Band of Brothers: Screaming Eagles
Band of Brothers: Screaming Eagles Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Abbreviations
- 1.0 Game Turns
- 2.0 Components
- 3.0 Command Points (CPs)
- 4.0 Operations Phase
- 5.0 Movement
- 6.0 Infantry Fire
- 7.0 Suppression & Morale Checks
- 8.0 Casualties
- 9.0 Opportunity Fire (Op Fire)
- 10.0 Final Op Fire
- 11.0 Rout Phase
- 12.0 Melee Phase
- 13.0 Recovery Phase
- 14.0 Line of Sight (LOS)
- 15.0 Conceal Counters & Decoys
- 16.0 Fog of War
- 17.0 Combat Events
- 18.0 Scenario Cards
- 19.0 Unused Section
- 20.0 Guns & Vehicles
- 20.1 Conceal
- 20.2 Gun Traits
- 20.3 Vehicle Traits
- 20.4 Traits for Both Vehicles and Guns
- 20.5 Gun/Vehicle vs Infantry or Guns
- 20.6 Gun/Vehicle Fire vs Vehicles
- 20.7 Gun/Vehicle Final Op Fire
- 20.8 Infantry vs Guns
- 20.9 Infantry vs Vehicles
- 20.10 Gun/Vehicle Stacking
- 20.11 Vehicle Rear Vulnerability
- 20.12 Crushing
- 20.13 Tank Shock
- 21.0 Carriers
- 22.0 Tank Riders
- 23.0 Unarmored Vehicles
- 24.0 – 29.0 Unused Sections
- 30.0 Weapons
- 31.0 Mortars
- 32.0 Artillery Support
- 33.0 Special Anti-Tank Weapons
- 34.0 Flamethrowers
- 35.0 Aircraft
- 36.0 Satchel Charges
- 37.0 Canister Ammunition
- 38.0 Type 92 Battalion Gun
- 39.0 Terrain and Effects
- 40.0 Buildings and Woods
- 41.0 Open Ground
- 42.0 Road
- 43.0 Fortifications
- 44.0 Hedgerows
- 45.0 Water
- 46.0 Hindering Terrain
- 47.0 Hills
- 48.0 Smoke
- 49.0 Mines
- 50.0 Night
- 51.0 Jungle
- 52.0 Swamp
- 53.0 Paths
- 54.0 Desert Terrain
- 55.0 Weather
- 56.0 Summary of National Differences
- 57.0 Germans
- 58.0 Americans
- 59.0 Japanese
- 60.0 Commonwealth
- 61.0 Optional Rules
- 62.0 Campaign Game Rules
- 63.0 Command and Control
- 64.0 Fatigue
- 65.0 Regrouping
- 66.0 Recommendation for Solo Play
- 67.0 Extended Example of Play
- 68.0 Glossary and Index
- Combat Event Table
- Japanese Event Table
- Terrain Clarifications
- Credits
Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AOC | Area of Control |
| CP | Command Point |
| FOW | Fog of War |
| FP | Firepower |
| LC | Landing Craft |
| LOS | Line of Sight |
| MC | Morale Check |
| MP | Movement Point |
| Op Fire | Opportunity Fire |
| PAC | Player Aid Card |
| Prof | Proficiency/Proficient |
| SC | Satchel Charge |
| SATW | Special Anti-Tank Weapon |
| SSR | Scenario Special Rule |
| UK | Unconfirmed Kill |
| WT | Weapons Team |
1.0 Game Turns
The game is played in a series of turns, each representing about two minutes of time. Each game turn contains the following four phases:
- OPERATIONS PHASE: Players alternate moving and firing units.
- ROUT PHASE: Certain units must check to see if they Rout.
- MELEE PHASE: Units in the same hex have Melee combat.
- RECOVERY PHASE: Units recover from Suppression and game counters are removed or advanced.
2.0 Components
MAP: The maps can be combined in different ways as required by the scenario. Each hex is about 40 yards. Half hexes are fully playable.
DIE: The main die in this game is ten-sided (d10) and is used for all die rolls except for Artillery drift. A "0" equals a "10" on this die so a roll will yield a result between "1" and "10".
GAME COUNTERS: Counters depict units, such as Infantry Squads and Weapons Teams, individual Guns and Vehicles, and assets, such as Aircraft, Artillery, and Illumination.
Infantry units have two sides. The front is the Full-Strength side and the back is the Reduced strength side of the unit. There are two types of Infantry units:
SQUADS: Most of the Infantry counters represent Infantry Squads of 9 to 15 men. They have 5 Movement Points.
Weapon Teams (WTs)
These are a small group of individuals that are trained to operate one or more heavy weapons. They are marked with a "WT". They are treated just like Squads, except:
- Because of the heavy nature of their equipment, they only have 4 Movement Points instead of 5.
- In Melee, a Full Strength WT has 2 FP and a Reduced WT has 1 FP.
- In Melee a WT is eliminated if it suffers casualties.
- WTs may not perform Assault Fire except for MG WTs mounted in a non-LC Carrier.
REDUCED UNITS: Full Strength Squads or WTs that become Reduced are flipped to their Reduced side (with a horizontal stripe). Reduced Squads or WTs that are Reduced again are Eliminated.
STACKING: There are some hexes in advanced scenarios that have 2 locations: Caves, Bridges, Multi-level buildings. All other hexes have just 1 location. Only two Squads/WTs per side may be in a location at the end of a unit's move.
Infantry unit counters show the following attributes: Company Identifier, Firepower, Proficient Firepower, Melee Firepower, Range, Morale, and Casualty.
2.1 Infantry Unit Attributes
FIREPOWER (FP): This represents the unit's ability to inflict damage on other units. This consists of two numbers. The first number is the Normal FP and is used in most situations. The second number is the Proficient (Prof) FP and is used for Op Fire, Final Op Fire, and Assault Fire. Some units also have a smaller number next to their FP which is their Melee FP.
RANGE: This is the number of hexes over which a unit can use its full FP.
CASUALTY: This consists of two numbers for a Full Strength unit and one number for a Reduced unit. It represents an aspect of a unit's training and cohesion. Units with high casualty ratings are less likely to take casualties.
SATW NUMBER: This is only on Squads with a Special Anti-Tank Weapon (33.0). A lower number represents a better chance to have and use an SATW.
COMPANY IDENTIFIER (not all counters have this): Used only when a scenario uses Company CPs or by SSR.
2.2 Infantry Facing
This is an optional rule in Band of Brothers scenarios set in Europe, but it is required for those set in the Pacific. If not using this facing rule, all references to Infantry facing can be ignored.
The placement of a unit within a hex is very important and indicates its facing. The top of the unit is placed to line up with a hex spine. In the example, all hexes in front of the black line are part of the unit's front. All hexes behind the black line are part of the unit's flank. Units within the same hex may have different facings. An infantry unit cannot change its facing if it fails its MC or SATW Check when selected to be moved or fired. Facing has no impact on spotting for Artillery.
INFANTRY UNITS WITHOUT A FACING: A unit that is moving, Routing, in a Carrier, or Concealed does not have a facing when attacked. All fire against it is considered towards its front. A Concealed Infantry unit chooses its facing when it loses its Concealment. A moving or Routing unit may adopt any facing at the end of its move, including when it is forced to back up (after Close Assault, after failing a MC during a move in a fully stacked hex, etc.).
3.0 Command Points (CPs)
Each side receives a number of CPs per turn in each scenario. They abstractly represent the overall leadership abilities of each army in that battle. Each player takes the appropriate number of CP counters. A CP may be used for one of the following functions:
- Re-roll any Infantry MC die roll made by that player.
- The player moving second may perform one action with one unit or asset (4.0), before the other player at the start of a turn. The only limit on the number of units that can be Used this way is the number of CPs the player has.
- For an Infantry unit to conduct Final Op Fire (10.0) on a unit that is farther than 1 hex away but not more than normal Range. The unit would still have to pass a MC after the CP was used.
- Re-roll a Melee (not Close Assault) combat roll made by that player. Only one CP per side may be spent this way in each Melee each turn.
- Increase Infantry Prof FP by one (but not greater than the Normal FP) before one attack.
- Increase an unmounted infantry unit's MPs by +1 for that phase only.
Expending a CP does not guarantee success in all situations. A unit that used a CP to reroll a MC may again fail the MC. In this case, the CP would have been expended with no benefit. Once a side's CPs have been expended, it may no longer conduct any of the above functions that turn. Only 1 CP can be used on a unit each turn. As each CP is used, one of that player's CP counters is placed on the unit or asset to show which units have used CPs and to track how many CPs a player has used. These counters are returned to each player during the Recovery Phase. CPs may not be accumulated for use in future turns.
3.1 Company CPs
Some scenarios may assign CP to specific companies. A unit may only use a CP from its own company. Units and Artillery not assigned to a company can use any CP.
4.0 Operations Phase
This phase is the heart of the turn and is where units move and fire. The player listed as going first on the scenario card starts the Operations Phase (exception - CPs function #2). That player MUST perform a certain number of operations within the limits of his Operations Range. Each infantry unit selected to move, fire, marked as Op Fire, or simply be marked as Used counts as one operation. Other types of operations are defined later in the rules.
A player's counters consist of 'units' (Infantry, Guns, Vehicles) and 'assets' (Aircraft, Artillery, Illumination). An asset is not a unit but counts as a certain number of units when Used during the player's Operations Range. A player must Use all of his units in each turn, but may choose whether or not to Use an asset. When all units have been Used, the player can continue to Use assets within his Ops Range until he passes.
4.1 Operations Range
This abstractly represents the command and control capabilities of an army, as well as its flexibility and leadership. It is a number range given on the scenario card.
EXAMPLE: A side that had an Operations Range of 3-6 in a scenario would have to select between a minimum of three units and a maximum of six units. Then the other side would be allowed to select units in its Operation Range.
A player chooses one unit or asset at a time and Uses it. The player does NOT have to "pre-select" all the units or assets that he will be Using. Units (including Decoys) and assets count against the Operations Range when they are each Used.
A unit that fails a MC is marked with a Used counter, and counts against the Operations Range. Players alternate Using their units within the limits of their Operations Range until all units have been Used on both sides. Once one side has Used all of its units, the other side may continue to Use the rest of its units. The Operations Phase of a turn does not end until both sides have Used or marked as Op Fire all of their units.
Vehicles, Guns, and Artillery count as THREE units used against the Operations Range (20.0). A unit or Decoy that starts and ends its Use Concealed always counts as one unit against the Operations Range (even if it is a Gun or Vehicle). A player may never Use more than the maximum amount of units and must Use at least the minimum amount unless it is impossible to select another unit without exceeding the maximum. In that case, play passes to his opponent.
EXAMPLE: A player Uses an infantry unit and then an Artillery asset (which counts as three units) for a total of four units. He cannot now use a Vehicle during this Operations Range because it counts as a further three units, which would exceed his Operations Range limit of six.
4.2 Used
As each unit moves, fires, or fails a MC, it is marked with a Used counter.
EXAMPLE: If two units in the same hex both attempt to move and one passes the MC (and moves) while the other does not (and remains in place), they are both marked as Used.
In addition, any unit may be marked as Used (even in Melee or if a Decoy) without taking an action. Units that are marked Used can take no further actions during the Operations Phase, except Final Op Fire, spot for Artillery and fire Illumination (10.0, 32.0 and 50.1 respectively).
4.3 Marking Units for Opportunity Fire (Op Fire)
Instead of moving or firing a unit, a player may decide to mark it with an Op Fire counter, enabling the unit to fire later in that Operations Phase at a moving enemy unit (9.0). Artillery may also be marked with an Op Fire counter (32.0). Marking a unit for Op Fire counts against that side's Operations Range. Such a unit cannot move but may change its facing as it is being marked for Op Fire, exception - a Gun in a building may not change its facing.
A unit that is marked as Op Fire has its Op Fire counter flipped to its Used side when it Op Fires at an enemy unit. Note that it is possible for a unit that is marked as Op Fire to end the turn without having fired. Decoys may be marked as Op Fire.
5.0 Movement
Each unit has a set Movement Point (MP) allowance (Squads=5MP, WTs=4MP). When using units as part of the Operations Phase, units may be moved up to the limit of their MPs. Movement is from hex to adjacent connected hex. MPs may not be saved for another turn, or transferred to other units. The various terrain types each have a MP cost that is deducted from a unit's MP allowance as that unit moves. See the PAC for movement costs. A unit cannot enter a hex unless it has MPs to do so.
EXAMPLE: An Infantry Squad that has traversed four Open hexes (cost 1 MP each) has only 1 MP remaining, so it could NOT enter an adjacent building (cost 2 MP) without spending a CP.
Units that move, or attempt to move, are marked as Used. An infantry unit must pass a MC before moving (even if the unit is entering from off board). If the unit's current Morale is "10" (normal for units that are not Suppressed or Reduced), it is automatically successful and no roll is needed.
Moving units may be paused to receive Op Fire (9.0). A moving infantry unit that receives Op Fire that results in Suppression must pass an immediate MC (even if it passed one at the start of its move) or its move ends and it is marked as Used.
If a unit fails its MC during its move and this causes a hex to be over stacked, then the unit is instead retreated back to its previous hex - regardless of MPs remaining. A unit may move into a hex containing an enemy Squad/WT/Gun if it has enough MPs to enter the terrain of that hex. Upon entering, it must stop.
If the unit receives a Suppression result from multiple sources, it must take a MC each time. A unit that starts adjacent to an enemy unit, tries to enter that unit's hex, and takes Suppression, may choose to remain in its current hex. Exception: Banzai, Seishin.
5.1 Withdrawal
Non-Japanese Infantry units that are in an enemy occupied hex when selected may attempt to move out of it if otherwise able, but their Morale is reduced by 3 for that check. If successful, they may move normally, but may not move into a hex with another enemy unit in that move. If no other friendly units are left in the hex being withdrawn from, enemy units in that hex can Op Fire/Final Op Fire at the Withdrawing unit as it enters an adjacent hex.
Japanese units in an enemy occupied hex must be marked as Used or Op Fire when selected.
5.2 Assault Fire
A moving Squad, or some units in a Carrier (21.4), can Assault Fire with their Prof FP after entering a hex. The unit is then marked Used (and its move is over) after the attack is resolved. Unless the unit is suppressed as it entered the hex, it does not need to pass a MC to Assault Fire, as it already passed one to move. A moving Squad has no facing, so there is no effect on its FP for changing its facing to fire (6.0). The player may spend a CP to raise the Prof FP by 1 (but not greater than the Normal FP).
5.3 Declared Retreat
If, before moving an Infantry unit, the player declares that the unit is retreating, the unit gets a +4 to its Morale. This makes it easier to pass the MC, but the unit then must follow all the movement restriction of a Routing unit (11.0). Units starting in the same hex as an enemy unit cannot get this +4 Morale modifier. Units using a Declared Retreat may not Assault Fire.
5.4 Follow Me!
A player may spend an available CP on an unmounted Infantry unit to increase its MPs by +1 for that phase only.
6.0 Infantry Fire
A unit must pass a MC to fire. Exception: Assault Fire (5.2). The act of firing occurs when a unit uses its FP to attempt to inflict Suppression or casualties on an enemy unit. Units may fire instead of move, Assault Fire after movement (5.2), or Op Fire/Final Op Fire at moving enemy units (9.0 and 10.0).
FACING: A unit may only fire at targets in hexes to its front. A unit that fails a MC when it is selected does not get to change facing. Changing facing is not considered movement and would not trigger Op Fire and Final Op Fire.
A unit may change its facing as it fires, but doing so reduces its Infantry FP/Prof FP by 1. WTs and all Japanese Squads cannot change facing to Final Op Fire.
