.
[9.6.4] If a unit is both flipped and out of Supply, it must automatically subtract 1 from its own Fortitude rating. However, a Fortitude Rating can never drop below 1.
9.7 Strength Upgrades
[9.7.1] Armies of the United States, the Soviet Union, Italy, France, and several minor countries can change their Firepower or Fortitude ratings depending on certain factors. These units are distinguished by having their Firepower or Fortitude Ratings before and after slashes.
[9.7.2.1] Firepower Ratings for both American and Soviet Armies are listed as 1/2. Armies of both nationalities function as "1" on Firepower until nine turns have passed following their entry into the war. Once nine turns have passed, these units 'upgrade' to a "2" on Firepower, and remain at that level for the rest of the Game.
[9.7.2.2] "US Upgrade" and "Soviet Upgrade" markers are provided to mark the appropriate 'upgrade turns' on the Turn-Record Track. Once the Upgrade has occurred, you may leave the Upgrade marker on the Turn Record Track as a reminder of this fact.
Example: Germany declares war on the USSR on Game-Turn 11 (May/June 1941). The UN Player counts ahead 9 Game-Turns and comes to Game-Turn 20 (November/December 1942). He places the Soviet Upgrade marker in the Game-Turn 20 box to remind him that Soviet forces 'upgrade' at the start of Turn 20.
[9.7.3] Italian and any Minor Country units which have a Fortitude rating of "1/2" use their base value, 1, unless they are stacked with a Great Power ally (normally Germany; note that Italy itself is not considered a Great Power for purposes of this rule). When so stacked, they temporarily 'upgrade' to a "2" on Fortitude, and remain so as long as they remain stacked with their Great Power ally for the duration of the battle. If caught in a hex on their own, they revert to their lower Fortitude rating.
Rommel, who had whipped the Italians in World War One discovered that the presence of a few German units helped the Italians in Africa become visibly better fighting troops. Still, he sneeringly reported casualty figures in two columns: "Men" and "Italians."
Example: Three American Armies are attacking a stack of one German and one Italian Army in North Africa. The Italian's Fortitude rating is 1/2 meaning its Fortitude is a 2 when stacked with the German, but only a 1 if left on its own. Therefore, when the Americans commit Planes to TacAir in this battle, their objective should be to do TacAir strikes on the German; if the Planes can clear the German out of the battle before the ground combat actually takes place, the lone Italian will be left with a Fortitude of only 1. Remember, of course, you can't do two TacAir Strikes on the German unless you've already done one against the Italian; see Rule 6.5.7.
[9.7.4] Fortitude Ratings for French Armies are listed as 4/3. They start the game in 1939 as 4-Fort, but degrade to 3-Fort when the Axis "Low French Morale" Variant is played. At some point during 1940 that Marker will be removed; the French then "upgrade" back to 4-Fort. The French Fortitude rating has nothing to do with stacking with a Great Power (unlike the Italians).
9.8 The Mode Grid
[9.8.1] The heart of the combat system is the "Mode Grid" (9.8.5). The Grid is made up of boxes (called "Cells") which cross-index the type of Attack Mode chosen to the type of Defense Mode chosen. For example, the Cell in the upper left is the "Blitzkrieg/Counterattack Cell"; the Cell in the lower right is the "Holding Attack/Fighting Retreat Cell."
(Illustration of a Cell, e.g. Blitzkrieg vs. Counterattack: line 1 Attacker/Defender Violence Number "Violence 6/8"; line 2 Fire Order Code "Simultaneous"; line 3 Retreat Code "Def can hold"; line 4 Flip Code "Both no flip"; then Other Instructions "Ignore terrain"; and Rout Code "Rout". Blitzkrieg is marked "Only in Fair Weather".)
[9.8.2] The first line in a Cell is the "Violence Number." This is explained in Rule 9.9.
[9.8.3] Besides the Violence Number, there are other items of information in each Cell on the Mode Grid. The following is an indexed list of each item and where it is explained in the rules:
| Code | Rule |
|---|---|
| Ignore Terrain | 9.8.4.1 |
| Fire Order: Simultaneous | 10.1.1 |
| Fire Order: Atkr Fires 1st | 10.1.2.1 |
| Fire Order: Def Fires 1st | 10.1.2.2 |
| Retreat: Def Can Hold | 10.3.2.1 |
| Retreat: Def Retreats | 10.3.2.2 |
| Retreat: No Retreat | 10.3.2.3 |
| Retreat: Ret > | 10.3.2.4 |
| Retreat: Ret x2 | 10.3.2.5 |
| Retreat: Ret x3 | 10.3.2.6 |
| Flip: A Flip on Hits | 10.2.4.1 |
| Flip: A No Flip |
[9.8.4.1] Ignore Terrain. In all Cells relating to the "Night" attack Mode or the "Counterattack" defense Mode, "Ignore Terrain" appears.
A battle taking place in such a Cell ignores any Terrain effects (9.9.5). The Night attack starts out with a slow, plodding avoidance of terrain obstacles; a Counterattack by its very nature brings Defenders "out in the open" to fight against the Attackers. Therefore, both these combats ignore Terrain Effects (9.9.5.1).
[9.8.4.2] According to Rule 7.2.3 Tank units get a special bonus in Clear Terrain and Fair Weather. This bonus is not lost even if the battle Cell reads "Ignore Terrain."
[9.8.5] The Land Mode Grid (see separate card).
9.9 The Violence Number
[9.9.1] Within each Cell there is a "Violence" Number. This is an index of the 'bloodiness' of the combat. It is expressed by two digits. For instance, in the Normal Attack/Defense in Depth Cell, the Violence number is 3/4. The digit before the slash (e.g. 3) is called the Attacker's Violence Number and the digit after the slash (e.g. 4) is the Defender's Violence Number.
[9.9.2.1] The Violence Number is used with the Firepower value of the units in the battle to determine how much carnage each side inflicts on the other side.
[9.9.2.2] In combat, Each 1-Fire unit throws one d10; each 2-Fire unit throws two d10s. Read "zero" as "ten".
[9.9.3] The Attacker compares each of his die rolls to the Attacker's Violence Number. If the roll is equal to or less than the Attacker's Violence Number, that die scores that number of "hits" on the Defender. However, if he rolls higher than the Attacker's Violence Number, it scores no hits on that die roll. This is called an "Overroll."
[9.9.4] Likewise, the Defender compares each of his own die rolls to the Defender's Violence Number. If the roll is equal to or less than the Defender's Violence Number, he scores that number of "hits" on the Attacker. However, if he rolls higher than the Defender's Violence Number, he scores no hits on that die roll ("Overroll").
Example: It is fair weather. Five Italian Infantry (1-1) attack two Australian Infantry (2-4) in a clear hex in Tunisia. Italy chooses "Frontal Assault" and the Australians choose "Balanced Defense"; the Violence number in the Frontal Assault/Balanced Defense Cell is "4/6" and the combat is simultaneous. The Italian attackers are 1-Fire; each Italian Army rolls one d10. The five rolls are: "2," "8," "1," "6," and "3." The Attacker's Violence Number is "4," so any roll over "4" is discarded ("overroll"), leaving the Italian attack with "2," "1," and "3." These are added together to produce "6."
The Italians thus score six hits on the Australians.
The Australians, being 2-Fire, roll two d10s for each of their two Armies - four rolls total. The rolls are "9," "6," "7" and "2." The Defender's Violence Number is "6," so any roll over "6" is discarded, leaving the Australians with "6" and "2." These are added to produce "8."
The Australians score eight hits on the Italians. Combat proceeds to Damage Resolution (Rule 10.0).
[9.9.5.1] Terrain Effects: The nature of a battle changes depending on the terrain it is fought on; it's easier to defend your position in the mountains than out in the open. See the Terrain Effects Chart (2.2.3 - see card). Make sure you check the terrain of the hex you are fighting in, as well as any Crossing Arrows or Russian Rivers you crossed to enter the hex.
[9.9.6] Supply Effects: Lack of supply lowers the effectiveness of a fighting force. Out of supply units subtract -1 from their Violence Number.
[9.9.7] Weather Effects: Poor weather reduces the effectiveness of a fighting force. The Weather causes the following reductions to both the Attacker and Defender Violence Numbers:
- Mud or Blizzard: -2
- Snow or Rain: -1
[9.9.7.1] Remember: Subtractions due to terrain or weather are made to the Violence Number itself, not to the die roll.
[9.9.8] All modifications to Violence Numbers are cumulative, but a Violence Number may never be reduced below "1."
Example: It's mid-1942 and 2 US 1-3 units (the 1st Airborne and the XI Corps) have just captured Buenos Aires, Argentina. Unless the pro-Nazi Argentines can retake their capital by the Surrender Phase, Argentina will surrender. The weather is Mud. Argentina can field 3 ground units (all 1-2) for the assault on Buenos Aires: the I Corps, the Territorial Guard and the "Malvinas" division.
The Argentines choose Normal Attack while the bold Yanks choose to Counterattack. The appropriate Mode Grid Cell indicates a Violence of 4/7 (4 for the Argentine attackers; 7 for the US defenders). But because of the Mud weather imposing a -2 modifier to the Violence Numbers of both sides, the Attacker's Violence is 2 and the Defender's is 5. So when the Argentines roll their 3 dice, they will hit on a 2 or less; when the Yanks roll their 2 dice, they will hit on a 5 or less.
10.0 Land Combat Resolution
GENERAL RULE: The Land Combat Resolution system simulates three aspects of mobile land warfare: Damage (severity of casualties inflicted on each army in the battle, measured by whether the army is "shattered" or "killed"), Flipping (an abstraction that shows the amount of time the army has used up during the battle), and Retreat (whether the defending army was dislodged from its position, or whether it held the ground it was trying to hold). Damage only affects those units actually "at The Front," not in Reserve. Flipping and Retreat can affect the entire stack in the battle hex, including the Reserves, regardless of whether or not the units affected actually participated in the battle.
10.1 Damage to Units at The Front
[10.1.1] When all the Armies, Modes, and modifiers have been revealed and noted, and after all Tactical Air Strikes and Shore Bombardment have been resolved, combat proceeds with each side rolling a number of dice. Most land combat is considered to be simultaneous, with each side shooting at the other side at the same time. These combats are marked Simultaneous on the Mode Grid. (For example: a Blitzkrieg versus a Counterattack is marked Simultaneous.)
[10.1.2.1] The only exceptions to the preceding rule are those Cells containing the words Def Fires 1st or Atkr Fires 1st. If "Def Fires 1st," all Armies on the Defending side fire and damage is applied to Armies on the Attacking side. Some Attacking Armies may be killed or shattered. Then, all surviving Attacking Armies fire back at the Defender.
[10.1.2.2] The roles just described are reversed if the Cell says "Atkr Fires 1st."
[10.1.3] During Land Combat, each side scores a certain number of "hits" on the other side. These "hits" represent the amount of damage and casualties inflicted on the other side.
[10.1.3.1] The owning player always chooses which of his own units take hits - but a defending Garrison must always be the last to take hits.
[10.1.4] A Stack of Armies receiving "hits" must "satisfy" this number of hits by applying "damage" to its component Armies.
[10.1.5.1] Armies in combat can be "Shattered" to satisfy as many hit points as the Army's Fortitude rating. (To shatter a Hungarian unit satisfies 1 hit point; to shatter a German unit satisfies 4 hit points. Put the Shattered Army in the "Shattered" box in its column on The Front.)
[10.1.5.2] Alternatively, Armies in combat can be "Killed" to satisfy twice the hit points as their Fortitude rating. (To kill a Hungarian unit satisfies 2 hit points; to kill a German unit satisfies 8 hit points. Put the Killed Army in the "Killed" box in its column on The Front.)
The terms "kill" and "destroy" are used for Armies that are put back in the Force Pool. Generally speaking, we use "kill" when this process happens in the context of ground combat, and "destroy" when it happens in some other context (such as an Army dying from lack of supply in an Ultimatum Pulse). But they both mean the same thing: Put the Army in the Force Pool.
[10.1.5.2.1] Exception: A Garrison cannot be "killed" to satisfy twice its number of hit points. A Garrison unit, if forced to shatter, is removed from the map and returned to the Force Pool as if it had been killed. (In gamer lingo, Garrisons are "one step units.")
[10.1.5.3] Shattered units are placed in the Shattered Remnants Box. Killed units are placed in the Force Pool. All other units remain on The Front.
Example (continued from 9.9.4): The Italians scored 6 hits on the Australians and the Australians scored 8 hits on the Italians. The Italian Player must satisfy 8 hits against his five Armies, whose Fortitude rating is "1." If he Shatters an Army, it satisfies one hit; if he Kills an Army, it satisfies two hits.
The Italian Player chooses to kill four of his armies, satisfying all 8 hits. This leaves him with one army remaining on the battlefield. The killed armies are placed back in the force pool.
The Australian Player has 6 hits to satisfy against his two Armies, whose Fortitude rating is "4." If he shatters one Army he satisfies 4 hits, leaving 2 remaining. Since he does not have a 2-Fort unit in his stack, the remaining 2 hits do not inflict any mandatory damage and can be ignored. He puts the one shattered Army in the Shattered Remnants Box and leaves his other Army unscathed on the battlefield.
[10.1.6] Units taking Hits must be shattered and/or killed to satisfy, as close as possible, the number of hits inflicted; but without needing to take more hits than were called for. If there is more than one way to inflict the same number of hits, the owning Player chooses.
The owning Player may always choose to take more damage than is required! (Why would you want to? See the example below.)
If one side scores hits on another but not enough to cause any loss at all on a unit, then no loss occurs. (Example: A German Infantry attacks an American Infantry and scores 1 hit. The US Infantry's Fortitude rating is "3." 1 hit is not enough to cause damage, so the hit is ignored.)
Example: You have a stack of one German (4-Fort) and one Spanish (3-Fort). Let's see what happens when it takes hits.
- If the stack takes 1 hit, nothing happens.
- If the stack takes 2 hits, nothing happens.
- If the stack takes 3 hits, that is enough to shatter the Spanish; but that is the only damage that must be taken. There isn't enough damage to affect the German.
- If the stack takes 4 hits, the player must use them to either shatter the German (4 hits) or eliminate the Spanish (which would use up 6 hits - 3 to shatter and 3 more to kill). The Axis Player might want to do this, if he really wants to make sure it's the German who remains on the battlefield. (Using your minor allies as cannon fodder is just part of war.)
- If the stack takes 5 hits, the results are the same as taking 4.