RANGE: A unit firing at a target within its normal Range (as defined by its Range number) does so at full FP. Infantry may fire at a target at up to twice its normal Range (Exception: Mortars 31.0, SATW 33.0, and GD Squads 59.3), but its FP is halved (rounded down). This halving occurs before applying modifiers for Terrain and Situations.
6.1 Fire Restrictions and Effects
If the unit fails the MC it is marked as Used without firing. Units may NOT fire if in the same location as an enemy unit. Units may not fire into a location containing unmounted friendly Infantry or Guns, but may fire through a hex containing units from either side. Each unit must execute its fire attack individually. No units may combine fire attacks. A roll of a 10 on a fire attack is always No Effect.
Fire at a location always affects all Infantry and Guns there. Exception: Attacks that specifically target Vehicles. The firing unit must have LOS to the target. Exception: Mortar Directed Fire (31.0).
If the adjusted FP is less than 1, the attack may still be made as long as it is within normal Range.
A roll of a 1 against a target in normal Range always results in at least a Suppression result. If adjacent, a roll of 1 results in the target being Reduced at least once, or eliminated if the target is a Gun.
6.2 Executing a Fire Attack
DIRECT FIRE: Direct Fire includes all fire in this game except that by Mortars, Artillery, and Aircraft.
BENEFICIAL TERRAIN: If the Terrain in a unit's hex lowers the FP of Direct Fire, the unit is in Beneficial Terrain. Exception: Orchards are also considered Beneficial Terrain. Adjust the unit's FP by the modifiers on the PAC. Beneficial terrain lowers the FP and being adjacent to the target will increase the FP. Roll a die and compare it to the adjusted FP. This one die roll is used individually against each unit in the hex. Apply this die roll for Suppression and casualties against the units in the target hex as follows:
If the roll is less than or equal to the adjusted FP, the target is Suppressed by one step. Place a yellow Suppressed counter on each unit in the hex. If a unit is already marked with a yellow Suppressed counter, flip it to the red, Fully Suppressed side.
If it is possible to add the first number (or only number if the target is Reduced) of the target's Casualty rating to the die roll, and the result is still less than or equal to the adjusted FP, then the target is Reduced (8.0) and Fully Suppressed (mark it with a red, Fully Suppressed counter if it doesn't have one).
If it is possible to add the second number of the target's casualty rating (on a full strength unit) to the die roll, and the result is still less than or equal to the adjusted FP of the firing unit, then the target is eliminated and removed from the board.
A unit already marked with a red, Fully Suppressed counter does not suffer additional effects from another Suppression result; and remains at its lowest Morale value. If a unit is moving when it received a Suppression result, it must pass an immediate MC with its current Morale or have its move end and be marked as Used. Units do NOT take MCs from fire. They receive Suppression which lowers their effective Morale (they can also take casualties).
FLANK: When Direct Fire (not Mortars, GD Squads, SC, Artillery) at a Squad or WT comes from one of the hexes to the flank of the unit's front facing, the FP of the firing unit is increased by one (2.2).
7.0 Suppression & Morale Checks
Suppression is a measure of the stress of combat and the effectiveness of fire received by Infantry and Guns. As a unit takes Suppression from enemy fire, its Morale decreases, reducing the possibility of that unit being able to perform operations within the game. An unsuppressed unit uses its highest (white) Morale value. A unit marked with a yellow Suppressed counter uses its middle (yellow) Morale value. A unit marked with a red Fully Suppressed counter uses its lowest (red) Morale value. Suppression wears off incrementally during the Recovery Phase.
7.1 Morale Check (MC)
MCs are taken when a unit attempts to do something. To resolve a MC, roll a die. If it is less than or equal to the unit's current Morale, it passes the MC and may move or fire. If the unit fails the MC, it may not do these actions and is marked as Used. A unit with a Morale of 10 means that a MC is automatically successful and no roll is needed unless it is withdrawing from an enemy occupied hex (5.1).
8.0 Casualties
When a Full-Strength Squad or WT is Reduced, the unit is flipped to its (back) Reduced side. A Reduced unit that is Reduced again is eliminated. Once a unit is Reduced it may not be flipped back to its Full-Strength side (Exception: 17.0 - Combat Events). When a unit becomes Reduced, it is always marked with a red, Fully Suppressed counter (even during Rout and Melee).
9.0 Opportunity Fire (Op Fire)
Op Fire is conducted by the non-moving player against enemy units as they are moving. The firing unit may not already be marked Used. Whether it successfully fires or not, the unit is marked as Used. If that unit was marked Op Fire, the Op Fire counter is flipped to its Used side. Any number of units may attempt to Op Fire at the same moving unit in the same hex.
Op Fire is normally conducted at the hex the moving unit has just entered. The non-moving player may not "back up" a unit to a previous hex in order to fire at it. The moving player should give the non-moving player an opportunity to say he is firing.
EXCEPTION: Op Fire MAY be conducted at a moving unit in the hex in which it began the turn if the first hex it enters places it in Melee (12.0). It is subject to all the modifiers that it normally would be, including (possibly) moving in Open Ground.
Op Fire that results in Suppression requires the moving unit to pass an immediate MC (even if it passed one at the start of the move) or its move immediately ends and it is marked as Used (it does NOT get an opportunity to Assault Fire). Units that were declared as retreating at the start of their move continue to get +4 to their Morale. A unit that fails this MC may still receive more Op Fire in that hex and any fire modifiers from moving still apply.
If a moving unit receives fire from multiple sources in a hex, it may end up taking several MCs. If a unit gets "backed-up" a hex for any reason (such as being over stacked due to the effect of Op Fire or after a Close Assault), that unit cannot receive Op Fire when being "backed-up." An infantry unit does NOT need to be marked with an Op Fire counter to Op Fire, although being marked Op Fire can increase a unit's Prof FP. The firing unit must pass a MC to Op Fire.
An infantry unit uses its Prof FP when Op Firing. The same die roll affects all units in the target hex, although different modifiers may apply to a moving unit as opposed to stationary units.
EXAMPLE: +4 FP against moving unit in Open Ground and -2 FP against another unit in the same hex in a Foxhole.
The Prof FP is modified in each of the following cases. The modifiers are cumulative, but cannot increase the Prof FP above the unit's Normal FP:
- +1 if the target unit is adjacent
- +1 if the firing unit is marked as Op Fire
- +1 if the player spends a CP on the attacking unit (3.0)
- -1 if the firing unit changed facing to fire
Once the Prof FP is modified by the above modifiers, the other modifiers from PAC are applied (this includes the terrain of the target hex, moving in Open Ground, +3 for being adjacent to the target, etc.). Note that these modifiers can increase the Prof FP above that of the Normal FP.
EXAMPLE: A German Panzer Grenadier Squad (FP 6/5) is marked as Op Fire and is Op Firing at a unit 3 hexes away moving into a stone building. The Prof FP of 5 is increased to 6 because of being marked as Op Fire. This player can NOT spend a CP because that would increase the Prof FP above the Normal FP. At this point, the terrain modifiers are applied and the stone building reduces the FP for the attack down to 4.
10.0 Final Op Fire
Final Op Fire is similar to Op Fire except that it is conducted by units that have been marked as Used. Unlike Op Fire, Final Op Fire may only be conducted against units that move into an adjacent hex.
EXCEPTION: A CP may be expended to allow a Used infantry unit to attempt Final Op Fire at a target greater than one hex away, but within its normal Range. All other requirements for Final Op Fire still apply. This CP does not guarantee that the unit will pass the necessary MC. See also Sustained Fire Optional Rule (61.1).
All modifiers for Op Fire are applied to Final Op Fire in the same way as Op Fire. There is also an additional -2 modifier to Infantry FP for this being Final Op Fire (making it less effective).
A unit may attempt Final Op Fire every time an enemy unit moves to an adjacent hex. A unit that attempted Op Fire or Final Op Fire may attempt Final Op Fire at the same unit during the same move, but ONLY if the moving unit enters a different hex (or a different location within the hex). This may allow Final Op Fire at the same unit multiple times.
10.1 WTs and Japanese Infantry
WTs and Japanese Squads can't change facing to Final Op Fire.
11.0 Rout Phase
Infantry units that are in difficult situations on the battlefield may sometimes flee or surrender. This is represented by the Rout Phase. The player that moves first in the scenario must complete his entire Rout Phase first. Infantry units and Guns that meet any of the following conditions at the start of their part of the Rout Phase are subject to Rout:
- They are in the same hex (and location) as an enemy unit.
- They are adjacent to an enemy unit that is not in Melee (12.0).
- They are not in Beneficial Terrain (6.2) and are within 5 hexes of an enemy unit not in Melee whose LOS is not Hindered.
EXCEPTION: Japanese units marked with an S (Seishin) are only subject to Rout if in the same hex as an enemy unit at the start of their part of the Rout Phase. Other Japanese units roll for Rout normally.
Infantry units and Guns subject to Rout must take a MC. If a unit meets more than one of the above criteria, it still only takes one MC. A unit that passes this MC is unaffected. A unit cannot voluntarily fail this check so that it Routs.
An infantry unit Routs using its normal Movement allowance, although this is not considered normal Movement and does not trigger Op Fire. It must move at least one hex and cannot move adjacent to an enemy unit which is not in Melee, nor move closer (in hexes) to an enemy unit in its LOS or that was in its LOS at some previous point during Rout. If it cannot meet those criteria, it is eliminated.
While still meeting the above conditions, an infantry unit must move to a hex that will either give it a Beneficial Terrain modifier against direct fire from all enemy units or that will place it outside the LOS of enemy units, if possible. If the unit cannot reach such a hex, it must use all of its Movement allowance moving toward such a hex. A hex behind a hedgerow would only qualify as a Rout Destination if all enemy LOS was traced through it. Likewise, a Hill would only qualify if it was a higher elevation than all enemy troops within normal range. If a unit can legally reach multiple different hexes that qualify, it may choose the one to which it Routs.
If a Rout path to a hex that either has Beneficial Terrain or is outside the LOS of enemy units does not exist, then the unit must attempt to trace a Rout path toward the edge of the board defined as a Rout Edge in the scenario. While following all other Rout rules, it must attempt to reach this edge using the fewest number or MPs. If a unit reaches the Rout Edge with at least 1 MP remaining, it Routs off the edge of the board and is eliminated.
If a Gun fails a MC during the Rout Phase, it is eliminated unless it is being transported (20.2 and 21.6).
11.1 Rout Casualties
If the unit fails the MC by a margin equal to or greater than its Casualty Rating, it is also Reduced (eliminating an already Reduced unit) and Fully Suppressed after Routing. For this purpose use:
- The second number of the front side Casualty Rating unless…
- It is in Melee (12.0) or adjacent to an enemy unit not in Melee, in which case it uses the first number of the Casualty Rating (or only number if the unit is Reduced).
EXAMPLE: A Squad with a Casualty Rating of 4/7 is Fully Suppressed (Morale of 1). The Squad is in Open Ground and takes a Rout MC. It would be unaffected on a roll of 1. It would Rout on a roll of 2-7. On a roll of 8 or higher it would be Reduced at the end of its Rout. If it was also adjacent to an enemy unit it would be Reduced on a roll of 5 or higher.
NOTE: Units that fail a Rout Phase MC while in Melee will be eliminated unless another friendly unit remains in Melee (because they would be moving adjacent to an enemy unit not in Melee as soon as they left the hex). If a side has two units in a Melee, both must take their MC before either Routs; if both units must Rout they are both eliminated.
11.2 No Quarter Combat
INCREASED MORALE: The following units have their Morale increased during the Rout Phase:
- Starting in 1942, all Russians and Germans in Melee against each other have their Morale increased by +1.
- All non-Japanese units that are in Melee against Japanese have their Morale increased by +2.
REDUCED ROUT CASUALTIES: The following Full Strength units, that would be eliminated for failure to Rout because they failed their MC by one, are instead Reduced and remain in place.
- SS Squads/WTs in scenarios versus Russians only.
EXAMPLE: A Suppressed SS Squad (Morale of 6) is alone in Melee with a Russian unit in 1942. It has an effective Morale of 7 due to the increased Morale rule (57.3). Its MC during the Rout Phase results in a roll of 8. It fails by one. Since routing out of the hex would eliminate it, it instead remains in place, is Reduced, and Fully Suppressed.
12.0 Melee Phase
Whenever an Infantry unit occupies the same location as an enemy Infantry unit or Gun, they are considered in Melee even though Melee combat is not resolved until after the Rout phase. The player moving first in the scenario decides the order in which Melees are resolved and must decide on CP usage and allocate casualties first.
A unit with a subscripted Melee FP uses that FP in Melee. Guns have a Melee FP of 2. Otherwise the unit uses its normal (not Prof) FP for its Melee FP. Each Squad, WT, and Gun in Melee rolls two dice with no modifiers. Count each die separately. For each result that is less than or equal to its Melee FP, one enemy unit in that hex is Reduced (owner's choice). WTs and Guns are eliminated (not Reduced), if they suffer casualties in Melee.
If a CP is spent on a unit in Melee, both dice of the unit receiving the CP must be rolled again. Only one round of Melee is resolved in each location per turn.
Morale does NOT affect Melee combat (its effect is felt in the Rout phase).
EXAMPLE: An American airborne Squad (FP of 6) is in the same hex as a German first line Squad (FP of 5). Both of them roll two dice. The American rolls a 3 and a 6, causing two Reductions (eliminating the German). The German rolls a 1 and a 6, Reducing the Airborne unit.
12.1 Simultaneous
Both sides make their Melee attacks before any casualties are taken, except in the case of Concealed units in the Jungle (51.2).
12.2 Flank Bonus
Units may not change their facing while in Melee.
When an infantry unit moves into Melee through one of the flank hexes of an unconcealed enemy infantry unit or Gun, a Flank counter is placed on the moving unit. A Flank counter is not placed if the moving unit enters a Jungle hex occupied by a concealed enemy unit (51.1).
If there are two enemy units in the hex, the Flank counter is only earned if entering through a Flank hex of both units. A Flank counter is not negated if another enemy unit subsequently enters a hex to support the first enemy unit in the Melee. A unit with a Flank counter gets +1 to its Melee FP during the Melee Phase. Flank counters are removed during the Recovery Phase even if units are still in Melee.
13.0 Recovery Phase
During the Recovery Phase:
- All units marked with Suppression counters, except those still in Melee, recover one step of Suppression (red to yellow, yellow to full Morale - remove counter).
- All Dispersed Smoke counters are removed and all Smoke counters are flipped to the Dispersed side (48.0).
- All Used, Op Fire, CP, Flank, Sustained Fire (61.1), and Illumination counters (50.1) are removed.
- Move (20.3) and Unconfirmed Kill (61.2) counters are NOT removed.
- Roll for Monsoon Storm Check when applicable (55.2).
- The turn counter is then advanced to the next turn. If this was the last turn on the turn track, then the scenario is over and victory is determined.
- If this is a Campaign Game, add fatigue to Attacker and check to see if scenario ends. See 62.0 for more information.
14.0 Line of Sight (LOS)
Units can only fire at targets that they can see (Exception: Mortar Directed Fire, 31.1). LOS is determined by laying a thread between the center dot of the firing unit's hex and the center dot of the target unit's hex and applying the following conditions:
- Objects in the firing and target hexes do not impact LOS.
- Roads, rivers, bridges, canals, shell holes, shadows, chimney smoke, and translucent terrain do not impact LOS in any way.
- LOS is blocked if blocking terrain that is higher than both the firer and the target is in any of the intervening hexes, and can be seen on both sides of the thread. Such terrain includes Buildings, Hedgerows, Woods, Hills, Jungle and Swamp.
- LOS may also be impacted by Hindering terrain (46.0).
The terrain of a hex for movement (and other purposes) is defined by the terrain that is at the center hex dot. There are many different types of terrain. Rules for them can be found in the Terrain Section (39.0).
Players may not check LOS for free during play. If a unit attempts to fire and the LOS is found to be blocked, the unit is marked as Used. However, LOS may always be checked to a Conceal marker in Open Ground to see if it loses its Concealment, during the Rout Phase to determine a legal Rout path, and to see if a unit may gain Concealment.
15.0 Conceal Counters & Decoys
At the start of a scenario, any unit may be covered with a Conceal counter if it is in terrain that would entitle it to a Beneficial Terrain modifier from direct fire attacks or if it sets up outside of the LOS of all enemy units. An Infantry unit may be covered with a Conceal counter if it sets up adjacent to a Hedgerow, Wall, Dike Road, or on a Hill, but the Conceal counter is immediately removed if any of the conditions for loss of Concealment are met during setup. Reinforcements may enter play Concealed.
FP is reduced by one when firing at a Concealed unit, as indicated by the -1 on the Conceal counter (Exception: Japanese 59.2).
Decoys may be given to a side at the start of a scenario. These are covered with a Conceal counter like any other unit. Decoys can be moved or may be marked as Used like any other unit. They have 5 MPs. Using a Decoy counts against Operations Range. They are treated like regular units, including forcing enemy units to take a Rout check if in Open Ground, but they may not fire.
A unit's Conceal counter is removed if:
- It becomes Suppressed.
- An enemy Infantry unit (including Decoy) or unmounted Gun (not Vehicles) not in Melee is adjacent (Exception: Jungle 51.1). An enemy unit that moves adjacent must first survive all fire in that hex before it affects Concealment.
- It is in Open Ground and LOS of an enemy unit (including Vehicles). If the LOS is questionable, it may be checked.
- It passes its MC and Close Assaults (20.9) or Fires.
- It is attacked by an Aircraft (35.0) or Canister fire (37.0).
- It can be removed voluntarily at any time.
- It is a Japanese unit selected for a Banzai Charge (59.6).
Decoys are removed the moment they lose Concealment. If a situation occurs where two opposing units would lose their Concealment, the moving unit always loses Concealment first.
An unconcealed Infantry unit may gain a Conceal counter by being marked Op Fire or Used (but not after firing or Rout) outside of the LOS of all enemy units.
16.0 Fog of War
16.1 Area of Control (AOC)
Area of Control (AOC) is used for placing units. It is defined as any hex that is closer to a friendly Rout Edge than at least two friendly units (or the sole remaining friendly unit). It also cannot have two or more enemy units closer to that same friendly Rout Edge. Units in Melee still count when determining AOC.
16.2 Fog of War (FOW) Cup
If your side receives FOW reinforcements, place them in a cup. You may draw one random unit from the cup each turn, during either side's Ops Range, and immediately place it on the board. Note that you can't place it out of sequence with a CP (3.0, case 2), and you don't need to place it in Command Range, if using Command and Control rules (63.0).
If drawn during the opponent's Operations Range, the FOW unit must be placed:
- In Beneficial Terrain within 1-2 hexes of an enemy that just entered a new hex. Pause the enemy move as if pausing for Op Fire.
- Within its own AOC, and closer to its Rout Edge than the moving enemy. Not in the hex the enemy just left, nor within 1 hex of a non-moving enemy.
- Unused, and Concealed (until removed per 15.0), as if it had been in all respects present before the moving enemy entered its new hex. For example, it may immediately Opportunity Fire at the enemy unit whose movement triggered its placement.
If drawn during your Operations Range, the FOW unit:
- Must be placed in Beneficial Terrain, within its AOC, within 3 hexes of a friendly unit, and at least 3 hexes away from all enemy units.
- May instead immediately enter from a friendly Rout Edge.
- In either case must be Used for an Operation or marked for Op Fire (4.0), counting against your Operations Range.
17.0 Combat Events
This rule allows for unexpected events to occur during combat. It is an optional rule in scenarios set in Europe, but it is required in scenarios set in the Pacific because of the prevalence of Japanese snipers.
Whenever a Squad or WT rolls a '1' when firing on another unit during the Operations Phase, there is the possibility of a Combat Event. MCs and SATW Checks (33.0) cannot trigger a Combat Event, but a roll against the SATW FP could. The effects of the original roll are resolved normally. Afterwards, an additional roll is made and on a roll of 1, 2, or 3 a Combat Event occurs (4-10 is no effect):
- If the result is a 1, then the player whose unit made the attack must roll on the Combat Event Table.
- If the result is a 2, then the other player rolls on the Combat Event Table. If the entry in the table gives a choice, the player rolling on the table makes that choice. However, a choice must be made (if possible). This means that the player choosing the results of an event may have to do something that is detrimental to him. Apply the effects immediately.
- If the result is a 3, then roll on the Japanese Event Table. If the scenario does not include Japanese units, then ignore a roll of a 3. The Japanese player may still end up rolling on the Combat Event Table on a 1 or a 2, but the Japanese also get to roll on the Japanese Event Table on a roll of a 3. If players would like to minimize Combat Events in the Pacific, they may choose to ignore the first Combat Events table and only have the Japanese roll on the Japanese Event Table on a roll of a 1.
If a scenario requires the elimination of a certain number of units and one is brought back by a Combat Event, credit for eliminating a unit is retained.
See the last page of the rule book for the Event Tables.
18.0 Scenario Cards
Each scenario gives all the information needed to play that battle. The following applies to all scenarios (barring SSRs):
- A unit may not set up or enter in a hex that is half on one board and half on another, unless both boards are part of its set up or entrance location.
- All or part of any reinforcements may be kept off board to come in on a later turn, except for reinforcements that set up or enter in an AOC. Those must be brought on the turn they arrive.
- A hex is controlled by the side that last had a unit in (or passing through) the hex with no enemy units present. A unit eliminated (by Op Fire, etc.) when entering a hex does not control the hex.
- At the start of a scenario, all hexes within a player's set up area are considered controlled by that player.
- If a scenario requires the elimination of one side, surviving Decoys, by themselves, would not give that side the victory.
- Vehicles may not be set up with a Move counter.
- Moving off board costs 1 MP.
- If a scenario allows for "Force Exchanges" they must be secretly decided upon by the player before scenario set up. These are always voluntary. Unless otherwise specified, units received in a Force Exchange are available on the same turn or restricted to the same set up location as the units given up.
- If reinforcements setup on the board during the scenario, the player sets them up before that turn begins. They may not be placed adjacent to an enemy unit. They can be Concealed.
The main rules above plus any needed Terrain rules are all that you need to play the first Training Scenario. It is recommended that you play it before continuing. Afterwards, read only the rules for a particular unit, weapon, or terrain needed for a scenario. Remember, rules in green text are optional or for Pacific scenarios.
19.0 Unused Section
20.0 Guns & Vehicles
A Gun or a Vehicle counts as THREE units selected against a player's Operations Range (unless Concealed or a Carrier). CPs may not be used on a Gun or a Vehicle (Exception 3.0 - #2).
20.1 Conceal
Vehicles and Guns may be covered with a Conceal counter during set up as if they were an Infantry unit. The Conceal counter is removed in the same way as with Infantry. In addition, a Vehicle loses its Conceal counter if it is in the LOS of an enemy unit (even if it is in Beneficial Terrain), moves, or is attacked by Artillery. Vehicles cannot gain a Conceal counter after scenario start, but Guns may.
20.2 Gun Traits
Guns are large caliber weapons and include anti-tank guns, Artillery pieces, etc. The counter represents both the Gun and its crew.
MORALE: This functions the same as on an Infantry unit. It must pass a MC whenever it fires, even if it also must pass a Prof Check. Guns (their crew) take Suppression, must pass MCs and check for Rout just like Infantry. A Gun that fails a MC during the Rout Phase is eliminated, unless it is being transported.
CASUALTY: If it is possible to add the Gun's Casualty rating to an attack roll, and the result is still less than or equal to the FP of the firing unit, then the Gun is eliminated (not Reduced).
The number before the slash is used when the Gun is attacked by Infantry or Artillery. A die roll of a one destroys an unconcealed Gun when resolving attacks by Artillery.
The number after the slash (three lower) is used when fired upon by another Gun, Vehicle, Aircraft, or by a Squad armed with a Bazooka, Panzerschreck, or PIAT (within Range).
Gun counters show: Facing Arrow, Gun vs. Vehicle/Inf FP, Morale, Proficiency, Casualty, and Unit Type.
MOVEMENT: A Gun may not move to a new hex (unless it is transported), but may (if not in a building) turn within a hex.
20.3 Vehicle Traits
Vehicle counters show: Facing Arrow, Movement Points, Gun vs. Vehicle/Inf FP, Front Armor/Side & Rear Armor, Proficiency, Unit Type, and (if applicable) a marking denoting an Open Top.
MORALE & CASUALTY: Unlike Guns, Vehicles do not suffer Suppression, take MCs or have a Casualty rating.
ARMOR: This represents the armor protection of the Vehicle. The first number is the protection in front. The second number is the protection in the side and rear (Exception: 20.11). An open topped Vehicle is indicated on the counter by having a "white box" around the armor value.
MOVEMENT: A Vehicle may move into either of the front two hexes in which it would normally be able to fire (see Placement, below). It may also turn within its current hex to change its facing. Movement costs for Vehicles are given on the PAC.
Vehicles cannot enter woods, building, jungle, or swamp hexes, although they may start a scenario in one. If they do, they may leave and turn within the hex normally. Vehicles cannot enter the same location as a Concealed enemy unit.
A Vehicle's move may be paused to receive Op Fire. When the move is completed, it may attempt to Fire before being marked as Used.
If a Vehicle that is not a Carrier uses 1/3 or less (rounded down) of its MPs and does not attempt to fire any of its weapons, it may end the move marked with an Op Fire counter instead of a Used counter. If this Vehicle later used Op Fire, it would NOT suffer the -4 Proficiency modifier for moving to a new hex.
REVERSE MOVEMENT: A Vehicle may only move in reverse in a turn in which it does not move forward. It may move into one of the two hexes defined by its rear facing. The cost to move into that hex is 4 times what it would have been had the Vehicle entered the hex using forward movement. The cost to change facing within a hex remains the same when using Reverse Movement.
MOVE COUNTER: After a Vehicle completes its movement and is marked as Used (not if it is marked Op Fire), it is also marked with a Move counter if the Vehicle moved to a new hex. This represents that the Vehicle recently changed positions and is harder to hit because it forces any prospective firer (except Close Assault, SATWs and Infantry Flamethrowers) to pass a Prof Check with a -1 modifier.
This Move counter is not removed in the Recovery Phase. It is removed when the Vehicle is chosen for an action the following turn. The Vehicle executes its action normally (there is no penalty). Of course, it is possible for that Vehicle to again earn a Move counter.
20.4 Traits for Both Vehicles and Guns
FIREPOWER (FP): The first number (before the slash) is used when firing against Vehicles. The second number (after the slash) is used when firing at Infantry or Guns. When Op Firing or Firing after moving, a Prof Check is required, but the FP is not reduced because of it.
PLACEMENT: The placement of a Gun or a Vehicle within a hex is very important and indicates its front facing. The facing arrow should be placed to line up with a hex spine. It may fire at any target within the arc made up of the two hexes on either side of the hex spine, extending outward with the front facing up to its Range and LOS.
VEHICLE AND GUN PROF: Vehicles and Guns do not have a Prof FP. Instead, they have a Prof Rating. In situations where their shot is more difficult (greater distance, Op Fire, etc.) they must pass a Prof Check before rolling for the result of their fire. When a Gun or a Vehicle takes a Prof Check, it must roll equal or less than its Prof Rating. If more than one case applies, only one check is required, but all modifiers are cumulative and are added to the Prof Rating.
EXAMPLE: When Op Firing (-2) at a unit at higher elevation (-1) at a Range of 11 hexes (-1), one Prof Check is required with a cumulative -4 modifier to the Prof Rating.
A special case occurs when a Gun or Vehicle attempts to Op Fire or Final Op Fire. If the firing unit attempts to turn within its hex and it fails its Prof Check, then it is returned to its previous placement within the hex (it is not allowed to turn to face the target). A Gun or Vehicle turning within its hex, other than Op Fire or Final Op Fire, must still take a Prof Check before firing, but will retain its new facing even if it fails that Prof Check.
A Gun or Vehicle failing a Prof Check is always marked as Used. If a Vehicle or Gun turns in order to fire, it is NOT considered movement for the purpose of triggering opposing Op Fire. Guns and Vehicles may not fire at units in their own hex.
GUN/VEHICLE PROF CHECK MODIFIERS: See PAC.
20.5 Gun/Vehicle vs Infantry or Guns
To fire at Infantry or a Gun, the Gun or Vehicle may (see above) have to pass a Prof Check. If it passes, or a Prof Check was not required, roll using the Gun/Vehicle's second FP number and the modifiers from the V/GUN FP column of the PAC. The attack is resolved in a similar way as if the firer was a Squad.
When firing at a Concealed unit, it is always treated as if it was Infantry or a Gun because a Vehicle would have been revealed already.
DESERT: A Vehicle with a • by its FP has its FP halved (rounded down) when firing at Infantry or Guns more than 12 hexes away (Vehicles with MGs and small caliber Guns were not as effective at range: this is significant in the desert).
20.6 Gun/Vehicle Fire vs Vehicles
To fire at a Vehicle, the Gun/Vehicle may have to pass a Prof Check (see above). If it passes, or a Prof Check was not required, the attack number is determined by subtracting the target's Armor value from the attacking unit's FP and adding in the appropriate modifiers from the Gun/Vehicle Fire vs Vehicles section of the PAC.
The Armor rating of the target is determined by stretching a thread from the center of the firing hex to the center of the target hex. If the shot would pass along a hex spine that is the border between front/side or side/rear, the armor that is most favorable to the target is used.
If the die roll is less than or equal to the attack number, the target is destroyed. Remove the Vehicle counter. A roll of a 10 is always No Effect. Terrain other than Hills (elevation differences) does not impact this die roll in any way.
GUN/VEHICLE FIRE VS VEHICLES MODIFIERS: See PAC.
20.7 Gun/Vehicle Final Op Fire
Guns and Vehicles may Final Op Fire at enemy Vehicles that move into an adjacent hex. They may Final Op Fire against Infantry only if the Infantry moves into an adjacent hex within the Gun/Vehicle's firing arc.
A Prof Check must be passed. There is a -3 modifier to the Prof Rating because it is Final Op Fire. Otherwise it is resolved as if it was a normal Op Fire attack.
CPs can NOT be used on a Vehicle or a Gun to Final Op Fire at greater than one hex away.
20.8 Infantry vs Guns
Infantry fire at Guns as if the Guns were Infantry. Suppression or Casualties may similarly result. Fire at Guns is modified by terrain. Some SATWs give a Squad a +1 to FP when firing at a Gun.
In Melee, Guns and their crews are treated as a Full-Strength WT.
20.9 Infantry vs Vehicles
There are three ways in which infantry can attack Vehicles: Special Weapons, Infantry Flamethrowers, and Close Assault.
SPECIAL ANTI-TANK WEAPONS (SATW): See 33.0
CLOSE ASSAULT: This represents Infantry attacking the Vehicle using mines, grenade bundles, etc. To Close Assault, a Squad or WT must move into the same hex as a Vehicle. This costs +1 MP (if it would normally cost 1 MP to enter that hex, it costs 2 MPs). It must survive all fire in that hex, including passing any resulting MCs. To execute the attack, the unit rolls one die. If the roll is equal to or less than its Melee FP, the Vehicle is destroyed and removed. When Close Assaulting a Vehicle that has armor of 1 or greater and is not open topped, Melee FP is reduced by -1.