- If the stack takes 6 hits, you can kill the Spanish (satisfying 6 hits). You could, however, choose to kill the German instead (satisfying 8), or shatter both the Spanish (3 hits) and the German (4 hits, total 7).
- If the stack takes 7 hits, you can shatter both units (7 hits; 4 on the German, 3 on the Spanish). Alternatively, you could kill the German unit (8 hits). But you can't elect to kill the Spanish unit only (6 hits), because that leaves one hit unused which could otherwise be used.
- If the stack takes 8 hits, you have to kill the German (and keep the Spanish unharmed) because no other combination adds up to 8.
- If the stack takes 9 hits, you can kill the German (for 8 hits), leaving 1. Unless you really want to shatter the Spaniard, you can leave this 1 hit unused.
- If the stack takes 10 hits, the only way to satisfy exactly 10 is to kill the Spanish (6 hits) and shatter the German (4 hits).
- If the stack takes 11 hits, the only mathematical combination that adds up to 11 is to kill the German (8 hits) and shatter the Spaniard (3 hits).
- If the stack takes 12 hits, the result is the same as for 11 hits. Killing the German (8 hits) and shattering the Spanish (3 hits) leaves 1 hit unused, but since it isn't enough to inflict damage on its own, the 1 hit can be ignored.
- If the stack takes 13, the result is again the same as for 11.
[10.1.7] Remember: Any hits that can be taken, must be taken - except for any hits that would force you to take even more than were called for. You must take as many hits as possible (and your opponent will helpfully point out where it is possible). You are never forced to take more damage than the hits require, but you may choose to do so.
10.2 Flipping of Units
GENERAL RULE: "Flipping" is an abstraction which shows the expenditure of time and supplies. A Flipped unit can no longer move. It has exhausted itself until the Unflipment Phase of the turn (when it is "unflipped" to show that it can move again during the next Turn.)
[10.2.1] As a result of combat, surviving Armies of one side (or both) may have to "flip" after battle. An Army which "flips" is inverted (turned face-down). Any Army Flipped for any reason remains Flipped until the Unflipment Phase (16.3), when all Flipped Armies are Unflipped.
[10.2.2] It is possible for an already Flipped Army to be involved in a combat, and suffer a result that would cause that Army to be Flipped a second time. However, Flipped Armies do not flip again after combat; they simply remain Flipped.
[10.2.3] A Flipped Army cannot move any more during the Turn (see 5.2).
[10.2.4.1] If the Cell says A Flip on Hits, the post-combat Flipped status of the Attacker's forces depends on the outcome of the battle. If no attacking Armies were hit, the Attacker does not flip. If only one Attacking Army was hit and shattered (but not killed), all Attacking Infantry Armies flip. If more than one hit was taken (one or more attacking Armies were killed or shattered), then the entire attacking force is Flipped.
[10.2.4.2] If the Cell says A No Flip, then the Attacking Armies remain unflipped, and may continue their Pulse.
[10.2.4.3] If the Cell says A Flip/D No, all Attacking Armies after the battle must flip; Defending Armies do not flip.
[10.2.4.4] If the Cell says A Flips Unless, all Attacking Armies must flip after the battle is over, unless all Defending Armies were killed (or shattered) in the battle. In that case, the Attacking Armies do not Flip, and may continue their Pulse.
[10.2.4.5] If the Cell says Atkr Flips, all Attacking Armies must flip after the battle is over.
[10.2.4.6] If the Cell says Both Flip, all Attacking and all Defending Armies must flip after the battle is over.
[10.2.4.7] If the Cell says Both No Flip, neither side is required to flip based on the combat. (Instead, if the Defender is forced to retreat, he flips - 10.2.7.1; and if the Attacker fails to take the hex, he flips - 10.2.5.)
[10.2.4.8] If the Cell says Def Flips, all Defending Armies must flip after the battle is over, unless otherwise forced to.
[10.2.4.9] If the Cell says Def No Flip, the Defending Armies remain unflipped after the battle is over.
[10.2.4.10] If the Cell says Flip =, all Attacking Armies must flip once the battle is over. Additionally, if the Attackers scored as many (or more) hits during the battle as the Defenders did, then all Defending Armies must also flip once the battle is over.
[10.2.5] Failed Attacks: If an Attacking Stack attacks any hex and fails to capture the hex (either by killing the Defenders or forcing the Defenders to retreat), then the Attacking Stack must move back to the hex from which it entered the Battle Hex and all Armies in the attacking stack must flip, even including attacker Armies in Reserve (9.4) that did not go to The Front.
If you're the Attacker and you don't want to risk those Reserve units flipping, then don't move them into the Battle Hex in the first place!
[10.2.6] After an attack is over, any Attacking Armies which remain unflipped may immediately continue moving and attacking, during the same Pulse, so long as they have any MPs left. An Army's pulse only ends when that Army flips or reaches the limit of its movement allowance (in which case it must also flip), or when the owning Player decides not to move the stack any further (in which case it must also flip). When an Attacking Army flips, it automatically becomes the other side's Pulse.
[10.2.7] All Defender Armies at The Front must flip if they are forced to retreat. The Defender's Reserves (9.4), however, do not flip, even if they are forced to retreat, unless the "Rout" code appears in the Cell (10.2.8).
[10.2.8] Rout: Reserve Armies (9.4) in a retreating Defender Stack do not flip, unless the battle cell contains the message "Rout". If this message appears, then every retreating Defender Army in a Battle Hex is flipped when it retreats - whether in Reserve or not.
[10.2.9] Important: If two rules seem to apply to the same Army, such that one rule directs that Army to flip, while another rule directs it not to flip, the Army must flip.
Example: Americans attack Germans in A-1904. The Yanks choose a "Normal Attack" and the Germans choose "Counterattack." A single German unit survives the battle but must retreat, choosing to retreat to the strategically important hex A-2004. The combat cell reads "Def no Flip," which tells you the defending German does not flip. However, the German unit retreated, and 10.2.7 tells you that a defender who retreats must flip. Since these rules appear to conflict, 10.2.7 takes precedence. The retreating German unit flips.
10.3 Retreat and Withdrawal
GENERAL RULE: Once Damage and Flipping are applied to units at The Front, surviving units (if any) from the Front are reunited with the forces that remained in Reserve during that particular Battle. From this point on, there is no Front/Reserve distinction; each Player's whole Stack has been reassembled into a single formation. For the moment, both the Attacker and Defender Stacks still occupy the Battle Hex. Units at The Front are always, by definition, still within the Battle Hex.
[10.3.1] The Defending Stack may have to retreat from the Battle Hex. Retreat conditions are found in each Cell.
[10.3.2.1] Def Can Hold. If any Defending Army that was in the battle at The Front remains in the hex after the battle, the Defender may choose not to retreat his Stack, and hold onto the hex. (If all defending Armies in the battle at The Front were killed but one or more of the Defender's Armies remain in Reserve, those Reserve Armies must retreat.)
[10.3.2.2] Def Retreats. The Defending Stack must retreat.
[10.3.2.3] No Retreat. The Defending Stack may remain in the hex after the battle, and the Attacker must withdraw to the hex from which he entered the battle.
[10.3.2.4] Ret > If the Attacking side scored more total hits than the Defending side, the Defending Stack must retreat.
In this and all other similar cases, the "number of hits scored" is the number of hits actually inflicted on the enemy; it is not the number of hits rolled. (If you inflict 5 hits on a lone Italian Infantry, all it takes is 2 hits to kill that Italian unit - so you "scored" 2 hits; the other 3 were wasted.)
[10.3.2.5] Ret x2 If the Attacking side scored twice as many hits (or more) than the Defending side, the Defending Stack must retreat. (Round to the Defender's advantage.)
[10.3.2.6] Ret x3 If the Attacking side scored three times as many hits (or more) than the Defending side, the Defending Stack must retreat. (Round to the Defender's advantage.)
[10.3.3] Any Defending Stack which retreats must retreat into a Friendly-controlled hex. A hex containing an enemy ZOC is not Friendly-controlled. (Remember, a friendly army in a hex negates enemy ZOC.)
[10.3.4.1] Any unit which is forced to retreat into a hex containing an enemy unit, or into any other hex it cannot enter (such as a blocked hexside, or a neutral country) is killed and returned to the Force Pool.
[10.3.4.2] A retreating Stack may break itself up and retreat into different eligible hexes, if it so chooses.
[10.3.5] Choosing Not to Advance after Combat: If a Stack succeeds in conquering a hex and is not flipped, some or all of the attacking units have the option of returning immediately (at no MP cost) to the hex from which they launched the battle, and flipping. This does not impede the rest of the Stack from continuing on to another hex, if it has the MPs to do so.
Players can use this rule to pop out of a well-defended position, "maul" neighboring enemy units, and then run back into their hex, without leaving a hole that could be exploited by another enemy stack on a subsequent enemy Pulse.
10.4 After the Battle
[10.4.1] Once damage, flipping, and retreats are calculated and performed, combat is over.
[10.4.2] Flipped and/or retreating Armies may shatter themselves voluntarily at the end of the Combat, as long as they are in supply; place them in the Shattered Remnants Box.
This shows a rapid, panicked evacuation of forces, leaving large quantities of materiel behind on the battlefield. The purpose of voluntary shattering is to keep the army alive to fight another day rather than see it killed later in the Turn. The British operation at Dunkirk was, in Game terms, just such a voluntary shattering of forces.
[10.4.3] Once all combat is completed, control of the battle hex determined, killed Armies removed, shattered Armies put in the Shattered Remnants Box, and all withdrawals and retreats performed, then the winner of the battle removes the Battle Marker from the battle hex and his surviving Armies remain in the hex (unless 10.3.5 is invoked).
[10.4.4] In the event that both sides' forces in the combat are entirely obliterated, then the side with any forces in Reserve owns the hex. If both sides have forces in Reserve, the defender owns the hex. If the combat ends with all units on both sides killed, and there are no Reserves, then the hex belongs to the defender.
Even if the hex belongs to a side in this case, the owner's ability to use it may be disrupted by the presence of an enemy Zone of Control (8.3).
[10.4.5] If the winner is the attacker, and his stack has any unflipped Armies in it, those Armies may continue moving (and fighting) if they have any MPs left. Otherwise, the Attacker's Land March Pulse is over.
[10.4.6] If the winner is the Defender, the attacking Armies go back to the hex from which they launched the attack, and all the attacking Armies flip. The Attacker's Land March Pulse is over.
11.0 Shore Bombardment
[11.1.1] Shore Bombardment can occur during the Shore Bombardment portion of an Amphibious Assault (9.1.2.2 and 12.0). A Friendly BB (Battleship) which ended a previous Naval Pulse in a coastal or island hex containing one or more Enemy Armies may conduct Shore Bombardment against Enemy Armies in that hex.
[11.1.2] The flipped or unflipped status of a BB does not affect its ability to perform Shore Bombardment. A flipped BB can still bombard, even if it has executed other missions during the Turn.
[11.2] Shore Bombardment can only take place in conjunction with an Amphibious Assault. (The Japanese can't park Combined Fleet off Waikiki Beach and blast away at the tourists that happen to be there, unless they are launching an Amphibious Assault against Honolulu that same Pulse.)
[11.3.1] Shore Bombardment is similar to TacAir Strikes (6.5). A Side may commit to a Land Battle a number of BB's equal to or less than the number of attacking (i.e. Amphibiously Assaulting) Armies in that battle. One may never commit more BBs to a battle than there are attacking Armies.
[11.3.2] Exception: Shore Bombardment on a one-hex island (2.5) is exempt from the preceding restriction. Since there is no place for the defenders to hide, you may use unlimited numbers of friendly BBs to conduct shore bombardment against such hexes. (God help the defenders!)
[11.4.1] In Shore Bombardment, each opposing BB selects a target Army. The BB unit uses its Gunnery Rating (15.1.3) to determine its effectiveness; the player takes the ship's Gunnery Rating, divides by 2, and rounds down.
Example: The Italian Battleship Andrea Doria is performing Shore Bombardment as part of an Axis assault on Malta. Her Gunnery Rating is 3. Divided by 2, this is 1.5; this rounds down to 1. Her effectiveness in Shore Bombardment is 1.
[11.4.2] If a BB's Gunnery Rating rounds down to below 1, the Ship cannot be used in Shore Bombardment. Its guns are too small.
[11.5] The player then consults the Air Strike Table (6.4.13.1) and rolls on it, exactly as he would do with a TacAir Strike. The attacking ship's effectiveness rating uses the "Attacker's Planes" column, and this is compared with the defending unit's Fortitude rating. Where the two meet is the number the attacking player must roll (or greater) on a d10 to shatter the defending Army.
[11.6] If the defending land stack contains a Garrison, that unit must suffer Shore Bombardment first, before it is directed against any other Army in the hex.
Example: The US is amphibiously assaulting the Japanese-held island of Nauru (B-1521). The island is occupied by one Garrison and one Infantry unit. USS Washington (Gunnery: 7) provides Shore Bombardment. The Washington computes her Shore Bombardment effectiveness as being 3, and the Japanese Garrison unit has a Fortitude of 2. The US player calculates that it will take a roll of 4 or less to shatter the Garrison. The player rolls a 3 and the Shore Bombardment succeeds; the Garrison unit is removed from the hex. Shore Bombardment is over. Now when the Yanks "hit the beaches," they will only have to face the one remaining Japanese Infantry unit.
[11.7] Given the Pulse system, the enemy's BB units sent to provide Shore Bombardment have to be moved into the hex during one enemy Pulse; the friendly side then has (at least) one Pulse to attack those BB units with an Air Raid Pulse of its own (5.9), to try to drive the BB units away before the next Enemy Pulse can bring the full weight of the enemy's BB and ground forces to bear on the hex during the actual Amphibious Assault.
12.0 Amphibious Assault
12.1 General Rules
[12.1.1] Amphibious Assault allows a player to land troops across an all-sea hexside or all-sea hex. Amphibious Assaults can only be made if the Player is authorized to do so by a Save Event (4.3.4.4). Each such event explains in detail how many Armies can be transported in the assault, and how many hexes they can travel.
[12.1.2] The term "Source Hex" refers to the hex from which the invasion is launched; the "Target Hex" is the hex into which the invasion is launched. The Source Hex must always be a port (or an HQ acting as a Port; if acting as a Port, that HQ cannot itself be part of the Amphibious Assault).
In the Normandy landing of 1944, the Source Hex was A-2805; the Target Hex was A-2705.