If the unit fails a MC in the Vehicle's hex, the Close Assault fails. Regardless of the success or failure of the Close Assault, the unit is returned to the previous hex and it is marked as Used. Under no circumstances will a unit attempting Close Assault end its move in the Vehicle's Hex. The Close Assault is resolved immediately and not during the Melee phase.
A unit may not enter a hex containing both an enemy Vehicle and dismounted enemy Infantry. This means that a Vehicle in that situation may not be Close Assaulted and Infantry in that situation may not be attacked via Melee.
DESERT: Close Assault FP is reduced by 1 for all scenarios in the Desert.
20.10 Gun/Vehicle Stacking
For purposes of stacking, a Gun counts as a Squad, but no more than one unmounted Gun may be in a hex. If both Infantry and a Gun are in the same hex and one receives fire, then they both suffer possible Suppression and/or casualty results.
If a Vehicle or Gun is shooting at a hex that contains both Vehicles and Infantry/Guns, the firing player must declare which enemy unit is the target and only that target type is affected by the fire. Only one Vehicle or Gun may end a turn in a hex, but a Vehicle may move THROUGH the hex of a friendly Vehicle or Gun. A Vehicle may never enter a hex with an enemy Vehicle.
A Vehicle may not end the turn in the same location as an enemy infantry unit or Gun, but may move THROUGH such a hex. Vehicles do not contribute to or count against Infantry stacking.
20.11 Vehicle Rear Vulnerability
Vehicles with rear vulnerability are indicated on the counter by having an armor rating with a black line on three sides. They may be attacked through their rear facing by small arms. Compute the FP as if the Vehicle was an infantry target in an Open Ground hex with no hexside terrain (there is no benefit from terrain), and then use the special bracketed casualty rating [4] to determine if the Vehicle is eliminated. A Suppression result is NOT possible. Moving in Open Ground does NOT apply, but Target being Adjacent does. If playing with UK (61.2), that rule does not apply.
EXAMPLE: A German 1st line MG WT (8) fires through Smoke at the rear facing of an SU-76 that is three hexes away and immediately behind a hedgerow. The FP is 7 (8 -1 Smoke). With a Casualty Rating of 4, a roll of 3 or less is a kill and anything else is a miss.
20.12 Crushing
As an exception to 20.10 and only by SSR, certain Vehicles which do not have Tank Riders may eliminate a non-Mounted, non-Concealed enemy Gun by crushing it. It costs a basic 5 MPs to enter the hex and if the tank survives any Op Fire (and is not subject to an UK) then the Gun is Eliminated. Even Woods hexes (the Gun is at the edge of the terrain, not in the middle - this is the only time a Vehicle may enter a Woods hex) and hexes with a second unit (Concealed or not) which contain a Gun may be entered to do this. After this, a die is rolled and if the result is a '10' then the Vehicle is eliminated (the Vehicle is much more vulnerable while doing this from crew and others: it also represents a Vehicle that gets immobilized and abandoned). Cumulative modifiers to this die roll are:
- +1 if the Gun is in a Woods hex
- +1 if there is an enemy Squad in the hex with the Gun.
The Vehicle doesn't have to leave the hex unless a second enemy unit is present or an UK occurs.
20.13 Tank Shock
TANK SHOCK IS ONLY IN EFFECT BY SSR: usually only in the desert or early war scenarios. When in effect, if a side has no Guns, Tanks, or SATW, that side gets -1 to all Morale to a minimum of 1 if the other side has at least one Vehicle, not under an UK, that has a FP.
21.0 Carriers
A Carrier is a Vehicle which can transport troops. Landing Craft (LC) are a type of Carrier that can enter water hexes and have either blue or brown MPs. Each Carrier will have a white helmet or tank silhouette on the counter, which may have a number next to it. This is the number of Squads, WTs, or Guns (or mixture) it may carry. If no number is present, it can carry only 1. If the silhouette is a tank, it may carry one Vehicle instead of Infantry/Guns.
21.1 Moving
Carriers move and act like other Vehicles unless stated otherwise. To denote that a unit is being transported, place the unit on top of the Carrier. A loaded Carrier counts as a Vehicle for stacking purposes. Passengers do not count against stacking limits. When a Carrier is empty, it is removed from the board and placed separately from eliminated units. It may be brought back onto the board in some situations (Mounting 21.3).
If an LC's MPs are blue, it can only enter water hexes. If they are brown it can enter water and land hexes (even in the same turn).
Carriers can't cross Hedgerows or Walls. A non-LC Carrier transporting a Gun pays 1/2 MP extra per hex entered.
Unlike other Vehicles, a unit being transported by a Carrier may not be marked as Op Fire if the Carrier only uses 1/3 or less of its MPs. Carriers count 0 against the Operations Range and are always selected simultaneously with the unit they are transporting. Since LC can carry more than one unit, all units in an LC must be selected at the same time and all count together against the Operations Range.
EXAMPLE: Selecting a Carrier transporting a Squad would count 1 against the Operations Range. Selecting an LC carrying 2 infantry Squads would count 2 against the Operations Range.
When selecting a Carrier transporting passengers, the passenger with the highest morale must take a MC. Failure of the MC ends the turn of the Carrier and all passengers (mark as Used). Similarly, a MC must be passed for the Carrier to continue if a Suppression result is received. CPs may be used by mounted units if allowed by the rest of the rules. Passengers in an LC in an Ocean or Surf hex never receive Suppression and always pass a MC.
An LC with Blue MPs in a Surf hex can't change facing and must use Reverse Movement to enter an Ocean Hex.
21.2 Concealment
A Carrier/unit combination loses its Concealment in the same way as any other Vehicle would. If a Carrier is un-Concealed any unit being transported also loses Concealment. Units cannot gain Concealment while in a Carrier.
21.3 Mounting and Dismounting
A unit that is mounting or dismounting is moving. It must pass a MC (like any unit does before moving), can trigger Op Fire, and could possibly be considered moving in Open Ground. A unit that fails a MC during the process of mounting or dismounting will always end up dismounted and is marked as Used.
EXAMPLE: a full strength squad that is dismounting into an Open Ground hex is Reduced by an Op Fire attack. The Squad still dismounts into the hex where it is flipped to its Reduced side and marked as Fully (Red) Suppressed. If the squad has MPs after dismounting it must pass a MC to keep moving.
A unit may only Mount or Dismount in a hex that does not contain another Vehicle or an enemy unit, and must be in a non-Ocean hex that the Carrier can enter during movement. Exception: Coxswain Panic (21.7).
Mounting Infantry units:
It costs a Carrier half (rounded down) of its MPs to mount one Infantry unit. Infantry units may only mount a friendly Carrier if allowed to by SSR and only if they have not moved yet that turn. A Carrier is taken from those that have dismounted troops and the unit is placed on top of it in that hex.
Dismounting Infantry units:
It costs a Carrier half (rounded down) of its MPs to dismount all infantry units.
If the Carrier has not moved that turn, all dismounting Squads or WTs may use up to 2 MPs.
If the Carrier has moved, the dismounting unit may not move any farther. Exception: if an LC unloading in a water hex would cause overstacking, enough unloading units may move to adjacent hexes to observe stacking limits.
A Carrier that is dismounting multiple units dismounts them one at a time with no intervening actions.
Guns or Vehicles
A Gun or Vehicle may mount or dismount from a Carrier as the only action taken by both the Gun/Vehicle and Carrier. Guns/Vehicles may be given any facing when they dismount.
21.4 Firing from Carriers
Passengers may not fire except for Panzer Grenadier, SS units, and WTs and only if in a non-LC Carrier. They may fire in any direction and may Assault Fire (including MG WTs, but not Mortar WTs). Other units may be given this ability by SSR.
21.5 Firing at Carriers
Unless using an SATW (33.0), Flamethrower (34.0), Close Assault, or attacking an Unarmored Vehicle, Infantry may only attack the unit being transported but have a -2 terrain modifier to their FP (-1 if Universal Carrier and 0 if Unarmored). This terrain modifier does not apply if the firing unit is adjacent or if the firing unit is two hexes away and at a higher elevation. A passenger only gets the terrain modifier of the Carrier (not the terrain in the hex) and never gets the penalties for moving in Open Ground. Suppressed counters are never placed on passengers in an LC in an Ocean or Surf hex, even if Reduced. Any existing Suppressed counters are removed.
Guns, Vehicles, and Artillery may only attack the Carrier and not the unit being transported. They attack the Carrier in the same way that they would any other Vehicle.
A Squad or WT armed with an SATW or Flamethrower may choose to attack either the unit being transported or the Carrier. If attacking a Gun or WT being transported, a Bazooka, Panzerschreck, or PIAT armed Squad within Range of the SATW would get +1 for attacking a known Gun or WT, -2 for the Carrier (-1 if Universal Carrier), and would use the second Casualty number of a Gun.
Infantry may Close Assault a Carrier (they do not Melee the passengers). Carrier passengers may not fire within their hex.
If the Carrier is destroyed for any reason, all the passengers are eliminated. If all the passengers are eliminated for any reason, then the Carrier is also eliminated.
21.6 Rout
Passengers in a Carrier only take a Rout MC if there is an enemy unit against which they do not have a Beneficial Terrain modifier. If this MC results in them having to Rout, then the Carrier with passengers must follow the Rout rules. Once they are three hexes away from enemy units within LOS, the Carrier must stop (the passengers will be in cover because of the Carrier). The Carrier still has to follow the movement rules for a Vehicle. It is possible that a Carrier and its passenger would be eliminated for failure to Rout.
Carriers that are transporting a Gun may Rout. The Gun is not eliminated in this case. Passengers in an LC in an Ocean or Surf hex never receive Suppression and never Rout.
21.7 Coxswain Panic
Coxswain Panic occurs when an LC with blue MPs is in an Ocean hex within 2 hexes of a Surf hex and a Passenger is Reduced or Eliminated by an attack. When Coxswain Panic occurs, one of two things will happen:
- If the LC is not in, but is adjacent to a Surf hex, the passengers immediately dismount, are marked Used, and the LC is removed from the board. Any Gun is eliminated. All Infantry and Vehicle passengers each roll a die. Infantry are Reduced (and Fully Suppressed) and Vehicles are eliminated on a roll of 6 or higher.
- If the LC is not adjacent to a Surf hex it is immediately placed by the firing player adjacent to the nearest Surf hex, regardless of MPs, and the above procedure is followed.
22.0 Tank Riders
By SSR, Squads designated as Tank Riders may start or enter a scenario mounted on a tank or assault gun using the Carrier rules (21.0) with the following differences:
The Vehicle is not removed if the Squad Dismounts or is Eliminated.
A Mounted Squad may not fire, is marked Used whenever the Vehicle is so marked, and only counts against that side's Operation Range if it is activated to Dismount before the Vehicle moves.
A Mounted Squad receives no terrain modifier from the Vehicle. Artillery, Flame, and Aircraft attack both the Vehicle and Squad separately. Vehicles, Guns, and SATWs must choose if firing at the Vehicle or Squad.
Before or during the Vehicle move, the Squad may Dismount into the same hex, is marked Used, and the Vehicle may use any remaining Movement Points.
The Squad MUST immediately Dismount if it becomes Suppressed, the Vehicle fires, is attacked by a mine, or a 'Hit and Kill' roll is made against it. A forced Dismount gains an extra level of Suppression and the Squad is marked Used (if not already so marked).
A Squad which Dismounts such as to cause an illegal situation (Overstack, enemy unit in same hex) is Eliminated.
23.0 Unarmored Vehicles
An Unarmored Vehicle has a bracketed Casualty Rating instead of an Armor rating. They use the rules for other Vehicles and/or Carriers except as follows:
Infantry cannot fire while Mounted on an Unarmored Vehicle.
Units in an Unarmored Vehicle are attacked in the same manner as Carriers except they have no terrain modifier.
An Unarmored Vehicle is also attacked simultaneously with any passengers with the same rules as a Vehicle with Rear Vulnerability (20.11).
After securing a hit versus an Unarmored Vehicle, any Vehicle or Gun can choose to use its Infantry Firepower against the bracketed Casualty Rating rather than its Vehicle Firepower against a 0 Armor rating.
24.0 – 29.0 Unused Sections
30.0 Weapons
31.0 Mortars
Mortars are WTs. Mortars often have a minimum range. Some mortars have an unlimited maximum range. Others have a defined range (e.g 2-12), which cannot be extended with long range fire. Mortars are more deadly against targets in woods because of airbursts.
Mortars may not fire from inside a building (Exception: Huts 40.1), Pillbox, or Swamp. Mortars may fire from a Jungle hex they setup in (either at the start of the scenario or entering play through FOW), but not from a Jungle hex they move into unless they are Japanese.
Mortars may Op Fire like any other unit (even using Directed Fire).
31.1 Directed Fire
If a Mortar WT can trace a LOS from the target to a location that is adjacent to the Mortar team then the Mortar may fire by Directed Fire. This represents a spotter that is detached from the unit to direct the Mortar fire. This hex cannot be enemy occupied or impassable to Infantry.
All Directed Fire receives an additional -1 to the FP for the attack (it is less accurate).
When Op Firing, Directed Fire cannot be used against a moving unit until it enters its second hex.
32.0 Artillery Support
Artillery Support represents fire from a battery of guns that are a significant distance away - off the game board. Each Artillery Support counter shows a Support Type and Firepower vs. Vehicle/Inf.
CPs may not be used on Artillery (Exception 3.0 - Function 2). In addition to FP, each Artillery Support has two numbers - Accuracy and Prof Rating.
To use the Artillery Support, the player must declare the hex that is to receive the fire. This hex must be in the LOS of at least one of his non-Vehicle units (including Decoys) that is not Fully Suppressed and is not in Melee, as the Artillery Support's spotter. Facing has no impact on spotting for Artillery. Similar to Guns, the player must roll less than or equal to the Prof Rating of the Artillery Support. If used as Op Fire, there is a -2 (if American)/-3 (if German, Commonwealth, or Italian)/-5 (if Russian or Japanese) to the Prof Rating of the Battery. If the Artillery was marked Op Fire, there is a +1 to its Prof Rating. These are the ONLY modifiers for any Artillery Prof Check.
If the Prof Check is failed, mark the Artillery Support on the scenario card as Used. It cannot be fired this turn.
If the Prof Check is passed, place an Artillery Fire Mission counter in the hex selected.
Regardless of success or failure, the Artillery Support is marked as Used and counts as THREE units if used during the player's Operations Range. Each Artillery Support on the scenario card can only be used once per turn. If firing during Op Fire, the counter must be placed so that the area of effect includes the moving unit. Similar to Directed Fire from a Mortar, Op Fire Artillery cannot be used against a moving unit until it enters its second hex. If the Prof Check was passed, the player then must make an Accuracy Check.
If the roll is equal to or less than the Accuracy of the Artillery Support, the Artillery Fire Mission is executed in that hex. If the roll is above the battery's Accuracy, the fire mission drifts from the selected location by one hex for each number above the Accuracy. The direction of the move is randomly determined by the roll of a 6-sided die. This new hex is where the Artillery Fire Mission is executed, even if it is on the player's own units. An Artillery Fire Mission counter that is adjusted off board is removed and not executed this turn.
EXAMPLE: If the Battery's Accuracy was 7 and a 9 was rolled, then the Fire Mission counter would be moved 2 hexes.
In either case, continue with the sequence below:
To execute the Fire Mission, the Battery's FP is used separately against the hex containing the Fire Mission counter and against each of the surrounding six hexes. It affects ALL units in those hexes - both Infantry and Vehicles. Against Infantry and Guns use the second FP shown on the Artillery Support and resolve the attack in the same way as an Infantry attack. Against Vehicles, use the first FP shown on the Artillery Support, but do not subtract the Vehicle's armor. Instead, add 1 to the FP if the Vehicle is open topped or unarmored and subtract 1 from the FP if the Vehicle's lowest armor factor is greater than 3. A roll equal to or less than the FP eliminates the Vehicle.