[12.1.3] Mediterranean Restriction: No Amphibious Assault may ever be launched into or from any hex in the Mediterranean Sea, unless the "Amphibious Landings" event explicitly allows this.
Assaults in the Med are restricted by the constricted geography and constant naval and air patrols which were a feature of the area.
[12.1.4.1] Amphibious Events are country-specific; a country can't "share" its ability to land Armies, and may land only Armies of its own nationality.
[12.1.4.2] Exception: Britain may "share" its amphibious capability with all CW nations. (So yes, you can have Indian armies conduct an Amphibious Assault.) USA may also "share" its amphibious capability with Britain and with CW countries, but not vice-versa.
[12.1.5] Amphibious Assaults cannot be conducted across Sea Boundaries, unless the Assaulting side controls the Sea Boundary (2.3.7.1).
[12.1.6] You may launch Amphibious Assaults against friendly territory. We're not sure why you would do so, but you can. But you may not attack friendly units; the landing is simply unopposed. An Amphibious Assault into a hex held by a friendly Partisan works the same way (see 52.5.4).
[12.1.7] Weather Restrictions: Amphibious Assaults may not be launched into a hex containing Mud or Blizzard weather, or a hex affected by a Storm (4.8). They may be launched into Rain or Snow weather hexes, but only if the landing is unopposed. If the Assault is landing in a hex occupied by Enemy ground forces, then it may only be conducted in Fair weather.
[12.1.8] If Shore Bombardment and/or Tactical Air Strikes completely kill all defending Armies in the target hex, the Armies that are performing the Amphibious Assault must all still enter the undefended hex, then flip. It is the end of the Phasing Player's Pulse.
12.2 Landing Troops
[12.2.1] If an Army is going to be used in an Assault, it must start the Amphibious Assault Pulse unflipped, in supply, in a Source Hex within range of the Target Hex.
Example: The American Player holds the "Operation Forager South" Save Event, allowing him to conduct an Amphibious Assault with 2 units up to 5 hexes. On the last Turn, he moved 2 US Infantry units to hex B-1521 in preparation for an amphibious assault on Japanese-occupied India. There are several hexes of India within 5 hexes of B-1521, and he chooses B-1824 as his Target Hex.
[12.2.2] An Amphibious Assault may not be conducted against a coastal hex that contains an Enemy Ship, nor may the path of the assaulting units move into, out of, or through a hex containing Enemy Ships or Enemy CV Zones of Patrol (14.1).
[12.2.3] Armies performing Amphibious Assault are "in supply" during the entire Game-Turn in which they embark. Thereafter they must trace Supply normally. Armies which have just landed using Amphibious Assault do not have ZOCs until the start of the next Game-Turn.
[12.2.4] Armies that conduct an Amphibious Assault automatically flip after the combat (or after the landing, if there is no combat).
[12.2.5.1] If the invasion is to be conducted against an occupied hex, the assaulting Armies must attack the Enemy Armies in the invaded hex and must kill, shatter, or all retreat those Enemy Armies, or else the invading Armies are all killed.
[12.2.5.2] An Assault against an undefended hex is automatically successful and inflicts no losses on the attacker. Units landing in an unoccupied or friendly coastal hex still flip, and may not move or attack Enemy Armies in adjacent hexes until the following Turn.
[12.2.6] Armies making an Amphibious Assault attack suffer a -1 penalty to their Violence Number.
[12.2.7] Armies executing an Amphibious Assault may function as Air Bases in order to use TacAir Strikes (6.5) against defending units, but only if the Target Hex is within Air Range (6.2) of the Source Hex.
[12.2.8] If an Amphibious Assault lands in a hex containing a Garrison, that Garrison must take losses first if it is part of a Stack defending against Amphibious Assault (7.3.3).
12.3 Landing Garrisons
The ability to land Garrison units represents the relatively tiny Japanese invasions of many of the small Pacific islands; in AV Infantry units represent 100,000 man formations, but in several of the early Pacific island campaigns, Japanese invasion forces numbered only in the hundreds of men.
[12.3.1] Garrison units don't ordinarily move, but certain Events specify that you can conduct an Amphibious Assault using a Garrison. In these cases, the player simply designates an undefended coastal hex, and deploys a Garrison unit of the right nationality in the hex. Weather restrictions (12.1.7) are still in force. If the Event specifies a Source Hex (most don't), the Target Hex must be within range.
[12.3.2] The Player does not need to "build" the Garrison unit - he just announces he's conducting the assault, takes a Garrison out of the Force Pool, and plunks it down in the hex being assaulted. The hex is now his.
[12.3.3] If there are no Garrison units in the Force Pool when the assault is conducted, the Player may remove any of his own Garrisons from elsewhere on the map and use it as the invasion force.
13.0 Naval Stacking and Range
[13.1] A single Stack of Ships can contain up to six BB and up to six CV units, for a total of 12 Ships (but no more than six of each type).
[13.2] Ships do not need "supply" in the same sense as Armies. Instead, they are concerned with "Range": a maximum distance from a Friendly Port (13.5.1) which they may not exceed.
[13.3.1] The Range for Ships, unless otherwise specified, is 15 hexes from a friendly port.
[13.3.2] The Range for German Ships (only) is 30 hexes. However, German Ships may only stack in groups of no more than two, if the stack is more than 15 hexes from a Friendly Port.
[13.4] Ships may remain at sea forever if the owning Player wishes, provided they are in Range of a Friendly Port.
[13.5.1] A "Friendly Port" is defined as any Port hex belonging to the unit's home country or to a cooperating country on the same Side (3.6).
[13.5.2] A "Friendly Port" need only be friendly-controlled. It does not have to be a supply source, or even be in supply, to qualify.
[13.6] Ships which cannot trace a line of all-sea or coastal Hexes, within the limit of their Range, back to a Friendly Port, are eliminated ('sunk'!) at the end of the Warfare Stage. (This line is not negated by the presence of Enemy Ships along the line, but it would be obstructed by any Enemy-controlled Sea Zone boundary or canal.)
[13.7] Minor Navies (Optional Rule): For a more realistic treatment of inexperienced and badly led minor country fleets, we suggest that Ships belonging to any countries other than Britain, the USA, Germany, and Japan, should be allowed a Range no longer than 15 hexes from a home country port. Note that this demotes the French, Italians and Soviets to 'minor navy' status. Use this rule if you don't like the idea of the Brazilian Navy providing shore bombardment for Canadians amphibiously assaulting Japanese-occupied Madagascar.
14.0 Naval Transit Attacks and Interception
14.1 Zones of Patrol
[14.1.1] Ships of the non-Phasing Player (only) have "Zones of Patrol" ("ZOPs").
[14.1.2] A ZOP is an area of influence surrounding the Ship. ZOPs are traced across water into contiguous Sea or Coastal hexes.
[14.1.3] CV and BB units have Zones of Patrol. For BB units, the ZOP exists only in the hex the unit occupies; for CV units, the ZOP also extends out a distance of two hexes (i.e. the surrounding 18 hexes).
14.2 Transit Attacks
[14.2.1] During an Enemy Naval Movement Pulse, a stack of Friendly Ships can attempt to intercept a stack of Enemy Ships moving into or through their Zones of Patrol (ZOPs; 14.1.3). This is called a "Transit Attack" since the Enemy ships are attacked "in transit."
[14.2.2] Transit Attacks are conducted entirely at the non-Phasing Player's option; they are never mandatory.
[14.2.3] Ships conducting a Transit Attack expend no Movement Points, even if they technically "move" in order to intercept.
[14.2.4] If a Player wants to make a Transit Attack, he announces the attempt at any time that an Enemy Task Force is within the ZOP of a Friendly Task Force. When he announces his attempt, the Enemy Task Force must stop moving (in the hex where it was when the announcement was made), so that the attempt can be resolved. Play proceeds immediately to Interception (14.4).
[14.2.5.1] A given non-Phasing stack may conduct Transit Attacks each time one of its ZOP hexes is entered during an Enemy Naval Pulse. This means that a given non-Phasing unit may conduct several Transit Attacks during the Turn. However, the same Enemy stack may not be the target of an interception attempt more than once per Pulse by the same Friendly stack.
[14.2.5.2] Exception: If a Stack leaves and then re-enters the same hostile ZOP, the hostile unit may search for it a second (third, etc.) time.
[14.2.6] A given Phasing unit may suffer as many Transit Attacks during a given Pulse as there are separate Enemy Task Forces to successfully intercept it. Note that a unit may actually engage in combat several times during a single Pulse. It may conduct (or be subjected to) multiple Transit Attacks and may also conduct multiple attacks of its own during its Pulse.
[14.2.7] As many Friendly Task Forces as have the Enemy Task Force in their ZOP may attempt Intercepts against that Enemy Task Force, but they must do so separately. If two or more Task Forces attempt to intercept the same Enemy Task Force, each Friendly Task Force must make a separate Interception attempt followed by a Combat. Once that Interception and Combat are fully resolved, the next Friendly Task Force may attempt to intercept the Enemy Task Force, and so forth.
[14.2.8] A Ship which is conducting a Transit Attack is not itself subject to Transit Attacks. In other words, there is no "counter-interception" or "counter-counter-interception." Only the Phasing Player is ever subject to Transit Attacks.
14.3 Air Transit Attacks
[14.3.1] Ships are also subject to Transit Attacks from Enemy Planes, if the Ships pass within Naval Air Range (6.2.2) of an Enemy Air Base.
[14.3.2] The non-Phasing Player may announce his intention to conduct an Air Transit Attack at any time while the enemy task force is within Air Range of the non-Phasing Player's Air Base. When he does so, the Phasing Player must temporarily stop moving so that the Air Transit Attack can be resolved.
[14.3.3] An Air Transit Attack such as this is resolved exactly the same as an Air Raid Pulse (5.9) except that the non-Phasing Player is the one conducting the Air Strike. The Planes executing the Air Transit Attack must successfully intercept their intended target Ships (5.9.4.2).
[14.3.4] After the Air Transit Attack is resolved, any surviving ships may continue with their movement.
[14.3.5.1] The same Army may not launch Air Transit Attacks on the same enemy stack more than once per Turn.
[14.3.5.2] Exception: If a Stack leaves and then re-enters the same hostile Army's Air Range, the hostile unit may search for it a second (third, etc.) time.
14.4 Naval Interception
[14.4.1] All Ships in a Task Force must intercept and/or be intercepted as a group; the individual ships do not operate separately.
[14.4.2] Naval Interceptions are rolled for on the Intercept Table (14.4.3.1; see Red Card).
[14.4.3.1.1] The "Seadogs" row is used by British, German, American, and Japanese Ships. The "Landlubbers" row is used by all other nationalities. If a Task Force consists of mixed Seadogs and Landlubbers, the majority of Ships in the Task Force determines which row is used. (In case of ties, use the "Landlubbers" row.)
[14.4.3.1.2] The columns, labeled 1-5, 6-10, and 11+, refer to the number of Ships you have in your Task Force.
[14.4.3.2] Where rows and columns meet, you find the "Sight Number." (A Task Force of seven Landlubber Ships would have a Sight Number of 2; a Task Force of twelve Seadog Ships would have a Sight Number of 4.)
[14.4.4] Both Task Forces are trying to intercept the other, and each Task Force trying to Intercept must apply all relevant die roll modifiers to its own die roll:
- If Enemy TF has more than 10 Ships: -2
- If Enemy TF has between 6-10 Ships: -1
- If you are UN and your TF has the "ALLIED RADAR" Variant: -2
- If Enemy TF is an Axis Raider: +2
- If Enemy TF is within Air Range of a Friendly Army: -1
- If your TF has a CV unit and the Enemy TF does not: -2
- If Enemy TF is in a Friendly-controlled coastal hex, -2*
- * Exception: If Enemy TF is UN, and the Friendly-controlled coastal hex is Japanese-controlled, the modifier is -3. (The Japanese had excellent coast-watchers.)
[14.4.5.1] To attempt to intercept an Enemy Task Force, roll a d6 and add or subtract all appropriate die roll modifiers. Remember that both players roll a die, each one attempting to intercept the other one!
[14.4.5.2] If the modified die roll is equal to the Sight Number, or less, you successfully "sight" the Enemy Task Force.
[14.4.5.3] If the modified die roll is greater than the Sight Number, you do "not sight" the Enemy Task Force.
[14.4.5.4] If the modified die roll is 6 or more, you are "surprised." (This takes preference over 14.4.5.3.)
Example 1: A fleet of 3 Japanese BBs and 2 Japanese CVs (total: 5) enters hex B-1111 to attempt an interception against a lone Netherlands East Indies BB. The interception is in a UN-controlled coastal hex, so the Sight Number is 2. The Axis Player rolls a d6 and rolls a "5." Subtract -2 because the Japanese have carriers and the Dutch do not. The modified result is 3, which is higher than 2, so the Japanese do "not sight" the Dutch. Since the roll was below 6, the Japanese are not "surprised."
Example 2: The Dutch BB (in the above example) tries to sight the Japanese, and rolls a "2." Subtract -2 because the Japanese Task Force is in a Dutch-controlled coastal hex. The modified result (zero) is less than the Sight Number (1), so the Dutch have successfully "sighted" the Japanese Task Force.
[14.4.6] Once both Players have rolled on the Intercept Table, there are four possible final results to the Interception procedure. Each result is explained in the rule referred to:
- Both Players roll "sight" (14.4.6.1)
- One Player rolls "sight," the other "no sight" (14.4.6.2)
- One Player rolls "sight," the other "surprised" (14.4.6.3)
- Both Players roll "surprised" or "no sight" (14.4.6.5)
[14.4.6.1] If both Players roll "sight," both Task Forces are assumed to see each other, and the Combat is designated as a "Day Action." Combat begins at once; proceed to 15.4. Note that if both Players roll "sight," Combat must occur between them.
[14.4.6.2] If one Player rolls "sight" and the other "no sight," the "sighting" Player has the option of initiating Combat; and if he chooses to do so, he may choose whether he prefers a "Day Action" or a "Night Action." Once this choice is made, Combat proceeds according to Rule 15.4. He may open the Combat with one "free" round of Combat, as he may fire on his opponent but his opponent may not fire back (15.3).
[14.4.6.3] If one Player rolls "sight" and the other rolls "surprised," the "sighting" Player is assumed to detect the other but not vice versa. Combat may begin at the "sighting" Player's option, as in 14.4.6.2. However, the "sighting" Player now gets two free rounds of Combat and may choose the first as "Day" or "Night" (15.3).
[14.4.6.4] A Player "surprising" an Enemy TF, where the Enemy does not "sight" him, has the option of declining Combat. If he declines Combat, then the Task Force attempting a Transit Attack (if any) returns to its hex of origin (without flipping) and the Phasing TF continues its mission.
[14.4.6.5] If both Players roll "surprised" or "no sight," the Interception simply fails. The units (if any) attempting a Transit Attack go back to their hex of origin, and the Phasing Player's stack continues its mission.
[14.4.7] If the Non-Phasing Player's Fleet fails to find its target, it may not make a second interception attempt against the same target stack that Turn. It may keep moving, but cannot attempt to intercept the same stack that it just failed to find. (Exception: 14.2.5.2.)
15.0 Naval Combat
15.1 Naval Combat Strengths
[15.1.1] All Ships have a defensive strength factor called an Armor Rating. The Armor Rating indicates the ship's defenses and shows how much incoming fire it can take before becoming seriously damaged.
[15.1.2] CV units (only) have an attack strength called an Airstrike Factor. Airstrike Factors represent the carrier's aircraft such as torpedo bombers.
[15.1.3] All BB units have an attack strength called a Gunnery Rating. Gunnery Ratings represent the ship's "big guns." A few CV units also have a Gunnery Rating; this means that these ships have "big guns" that can be used to fire at nearby warships (even though that's not what most people think of as the proper role of an aircraft carrier). (Illustration: a typical Carrier shows Airstrike Rating, Armor Rating and Gunnery Rating; a typical Battleship shows Gunnery Rating and Armor Rating.)
15.2 Rounds of Combat
[15.2.1] Naval Combat takes place in a series of one or more "Rounds." All Rounds of a single Naval Combat must be resolved completely before any other interception attempts, movement, or any other Game activities are performed.
[15.2.2] In a Round of Combat, some or all of the ships in each side's Stacks are eligible to fight, depending on whether the Round is taking place in the Day or at Night (see 15.4).
[15.2.3.1] At the start of a Round of Combat, after you find out whether it is a Day Action or a Night Action, the Axis Player places his ships, one after the other, in the "Axis Ready" boxes of The Front sheet. The UN side does the same with his Ships in the "UN Ready" boxes. The order in which the ships are placed does not matter, but only one ship may be placed per box.
[15.2.3.2] Each Player must commit his entire Stack to the battle. You can't leave some ships out and to wait to see which way things go. (There is no naval equivalent to the "Reserves" in ground combat.)
[15.2.3.3] Ships that were flipped on the map before the battle should be placed on The Front either flipped or tilted - just to remind the Player that the ship has been flipped and that when it goes back onto the map after the battle, it should be placed face-down. (Flipped status has no impact on a Ship's ability to fight in a battle.)
[15.2.4] Players should place the "Battle" marker on the map in the hex where the battle is taking place, to remind them where it is.
[15.2.5.1] In a Round of Combat, both sides' eligible Ships fire at each other (15.7) and losses may be suffered. After all Hits are taken in a Round of Combat, both players secretly choose either to stay and fight another Round, or else to quit the battle. Players simultaneously reveal their choices; if either Player chose to end the battle, it ends and both Players proceed to Damage Checks (15.8).
[15.2.5.2] If one side quit the battle, he is said to have "lost" the battle. It is possible for both sides to "win" the battle, if both players quit by deciding not to fight another round.
[15.2.5.3] If both players decide not to end the battle, then another Round occurs. A d6 is rolled to see whether the next Round of Combat takes place in the Day or at Night. If the current Round is Day, a roll of "6" means the next Round is Night (otherwise, it's Day). If the current Round is Night, a roll of "5" or "6" means the next round is Day (otherwise, it's Night). This die roll must be made before each new Round of Combat. Place the Naval Round Day/Night marker as a reminder in the box found on the Current Naval Round Box. [Not sure where this will be.]
[15.2.5.4] Rounds of Combat can be repeated in this fashion until one side (or both) announces that he is quitting the battle - or until one side (or both) is completely sunk!
Note to Players: Playtesting has revealed that Players are often vastly more suicidal than historical commanders were. If you take any losses at all in the first round of combat, get out of there, and keep your fleet alive for another day! Staying for a second round, hoping that your luck will change, is a free ticket to Davy Jones' Locker. We've seen games where the Pacific was literally devoid of warships since the US and Japan had each sunk each other's entire fleet. Sticking around for a second round is only a good idea if your opponent has been hit and you have not - and sometimes, not even then. Discretion remains the better part of valor.
15.3 "Free" Rounds
[15.3.1] Combat Rounds may occur in which only one Side gets to "fire." This happens when the other side rolled "surprised" or "no sight" in the Intercept roll. These are called "Free Rounds."
[15.3.2] A Player who suffers one Free round of combat as a result of rolling "no sight" may quit the battle (15.2.5.1) after the Free Round.
[15.3.3] A Player who suffers two Free Rounds of Combat as a result of being "surprised" may only quit after the second round of combat; he must suffer two rounds of attacks.
[15.3.4] A Player may always choose to stay and fight after a Free round of combat.
15.4 Day vs. Night Actions
[15.4.1] Day actions are long-range battles fought by carrier-based aircraft, like the Battle of Midway. Night actions are close-range gunnery duels, fought by battleships and often at night, like the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. For game purposes, the type of battle determines which ships can attack and be attacked during that Round.
[15.4.2] Determination of "day" or "night" applies only to one Round of combat in that hex. At the end of each Round, a die roll is made to see whether the next Round (if any) is "day" or "night", see 15.2.5.3.
15.5 Day Action Combat
[15.5.1] Prior to each Round of Combat in a "day action," either Player with a supplied Army within Air Range (6.2) of the Battle Hex may launch a Naval Air Strike (6.6) on Enemy Ships.
[15.5.2] In a Day Action, CV units can attack enemy Ships using their Airstrike Factor. All ships in the enemy stack may be attacked.
[15.5.3] In a Day Action, each CV unit may choose one Enemy Ship and fire one shot at it using its Gunnery Rating (if it has one).
A CV unit with a Gunnery Rating of "x" has no big guns to fire. A Gunnery Rating of 0 or higher may fire its big guns.
[15.5.3.1] A CV using its Gunnery Rating in a Day Action may fire twice: Once with its aircraft (using its Airstrike Rating) and once with its big guns (using its Gunnery Rating). Both shots are rolled separately, and they don't have to be used against the same Enemy ship.
[15.5.4.1] In a Day Action, BB units can attack any enemy BB units using their Gunnery Rating, but cannot attack Enemy CV units, unless all enemy BB units have already been attacked during that round. If CV units are alone, they can be attacked.
[15.5.4.2] Exception: Any CV unit using its Gunnery Rating in a Day Action can always be attacked by enemy BB units. You can protect your CV simply by not firing its guns. This means it is some distance from the battle.
[15.5.4.3] At the start of the Round, each Player must name which CV's will be firing their guns, so the other Player knows which CV's he may shoot at. A CV not named as shooting with its big guns can't fire even if fired upon. Players can handle this in a gentlemanly way or, failing that, should write down this information before the start of each Round.
15.6 Night Action Combat
[15.6.1] In a Night Action, each BB may choose one opposing ship and fire one shot at it using its Gunnery Rating.
[15.6.2] A CV unit with a Gunnery Rating may also fire its guns at any enemy BB target. During night combat, a CV unit which is using its Gunnery Rating counts as a BB unit for all purposes.
[15.6.3] At the start of the Round, each Player must name which CVs will be firing their big guns, so the other Player knows which CVs he may shoot at. A CV not named as shooting with its big guns can't fire even if fired upon. Players can handle this in a gentlemanly way or, failing that, should write down this information before the start of each Round.
[15.6.4] During a "Night Action," you may not shoot at an enemy CV unit unless (a) the CV is firing its guns, (b) you have already fired at every enemy BB in the stack, or (c) if the CV is alone.
15.7 Firing a Shot
[15.7.1.1] In a round of combat, each Ship fires one shot, and all shots fired by Ships are simultaneous; a Ship which is hit or sunk may still fire at a target Ship during the round in which it was hit or sunk. (Exception: Free Rounds, see 15.3.)
[15.7.1.2] At the start of the Round, you must specify which of your Ships are firing at which enemy Ships. No Ship can be shot at twice in a Round unless every other Ship on its side has been shot at at least once. No Ship can be shot at three times unless all have been shot at at least twice, and so forth. And if a Ship that you are firing at twice is sunk by the first shot, you cannot redirect fire to a different target; you must continue to fire at the ship you already planned to shoot at.
[15.7.2] A Player resolves his attacks only after all his attacking Ships have been assigned to targets. Once he starts to resolve combat he cannot change targets, even if he ends up firing at a target that he has already sunk.
[15.7.3] To "fire a shot," the Ship rolls two dice: a d6 and a d10 (reading "zero" as "ten"), and adds the result. To this the unit also adds its own Airstrike Rating or Gunnery Rating (whichever one it is using to attack). If the combined total is equal to or greater than the Armor Rating of the ship it is firing at, then the target ship is "hit."
[15.7.4] If the total is less than the Armor Rating of the ship being fired at, the shot "misses"; it has no effect.
[15.7.5] A ship which is "hit" is moved one box up (if Axis) or down (if UN) from its "Ready" box. That is, a ship that is hit once is moved into its "Hit" box, and a ship that is hit twice is moved into its "Sunk" box. (Illustration: after two rounds of combat the Prince of Wales is damaged and the Hood is sunk. Ignore the notice in the Hit box, unless using rule 15.7.7.2.)
[15.7.6] After both Players have completed all their attacks, and all Hits are applied to the other side's Ships, the Round of Combat ends and both Players decide whether to proceed to another Round of Combat (see 15.2.5.1).
[15.7.7.1] Ships in a "Hit" box may always participate in combat.
[15.7.7.2] Optional Rule: Ships in a "Hit" box must subtract -1 from their Gunnery (or Airstrike) Rating and also reduce their own Armor Rating by -1. This realistically reflects damage done to a Ship's fighting ability.
[15.7.7.3] Units which were "Sunk" in a previous round may never attack or be attacked.
15.8 Damage Checks
[15.8.1] At the end of the final Round of a Naval Combat (15.2.5.1) Players determine the disposition of sunken or damaged Ships.
[15.8.2] All ships in their "Sunk" boxes are removed from the Game.
[15.8.3] For each unit in a "Hit" box, a d6 is rolled. If the unit is on the side which won the naval Combat (15.2.5.2), it is declared "sunk" on a roll of "6." If any other result is rolled, place the unit in that number Repair Box on the Naval Build Pool Sheet (see 17.0).
Example: A British BB unit is hit in battle and the British "lose" the battle. Roll a d6 for the British BB; the roll is 1. Place the unit in the "1 Turn (repair)" box on the Naval Build Pool Sheet.
[15.8.4] If a Hit Unit is in a Task Force that lost the naval Combat, it is declared "sunk" on a roll of "5" or "6." If any other result is rolled, place the unit in that Repair Box on the Naval Build Pool Sheet (see 18.6.2).
[15.8.5] If a Hit Unit is in a Task Force in which every Friendly Ship was also Hit (or sunk) during the battle, regardless of the win/loss situation, it is declared "sunk" on a roll of 4, 5, or 6. If any other result is rolled, place the unit in that Repair Box on the Naval Build Pool Sheet (see 18.6.2).
[15.8.6] Damage Checks are only applied to units in a Hit Box. Units which are not in a Hit Box do not take Damage Checks.
[15.8.7] Damaged units 'teleport' off The Front, back to the Naval Repair Boxes, if they are able to trace a line of Coastal or All-Sea hexes back to a cooperating Factory hex. If unable to do so, they are considered scuttled and are destroyed.
Example: The Axis have conquered Gibraltar and Suez, and a British BB is 'trapped' in the Med. It is damaged in an engagement with Italian warships, but because it has no escape route from the Med, it cannot 'teleport' to the Repair Pool; the unit is destroyed (scuttled).
15.9 After the Battle
[15.9.1] When a Naval Combat is over, damage has been inflicted, and all damaged units 'teleport' off the map, the battle is over.
[15.9.2] The "winning" Task Force, if it belongs to the Phasing Player, may continue with its move, using however many MPs it has left, and may engage in further Interceptions.
[15.9.3] If the non-Phasing Player "won" the battle, his Ships remain in the hex where they started, or go back to their original base (if executing a Transit Attack). They do not flip.
[15.9.4] The losing Player, regardless of whether or not he initiated the combat, must 'teleport' (as in 15.8.7) all his surviving undamaged Ships from the battle hex, to any friendly Port no more than 15 hexes away. (If unable to do so, they are scuttled and are destroyed.)
[15.9.4.1] Exception: German ships operating at extended range (13.3.2) 'teleport' to any friendly Port no more than 30 hexes away.
[15.9.5] This ends the Phasing Player's Naval Pulse. It is now the other Player's Pulse.
16.0 Logistical Stage
16.1 Surrender Phase
[16.1.1] A country surrenders during the Surrender Phase if all its Surrender Cities are occupied by supplied Enemy Armies. If a country (e.g. Belorussia) has no Surrender Cities, then it surrenders when all its hexes are enemy-occupied or in Enemy Zones of Control.
[16.1.2] A country surrenders only during the Surrender Phase. If the country loses its Surrender Cities during the Warfare Stage, it always has until the end of the Warfare Stage to take them back (if it has the power to do so) and avert surrender.
[16.1.3] Players should note carefully that a given country may have more than one Surrender City. All its Surrender Cities must be enemy-occupied during the Surrender Phase to force the country to Surrender.
[16.1.4.1] When a Country surrenders, its Flag Marker (3.1.1.6), if any, is moved to the box showing who conquered it on the Diplomatic Alignment Display. The following effects then occur immediately:
[16.1.4.2] - All of its Armies, Ships and Planes are removed from the map, from all charts and displays, and from the Force Pool.
[16.1.4.3] - All hexes belonging to the surrendered Country become friendly to the conquering side, except for hexes physically occupied by the country's former allies. (Former allies' ZOCs are not enough to deny control to the conqueror.)
[16.1.4.4] - All hexes of the surrendered country's colonies, unless occupied by the conquering side, remain "loyal" to the side on which the surrendered country was fighting.
[16.1.5.1] China surrenders in an unusual way, by making a "Separate Peace". In the Surrender Phase, check to see if both the Burma Road and the Silk Road are "closed." If both are, China may collapse. See Rule 43.7.