The Artillery Fire Mission counter remains in its hex until the end of the Operations Phase and will be executed against any unit that enters, mounts, or dismounts in any of the seven hexes. If a unit enters more than one of the hexes, it will be executed against it in each hex it enters. Stationary units that were already attacked by the Fire Mission are not attacked again.
When resolving attacks by Artillery, a roll of a one always suppresses Infantry and Concealed Guns or destroys an unconcealed Gun.
32.1 Reverse Slope Blind Hex (RSBH)
If the Artillery Support is 100mm or larger, it will have no effect on a Reverse Slope Blind Hex (RSBH). Trace a line perpendicular from the player's Rout Edge. When it crosses a Level 1 or higher hex, any following hex that is adjacent to and a lower elevation is unaffected by the fire. Other hexes are impacted normally.
EXAMPLE: 100mm Artillery is represented by the arrow. The hexes marked with an "X" are RSBH.
32.2 T44 Rocket Artillery
T44 Artillery is used like any other Artillery mission. However, it may only be fired one time and then is discarded. If it fails its Prof Check and so does not fire, it may be used in a future turn.
33.0 Special Anti-Tank Weapons
These include Bazookas (U.S.), Panzerfausts and Panzerschreck (German), ATRs (many nations), and PIAT (Commonwealth). Each of these has an SATW Number on the counter. An SATW Squad functions as a normal Squad in all respects. Unlike the others, the Japanese and Italian ATRs are WTs.
There is no penalty for changing facing to fire an SATW at a Vehicle.
When firing at an unconcealed Gun, WT, and Pillboxes within Range of the SATW, a Squad armed with a Bazooka, Panzerschreck, or PIAT may increase its FP by +1. The second (lower) Casualty number of the Gun is also used.
Panzerfausts were a one-shot weapon that were commonly carried by most German Squads later in the war. German Squads marked with the Panzerfaust symbol may use them within the appropriate dates shown on the PAC. They may only be used versus Vehicles.
A unit using its SATW against a Vehicle may not use its normal or Prof FP against other targets and must take a special SATW Check. This is a MC where the Morale is modified by the unit's SATW number and other situations listed on the PAC. If this is not Assault Fire, this check replaces the MC die roll the Squad would normally take to attempt to perform an action. A Vehicle "Move" counter has no impact on the SATW Check.
If a Squad fails its SATW Check, it is marked as Used. If a Squad passes this check, use the SATW FP against the appropriate armor of the target to determine if the Vehicle is eliminated. As with Gun/Vehicle fire versus Vehicles, a roll of a 10 is always no effect. There is no FP penalty against Vehicles if the Squad was using Assault Fire. The modifiers in "Gun/Vehicle Fire vs Vehicles" apply to SATW FP also.
SATWs may not be used as part of Final Op Fire and have no impact on Melee. The FP and Range of the different SATWs varied over time as detailed on the PAC. SATWs may not use long range fire.
EXAMPLE: A German Panzergrenadier Squad (SATW number of 2) is two hexes away from a Russian tank with an armor factor of 8 that is marked with a Move marker. The German Squad is Suppressed (Morale of 6). The German player selects the Squad and decides to fire a Panzerfaust at the tank. It normally would have to pass a MC. Since it wants to use its Panzerfaust, it must pass an SATW Check instead. The modifier to the Morale is -4 (-2 SATW number, -2 Range). If the Squad rolls a 2 or lower, it passes this check and will roll for the destruction of the Vehicle (9 or less to destroy it: 22 FP: 8 Armor = 14, a roll of 10 is always a fail).
SATW CHECK MODIFIERS TO THE MORALE: See PAC.
34.0 Flamethrowers
Units armed with Flamethrowers have a small flame symbol on the counter with FP in upper left corner like a Vehicle gun.
Infantry units armed with a Flamethrower may fire normally or may use the Flamethrower FP. A Flamethrower's Prof FP is the same as its normal FP. While using the Flamethrower, if it rolls a 1, 2, or 3 for the attack, the Flamethrower is out of fuel after that attack (operators were trained to use fuel sparingly until they had a great opportunity). Replace the Squad with an equivalent Squad without a Flamethrower.
Vehicle Flamethrowers are treated like other Vehicle guns (a Prof Check may be needed, if the target hex includes both Infantry and a Vehicle, the player must choose which one is targeted, etc.).
Flamethrowers have a maximum Range of 2. When firing at a target at a Range of 2, the FP of the Flamethrower is halved (rounded up).
EXAMPLE: The PZIIIFL (FP 11) would have a FP of 11 at range 1 and 6 at range 2).
When firing at Infantry and Guns (use the lower Casualty number), Fire Modifiers from Terrain and Situations are not used, except for the Conceal and Final Op Fire modifier.
When firing at a Vehicle, the target Vehicle's armor is ignored. The target is eliminated if the roll is equal to or less than the FP. When firing at a Vehicle that is open topped, +2 is added to the FP. No other modifiers are used.
35.0 Aircraft
Each aircraft counter may only attack one time (Exception 35.1). Mistakenly attacking your own unit (see below), and attacking what turns out to be a Decoy, all count as an attack. After any attack, the aircraft counter is removed from the game. Aircraft are not considered on the board. They do not spot for Artillery, affect Concealment, except in the hex of the target unit, or impact Rout. Only one aircraft attack per side may be attempted each turn.
To attempt an attack, the Aircraft counter selects any unit that is not in a Cave, Woods, Jungle, or Swamp hex and not in Melee and rolls against the Aircraft Counter's Prof Rating. If the roll is equal to or less than the Prof Rating, the attack proceeds normally. If the roll is one greater than the Prof Rating, the opposing player selects a new target within 5 hexes of the original. He may select an enemy target if it is available. If no enemy target is available then he must select another of his own units. A forbidden hex may not be chosen.
If no other target is available within 5 hexes of the original target, then no attack is made that turn. If the Prof Roll is more than one greater than the Prof Rating, then no attack is made that turn. In both cases, the same Aircraft counter may attempt to attack in a future turn.
Only one unit can be attacked but all units lose any Concealment in the hex occupied by the target unit before it is attacked. After the attack, if the attacking Aircraft was a JU-87, all Infantry and Guns in the hex gain an additional level of Suppression.
When attacking Infantry or Guns, use the modifiers on the Aircraft column of the Terrain chart. When attacking a Gun, use the (lower) Casualty number after the slash.
EXAMPLE: A German Stuka (Prof 6) attempts to attack a Russian tank. The Prof roll is a 7 which means that the Russian player may choose another target within 5 hexes. Three hexes away there is a German 50mm AT Gun and Squad that are both Concealed in Foxholes in the same hex. The Russian player, not knowing which is which, selects one of the units. Both units then lose their Conceal counter and he discovers that he chose the Gun. The Gun is attacked with 11 FP -2 for the Foxholes = 9 FP. The roll is a 6, which is 3 less than the FP so the Gun is eliminated. The Squad gains a level of Suppression. The Aircraft counter is then removed from the game.
When attacking a Vehicle, as with Artillery, do not subtract a Vehicle's armor factor, but add 1 to the FP if the Vehicle is open topped or unarmored and subtract 1 from the FP if the Vehicle's lowest armor factor is greater than 3. No other modifiers apply.
Selecting an Aircraft counter counts as THREE units, even if no attack is made. An Aircraft counter may NOT Op Fire and may not be marked as Op Fire. However, an Aircraft counter may be marked as Used. Doing so means that there will be no Aircraft attack that turn, but does save the Aircraft counter for use in a future turn.
35.1 JU-87G, Sturmovik, Jabos (Fighter-Bombers)
These have the following differences. Unlike other Aircraft they can be used more than once in a scenario (although not more than once per turn) and multiple JU-87Gs / Jabos may be selected in the same turn. They are available the following turn after making an attack UNLESS the 'To Kill' roll is 9 or 10 which removes that counter.
JU-87G: It must select a Vehicle as a target, and has no effect (including Concealment and Suppression) on other units.
STURMOVIK AND JABO: The first attack must use the "bomb" side. After an attack, it is flipped to the lower FP "MG" side for the remainder of the game.
36.0 Satchel Charges
A Squad with a Satchel Charge (SC) symbol is armed with a SC. It functions as a normal Squad in all respects. SC Firepower is 9/8 (vs Vehicles/Infantry and Guns). If a SC attack is being made into a hex that contains both a Vehicle and unmounted Infantry, only the unmounted Infantry can be attacked with SC.
To use a SC against Vehicles, the process is the same as Close Assault except that the Firepower for the Close Assault attack is 9 (and not the unit's Melee Firepower).
To use a SC against Infantry and Guns (use the lower Casualty number), 1 MP is required to place the SC (it can only be placed as part of movement) in an adjacent hex or in a Cave (43.4) in the same hex. The unit never enters the target hex when attacking Infantry and Guns, but if it never leaves its initial hex it may be fired upon in that hex in the same manner as if it was entering Melee. Placing the SC ends the unit's move and no Assault Fire is allowed. The SC attack is then immediately resolved. Any Concealed Fortification (43.0) is immediately revealed. If the target unit is in a Fortification or Building, normal Fire modifiers are reversed and any other Terrain is ignored. Modifiers for Situation are not used.
EXAMPLE: A SC (8FP) attacks with 6FP against a target in Jungle and 10FP against a target in Foxholes.
In order to successfully place the SC the unit must survive any Op Fire AND pass a MC if it gains Suppression. After placing the SC, the unit is replaced by an equivalent unit without a SC symbol. If there is a SC Retention Number by SSR, the unit is not replaced on a separate roll of that number or less.
EXAMPLE: The SC Retention Number for this scenario is 4. The player rolls a 4 and so the squad is not replaced. It may use another SC on a future Activation.
37.0 Canister Ammunition
A Gun or Vehicle with a subscript "c" next to its FP values may fire Canister ammunition with that FP. The attacking unit must announce it is firing Canister before making the attack. When firing Canister:
- All Concealment in the target hex is lost before the attack is resolved.
- The maximum Range is 3 hexes with no long-range fire.
- There is a +4 Infantry FP modifier when firing at a moving Infantry target in either a Fire Lane (43.0) or in Open Ground. The Infantry FP modifier for moving in Open Ground is also applied if the target is moving in Open Ground.
- No effect on Vehicles or the Passengers of Carriers.
EXAMPLE: A 37mm AT Gun (C7) fires at an adjacent, moving squad in Open Ground. If it passes its Prof Check, the FP is 15 (7+4+4).
38.0 Type 92 Battalion Gun
The Japanese Type 92 Gun can also attack with its Infantry FP as if it were a Mortar WT (31.0). It still must check Proficiency if necessary. It may use Directed Fire.
39.0 Terrain and Effects
If learning the game, many of the rules in this section can be skipped. Depending on the module, read only about the terrain needed in your scenario. The fire modifiers and movement costs for each terrain type are shown on the PAC.
40.0 Buildings and Woods
Stone buildings are grey, wooden buildings are brown. Buildings may be Fortified (43.5). A Gun in a building may not change its facing, unless that building hex is Fortified. A building may have more than one location, such as when it has an upper level (40.2) Chimneys and wood piles attached to buildings are considered part of the building.
40.1 Huts
- Fortification counters may be setup in Hut hexes.
- Mortars and Japanese GD Squads may fire from Huts.
- Vehicles may enter Hut hexes.
- A Vehicle or Gun may change its facing in a Hut hex.
- Fire against Infantry and Guns in huts is -1 FP
- 1 MP cost for both Vehicles and Infantry.
40.2 Upper Level
By SSR, building hexes may have an upper level (actually representing 3rd and 4th floors). Only Infantry can be on the upper level except as noted by SSR.
Units on an Upper Level are placed on an Upper Level counter.
Infantry units can change level at normal building movement costs, and a unit on an Upper Level can only move to adjacent Upper Level hexes of the same building or change level.
An Upper Level building blocks LOS like a 2nd Level Hill.
Infantry on the Upper Level are at the same height as a Level One Hill: they are inside the building at that level, not on top of it (47.2).
Upper Levels cannot be Fortified.
Units in different levels of a building and not in the same hex have no LOS between them.
Guns/Vehicles can't fire at enemy units at a different level in their hex.
Smoke, Artillery, Mortar, Aircraft Bombs, and Rocket fire affects both levels of a hex.
A unit on an Upper Level is only adjacent to other Upper Levels in that building and the lower level in the same hex. It is never considered adjacent to a hex outside of its building. The range between two Levels of the same hex is 1.
Units at different levels within the same hex are not considered to be on one another's flanks.
40.3 Railway Vehicles
These are considered contiguous wooden buildings for all purposes, except that Guns/Vehicles can not set up in them (nor enter them) and the SATW Backblast modifier does not apply. Railroad tracks have no impact on the game.
40.4 Woods
Mortar and Artillery fire against targets in woods is more deadly because of airbursts (incoming shells exploding in the tree tops). See the PAC.
41.0 Open Ground
Any hex without terrain on the center hex dot is considered Open Ground. Op Fire and Final Op Fire by Infantry or Artillery or Canister is increased when firing at Infantry moving across Open Ground, with the modifier dependent on range. This increase is not applied if the target has a Beneficial Terrain modifier.
EXAMPLE: A Squad firing at a unit moving in Open Ground 2 hexes away. The Squad would normally get +4 to its FP. If the target unit was at a higher elevation, the Squad would get a -1 modifier to its FP and not the +4. If the firing unit was a Mortar WT, then there is no negative modifier for firing at a higher elevation and the Mortar would still get the +4 for a target moving in Open Ground within 4 hexes.
42.0 Road
Roads are considered Open Ground. Units moving along a road expend fewer MPs (see PAC).
43.0 Fortifications
Except where noted, all Fortifications can be placed in any hex that is not a Building (Exception: Huts 40.1), Bridge, Swamp, Surf, Ocean, Sandbar, River, Stream, or Canal. Only one Fortification may be in a location.
When moving into and out of a hex with a Fortification, units do not get the benefit of the Fortification and may be considered moving in Open Ground. Use the other terrain in the hex. Infantry and Guns in a Fortification get only the benefit of the Fortification and do not get a benefit from other terrain in the hex. If units in Melee are attacked by Artillery, only the original occupants get the benefit of the Fortification.
A Gun that is in a Foxhole, Trench, or Pillbox has its Casualty Rating reduced by 1 if it is fired on by Artillery.
In the Pacific, Foxholes and Bunkers always have both Fire Lanes and Fortification Concealment. Caves have Fire Lanes, but not Fortification Concealment.
FIRE LANES: This is an area where vegetation has been thinned to give better fire opportunities. When Infantry or a Gun fires into an adjacent hex from a fortification, moving units do not receive a Beneficial Terrain Modifier except for firing to a higher elevation, buildings, or a Carrier, but are not considered moving in Open Ground if there is Beneficial Terrain in that hex. Fire Lanes do not impact LOS or Movement Costs.
EXAMPLE: An MG WT (7/6 FP) in a Bunker Op Fires at a Squad moving in an adjacent Jungle hex. The Firepower for the attack is 10 (6 Prof FP +1 Prof FP adjacent + 3 FP adjacent). If it wasn't a Fire Lane, the Firepower for the attack would have been 8 (10 FP: 2 FP for Jungle).
FORTIFICATION CONCEALMENT: When this rule is active, occupied Fortifications are Concealed along with units in the hex if they are in Beneficial Terrain. The Fortification is placed on its Concealed side (a Concealed Squad in a Concealed Foxhole shows on the board as two counters: a Squad and a Foxhole on the Concealed side).