[16.1.5.2] France surrenders normally. Note that France has four Surrender Cities, one of which is in North Africa (Algiers, A-2106; see 23.1). As an alternative to a 'normal' French Surrender, it is also possible that France may leave the war if Vichy France (see Rule 23.2) is set up.
[16.1.5.3] Great Britain does not surrender in the normal fashion. See Rules 24.2 and 24.3.
[16.1.5.4] Italy surrenders normally. It is also possible that Italy may surrender 'early' if the "Mussolini Arrested" Save Event is played; see Rule 27.4. Note that Italy has four Surrender Cities, one of which is in North Africa (Tripoli, A-2009) and one in Italian East Africa (Addis Abeba, A-1416).
[16.1.5.5] The Soviet Union surrenders normally - but beware: one of its Surrender Cities is in Siberia (hex B-3103)! It may also exit the war by signing a Separate Peace with the Axis. See Rule 28.3.
16.2 Rail Gauge Phase
This Phase is only used with the optional Rail Gauge rules, and then only in scenarios of World Conflict. See Rule 65.0.
16.3 Unflipment Phase
[16.3.1] During the Unflipment Phase, all units (land and naval) which were flipped for any reason during the Turn are "unflipped"; that is, they are turned face-up. This enables them to participate normally in movement and combat the next Turn. Isolated units (8.4) do unflip at this time, but this does not end their Isolation.
Exception: Do not unflip un-recruited Axis Collaborators (17.5.1).
[16.3.2.1] All Planes in the Air Committed boxes return to the Air Available boxes during the Unflipment Phase. This enables them to participate normally in missions the next Turn.
[16.3.2.2] Important: Before you return any Planes to the Air Available Box, read Rule 19.2 and adjust SW Effects accordingly.
[16.3.3] At this point in the Turn, if either Player (or both) has not yet drawn all the Event Chits to which he is entitled (4.2.4), then Players proceed to play a series of Event Pulses, beginning with the Axis Player, and continuing until both Players have drawn and played their required number of Chits. Any reinforcements, damage, and changes in alignment are implemented normally. Obviously you can ignore any events that apply only 'for the rest of the Turn,' since the Turn is nearly over.
Important: If it is the end of a November/December Turn, which is the last Turn in a calendar year, then each side now plays an alternating series of Event Pulses, beginning with the Axis Player, and continuing until both Players have drawn and played every single remaining Chit in their cup. There must be no Chits remaining in either cup when the year comes to an end!
[16.3.4] Now move all Event Chits Drawn markers back to zero.
[16.3.5] Finally, place any Planes belonging to just-activated minor countries (3.3.8), or just-invaded Commonwealth countries (3.4.5.2), in their Side's Air Available Box.
[16.3.6] Other Phases and Operations: At this time, proceed to the Sequence of Play (1.5.2; back cover of this Rule Book) and continue with the Puppet States and Variants listed under 5D and 5E.
17.0 Infantry Recruitment
17.1 New Infantry
[17.1.1] Unlike many "production" games, in AV you don't "produce" Infantry units. It's hard to turn steel into men, as the Axis found out late in the war. Instead, Infantry units appear as automatic reinforcements during the Recruitment Stage. Unless otherwise stated, neutral countries do not receive any Infantry Recruitments.
[17.1.2.1] The United States, when at war, is entitled to two Infantry Units during the Recruitment Stage of each Turn.
[17.1.2.2] Exception: As long as there are Axis Armies in US territory on Map C during the Recruitment Stage, the US is entitled to six Infantry Units each Turn.
[17.1.3] The Soviet Union is entitled to as many Infantry units each Turn as it controls of its own Surrender Cities. (Of which there are nine - one of which is in Siberia. See Rule 28.3.)
Example: During the Infantry Recruitment phase of the November/December 1941 Game-Turn, the USSR controls eight of its nine Surrender Cities. The Soviet Union is entitled to eight new Infantry Units.
[17.1.4] Great Britain is entitled to one new Infantry unit per Turn. If there are Axis Armies in mainland Great Britain, however, Great Britain is entitled to two new Infantry per Turn (unless forced into Exile; 24.2).
[17.1.4.1] France is entitled to as many new Infantry units each Turn as it controls of its own Surrender Cities, minus one. (So if France controls all four of its Surrender Cities, France would get three Infantry units during the Infantry Recruitment Stage.)
[17.1.4.2] If France controls only one Surrender City, it is still entitled to one Infantry recruitment. (Normally Algiers - A-2106 - will be the one Surrender City left in French hands after mainland France is overrun.)
[17.1.5] Japan is always entitled to two Infantry Units per Turn, regardless of whether Japan is at war with anybody or neutral.
[17.1.6] Italy can receive up to three Infantry Units per Turn: One for controlling Addis Abeba (A-1416); one for controlling Rome (A-2309); and one for having at least one Italian Army counter inside the territory of the pre-war USSR during the Infantry Recruitment Step. Mussolini's crusade against the Bolshevik atheist hordes was popular in Catholic Italy.
[17.1.7.1] Germany is entitled to receive two Infantry reinforcements per Turn, unless the "TOTAL WAR" Variant is in Germany; in which case Germany is entitled to four Infantry reinforcements per Turn.
[17.1.7.2] Germany goes to "Total War" mode (permanently) when any non-Polish UN Army enters Germany for the first time, or when Germany goes to war with the USA or the USSR. Place the "TOTAL WAR" Variant in Germany as a reminder.
Note to the French: Read the preceding rule very carefully! Launching your army into Germany in 1939 or 1940 means that if Germany survives, it will have a much larger army with which to attack your Soviet ally a few turns later. Like the proverb says, don't shoot at the king unless you're sure you can kill him.
17.2 Rebuilding Infantry
[17.2.1] For each "new" Infantry unit a Great Power is entitled to take out of the Force Pool, the country may elect instead to take up to three of its Infantry units out of the Shattered Remnants Box. This represents funneling men into rebuilding crippled units rather than forming new units from scratch.
Example: Germany has 5 unbuilt Infantry Units in its Force Pool, and 4 shattered Infantry Units in the Shattered Remnants Box. During the Recruitment Stage, Germany is entitled to 4 Infantry units. The German decides to use 3 of his entitlements to 'buy' 3 new Infantry Units from the Force Pool, and 'spends' the fourth entitlement to bring 3 Shattered Infantry Units back out onto the map from the Shattered Remnants Box. The net result is that Germany now has six new Infantry units to deploy on the map.
[17.2.2.1] Minor Country Infantry units in the Shattered Remnants Box may also be rebuilt during the Recruitment Stage. Each Minor may rebuild one such unit per Turn (see 17.3 for deployment).
[17.2.2.2] Minor Country Infantry units which were killed in combat and sent back to the Force Pool, may also be rebuilt during the Recruitment Stage. For each such unit, roll a d6. On a 6, the unit is rebuilt (see 17.3 for deployment). Otherwise it remains in the Force Pool.
[17.2.3] Rebuilding Legions: Legion units (3.8) are considered Infantry and belong to their controlling Great Power's Force Pool. As such, they are subject to the same restrictions as their controlling Great Power.
Example: Germany is at Total War, so it gets 4 Infantry a Turn. There is nothing in the Shattered Remnants Box, so all Germany's reinforcements have to come in as new Infantry from the Force Pool. You have 6 Infantry in the Force Pool: 2 actual Germans, and 4 Legions (Nordland, KML, the Chechens and the Vlasov Russians). You can only take 4, so you take the two 'real' Germans, the Nordland, and Vlasov. Deploy them in Germany as explained in Rule 17.3.
[17.2.4] Rebuilding Chinese: See Rule 17.6.
17.3 Infantry Deployments
[17.3.1] Newly-arriving or repaired Infantry Units can be deployed on any Friendly-controlled Home Country hex. A maximum of one Infantry counter can be placed in each hex - plus one for every "facility" in the hex.
[17.3.2] A "facility" is any Factory, City, Resource, Shipyard or Oil symbol; a Rail Dot is not considered a "facility."
[17.3.3] Even if you're not using the optional Oil (62.0) or Resource (63.0) rules, you can still use Oil and Resource symbols as "facilities" for purposes of rule 17.3.2.
Example: The Americans can deploy up to three Infantry units in hex C-2816: one for the hex itself and one for each of the two Factories. Think of this as one unit being "recruited" from the countryside and one unit being "recruited" from each of the cities!
[17.3.4] Be clear on the meaning of this rule. A country is entitled to a certain number of Infantry units based on 17.1 and 17.2. The number of those Infantry units which the country can then deploy on any individual hex, depends on Rule 17.3.
[17.3.5] Hexes in colonies (3.7) don't count as home country hexes. The exceptions are all listed in Rule 3.7.3 (Algeria, Northern Ireland, Sicily, Sardinia and East Prussia).
[17.3.5] Although Commonwealth forces are generally interchangeable, a Commonwealth Infantry Army must be deployed in its home territory when its home territory is on the map. (See 102.2 and 103.2 for scenario-based exceptions when the country's territory is not on the map in play.)
17.4 HQ Unit Builds
[17.4.1] Newly-arriving HQ units are not "built." Instead, they arrive as the result of specific Events.
[17.4.2] If an HQ unit is shattered or killed, it is treated as if it were an Infantry unit of the same nationality. It can be repaired or rebuilt like any other Infantry unit of that nationality, with the following exception.
[17.4.3] A newly-arriving, repaired, or rebuilt HQ unit is deployed on any Friendly-controlled, cooperating (3.6) hex. The hex does not have to be in the unit's home country.
17.5 Axis Collaborators
The Axis powers aimed to bring down the mighty British, French and Soviet Russian empires. As a result, a host of oppressed peoples around the globe were willing, and often able, to throw in their lot with Hitler and Tojo to overthrow the existing world order. The military forces created using these peoples are known in the game as Axis Collaborators.
[17.5.1] Axis Collaborator (AC) units are Legions (3.8) that start the game deployed face down on the Map. Their nationality signs are "EF" (Europäische Freiwillige, "European Volunteers") for pro-Nazi units and "JC" ("Japanese Collaborators") for pro-Japan units. Each AC unit has a corresponding "home" hex on the map, marked with a red and black symbol. These face-down units cannot be moved or attacked; think of them as "civilian" populations not yet recruited.
[17.5.2] During the Infantry Reinforcement Phase, check to see if the Axis is in control of such a flipped unit on its home hex. If so, and if the corresponding AC unit was not already activated, roll a d6 for each such Axis-controlled unit. On a roll of 5 or 6, flip the AC unit face-up; it has now been "recruited" and is an ordinary Axis Legion. (Any other die roll is a failure; repeat next turn if the trigger hex is still Axis-controlled.)
[17.5.3] Once an AC Legion is in the Axis force pool, the Axis may freely rebuild it (17.2.4), for the rest of the game, even if its "home" hex is lost.
[17.5.4.1] Gulag Prisoners: A random Event may move a possible AC unit (not yet deployed) to one of the marked "Gulag" labor camp hexes inside the USSR. If such an Event occurs, and the relevant AC unit has not yet joined the Axis force pool, the UN Player takes that AC unit and places it, face-down, on the Soviet Gulag hex of his choosing. The Gulag must be empty of other imprisoned AC units if possible; if all Gulags are 'full' then each may hold up to two AC units.
While face-down in a Gulag hex, the unit has no strength, may not move, cannot be attacked, and, more importantly, may not be "recruited" if the Axis come to control the unit's original home hex. These units do not go face-up in the Unflipment Phase (16.3).
The entire relevant ethnic group has been uprooted by Stalin 'for reasons of national security' and deported to the vast interior of the USSR. Its men are no longer available for recruitment in their "home hex" because the people are physically no longer there. They have been 'resettled in the East'.
[17.5.4.2] Freeing Gulag Prisoners: If, during the Infantry Recruitment Phase, Axis forces occupy a Gulag hex that hosts a face-down AC Legion unit, that Legion immediately flips face-up and becomes an Axis Legion (see 17.4.6). It is 'let out of jail' and its men enthusiastically enlist to overthrow the hated Bolshevik jailers.
[17.5.5] AC Legion Alignments: In the unlikely event that a pro-Nazi unit in a Gulag is liberated by the Japanese, or a pro-Japanese unit in a Gulag is liberated by the Germans, simply make the unit part of the liberating force pool and make a note of its unusual alignment.
Example: It is September/October 1939 and the Axis VJ-39-4 chit is drawn, mandating Stalin's deportation of the Far East Koreans from their homeland in hex B-2810. The UN Player deviously decides to deport the "FEK" collaborator unit to the Gulag hex at A-3316, and places the "FEK" unit face-down in that hex. Later, in July/August 1943, the Axis Player has liberated that Gulag in hex A-3316. During the Infantry Reinforcement Phase of that Turn (17.5.2) the Axis Player rolls a 6 for that Gulag, and so the "FEK" unit of ethnic Koreans becomes a pro-Nazi unit in the German Force Pool. Make a note of it.
[17.5.6] Celtic Collaborators: There are four special "green diamond" hexes in and around the British Isles (one is in France) in which to deploy the four "Celtic Collaborator" units. The moment the hex is German-controlled, place the corresponding Celtic Collaborator garrison unit in the hex. For game purposes it is considered a pro-Nazi minor. Certain Events may also create one or more of these units, as may a British surrender (24.2). The units are identified and deployed as follows:
- Hex 3105 - Scottish Separatists, the Scottish National Party.
- Hex 2904 - Welsh Separatists, Plaid Cymru.
- Hex 2803 - Cornish Separatists, the Müvyans an Gorhemmyn Noweth.
- Hex 2604 - Breton Nazi Separatists, the Bagadoù Stourm.
[17.5.6.1] Each Axis Collaborator is considered a separate minor country and as such can replace one Army per Turn (see 17.2.2.1).
17.6 Chinese Regeneration
Because of China's immense reserve of manpower, Chinese units are easy to rebuild if shattered or killed. Because of China's division among feuding factions, this is a little more complicated than it should be.
[17.6.1] This rule applies to KMT, Warlord, PLA (Communist) and NRA (Nanking Régime) Chinese Faction Armies, within restrictions imposed on each Faction (see 43.2-43.5).
[17.6.2] All Chinese Infantry and Garrisons that are in the Force Pool or the Shattered Remnants Box automatically "regenerate" during the Recruitment Stage. This means they return to the map at no cost. (You can also build or rebuild Chinese Garrisons the "normal" way during a Turn.)
[17.6.3] Regenerated KMT, PLA and NRA Infantry are placed on friendly controlled hexes within China proper. An empty hex in enemy ZOC is not considered "friendly controlled" for purposes of this rule. PLA units may need to abide by the geographical restriction of rule 43.3.1.
[17.6.4] Regenerated Warlord units are placed on their "home" hexes (see 43.4.1) as identified on their counters. If the home hex is under enemy control, the Warlord unit cannot return to the Game until the home hex is controlled by friendly forces.
[17.6.5] Regenerated Chinese Garrisons are placed in any friendly controlled hex in China proper, or can be placed in any other hex in Greater China (43.9) currently occupied by a supplied Chinese Army (except by another Garrison, as Garrisons cannot stack; no more than one Garrison may ever be placed in a hex at one time. See 5.6.9.)
18.0 Production
GENERAL RULE: The wartime economies of the belligerent powers have been abstracted in the Production rules. AV enhances both realism and playability by eliminating the "bean counting" of "production points" so often found in World War II games.
The "Production" rules govern the creation of Tanks, Ships, and Planes. (Not Infantry! See 17.0.)
Only Great Powers use the Production rules. Minor countries receive automatic reinforcements (if they receive any at all) from Events or from Lend-Lease (18.7).
Important: Great Powers do not engage in production if they are neutral (exception: Naval builds; 18.6.7). They receive automatic reinforcements (if they receive any at all) from Events, just like minor countries.
18.1 Available Factories
[18.1.1] We provide each Great Power (Italy, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, the USSR and the USA) with a set of Production Charts, at the end of Rulebook #3. Players should feel free to photocopy the Production Charts, because you'll need to write on them during the Game.
[18.1.2] The Production Charts cross-index the country's Factories with the Game-Turn number, given at the top of the column. A white box means the Factory is "available"; a gray box means the Factory is "unavailable."
Example: Look at Japanese Production Chart 1. According to this Chart, on Turn 1 the Japanese factories at Yokosuka and Tokyo are available (white boxes); however, Osaka is unavailable (gray box). If you move ahead to Turn 9, the Osaka box changes from grey to white. This means that the Osaka factory will be available to the Japanese Player starting on Turn 9, but not before.
Don't confuse the "gray" not-yet-available boxes with the "shaded" Pacific Theater Factories in Rules 102.4 and 103.4.
[18.1.3] Unavailable Factories should be ignored by all Players for production purposes. They play no role in the production aspect of the Game until they become available. (They're churning out nylons and refrigerators for your happy consumers, but they still function as supply sources and as "facilities" for Infantry units under Rule 17.3.2.)
[18.1.4.1] An "available" Factory can't be used for Production if the owning Player doesn't actually control it during the Production Stage. (If Düsseldorf is under French occupation, the Germans don't get any tanks from Düsseldorf this Turn.)
[18.1.4.2] A Factory may "change hands" several times during a Turn; as long as it ends the Warfare Stage in Friendly hands, it can produce. If it ends the Warfare Stage in Enemy hands, it can't.
[18.1.5] If a country has surrendered, its Factories "switch off" permanently. They cannot be used for purposes of Production, even if they are liberated by their own side.
[18.1.6] Captured Enemy factories do not play any role in Friendly production. No matter how many Soviet Factories Germany conquers, they do not somehow start cranking out German units.
[18.1.7] The Factory in hex A-2910, "Danzig," is considered a German Factory for all purposes, while it is German-controlled. Similarly, the Factory in hex B-2808, "Harbin," is considered a Japanese Factory for all purposes, while it is Japanese-controlled. And the Factories in Montréal (C-3016) and Sydney (B-0519) count as British for all purposes so long as Canada and Australia (respectively) are neutral or UN and the Factories themselves are not Axis-occupied.
[18.1.8.1] Any Tank or Air unit which is prohibited from appearing on the map at all because a Factory is unavailable, is placed in the Shattered Remnants Box.
[18.1.8.2] If a country's shipyards (18.6.4.1) are all under Enemy control at the moment when a Ship is supposed to be deployed there, the Ship is lost permanently and is considered sunk. (Except if it's being built through Lend-Lease; see 18.7).
18.2 Factory Designations
[18.2.1] Each Factory is "Designated" (18.2.5) to make one kind of unit: Ships, Planes, or Tanks.
[18.2.2] For purposes of this rule, "Ships" means CV and BB (including Axis Raider - 72.5) units.
[18.2.3] At the start of a Scenario, all of a country's Available Factories are designated to one of these three types of production.
[18.2.4] As a Scenario progresses, additional Factories will become available. For examples, see the Production Charts (e.g. the Italian Factory at Milano on Turn 3; the Japanese Factory at Osaka on Turn 9; the German Factory at Köln on Turn 16; and so on).
[18.2.5] When a new Factory comes on line, the owning Player immediately chooses to designate the Factory for Ship, Plane, or Tank production by writing the corresponding letter ("S", "P" or "T") in the white box in the appropriate Game-Turn column on the Production Chart.
[18.2.6] These designations are permanent for the rest of the Game. (Optional Rule 64.0 allows you to change them, however.)
18.3 Aircraft Production (Planes)
[18.3.1] A Factory designated "P" produces Planes (air units).
[18.3.2] During the Production Stage, each Planes Factory a country has, produces one new Plane from the Force Pool, or rebuilds up to three shattered Planes from the Shattered Remnants Box.
(Illustration: Japanese Production Chart 1: 1939 (part), 1940 and 1941, showing the Japanese Factory at Osaka (B-2512) being designated as a "Tank" Factory beginning on Turn 9 when Osaka is activated; Yokosuka is designated "S" and Tokyo "P".)
[18.3.3] Newly-produced or newly-repaired Planes are placed, face up, on the next Turn's box on the Turn-Record Track. They will arrive as reinforcements during the Production Stage of the next Turn.
[18.3.4] Planes arriving from the Turn-Record Track are deployed in the Air Available Box (located on "The Front" sheet) of the side to which the country belongs.
[18.3.5] Note that not all Planes in the counter mix are actually available in the Force Pool. Planes are only placed in the Force Pool as the result of Air Tech Events (Rule 4.3.4.2.1).
18.4 Tank Production (Tanks)
[18.4.1] A Factory designated "T" produces Tank units.
[18.4.2] During the Production Stage, each Tank Factory a country has, produces one new Tank Unit from the Force Pool, or rebuilds up to three shattered Tank Units from the Shattered Remnants Box.
[18.4.3] Newly-produced or newly-repaired Tank Units are placed, face up, on the next Turn's box on the Turn-Record Track. They will arrive as reinforcements during the Production Stage of the next Turn.
[18.4.4] Unlike Planes or Ships, Tank units arriving from the Turn-Record Track are deployed on any Factory hex specifically designated to produce Tank units. Unless it is otherwise impossible, no Factory can deploy two Tank units till all other Factories in that country have deployed one.
Advice: The USA should designate Factories in coastal hexes to produce Tanks. That way, the Tank units can be sent overseas the very next turn. Producing Tank units in inland Factories means that you have to take one Turn moving them to ports, and then a second Turn moving them overseas!
18.5 Ship Production (1): The Naval Build Pool Card
[18.5.1] The construction of Ships is a two-step process using the Naval Build Pool card and the Turn-Record Track.
[18.5.2] Certain Events specify the placement of certain Ships into the Naval Builds Pool. For instance, a certain German Event specifies "Ger- man CV-Graf Zeppelin (7 Turns)." This is an instruction to take the German CV counter called "Graf Zeppelin" out of the Force Pool and place it in the "7 Turns (new)" box of the Naval Build Pool.
[18.5.3] Naval Builds specified in this manner by Events are always placed in the white ("new") boxes of the Naval Build Pool. The shaded "Repair" boxes are used to repair damaged ships (18.6.2).
[18.5.4] All Event-driven naval deployments to the Build Pool occur during the Warfare Stage, as the Events are drawn.
[18.5.5] Only Ships on the Build Pool card may be produced by the Players during the Production Stage. Ships still in the Force Pool may not be built until an Event places them in the Build Pool. (Exception: Neutral country Ships; see 18.6.7.)
[18.5.6] Certain Naval Builds specify a cost that represents lost production from other fields of industry. For instance, a German BB unit Event might say "7 Turns/1 Tank." This means that if you choose to place the BB unit on the Naval Build Pool card, you must at the same time permanently remove one German Tank unit from the game. If you cannot (or will not) do so, you may not place the BB unit on the Naval Build Pool card; and the option to build the Ship is lost forever.
18.6 Ship Production (2): The Turn-Record Track
[18.6.1] A Factory designated "S" produces Ships (naval units).
[18.6.2] During the Production Stage, each Ship Factory a country has, produces one new Ship from the white boxes on the Naval Builds Chart, or rebuilds up to three damaged Ships from the shaded boxes on the Naval Builds Chart.
[18.6.3] Naval Builds take time to complete; the number of Turns is specified on each box of the Builds Chart. During the Production Stage, the Player takes the Ship he is producing off the Naval Build Pool, and counts that many Turns ahead from the current Turn on the Turn-Record Track. He then places the Ship on the corresponding box of the Turn-Record Track. The Ship does not actually arrive on the map until that Turn.
[18.6.4.1] Newly-built Ships do not arrive on the Map on the Factories where they were built. (Those Factories are building parts for the Ship, not the Ship itself.) Instead, each Great Power has one or more "Shipyard Hexes" on its home territory where Ships are assembled:
- Britain (3): A-3003 (Belfast), A-3004 (Barrow), A-3005 (Tyneside)
- France (1): A-2603 (Lorient and Brest)
- Germany (1): A-2908 (Kiel, Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven)
- Italy (2): A-2508 (Genoa), A-2509 (Trieste)
- Japan (3): B-2410 (Nagasaki), B-2511 (Kure), B-2612 (Yokosuka)
- Soviet Union (2): A-2614 (Nikolayev), A-3213 (Leningrad)
- USA (3): C-2614 (Newport News), C-2716 (Jersey City), C-2804 (San Francisco)
[18.6.4.2] A newly arriving Ship can be deployed at any one of its home-country Shipyard Hexes. During the Production Stage, the Ship arrives on the Shipyard Hex of the owning player's choice.
Example: It is Game-Turn 19 and the USA draws an Event Card reading "US CV Langley (9 Turns)." The US Player takes the "Langley" counter from the Force Pool and places it in the "9 Turns (new)" box of the Naval Build Pool. During the Production Stage, the USA uses a Factory to build the Langley; the US Player counts 9 Turns ahead to Turn 28 and puts the "Langley" counter in the Turn 28 box on the Turn-Record Track. On Turn 28, during the Production Stage, the US Player can deploy the Langley counter on any of his three Shipyard hexes, and, since he wants to send it straight into the Pacific War, chooses to place it in C-2804 (San Francisco).
[18.6.4.3] Optional Rule: Players craving hyper-realism should write down what Shipyard they want a Ship built at, when the Ship is first "laid down" on the Turn-Record Track. If that Shipyard is under Enemy occupation when the Ship is set to arrive on the map, it is sunk!
[18.6.5] Axis Raiders (Rule 72.5) are not allowed to stack, so they may be deployed anywhere at sea; they may deploy at a Shipyard if that Shipyard is not occupied by another Ship.
[18.6.6] Ships "sit" in the Build Pool until the owning Player chooses to build them. A Player does not have to build Ships he has on the Build Pool; he can leave some (or all) sitting there as long as he wants.
[18.6.7] Neutral Great Powers (this can mean the USSR, USA, and Italy) build Ships without assigning Factories to do so. If a neutral Great Power draws an Event allowing it to build a Ship, just put the unit on the Turn-Record Track, however many turns ahead the Event specifies. It deploys at the Shipyard, free of charge.
18.7 Lend-Lease
GENERAL RULE: If a Scenario or Event allows it, one Great Power may use "Lend-Lease", which enables that country to use its own Factories to produce Planes, Tanks, or Ships for another country. In all scenarios, Britain and France (if still in the war) may send Lend-Lease to any pro-UN country except the Soviet Union.
[18.7.1] If permitted to do so by a Scenario or Event, a country may Lend-Lease Ships, Planes, or Tanks to any cooperating country that has such units in its Force Pool. Infantry units may never be "Lend-Leased."
[18.7.2] To Lend-Lease a unit, the 'Lending' country (for example the United States) indicates that it is using one of its Factories for Lend-Lease to another country (for example Great Britain). In this case, the US Factory would simply produce a British unit of the same type, rather than an US unit. Place a "Lend-Lease" marker on the unit being constructed, on the Turn-Record Track.
[18.7.3] A Tank or Plane produced through Lend-Lease takes two Turns to be built, not one as in Rules 18.3.3 and 18.4.3. It is placed two Turn Boxes away on the Turn-Record Track rather than one. It otherwise behaves like a normal reinforcement for the receiving country.
Example: On Turn 27 the United States decides to Lend-Lease one Tank unit to Britain. The US Player takes one British Tank unit from the Force Pool and places it on the Turn 29 box of the Turn-Record Track with a "Lend-Lease" marker on it. During the Production Stage of Turn 29, the UN Player takes the Tank unit from the Turn-Record Track and deploys it on any British Port.
[18.7.4] A Lend-Lease Tank is always deployed on one of the recipient country's Ports; its Planes go in the side's Air Available Box.
[18.7.5] Lend-Leased Ships arrive at the Shipyard of either the producing country or the receiving country (18.6.4). If no such hex is free of enemy occupation, the Ship is destroyed as per Rule 18.1.8.2. However, if a rule or Event says that (for instance) a French ship becomes the property of another country (e.g. 23.4.5, where Italy seizes the French fleet), then these units are repaired at the new owner's Shipyard.
[18.7.9] Because they are on the Turn-Record Track, all units produced through Lend-Lease are vulnerable to Strategic Warfare (see 19.0).
18.8 Lend-Lease to Russia
[18.8.1] Great Britain and the USA (if allowed to send Lend-Lease) may send Lend-Lease to the USSR (Russia). Because of Russia's geography there are certain restrictions.
[18.8.2.1] There are three possible "Convoy Routes" to Russia. Each Convoy Route depends on the control of "Convoy Ports", which are marked with a symbol (see Red Card).
[18.8.2.2] The Pacific Convoy Route consists of the Convoy Port of Vladivostok (B-2810) and an unbroken line of Soviet-controlled Rail hexes from Vladivostok to any Soviet Factory.
[18.8.2.3] The Persian Convoy Route consists of the Convoy Port of Abadan (A-2119) and an unbroken line of neutral or UN-controlled Rail hexes from Abadan to any Soviet Factory.