A Fortification (but not necessarily the units in it) will lose its Concealment if its Terrain modifier is used in defense of an occupying unit. It will also lose its Concealment if:
- It is ever unoccupied
- Its hex is attacked by Canister fire or a SC
- An occupying unit loses Concealment or receives a Suppression result
- A unit of either side enters the hex.
A unit in a Fortification gets the benefit of the Fortification whether the Fortification is Concealed or not. After a fire attack, if revealing the Fortification improves the Terrain modifier in the hex such that it changes the result, the unit in the Fortification gets the benefit of the Fortification, but the Fortification is still revealed. Once Unconcealed, the Fortification may not be Concealed for the rest of the scenario.
EXAMPLE: A concealed Japanese Squad and Bunker are in a Jungle hex that is attacked by a MG WT (7FP -2 Concealed -2 Jungle = 3FP) that rolls a 3. The unit would be Suppressed so the Bunker must be revealed. This changes the FP (-2 Jungle is replaced by -3 Bunker) so that the unit is not Suppressed and does not lose -2 Concealment, but the Bunker remains revealed.
43.1 Foxholes
Have a modifier of -2/-4 to incoming fire.
43.2 Trench
By SSR, a series of adjacent Foxholes or a road can be used to represent a Trench (and not a road). Trench hexes are treated exactly like Foxhole hexes except that a unit moving from one Trench hex to the next is NOT considered moving in Open Ground. The cost for Infantry to move between Trench hexes is 1 MP regardless of other terrain in the hex, although additional cost for going up in elevation still applies. A Trench does not negate the movement rate of a non-Trench road that bisects a Trench. Pillboxes and Bunkers adjacent to a Trench are also connected. Trenches never connect with caves.
43.3 Pillboxes and Bunkers
All rules that apply to Pillboxes (Europe) also apply to Bunkers (Pacific) except as noted. Pillboxes:
- Have a modifier of -3/-6 to incoming fire.
- The Backblast penalty (-2) applies to certain SATW fire.
- Mortars and GD may not fire from them.
- Do not block LOS.
- Units can fire in any direction.
- Guns in a Pillbox automatically have a 6/5 Casualty Rating, but can only change facing by being 'Used' (without firing) to do so. Guns in a Bunker cannot change facing.
If part of a Trench, units may move between the Pillbox and the Trench without moving in Open Ground.
43.4 Caves
A Cave has a stacking limit of one Infantry unit or Gun (place under the Cave counter) and normal stacking in the location above the Cave. Only units in the Cave receive the Cave's benefits. These two locations within the hex are not adjacent and do not have LOS to each other. Units in a Cave are not affected by units above the cave and vice versa. Exception: an SC can be placed in the Cave from the location above.
A Cave can only be setup in a Hill hex facing a lower elevation. It is pointed toward a hexspine (like a Vehicle or Gun). Both hexes in front of the Cave must be a lower elevation than the hill. The Cave is the same level as the highest hex it is facing.
Units can only enter or exit a Cave, fire into or out of, and LOS can only be traced to the Cave, through either of its front adjacent hexes (including hexspines). The Cave is only adjacent to its two frontal hexes. Units entering and exiting do not get the benefit of the Cave and may be moving in Open Ground. The MP cost to enter a Cave is 2.
Cave Terrain Modifier -2/-9 or -3/-10 if scenario specifies it is a Small Cave (to a minimum FP of 1). (A Small Cave opening was often barely large enough to crawl through and they were used as gun ports for WTs and Guns.)
Cave Terrain Modifier is 0 if fired at from one of the two front hexes adjacent to the Cave.
Units in a Cave never take a Rout MC.
Vehicles cannot setup in or enter Caves, and Mortars cannot fire from inside Caves (but Japanese GD Squads can).
Non-Japanese can't enter Caves. (Melee can never take place in a Cave. Marines and US soldiers didn't typically enter Caves.)
43.5 Fortified Positions
Fortified counters may be placed only in Building hexes to represent Fortified Positions. Use the building outline for LOS purposes. A Fortified Position is the same as a stone building except:
- It has a terrain modifier of -3
- An Unused Gun may be Used to change facing.
43.6 Wire
Wire does not block LOS, does not alter the terrain in the hex, and can't be concealed.
TRIP FLARES: The first time in a scenario that each Wire hex is entered at night causes a Trip Flare in that hex. The unit entering the hex may immediately be Op Fired upon by ONE Unused unit (not Artillery) not in the Visibility Range of it (because of the Trip Flare).
INFANTRY MOVEMENT AND COMBAT: An Infantry unit must stop both when it enters and leaves a wire hex (a unit can only move one hex when leaving). A unit in a wire hex gets -1 to its FP. Wire does not affect SATW FP.
VEHICLES: Moving into the Wire hex costs 4 additional MPs, but the Wire is removed.
WIRE REMOVAL: A Wire counter is removed if:
- A Vehicle enters the Wire hex.
- An Infantry unit follows the same procedure as removing a Roadblock (43.7).
- A Japanese Squad in a Banzai charge enters the hex and survives all fire. The Squad is reduced and ends its move.
- Wire has a Casualty rating of 7. If it suffers a Casualty from an Artillery or Mortar attack, it is removed. Do not use any modifiers when calculating Wire removal.
43.7 Roadblock
A Roadblock must be placed in an Open Ground or Road hex with its directional arrow pointed at the hexside to be blocked. Vehicles may not cross a Roadblock hexside and, if the marker is in a bridge hex, it also prevents Vehicles from entering/exiting the bridge via adjacent hexsides.
For fire purposes, it is treated like a Wall (46.1).
A Squad not in Melee which starts in a hex with a blocked hexside may remove the Roadblock marker by expending its entire movement allowance. To succeed it must survive and pass all MCs. For Op Fire it is treated as if it moved into the hex and gets no protection from the Roadblock (and therefore may be considered moving in Open Ground).
44.0 Hedgerows
Hedgerows are large, thick hedges that were planted on top of earthen mounds. Hedgerows block LOS unless the firer and/or target is adjacent to the hedgerow. LOS directly along a hedgerow hex spine is blocked. Where a firer and target are at different elevations, a Hedgerow hexside blocks LOS if a Woods hex on both sides of that hexside would block it (Exception: firer or target are in a hex which includes that hexside).
Fire at Infantry or Guns is reduced (-2) for a hedgerow only if the target is adjacent to the hedgerow hexside and the fire attack passes through that hexside. This reduced FP applies even if the target is moving, and in that case, the hedgerow negates the moving in Open Ground modifier. Target units do NOT get the benefit of the hedgerow when they move into or out of a hex on the opposite side of a hedgerow hexside from an adjacent firing unit. They may also be considered moving in Open Ground in that case. As long as two units on opposite sides of the same hedgerow are not moving, they BOTH get the terrain benefit of the hedgerow.
Units behind a hedgerow do NOT get a positive terrain modifier against Artillery, Mortars, or Aircraft. Because of this, if moving, they would also be subject to the moving in Open Ground penalty.
HEDGEROW EXAMPLE: All of the following are from the perspective of the American Squad.
There is a good LOS to the adjacent German Squad. If the German Squad was stationary, both Squads would get the -2 terrain benefit from the hedgerow. If the German Squad moved into the hex, it would be moving in Open Ground. Any Conceal counter would be removed because the units are adjacent.
- The LOS is blocked because it is along a hedgerow hexspine.
- Good LOS and the Germans are in Open Ground.
- Good LOS and both the Germans and Americans get the benefit of the hedgerow.
- The LOS is blocked because it crosses a hedgerow hexside that is not adjacent to either the firer or the target. (D2/E3 hexside).
45.0 Water
45.1 River or Canal
Units may not normally enter River or Canal hexes, except at bridge hexes. Bridges are considered a road in all respects.
If a scenario specifies that a River is Shallow, then Infantry units may enter. There is a +1 FP modifier against Infantry units in a River. Additionally, if moving, the unit may be considered moving in Open Ground. Unmounted WTs cannot fire from a River hex.
45.2 Sandbar
This is treated as Open Ground, but no Fortifications may be placed there.
45.3 Stream (in a Shallow Depression)
Movement into a Stream hex costs 2 MP/4 MP for Infantry/Vehicles. A unit in a Stream hex only has LOS to units that are adjacent or at a higher elevation with unblocked LOS. A unit in a Stream hex is always considered to be in the Stream. Foxholes may not be placed in a hex containing a stream.
STREAM-WOODS: A unit is considered in Open Ground unless the LOS crosses woods within the target hex, in which case the woods terrain effects modifier applies to Direct Fire attacks. If a fire attack is made by Mortar or Artillery, the fire attack is increased by +1 for the presence of woods in the hex, regardless of whether the LOS crosses the woods artwork.
45.4 Gullies and Balkas
Movement into a Gully hex costs 1 MP/2 MP for Infantry/Vehicles. Gullies are Level -1 terrain and movement out of one is moving to a higher elevation. The edge line of the Gully artwork is a crest line and functions similar to the edge artwork of a hill. No other part of the Gully artwork impacts LOS in any way. It is possible to trace LOS into a Gully from an adjacent hex, and possibly further along the Gully provided it isn't blocked by crest lines in non-adjacent hexes.
BALKA: This is a special type of gully, where all sides except those delineated by dashed lines represent Steep Sides. Steep Sides cannot be crossed by Vehicles and can only be crossed by Infantry who expend their entire movement allowance to do so. A Gully is only a Balka if it is specified as such in a SSR.
BRIDGE: Where a Bridge crosses a Gully, the Bridge hex contains two separate levels and units may move under the bridge. A unit in a Bridge hex is ON the Bridge unless beneath an Upper Level counter. Movement directly between a Bridge and the Gully is not allowed. Units on a Bridge are adjacent to units under the Bridge, but not other Gully hexes. Bridges don't affect LOS. Mortar, Artillery, Aircraft bombs, and Rockets affect units both on and underneath a Bridge.
45.5 Ocean
The only units that can voluntarily enter an Ocean hex are an LC and its passengers. Exception: Coxswain Panic (21.7). A non-LC unit that is in an Ocean Hex when selected must spend all its MPs to enter an adjacent Surf hex or it is eliminated. Units can't be Concealed in Ocean hexes.
45.6 Surf
Hexes that contain both Ocean and land are Surf hexes. Exception: Cliffs. All units may enter, but WTs may not fire from a Surf hex. Units can't be Concealed in Surf hexes. A fire attack is increased by +1 FP against unmounted units in Surf and Ocean hexes. If moving, units are considered moving in Open Ground. Routing units that are moving toward their Rout edge will stop when reaching a Surf hex.
46.0 Hindering Terrain
Orchards, Palm Trees, Kunai Grass, Wheat Fields, Walls, and Dike Roads are Hindering Terrain. All Hindering Terrain has these properties:
It does not block fire (Exception: Palm Trees), but Hinders it. Only intervening hexes or their Wall hexsides (46.1) create Hindrances. The firing or target hex does not cause a Hindrance, and nor does their Wall hexsides. If the target hex is also Hindering Terrain, it may also add a Terrain modifier.
If the firer and target are at different elevations, ignore Hindrance modifiers from Wheat, Walls, Dike Roads, and Kunai Grass. Other Hindrances apply if a level 1 obstacle, such as woods, would apply to the LOS in that hex.
Even if the Hindrance is zero, a unit in or fired at through Hindering Terrain by Direct Fire is never considered moving in Open Ground.
Hindrances never impact Mortars, Artillery, or Aircraft.
If the LOS is directly on a hexside between two Hindrances, only the one most helpful to a target applies.
For each Hindrance, an Infantry fire attack is reduced by -1 FP, Vehicles/Guns have a modifier of -1 to their Prof Rating, and SATW Squads and WTs have a -1 modifier to their SATW Morale.
WHEAT FIELD AND KUNAI GRASS: One Hindrance for every two hexes (rounded up). -1 FP effect in the target hex. No Hindrance or Terrain impact on any attack against a Vehicle. The effect only applies if the LOS crosses the Wheatfield or Kunai Grass artwork depiction.
ORCHARDS: One Hindrance for every two hexes (rounded up). No Terrain effect in the target hex, but the hex is still considered Beneficial Terrain. Impacts entire hex, even hexsides.
PALM TREES: One Hindrance for one Palm Tree hex. A second Palm Tree hex can be fired into, but blocks fire and LOS beyond it. A fire attack is reduced by -1 FP in the target hex. Impacts the entire hex, even hexsides.
EXAMPLE: Fire is being traced through two hexes of Hindering Terrain at a moving Squad in a third hex of the same terrain.
- FOR INFANTRY FIRE: Orchards -1 FP Hindrance; Wheat Field -1 Hindrance -1 Terrain = -2 FP; Palm Trees LOS blocked.
- FOR VEHICLE FIRE: Orchards -1 Prof Hindrance; Wheat Field -1 Prof Hindrance -1 FP Terrain; Palm Trees LOS blocked.
46.1 Dike Road and Walls
If a Road is designated as a Dike Road, the dike is represented by the road artwork and counters must be positioned within the hex to indicate which side of the Dike Road the counter is on. Foxholes in a Dike Road hex apply to the entire hex. Attacks from Artillery, Mortars, or Aircraft are not affected by Dike Roads or Walls.
DIRECTLY BEHIND: If the target is directly behind a Wall hexside or behind the road in a Dike Road hex, a fire attack is reduced by a -2 FP, but see the special case below. If the target is a Vehicle, the firer gets -2 to its Prof Rating. Fire at a Vehicle from a SATW is unmodified.
NOT DIRECTLY BEHIND A DIKE ROAD / WALL: If not directly behind then one Hindrance applies if there are any intervening Walls or Dike Road hexes, unless the firing unit is directly behind the Wall hexside or behind the road in the Dike Road hex.
If a firing unit is adjacent to a Wall hexside when a target unit moves into or out of a hex which shares that same Wall hexside, then the target unit receives no Beneficial terrain modifier. Such a target unit may also be considered as moving in Open Ground in that case. As long as two units are on opposite sides of a Wall hexside, and neither is moving, they both receive the -2 FP Beneficial terrain modifier.
Any rule for loss of Concealment and Routing that applies to Hedgerows, also applies to Walls and Dike Road. A Dike Road still functions as a road in all respects.
47.0 Hills
Most hexes are Level 0 (green). Some hexes are Level 1 Hills, Level 2 Hills, or Level 3 Hills (progressively lighter in color in European Modules, progressively darker in color in Pacific Modules). Level 1 Hills are the same height as buildings (unless they have an Upper Level), woods and other terrain that blocks LOS. Level 2 Hills are twice as high. A building on a Level 1 Hill is the same height as a Level 2 Hill.
47.1 Movement
Moving at the same elevation or moving to a lower elevation uses normal movement costs. Moving across a crest line to the side with the higher elevation costs extra (see PAC).
47.2 LOS
Units in a building, woods, etc. are at the height of the ground and not on top of the woods or building.
EXAMPLE: A Squad in hex D5 is at Level 1 because the building is on a Level 1 Hill.
Terrain which is higher than both the firer and the target blocks LOS. LOS always works both ways.
Terrain which is at the same level as the firer or target blocks LOS from that unit to lower elevations.
Terrain at a lower elevation will create a number of Blind Hexes behind that terrain that can not be seen. This means that Level 1 terrain can be seen "over" by units on Level 2, but that there will be blind hexes when trying to see Level 0. The number of Blind Hexes is equal to one less than the distance from the Level 2 Hill to the Level 1 blocking terrain. In the case of Level 3 Hills, the number of Blind Hexes is equal to one less than the distance from the Level 3 Hill to the Level 2 blocking terrain. If the blocking terrain is at Level 1, the number of Blind Hexes is equal to two less than the distance from the Level 3 Hill to the Level 1 blocking terrain.
EXAMPLE: This is a section from Map 19.