[18.8.2.4] The Arctic Convoy Route consists of either A-3812 (Murmansk) or A-3614 (Archangel), and an unbroken line of UN-controlled Rail hexes from either of those Convoy Ports to any Soviet Factory.
[18.8.3] For each of the three routes not UN-controlled, add 1 turn in addition to the normal two-turn delay for incoming Lend-Lease units specified in Rule 18.7.3.
Example: The USSR only controls one of its three Convoy Routes. This means you would add two additional turns of delays for Lend-Lease to Russia. If the USA produces a Lend-Lease Tank unit for Russia, count four turns ahead on the Turn-Record Track and place the unit in the appropriate box.
[18.8.4] If Russia or her allies control none of the three Convoy Routes, no new Lend-Lease units for Russia can be placed on the Turn-Record Track until a route opens up.
[18.8.5] The toiling proletarian masses of Soviet workers and peasants do not prop up the reactionary plutocracy of monopoly capitalism! (In other words, the USSR may never give Lend-Lease to anyone.)
18.9 Lend-Lease to Minors
[18.9.1] Some Minor Countries have Planes and Ships. In addition, Canada has a Tank unit (the only minor country with Tanks). These can only be repaired or rebuilt by their Great Power allies, through Lend-Lease.
[18.9.2] Any German or (Axis) Italian Factory may be used to repair a damaged or shattered Pro-Nazi Minor unit. Any Japanese Factory may be used to repair a damaged or shattered Pro-Japan Minor unit. (For instance, if Argentina is pro-Japan and you need to repair an Argentine Battleship.)
[18.9.3] The UN Player may use any British or US Factory to repair a damaged or shattered Minor pro-UN unit as if it were their own. The normal two-turn delay for Tanks and Planes (18.7.3) applies.
[18.9.4] A repaired or rebuilt minor Plane is deployed on its side's Air Available Box.
[18.9.5] A repaired or rebuilt minor Tank unit is deployed on any city hex in that Minor Country, as long as the hex is connected by a Pipeline (8.5) to the Factory building it.
[18.9.6] A minor Ship which is repaired is deployed on the Shipyard of the Great Power building it.
[18.9.7] Commonwealth Lend Lease: If British Factories are used to produce CW Tanks or Planes, treat the resulting units as British. This means they only have a one-turn delay, not a normal two-turn "Lend-Lease" delay.
18.10 Production Shutdown
[18.10.1] Certain Events or rules will cause a "Production Shutdown" in a designated Factory. When this is called for, roll 1d6 or 2d6 (as specified in the Event; if there is no instruction, roll 1d6); the Factory is "shut down" for that number of Turns. Write an "X" in the Factory box to cover up its production for the required number of Turns. It will return to normal production on the first Turn without an X.
[18.10.2] Usually the Event or rule will specify that the "topmost functioning" Factory is to be 'punished' with the Production Shutdown. This means the active, operating factory closest to the top of the list on the country's Production Chart appropriate to the scenario being played. In other Events, a specific Factory is named.
Example: It is January/February 1941 and Japan plays the Axis WC-41-9 Event, funding radical groups in Chicago to foment unrest. As per the Event, you roll 2d6 and, surprisingly, you roll a 12 so this unlikely Event goes ahead. It says that Chicago (C-2812) has a Production Shutdown; since it does not specify one die or two, you roll one die (18.10.1), and the result is 4. You cross out the "Chicago" Factory on the Production Chart this Turn and the next three Turns (through July/August). This means you can't use the Chicago Factory until the September/October Game Turn.
[18.10.3] If the UN attacks any neutral country (3.3.5.2.2), it automatically causes a Production Shutdown in the USA, affecting the top functioning US Factory. This Shutdown is permanent; the Factory never "switches back on." See 3.3.5.2.2.
19.0 Strategic Warfare (SW)
GENERAL RULE: "Strategic Warfare" is often called "economic warfare" (with the curious implication that there is some kind of warfare that is not economic). In AV, there are three types of Strategic Warfare: German SW (the German sub campaign against Britain and the United States); British SW (the British, and later American, bombing campaign against Germany); and US SW (the US sub campaign against Japan).
19.1 SW Effects
[19.1.1] The United States, Britain, and Germany have markers on the Omnibus Markers Track denoting "SW Effect." This is an abstraction that represents a great variety of technical innovations and strategic decisions.
[19.1.2] Each country's SW Effect number rises or falls depending on the play of certain Events. There is little the Players can do to affect these totals; they are treated as a "given." (But see Rule 19.2.) SW levels may go below zero (although they have no effect if they are at zero or below). They may never go above 60.
[19.1.3.1] American (US) Strategic Warfare is always directed against Japan. US Strategic Warfare die rolls are only made against Japanese units on the Turn-Record Track if the number of UN Ships inside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (42.4) outnumbers the number of Axis ships in the same region.
[19.1.3.2.1] British Strategic Warfare is always directed against Germany.
[19.1.3.2.2] "British" Strategic Warfare still exists even if Britain has formed a Government in Exile.
[19.1.3.2.3] A British Strategic Warfare die roll is only made against German units on the Turn-Record Track if London (A-2805), Paris (A-2605) and/or Rome (A-2309) is UN-controlled.
Note: Yes, we know that by 1944 the Americans, not the British, were responsible for most of the bombing campaign against Germany. But calling it "British" is easier than explaining that there are two different kinds of American SW Effects.
[19.1.3.3.1] German Strategic Warfare is always directed against Great Britain, and against any UN Production being given through Lend-Lease, no matter who it is for or who it is from.
[19.1.3.3.2] During any Production Stage in which London (A-2805) is Axis-controlled, German Strategic Warfare is directed against both United States and British production.
[19.1.4] The procedure for implementing Strategic Warfare losses is simple. For each face-up British, CW, or UN-Lend-Leased Plane, Ship, or Army that is set to deploy on the map (or on the Air Available Box, in the case of Planes) this turn, roll percentile dice (1.4.2) at the moment of the attempted deployment. If the die roll is equal to or less than the German SW Effectiveness Rating, then the unit is not deployed, but is placed instead on the next Game-Turn box on the Turn-Record Track; its deployment is delayed another two months. (And it may be delayed again next Turn!)
Example: It is Turn 18 (May/June 1940). I'm the British and I am using my factory at Glasgow to build a Tank unit. Since German SW is 22 this Turn, I must roll percentile dice for my Tank unit. I roll 2d10 and get a result of 17 - which means my Tank unit fails to deploy this turn. I put the Tank unit on the Turn 19 box on the Turn-Record Track, when I will try again to deploy it.
[19.1.5] Any unit of any type waiting on the Turn-Record Track to be deployed, is liable to be delayed by Strategic Warfare each time you try to deploy it.
[19.1.6] American SW affects Japanese deployments in the very same fashion as described in Rule 19.1.4. British SW affects German deployments in the very same fashion as described in Rule 19.1.4.
19.2 SW Modifications
[19.2.1] SW Effects are most frequently modified by random Events, but may also be modified by certain Player actions during the Unflipment Phase (see the Sequence of Play, 1.5.2, 5.C.i).
[19.2.2.1] For every British, French or US Plane left in the UN Air Available Box, the UN Player may increase British or US SW Effect by +1, or reduce German SW Effect by -1.
[19.2.2.2] For every German Plane left in the Axis Air Available Box, the Axis Player may increase German SW Effect by +1, or reduce British SW Effect by -1.
[19.2.2.3] For every Japanese Plane left in the Axis Air Available Box at the start of the Unflipment Phase, the Axis Player may reduce US SW Effect by -1.
[19.2.3.1] For every UN Ship inside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere boundary, add +1 to American SW Effect.
[19.2.3.2] For every Axis Ship inside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere boundary, subtract -1 from American SW Effect.
[19.2.3.3] For every Japanese Ship outside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere boundary, subtract -1 from American SW Effect.
[19.2.4] For every Axis "Raider" unit (72.5) on the High Seas (19.3.2), add +1 to German SW Effect.
19.3 German High Seas "Breakouts"
GENERAL RULE: The actual damage done by German surface raiders to British and Allied shipping really wasn't that impressive; but we must include this rule to account for the fact that if any German ship actually did "break out" into the Atlantic, the entire British political system completely freaked out and diverted massive resources to hunting down and killing these ships. In Churchill's famous words: "Sink the Bismarck! No other considerations are to have any weight, whatever."
[19.3.1] At the end of any UN (not Axis!) Pulse, any German Ship on the "High Seas" (not including "Raiders" - 72.5) adds +1 to German SW Effects.
[19.3.2] The term "High Seas" is defined as any all-sea hex, not including any hex in the Mediterranean, Baltic, Adriatic, Black, or Red Seas. German units in those hexes do not count as having "Broken Out."
[19.3.3] A German Ship which modified German SW Effects on one UN Pulse continues to do so on every subsequent UN Pulse until it is sunk or leaves the High Seas.
[19.3.4] If Italy is Axis, any Italian Ships on the "High Seas" count as German for purposes of Rule 19.3.1.
19.4 Strategic Base Hexes
GENERAL RULE: "Strategic Base Hexes" represent key military installations (such as submarine pens and air bases) capable of projecting a country's military power out to sea.
[19.4.1] Certain hexes are marked as Strategic Base Hexes ("SBs" for short). White ones affect American SW Effects; Black ones affect German SW Effects. No Strategic Base Hexes ever affect British SW Effects.
[19.4.2] Control of SBs modifies SW Effects. If, at the start of a scenario, a black SB is neutral or UN-controlled, it has no effect; if that SB passes from neutral to UN control (or, conceivably, from UN to neutral control), it also has no effect. However, when a black SB passes from neutral/UN control to Axis (including Japanese) control, increase German SW by the amount designated on the SB symbol.
[19.4.3] Likewise, if a German (or Japanese) controlled black SB passes from German/Japanese control to UN control (or conceivably from German or Japanese control to neutral control), reduce German SW by the designated amount.
[19.4.4] In the same way, if a white US SB is neutral or Axis (German/Japanese) controlled at the start of the scenario it has no effect; if that SB passes from neutral to Axis/Japanese control, or, conceivably, from Axis/Japanese to neutral control), it also has no effect. However, when a white SB passes from neutral/Axis control to UN control, increase US SW by the amount designated on the SB symbol. And when a white SB passes from UN control to Axis/Japanese/neutral control, decrease US SW by the amount designated on the SB symbol.
The conceptual hurdle is to understand that only a side's own possession of a SB helps that side's SW effort. Capturing an 'enemy' SB that your enemy does not actually control does not help you. (Although of course it denies the facility to the enemy.) The trick is remembering not to adjust SW Effects if an enemy SB goes from neutrality to your possession. All those juicy black Strategic Bases in Brazil, for instance, do the Allies no good - but they would be a huge bonanza to the Germans if they were to fall into Axis hands.
Example I: There is a 10-strength German SB at Reykjavík (A-3702), in Iceland. If neutral, it does the Germans no good (they can't base subs there, or fly air patrols from there). If the British seize Reykjavík, this does not change the German SW Effect number. But if the Germans seize it, you would raise German SW Effects by +10. Then, if the British later retake Reykjavík from the Germans, you would lower German SW Effects by -10 (to remove the benefit the Germans got from holding it).
Example II: A major source of change in US Strategic Warfare comes as soon as Japan declares war on the USA and Britain, and begins to capture Strategic Base hexes inside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (see Rule 42.4). For example, US SW begins the Pacific War in 1941 at 60, but the Japanese will quickly overrun Strategic Bases in the Philippines, Guam, Netherlands East Indies, and other places which will drive US SW level down to almost nothing.
[19.4.5] Neutrals Joining: When a neutral country joins an Alignment (3.1), always remember to check any Strategic Base Hexes that country controls, and adjust German or British SW Effects accordingly.
Example: A coup in Argentina brings Argentina into the Axis; there are two 10-strength black (German) Strategic Base Hexes in Argentina. Immediately increase German SW Effects by +20.
[19.4.6] Location of German Strategic Bases: To assist the player in getting a conceptual handle on the far-flung nature of strategic warfare, note that most of the German Strategic Base hexes are located on Map A. For reference, these are (all hex numbers are Map A):
Aden (British; 1518), Algeria (French; 2005), Ascension (British; 0703), Belgian Congo (0910), Dakar (French West Africa; 1402), Diego Garcia (British; 1125) Egypt (British; 2114) Éire (neutral; 2902), Finland (3210 and 3912), France (2505, 2603, and 2407), Iceland (neutral; 3702), India (CW; 2023 and 1824), Italian East Africa (1118), Italy (2210), Liberia (neutral; 1004), Madagascar (French, 0710), Malta (British; 2111), Moçambique (Portuguese; 0315), Netherlands (2907), Nigeria (British; 1207), Norway (3709), Spain (2004), United Kingdom (2805 and 3305), USSR (3812, 3213 and 2514), South Africa (CW; 0214 and 0111) and Zanzibar (British; 0817).
Additionally there are 14 German Strategic Bases on Map C: Argentina (0617 and 0317), Açores (Portuguese; 2224), Bermuda (British (2518), Brazil (neutral; 1323, 1222, 0921), Cape Verde (Portuguese; 1625), Cuba (US-controlled, 2114), Falkland Islands (British; 0220), Greenland (Danish-controlled; 3523), Newfoundland (CW; 3020), and the United States (2715 and 2411).
[19.4.7] Location of US Strategic Bases: In the same way, US Strategic Bases are divided between Map B (the Pacific) and Map C (the New World) as follows. For reference, Bases on Map B are:
Alaska (USA; 3823 and 3520), Australia (CW; 0317, 0511, 0519, 0719), Bougainville (British; 1320), Ceylon (British; 1401), East Timor (Portuguese; 1212), Ellice Islands (1323), Fiji (British; 1023), Formosa (Japan; 2210), Gilbert Is. (Japan; 1621), Guadalcanal (British; 1221), Guam (USA; 1915), Hawaii (USA; 2324, 2325), Indochina (neutral; 1807), Iwo Jima (Japan; 2213), Japan (2511, 2613, 3013), Mariana Islands (Japan; 2014), Marshall Islands (Japan; 1820), Midway (USA; 2521), NEI (1208 and 1516), New Zealand (CW; 0524), New Caledonia (French; 0723), New Guinea (Australian, CW; 1218 and 1219), Okinawa (Japan; 2211), Philippines (1911 and 1613), Rabaul (Japanese; 1419), Samoa (British; 1125), Singapore (British; 1407), Truk (Japan; 1717), Wake Island (USA; 2119).
US Strategic Bases on Map C are: Canada (3305), Chile (neutral; 0614), Ecuador (neutral; 1412), Mexico (2008), Panama (USA; 1813), San Francisco (USA; 2804), and Tahiti (French; 1003).
19.5 SW Levels and US/British Entry
[19.5.1] German and British SW Levels start at zero at the beginning of the game and evolve from there, based on random Events and the control of Strategic Bases.
[19.5.2] In the Pacific, however, the game (1939 Scenario) begins with the US SW Level beginning at 60. Remember that this is not actually used until the US is at war against Japan, and then only if UN Ships outnumber Axis ones inside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (19.1.3.1).
Japan - don't panic! Your conquests inside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere will quickly drive US SW Level down to zero or even lower, as you gobble up undefended Strategic Base Hexes. And then it will be a long slog for the Americans and their British allies to capture them back.
19.6 German Rockets
GENERAL RULE: For all their frightening potential, the German V-1 "Buzz Bombs" and V-2 rockets inflicted very little actual damage on the British economy. Ironically, the more primitive V-1 was more effective because it was slower, and more visible - and so vital resources were poured into finding and intercepting those tiny "buzz bombs" that fell on English cities. The V-2, while larger and more powerful, was also silent and completely immune to anti-aircraft fire or airborne interception; while it may have done more damage on the ground, defending against it was ruled out and so the planes and men who would have intercepted the V-2 were available for other military roles.
[19.6.1] V-1 Rockets: Whenever the Axis Player plays a V-1 Rocket Event, he points at any operational UN Factory within two hexes of a supplied German Army. The UN Player must then move one UN Plane from the Available Box to the Committed Box. (It's busy shooting down the V-1.) If there are no UN Planes available, take one UN Plane from the Air Committed Box and place it in the Shattered Remnants Box. If that is not an option, then the target Factory is shut down (18.10) this Turn only.
[19.6.2] V-2 Rockets: Any V-2 Rocket Event must be played when drawn, so long as the Axis "V-2 ROCKETS" Variant is on the map. Whenever the Axis Player plays a V-2 Rocket Event, take one German Plane from the Air Available Box and place it in the Air Committed Box. If there are no German Planes available, take one German Plane from the Air Committed Box and place it in the Shattered Remnants Box. If that is not an option, then the Axis Player must shut down one German Factory (18.10) this Turn only.
20.0 End of Turn Stage
20.1 Bookkeeping
At this point in the Turn, go to the Sequence of Play (back cover of this booklet) and perform steps A, B, C, D and E listed there under the End of Turn Stage.
20.2 The Turn Marker
The Game-Turn ends with the end of the "End of Turn Stage." The Turn is now over - The Turn Marker is advanced to the next box on the Turn-Record Track, and the next Turn begins with the Turn Start Stage, as noted on the Sequence of Play (1.5.2).
20.3 Game Limits
The Game ends at the end of the July-August 1946 Game-Turn if nothing ended it sooner. It may continue longer if using the Chinese Civil War expansion (58.0).
20.4 "Victory Conditions"
Some games have "victory conditions" to justify playing to one level of stalemate or another. But World War II was not that kind of war! In AV, as in World War II, victory is obtained by crushing your enemies. That is your objective. How successful were you, based on the situation at the end of the game?
Study the actual history of the war, and learn what the objectives of both sides were. The bibliography (91.0) will give you a start. How did their plans compare to yours? Have a good long discussion over a pizza about how the outcome should be judged.
This game takes too much time and effort to rely on our arbitrary "victory conditions." Did you get what you wanted? If so, you won!
Have you defeated the dark scourge of fascist tyranny, and led the starving, brutalized peoples of the earth into the broad, sunlit uplands of freedom? Or have you achieved your place in the sun, crushing lesser nations under the heels of your jackboots? This is total global war, the fate of the entire planet is up to you - it is in your hands now. You are striving for nothing less than ABSOLUTE VICTORY. Banzai!
The Land Mode Grid (9.8.5)
Each cell lists, in order: Violence Number (Attacker/Defender); Fire Order; Retreat code; Flip code(s); Ignore terrain / Rout where printed. Blitzkrieg may only be chosen in Fair Weather.
Blitzkrieg
| Defense Mode | Cell |
|---|---|
| Counterattack | Violence 6/8; Simultaneous; Def can hold; Both no flip; Ignore terrain; Rout |
| Hold at All Costs | Violence 6/7; Def Fires 1st; Def can hold; Def flips; A no flip; Rout |
| Balanced Defense | Violence 5/6; Def Fires 1st; Ret >; A no flip; Rout |
| Defense in Depth | Violence 4/6; Def Fires 1st; Ret x2; A no flip; Rout |
| Fighting Retreat | Violence 4/5; Def Fires 1st; Def retreats; Def flips; A flips unless |
Frontal Assault
| Defense Mode | Cell |
|---|---|
| Counterattack | Violence 5/8; Atkr fires 1st; Def can hold; Def no flip; A flips unless; Ignore terrain |
| Hold at All Costs | Violence 5/7; Simultaneous; Def can hold; Def flips; A flip on hits |
| Balanced Defense | Violence 4/6; Simultaneous; Ret x2; A flip on hits |
| Defense in Depth | Violence 4/5; Simultaneous; Ret x2; A flip on hits |
| Fighting Retreat | Violence 3/4; Simultaneous; Def retreats; Def flips; A flips unless |
Normal Attack
| Defense Mode | Cell |
|---|---|
| Counterattack | Violence 4/7; Atkr fires 1st; Def can hold; Def no flip; A flips unless; Ignore terrain |
| Hold at All Costs | Violence 4/5; Simultaneous; Def can hold; Def flips; A flip on hits |
| Balanced Defense | Violence 3/4; Simultaneous; Ret x2; A flip on hits |
| Defense in Depth | Violence 3/4; Simultaneous; Ret x2; A flip on hits |
| Fighting Retreat | Violence 2/3; Simultaneous; Def retreats; Def flips; A flips unless |
Night Attack
| Defense Mode | Cell |
|---|---|
| Counterattack | Violence 3/7; Atkr fires 1st; Def can hold; A flip/D no; Ignore terrain |
| Hold at All Costs | Violence 3/5; Simultaneous; Def can hold; A flip/D no; Ignore terrain |
| Balanced Defense | Violence 2/3; Simultaneous; Ret x3; A flip/D no; Ignore terrain |
| Defense in Depth | Violence 3/3; Simultaneous; Ret >; A flip/D no; Ignore terrain |
| Fighting Retreat | Violence 2/3; Simultaneous; Def retreats; Def flips; A flips unless; Ignore terrain |
Holding Attack
| Defense Mode | Cell |
|---|---|
| Counterattack | Violence 3/7; Atkr fires 1st; No retreat; Def no flip; Ignore terrain |
| Hold at All Costs | Violence 3/4; Simultaneous; No retreat; Both flip |
| Balanced Defense | Violence 2/3; Simultaneous; No retreat; Flip =; Atkr flips |
| Defense in Depth | Violence 2/3; Simultaneous; No retreat; Flip =; Atkr flips |
| Fighting Retreat | Violence 2/3; Simultaneous; Def retreats; Def flips; A flips unless |
[1.5.2] Sequence of Play
- YEAR START STAGE (1.6; Jan/Feb Turns only). All relevant Event Chits are placed in their cups.
- TURN START STAGE (1.7)
- A. Roll for Weather (1.8).
- B. Perform Turn Start Bookkeeping when relevant markers are on the current Turn.
- i. Remove Delay Markers if desired (4.6).
- ii. Remove Chinese Civil War marker; start Chinese Civil War (58.0).
- iii. Apply "ANGLO-FRENCH UNION" Variant (24.1.2).
- iv. Reopen Pearl Harbor (44.1.7.5.2).
- v. Reopen Panama Canal (44.5).
- vi. Check for US Entry if Japan and Britain are at war (53.2.2.2).
- vii. Apply Firepower/Fortitude Upgrades if possible (9.7.2).
- viii. Mothball ships if it is 1942 or later (72.2 - Not Japanese or French ships).
- ix. Remove "Victory Disease" marker (42.4.4.1).
- US ELECTIONS STAGE (55.0/56.0).* (*Only in World Conflict scenarios, and then only on Game-Turns 8 (Nov/Dec 1940) and 32 (Nov/Dec 1944).)
- WARFARE STAGE (5.0-15.0). (Axis and UN alternate Pulses; 5.0).
- LOGISTICAL STAGE (16.0).
- A. Surrender Phase: Resolve ordinary Surrenders - 16.1. Then:
- i. Conduct British Vote of Confidence if necessary (24.3.3).
- ii. Possible "Duke of Windsor" coup if London (A-2805) is Axis-controlled (24.6).
- iii. Check for Chinese Isolation and Separate Peace (43.6).
- iv. Reopen Burma Road and Silk Road if possible (43.6).
- A. Surrender Phase: Resolve ordinary Surrenders - 16.1. Then:
Official Errata and Clarifications (as of 1 Mar 17)
The following is the publisher's separate errata sheet for the complete Absolute Victory game ("Absolute Victory - Errata and Clarifications (as of 1 Mar 17)"), reproduced as published. Entries referring to rules numbered 21.0 and above (including setup rules 102 to 110, the Hex Catalog 120.0, and the Events Booklets) refer to material outside this transcribed Game System rulebook. A newer errata (21 May 2020) and Updated Setups exist on BoardGameGeek and were not available for this transcription.
Map
- On Map A, hexside 1401/1302 needs a little red national border line. (It's a blocked hexside, so this doesn't affect play.)
Counters
- Sheet #1, left, row 3: The German "22 Geb xxx" is a 2-4 (like other Germans).
- Sheet #6, right: The black background on the four "nukes" has shifted position. This has no effect on the game.
- Sheet #7, left: The "Cuba" flag marker needs a [W] World Conflict code.
Events Booklets
- UN Events Booklet, VE-39-1 - The box should contain the entire event.
- UN Events Booklet, VE-39-5 - The Soviet Karelian deployment should refer to hex A-3313 (not 3513).
- UN Events Booklet, VJ-44-1 - The box should contain the entire event.
- UN Events Booklet, Variants list (Clarification) - As explained on Events which create this Variant, "Harsh Russian Winter" may be on any Game Turn in which the weather in the Continental Weather Area is 'Snow' or 'Blizzard'.
- UN Events Booklet, Variants list at the end of the booklet - The "British Jungle Training" event is mislabeled as Jungle Training. (It's in the correct alphabetical location but missing the word "BRITISH".)
- Axis Events Booklet: WC-40-5 - Remove the Raider "Widder" event. There is no such event (or counter).
- Axis Events Booklet: VE-41-6 - "Seelöwe" should be a Save Event (clock) not a Play Event (star).
Rules
- 1.8.4 - The Weather Box is actually on the Antarctica Map.
- 5.6.8 - Clarification: A Garrison Pulse is not a pass when units are only adjacent across a blocked hexside.
- 8.1.2 - The Italian Surrender City at Addis Abeba (A-1416) is a Supply Source for Axis units.
- 9.4 - The Attacker/Defender reserve boxes are actually on the Antarctica Map.
- 14.3 - Clarification: An Air Transit Attack can "fly" over water even if there is a neutral country in the same hex. It does not violate the country's neutrality.
- 15.7.4 - In the illustration, the 4 British ships should start in the blue "UN Ready" boxes (one row higher).
- 22.5.2 (Nazi-Soviet Pact) - The reference to "22.5.8 and 22.6" should read only "22.6.8".
- 43.1.5.2 - The references should be to 43.2.3 and 43.2.4.
- 52.7.4 - The reference to Partisan rebuilding should be to 52.4.
- 56.3.5 - In the example, Bricker (as Vice-President) is actually a +1 modifier to CW TI, so the overall effect is to move CW TI up +1 (not +3). Stalin is still upset.
- 102.6 - The "Don Cossack" unit should set up (flipped) in A-2716 (not 2816).
Setups (Scenario Rules 110.x)
- 110.1 (7) - The British "Gibraltar" marker should set up in A-2004.
- 110.1 (7) - The Sevastopol fort is in hex A-2514.
- 110.1 (9) - French setup. The 1 Garrison in "A-2907" actually sets up in A-2607 (Maginot Line).
- 110.2 (7) - The Sevastopol fort is in hex A-2514.
- 110.2 (7) - The British "Gibraltar" marker should set up in A-2004.
- 110.3 (7) - The British "Gibraltar" marker should set up in A-2004.
- 110.3 (7) - The Sevastopol fort is in hex A-2514.
- 110.3 (7) - Finnish Claims marker starts in the "Medium" (Karelian) box. Ignore the [symbol].
- 110.3 (9) - Scratch the BB "Barham" from the British setup. It was sunk.
- 110.3 (9) - Scratch the BB "Marat" from the Soviet setup. It was sunk.
- 110.3 (9) - USSR: The BB "Paris Commune" should set up at A-2516.
- 110.3 (9) - USSR: The reference to "9" should read "(6) above".
- 110.3 (9) - USA: Clarification: The USA has 4 planes (not 3). They are all listed correctly.
- 110.3 (9) - Germany: Of the 30 German Inf, 2 set up in Norway (stuck there by the ZONE OF DESTINY Variant).
- 110.4 (7) - The British "Gibraltar" marker should set up in A-2004.
- 110.4 (7) - Finnish Claims marker starts in the "Medium" (Karelian) box. Ignore the [symbol].
- 110.4 (7) - UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER is an Axis (not UN) Variant. It is in play.
- 110.4 (9) - Scratch the BB "Barham" from the British setup. It was sunk.
- 110.4 (9) - Scratch the BB "Marat" from the Soviet setup. It was sunk.
- 110.4 (9) - USSR: The BB "Paris Commune" should set up at A-2516.
120.0 Hex Catalog
- Hex A-2804 should be "Bristol" and A-2904 should be "WALES".
Counter Abbreviations
92.1 should include the following abbreviations for single-unit minor countries:
- CFS - Congo Free State
- FD - "Freies Deutschland" (German Communists)
- KP - Korean People's Army (Korean Communists)
- NI - Northern Ireland
- KAM - Kamchatka
- CPT - Coptic Egyptians (This unit is for a future expansion not yet published as of today's date.)
There are a few other (obsolete) abbreviations in 92.1 which no longer correspond to counters and can be ignored. All references to "ROC" (Republic of China) in the game were replaced by "KMT".
92.2: KAR - King's African Rifles