- C6 is a Level 1 Hill. It can see C7, D6, E6 and other hexes at same elevation.
- C6 can not see E5. A building is normally Level 1, but this building is on a Level 1 Hill, making it a Level 2 obstacle.
- C6 can not see E7. C6 and D6 are both Level 1. Therefore D6 blocks LOS to all lower elevations.
- E3 is a Level 2 Hill. It can not see E6, C5 and other Level 1 Hills because LOS is blocked by the Level 2 hexes D3 and E4.
- E4 is a Level 2 Hill. It can see D4, D5, and E5.
- E4 can not see C7. The building in D5 is also at Level 2, therefore blocking LOS to lower elevations.
- E4 can see C8. Although the building in D5 is Level 2, C8 is also at Level 2.
- E4 cannot see E7, but can see E8. E6 is Level 1 Terrain. Since E6 is 2 hexes from E4, it creates 1 Blind Hex (E7).
- C8 is a Level 2 Hill. It can see both D7 and E7. D7 is a Level 1 Hill, but C8 is only one hex away. It creates (one less than one hex away) no Blind Hexes.
- If E6 had Woods on the Level 1 Hill, it would be Level 2 Terrain. E4 would not be able to see E8 or any other non-Level 2 Hills in that row.
- If E6 was Level 0 (green), but had woods in it, it would be Level 1 Terrain. E4 would then be able to see E5, E6 and E8. E7 would remain a Blind Hex because E6 was still Level 1 Terrain.
47.3 Fire Effects
For Infantry fire, if the target is at a higher elevation, the fire attack is reduced by -1 FP and therefore the modifier for moving in Open Ground does not apply. Guns and Vehicles firing at a unit on a Hill from a lower elevation must take a Prof Check with a -1 modifier to their Prof Rating.
If the target is at a lower elevation than the firer, the fire attack is increased by +1 to the FP. Artillery and Mortars are unaffected.
Artillery that is 100mm or larger has no affect on a Reverse Slope Blind Hex (32.1).
47.4 Cliffs
- A Cliff impacts LOS like a normal crestline.
- No unit can cross a Cliff hex side.
- Vehicles and Guns may not fire across a Cliff hexside to an adjacent hex (either up or down).
- Units on either side of a Cliff hexside are not adjacent.
48.0 Smoke
Smoke may be placed by Artillery only by SSR. When Artillery is firing Smoke, instead of attacking the targets in the seven affected hexes, Smoke is placed in all seven hexes. Everything else about the procedure is the same as if the Artillery were firing normally. After placing or attempting to place Smoke, the Artillery is marked as Used.
A fire attack that comes out of, crosses any part of (including a hexside or vertex), or is at a target in a Smoke or Dispersed Smoke hex is impacted by the Smoke.
Infantry Fire impacted by Smoke is reduced by a -1 FP modifier. There is no modifier if Smoke is Dispersed, but in either case the target is not considered moving in Open Ground. Fire passing through multiple smoke hexes does not increase the penalty.
The modifier for Smoke is not a Terrain modifier and will not allow a unit to gain or retain Concealment or negate the need to Rout (11.0 - Bullet 3).
Gun and Vehicle fire through Smoke always requires a Prof Check. There is a -1 modifier to Prof Rating unless the Smoke is Dispersed. Likewise, non-Dispersed smoke reduces SATW Morale by -1. Artillery Fire is not affected by Smoke or Dispersed Smoke.
During the Recovery Phase, all Dispersed Smoke counters are removed and then all Smoke counters are flipped to the Dispersed Smoke side. If Smoke is placed in a hex that already contains Smoke, no additional counter is placed in the hex. If it already contained Dispersed Smoke, the Dispersed Smoke counter would get flipped to the Smoke side. There will never be more than one Smoke/Dispersed Smoke counter in a hex.
48.1 Smoke Grenades
If a side is given Smoke Grenades, they may be used by any Squad. A Squad which is successfully Activated to move may place a Dispersed Smoke marker in its own or an adjacent non-water hex at any point during its movement (but not after Assault Fire, before Op Fire is resolved, or when occupying a hex with an enemy unit). The movement cost to place Dispersed Smoke in an adjacent hex is the same as if the Squad were to move into that hex from its current hex. Only one grenade may be placed per Squad per Activation.
48.2 Japanese Grenade Dischargers
Some Japanese Squads may place Dispersed Smoke (59.3).
49.0 Mines
Minefields in WW2 did not cause a lot of casualties. They did, however, slow and channel movement.
By SSR an area of the map may be designated as having Mines. The first time during each of its moves that a Vehicle enters a Mine hex, and on every fifth hex thereafter (i.e. 1st, 6th, 11th etc.) it must roll a die. On a roll of '1' it has struck a mine and suffers an UK result. For Infantry, any hex costs a minimum of 1½ MPs in addition to hexside costs (hedgerow, elevation change, etc.).
CONCENTRATED MINEFIELD: If Mines are designated as Concentrated, then a Vehicle strikes a Mine on a roll of "1-2" and for Infantry any hex costs a minimum of 2 MPs.
50.0 Night
Night scenarios will have a Visibility Range (VR) in hexes. VR is how far a unit can see without Illumination (Exception: Muzzle Flashes and Trip Flares). Note that it is possible for an enemy unit to be within the VR of one friendly unit and be fired upon by that unit, while another friendly unit would not be able to fire at that enemy unit because it was outside of the VR.
50.1 Illumination Counters
Unless specified otherwise by SSR, Illumination Counters are one time use counters that may be placed within 5 hexes of a friendly unit not in Melee at a cost of one unit selected in the Operations Range. All units in the same hex or adjacent to an Illumination counter are Illuminated. Illumination counters are removed during the Recovery Phase.
50.2 Night Effects
During Night scenarios, units are impacted as follows:
Any hex costs a minimum of 1½ MPs for non-Japanese Infantry and 2 MPs for all Vehicles. This is in addition to hexside costs (hedgerow, elevation change, etc.).
Units may only fire at targets that are within the Visibility Range or are Illuminated (Exception: Muzzle Flashes and Trip Flares). Infantry may not fire outside of Normal Range and Vehicles/Guns may not fire at a range greater than 10 hexes regardless of Illumination.
The Infantry & Mortar FP modifier for moving in Open Ground is +2 at range 1, +1 at range 2, and +0 at range 3 or greater.
Vehicles and Guns must always pass a Prof Check with an additional -1 to their Prof Rating per hex of range (to a max of -4) before firing.
An Unilluminated unit beyond the Visibility Range is 'out of LOS' for the purpose of fire attacks (Exception: Muzzle Flashes and Trip Flares), gaining or losing Concealment, Artillery Spotting and Rout.
A unit that fires loses its Concealment regardless of Visibility Range or Illumination (because of the muzzle flashes).
Artillery and Mortar Spotters can only spot hexes that are within their Visibility Range or that are Illuminated.
EXAMPLE: A unit with a Prof FP of 3 is firing at an adjacent unit moving in Open Ground at Night. The Prof FP is increased to 4 because of adjacency. This is modified by +3 adjacent and +2 Open Ground for a total FP of 9.
MUZZLE FLASHES: Whenever an Unilluminated unit fires, it may immediately be fired upon by ONE Unused unit which is not in Visibility Range of the firing unit as if that unit were Illuminated. If the responding unit fails its MC, another unit may not be selected. This response is not considered Op Fire, so an infantry unit would use its Normal FP and units marked Op Fire are ineligible. The responding unit, if Unilluminated, may then be fired upon by ONE Unused unit not in Visibility Range of it. This interruption can continue indefinitely. Afterwards, the Operations Range that was in progress continues.
TRIP FLARES: See Wire 43.6.
50.3 Regenerating Decoys
During Night turns, an Unused, Concealed unit may be Used to regenerate a previously-removed friendly Decoy. The Concealed unit is marked 'Used' and the Decoy, also marked 'Used', is placed in the same hex. Stacking restrictions must be observed.
51.0 Jungle
Jungle movement costs Infantry units 3MP per hex on Guadalcanal and 2.5MP per hex on New Britain, but is otherwise the same on both islands. Vehicles cannot enter, unless allowed by SSR.
Jungle has no airbursts (it absorbed Artillery fire).
Japanese Mortars can fire from Jungle, but Mortars of other nationalities can only fire from a Jungle hex they setup in (either at the start of the scenario or entering play through FOW). Mortar Gun crews cleared the overhead foliage when they had time to prepare new positions. Japanese had delayed fuse ammunition, which allowed them to fire through the jungle canopy.
51.1 Losing Concealment in the Jungle
A moving unit in Jungle loses its Concealment when it moves adjacent to or into the same hex as an enemy, but stationary Concealed Infantry units in a Jungle hex do not lose their Concealment when an enemy unit moves adjacent. It is therefore possible for a unit to enter a hex with a Concealed enemy unit. Remove Concealment and Decoys, but place an Ambush counter in the hex.
51.2 Melee in the Jungle
If a unit is Concealed the moment an enemy unit enters Melee, the Rout Phase is handled normally, but it gets Melee Ambush benefits for that turn only (if it survives until Melee).
Instead of being simultaneous, the previously Concealed unit attacks first and has all casualties and CPs applied before other units attack. These casualties can be applied to any enemy unit that entered the hex, not just the first one that entered and triggered the Ambush. An unconcealed unit in that hex still attacks simultaneously with the units that entered the hex.
The previously Concealed unit receives a +2 Ambush Melee FP bonus.
EXAMPLE: A Concealed Marine Squad (4/3 FP) moves into a Jungle hex adjacent to a Jungle hex that is occupied by a Concealed Japanese Squad (5/3 FP). The Marines immediately lose Concealment, but the Japanese do not. They decide not to fire in order to try to suck the Marines into an ambush. The Marines Assault Fire at the hex with 3 FP (3 Prof FP, +3 adjacent FP, -2 FP Jungle, -1 Concealed = 3) and miss. A second Marine squad with 4/3 FP enters the Japanese hex. The Concealment is removed. The Melee is sequential with the Japanese attacking first with 5 FP (3 Melee FP + 2 Ambush FP = 5). If the Japanese eliminate the Marines, they do not get to attack back. If there had been an additional unconcealed Japanese Squad in the hex, and the Ambush had only Reduced the Marines, the additional Japanese Squad and the now Reduced Marine Squad would then attack simultaneously.
AMBUSH AND FLANK EXAMPLE: A Japanese squad moves into a Jungle hex where a concealed Marine squad is positioned. As the Marine squad is concealed, the Japanese squad cannot gain a flank advantage. The Marine squad loses its concealment but gains an Ambush counter. Before the Operations Phase ends, a second Japanese squad also enters the Marine's hex from a flank hex. At this point, as the Marine squad is not concealed, the second Japanese squad will gain a flank counter. During the Melee Phase, the Marine squad attacks first with the +2 Ambush FP bonus, then if they survive the ambush: the two Japanese squads attack, but only the second squad gains a +1 Flank bonus for its Melee attack.
52.0 Swamp
Swamp blocks LOS and does not cause airbursts. Fortifications, Guns and Vehicles cannot setup in or enter a swamp hex. WTs cannot fire from a swamp hex. Moving Infantry do not get the benefit of the Swamp's -2 FP modifier, but are not considered moving in Open Ground.
53.0 Paths
Infantry units on a Path pay only 1 MP per hex (plus elevation costs), but must cross a Path hexside to do so. A unit may choose to pay the full MP cost of the other terrain in the hex to avoid being on the Path. Vehicles cannot enter a Jungle path hex except by SSR.
If an infantry unit moving on a Path is fired upon by an adjacent unit, the unit does not get beneficial modifiers from the terrain in the hex but it is not considered moving in Open Ground.
EXAMPLE: A Squad spends 1 MP to enter a Jungle/Path hex so it is moving on the Path. If it is attacked with 7 FP, the FP for the attack would be '7,' not '5.'
54.0 Desert Terrain
54.1 Small Terrain Features
These are small bits of cover and are indicated along a hexside within the hex that may get the benefit. A small terrain feature may benefit hexes on either side of the hexside (a slight rise above the terrain on either side) or just one hex (a slight depression). A unit immediately behind such a hexside (including fire traced though the hexside vertices) gets a -1 Infantry Fire Terrain modifier and Vehicles and Guns firing at that unit get -1 to Prof Rating. Units on opposite sides of a Small Terrain Feature (with artwork in both hexes) would both get the modifier. The modifier does NOT apply in the following cases:
- Op Fire (including Final Op Fire).
- Fire from a higher elevation.
- Fire from a Ridge within ten hexes.
- Artillery, Mortar, or Aircraft fire.
The modifier does not in itself make the hex suitable terrain to end a Rout move or allow acquisition of a Conceal counter.
54.2 Ridge
While not sufficiently large to be considered one elevation higher than Level 0, a Ridge has the following characteristics.
Blocks LOS between units at Level 0.
Negates the effect of small terrain features where the target is within ten hexes of the firer.
Costs infantry 1/2 MP and Vehicles 2 MP to cross a ridge hexside from a Level 0 hex (in addition to cost of hex entered)
Fire from Level 0 hex to a Ridge hex gets a -1 Infantry Fire Terrain modifier and Vehicles and Guns firing at that unit get -1 to Prof Rating.
There is LOS from any hex on a Ridge (whether in a hex with the Ridge edge artwork or not) to all Level 0 hexes (but not past a different Ridge).
54.3 Escarpment
Escarpments are Cliffs (47.4) with one exception. Infantry may move or Rout across one by expending all of its MPs.
54.4 Trails
A scenario may award a player Trail markers, which are always used in pairs. Trail markers indicate hexes within a minefield that are known (to the trail owner) to have a cleared path (or a path that has been traversed by a Vehicle). Vehicles of the player who 'owns' the Trail can choose to move along it at a minimum of 2 MPs per hex to enter each hex without undergoing minefield attack. A Vehicle which uses Trail movement in an Activation and then leaves the Trail is attacked by the first minefield hex entered as if it was moving for the first time. A player may remove his Trail markers for re-use elsewhere at any time. If he has two trails sharing at least one common hex and with the same orientation, he may combine them and remove one set of markers. Trail markers must indicate a straight line of hexes (e.g. C3 to F4); alternatively the Trail can pass along a hexspine (e.g C3 to E6) with the side of the marker with an offset arrow indicating which side of the hexspine is involved (e.g C3-D3-D4-E5-E6 OR C3-C4-D4-D5-E6). A Trail may not enter an Unbreached anti-tank ditch hex but can pass through a Breach (in which case breach movement rate is used). Trail markers can be placed in one of two ways:
When a tracked or half-tracked Vehicle enters a minefield hex, place one Trail marker in its previous hex and the other in its new hex OR extend an existing Trail by moving a marker from the previous hex into the new hex. If the Trail was started from off-map, place the initial markers as if the Vehicle entered from an off-map hex.
If the scenario states that a player has a known path through a minefield, he may place a pair of markers in the minefield to indicate a Trail of his choosing at any time. This is a one time capability, if he subsequently removes the markers they then revert to normal usage.
EXAMPLE 1: The Italian player has a pair of Trail markers. He enters a desert board in A7 and places both Trail markers on the edge of the half-hex. He survives a minefield attack and moves into a Breach in hex B6 and moves one Trail marker to B6, with the arrows of the markers pointing towards each other. He moves to C6 and shifts the marker in B6 to C6. He continues moving to D5, shifting the marker again, but is destroyed there by a Commonwealth anti-tank gun. A second tank already in C7 moves to C6, survives the minefield attack and uses Trail movement to D5, paying 2 MPs. It can continue to E5 (and beyond) to extend the Trail, but will undergo minefield attack in E5 and every fifth hex entered thereafter.
EXAMPLE 2: The British player has a known path through the minefields. Immediately before entering a reinforcing tank onto a desert board, he places a pair of Trail markers in hexes A4 and I4 indicating that they will follow the hexes A4-B3-C4-etc.. He can now enter the tank and move it along the Trail without undergoing minefield attack.
54.5 Anti-Tank Ditch
Unbreached Ditch hexes may not be entered by Vehicles (even from a Breach hex). It costs Infantry 2 MPs to enter from a non-Ditch hex, a minimum of 2 MPs to exit to a non-Ditch hex, and 1 MP to move along the Ditch. The Ditch is considered Level -1 Open Ground and LOS is traced exactly the same as for a Gully.
BREACH: These represent points at which a Ditch has been blown or is partially filled with sand. A Vehicle which is not Unarmored (23.0) may enter a Breach hex at a cost of half of its MP (rounded down). A Trail may pass through a Breach. In all other ways, Breach hexes are treated as Anti-tank Ditches.
54.6 Sangar
A Sangar uses the same rules as Foxholes, EXCEPT its modifiers are -1 for Direct Fire and -3 for Mortar/Artillery Fire.
55.0 Weather
55.1 Snow
All infantry units have their movement allowance reduced by 1 MP (Squads have 4 MPs; WTs have 3 MPs). Roads provide no benefit to either Infantry or Vehicles.
55.2 Monsoon
When Monsoon rules are in effect, the player that goes first in a turn must make a Monsoon Storm Check in the Recovery Phase until it starts or stops raining. A Monsoon Storm Check is made by rolling one die. If the range given in the scenario is rolled, a monsoon deluge starts if it is not raining and stops if it is raining. Once a deluge starts or stops, the die roll is no longer made.
The following conditions apply while it is raining in a Monsoon:
- The Fire Modifier for moving in Open Ground is +2 at range 1, +1 at range 2, and +0 at range 3 or greater.
- Vehicles and Guns must always pass a Prof Check with an additional -1 to their Prof Rating per hex of range before firing.
- Max range for all Infantry, Guns, Vehicles, and Spotters is three hexes.
- Vehicles and Infantry can move a maximum of two hexes per turn.
- There is no Smoke, Illumination, Muzzle Flash, or Trip Flares.
56.0 Summary of National Differences
57.0 Germans
57.1 Germans and Russians
Starting in 1942, all Russians and Germans that are in Melee against each other have their Morale increased by 1 during the Rout Phase.
57.2 Panzer Grenadier
Panzer Grenadier and SS units may fire from Carriers (21.4).
57.3 SS Desperation vs Russians
IN SCENARIOS VERSUS RUSSIANS ONLY: During the Rout Phase, all Full Strength SS units, that would be eliminated for failure to Rout because they failed their MC by one, are instead Reduced and remain in place. See No Quarter Combat (11.2).
57.4 Late War SS
All late war SS Squads (1944-45) are armed with assault rifles and therefore have a higher Normal Firepower. Their Melee and Close Assault Firepower remains 6, however.
57.5 Faustniki
Near the end of the war the Germans were reduced to deploying small teams of men armed with Panzerfausts in an attempt to stop Russian tanks. By SSR, Concealed German Decoys may fire a Panzerfaust using their printed SATW number, but the act of firing eliminates the Decoy.
58.0 Americans
58.1 American Reluctance
All non-elite American Squads (Airborne and Marines are considered elite) are subject to American Reluctance. This is shown by an "R" next to their Suppressed Morale value. If they receive Suppression mid-move, their move is immediately over (even if in a Carrier) and they are marked as Used. The Squad does not get the opportunity to take a MC to continue its activation. If the Squad was attempting to Close Assault an enemy Vehicle, the Close Assault attempt fails.
58.2 American Melee
Many American Infantry units are marked with a subscripted FP number that is one greater than their Normal FP. This represents their Melee FP.
58.3 Fireteams
If a Squad has an "F" after its Prof Firepower, it is organized in Fireteams (1944 Marines and some others). For the cost of 2 MPs it may Assault Fire before or mid move and then continue its move or enter into Melee. Its Prof FP is reduced by 2 for this attack. The Squad may only Assault Fire once. If it Assault Fires during the move, it may not Assault Fire at the end of the move.
59.0 Japanese
- Squads can't change facing to Final Op Fire.
- Mortars may fire from Jungle hexes they have moved into.
- Infantry moves at night without the night MP cost (50.2).
59.1 Japanese Melee
MELEE FP: Most Japanese infantry units are marked with a subscripted Melee FP number that is less than their Normal FP.
NO WITHDRAWAL FROM MELEE: A Japanese unit that is in Melee when it's selected is marked as Used or Op Fire.
INCREASE MORALE FOR OPPONENTS: All units in Melee with a Japanese unit have their Morale increased by 2 in the Rout Phase.
59.2 Japanese -2 Conceal
All Japanese units that are Concealed when they enter play are covered with a -2 Concealment counter, indicating that FP at such a unit is reduced by -2 (instead of -1). These are removed in all of the same ways as regular Concealment. In addition, it becomes -1 Concealment counter if the unit ever leaves its starting hex. Once a -2 Concealment counter is removed, it can never be regained.
59.3 Type 89 Grenade Discharger Squad
Japanese Squads with a FP of 6/4 are armed with a Type 89 Grenade Discharger (GD). They are treated as a Mortar and use the Mortar Column on the PAC, but may not use directed fire or long range fire. All Prof FP modifiers do apply during Op Fire (9.0). Since they are not a WT, they may fire from a Swamp hex and may Assault Fire. If the scenario gives the Japanese Smoke counters, then each GD Squad on the board can be Used to place one Dispersed Smoke counter per turn (within LOS and normal range) instead of moving. Once all of the Smoke counters have been used up, no Smoke can be placed.
59.4 Suicide Anti-Tank Team (SATT)
If the Japanese player receives SATT in a scenario, he also secretly gets an additional 1-4 SATT. Mix up the 4 SATT informational counters and secretly draw one to determine the amount of additional SATT.
SATTs are kept off board and out of sight of the Allied player until they are used. SATTs do not count against the Operations Range.
The Japanese player can attempt a SATT Close Assault by selecting a SATT during his Operations Range or as Op Fire. If it's an Op Fire attack, the vehicle is paused while the attack is resolved.
To attempt an attack, the SATT is placed within 3 hexes of a Japanese non-Vehicle unit and in a hex with an enemy Vehicle that is by itself (no other enemy units may be in the hex). It cannot be a Surf hex or Water. The Japanese player then rolls against the SATT's Prof Rating (7). If the result is more than the Prof Rating, the SATT is eliminated. If the roll is equal to or less than the Prof Rating the SATT may be Op Fired on and proceeds with the Close Assault if it survives. No more than one SATT may be used against a particular Vehicle in each hex each turn.
The SATT is considered moving when it's placed in the hex, so it is subject to Op Fire and Final Op Fire from units outside the hex (not the Vehicle) even if it was placed during Op Fire. The SATT is eliminated if it's Reduced (Casualty number of 2). SATT ignore Suppression. If the SATT survives all Fire, it immediately Close Assaults the Vehicle with 8 FP. Regardless of the outcome of the attack the SATT is eliminated. Normal Close Assault modifiers apply.
EXAMPLE: A US tank that is stacked with a Squad moves into an empty adjacent hex. The Japanese player has a SATT available and pauses the tank's move to put a SATT in its hex. He needs to roll a 7 or lower and does. The tank cannot fire at the SATT, but the adjacent Squad does and rolls two less than its Adjusted Firepower, eliminating the SATT.
59.5 Seishin
Japanese Squads marked with an "S" have Seishin (spirit). This comes with two benefits:
- They only check for Rout if in the same hex as an enemy unit.
- A Japanese Squad not currently in the same hex as an enemy unit that passes a MC to move, and has enough MPs to reach an enemy occupied hex in that move (including the Seishin MP bonus), can declare Seishin. The unit must attempt to enter a hex which contained an enemy unit at the start of movement (or a FOW unit placed during move). If a unit being approached is removed because it is a Decoy, the moving unit is free to do what the player wants.
- Gets +1 MP.
- Adds +1 to its Morale Ratings during the Operations Phase (not Rout).
- Adds +2 to its Melee (not Close Assault) FP that turn.
59.6 Japanese Banzai Charge
By SSR, a scenario may list a range of turns in which the Japanese player must execute a Banzai Charge. The Japanese player announces the Banzai Charge at the start of a turn before any actions, at which point:
- All Suppressed counters are removed from Japanese units.
- The Allied player may mark any of his own units Op Fire.
After which, the rest of the turn is handled normally. All Japanese Squads (even reinforcements) must conduct a Banzai Charge unless they Op Fire (Exception: GD Squads may choose to Banzai Charge, but do not have to). Squads in Melee remain in Melee, but get the benefits of the Charge. Units which Charge:
- Do not get the effects of Seishin.
- Get +4 MPs. CPs may not be used to increase their MP.
- +2 to Morale Ratings in all phases that turn.
- +2 to Melee (not Close Assault) FP that turn.
- Attempt to enter the closest hex (in terms of hexes, not MPs) that is not fully stacked with Japanese, which is either an enemy controlled Victory Marker or a hex that contains an enemy unit (even if it is Concealed, not in LOS, or a FOW unit just placed). It must use the fewest MPs possible to enter that hex. If a unit being approached is removed because it is a Decoy, the moving unit is free to do what the player wants. If this path contains Wire, it will enter that hex to clear it for others (43.6). If unable to enter, it must move as close as it can to one of those hexes along the quickest route.
- Still can't enter a hex containing both Infantry and a Vehicle.
- May not Assault Fire.
- If playing with the Campaign Game rules (64.2), Japanese fatigue continues to accumulate during a Banzai Charge, but the fatigue morale modifiers are ignored for the turn of the Banzai Charge and the next turn for all units whether in Command or not.
If a scenario requires a Banzai Charge, until the Japanese player calls the last required Banzai Charge, no Japanese Squad can move closer to its Rout Edge, except during Rout.
60.0 Commonwealth
60.1 Pluck
Some Commonwealth units have +1 next to their Morale ratings. They add +1 to their yellow and red Morale Ratings for MCs taken during movement while not in a Vehicle. MCs taken when the unit is first selected to move are not affected by this bonus.
60.2 Universal (Bren) Carrier
This counter represents two Vehicles working together to transport a Squad or WT. If destroyed, both Vehicles are considered destroyed and the counter is removed. It provides only a -1 FP modifier to attacks against a passenger. Single, weapon armed Bren Carriers are also represented in the game and operate like other Vehicles.
61.0 Optional Rules
61.1 Sustained Fire
An Unused MG WT may choose to use Sustained Fire when it fires. If it does so, it places two Sustained Fire counters: one on itself and one with a matching number in the target hex with its arrow pointing towards an adjacent hex in the MG's LOS, Front Facing, and normal range. That MG may Final Op Fire at all units that enter either of these hexes. It may no longer Final Op Fire at hexes adjacent to itself (unless that hex is also marked with its own Sustained Fire counter) and may not use a CP to Final Op Fire at any other target. The Sustained Fire counters are removed in the Recovery Phase. If a Combat Event removes the Used counter from this WT, the Sustained Fire counters are also removed. The Sustained Fire counters are also removed if a unit enters Melee with the MG WT or the WT is eliminated.
If the MG fails a MC when firing at a Sustained Fire Hex, there is no other penalty. As with normal Final Op Fire, the MG can try to fire again if a unit enters a hex marked with a Sustained Fire counter.
61.2 Unconfirmed Kills (UK)
When an SATW, Artillery, Gun or Vehicle is firing at a Vehicle, it is possible to get an UK. If the roll to destroy the Vehicle is exactly what was needed to kill it or one higher than what was needed, then mark the Vehicle with an UK counter. If this occurs during Op Fire or Final Op Fire, the moving Vehicle ends its turn and is also marked as Used. If this would cause the hex to be overstacked, the Vehicle is backed up along its movement path to resolve the overstacking. If a Vehicle is backed up off map, it is eliminated. An UK does not prevent a Vehicle from gaining or retaining a Move counter.
A roll of a 10 is always a miss, even if it normally would have resulted in an UK. While marked with an UK the Vehicle's status is unknown and therefore cannot be used to spot for Artillery and does not trigger Rout Checks. If that Vehicle receives other UK results, UK counters are added accordingly.
The next time the owner of the Vehicle attempts to select or Op Fire the Vehicle or a passenger (which might not be until the next turn if it was already Used or if the UK happened during Op Fire), a die is rolled. On a roll of 1-5, the Vehicle is undamaged. Remove the UK counter and activate the Vehicle normally. On a 6-10, the Vehicle and any passengers are destroyed (it does not count against the player's Ops Range). If more than one UK counter is on a Vehicle, each is rolled for separately.
61.3 Critical Hits
If an SATW, Gun or Vehicle attack against a Vehicle results in a die roll of 1, and that is not enough to destroy or get an UK, then another attack against the Vehicle's armor is made with +6 added to the FP. If that roll is less than or equal to the new FP, then the result is an UK.
62.0 Campaign Game Rules
Sections 63, 64, and 65 are Campaign Game rules. A Campaign Game consists of one or more linked scenarios, each composed of one of more stanzas. They introduce expanded rules for Command and Control and connecting scenarios. You will have to balance your objectives against your willingness to take casualties.
Company CPs are always used when Campaign Game Rules are in effect.
The side that is moving first in a scenario is the Attacker.
63.0 Command and Control
63.1 Company Hub
The Company Hub is not a unit, would not remove Concealment from a unit, does not count against stacking, and can not have a Command Point spent on it. It is marked to match the company identifiers on some units.
The Hub represents the "heart" of a company's position. This is where the interaction between the officers, senior NCOs and squads originates via runners, radios, and/or field phones. This is abstract but achieves command and control without a lot of rules.
A Company Hub has a Command Range in hexes defined by the scenario. Any unit of that company that is not within the Command Range of its Company Hub is Out of Command. Any unit Out of Command has the following effects:
- -3 Morale (to a minimum of 1) if it is selected to Move. This modifier only applies to the initial MC to activate it. This is ignored by Japanese units if a Banzai Charge is declared.
- No CP may be used on it.
- May not spot for Artillery.
- A Japanese Squad cannot declare Seishin.
63.2 Displaced
A Company Hub cannot be attacked in any way. If an enemy unit enters its hex, the Hub is immediately displaced to a hex not containing an enemy unit - moved up to two hexes away, but not closer to the enemy's Rout Edge (owner's choice). It is then flipped to its Displaced side, which has a -2 to its Command Range. It can be Displaced multiple times in the same turn. It is flipped back to the front side during the Recovery Phase. Another abstraction which prevents players from unrealistically trying to hunt down and permanently eliminate Company HQs.
63.3 Movement
Company Hubs are never selected during the Operations Range. They can only be moved (4 Infantry MP) during the Recovery Phase and can't end their move or set up adjacent to an enemy unit or in a Cave. The side that moves first in a scenario moves all of their Company Hubs first.
If the Company Hub is on its Displaced side, it must move so that it does not end its move adjacent to an enemy unit and can't end its move closer to the enemy's Rout Edge. After moving it is then flipped to its front side. If the Company Hub can't move to fulfill these conditions, the owner may place it in any hex that does. This prevents the opposing player from going to great lengths to try to trap a Company Hub.
64.0 Fatigue
64.1 Fatigue Chart
Each side has a sheet to track Fatigue (this includes loss of Cohesion). Each Company for that side places its Fatigue marker on the Fatigue Chart. This marker is increased for the following:
- +2 for each Infantry unit step lost from that company. (Reduce a unit +2. Reduced unit eliminated +2. Full strength unit eliminated +4)
- +2 every time the Company Hub is flipped to the Fresh side during the Recovery Phase.
- +1 during the Recovery Phase if that Company has a unit on the board and is the Attacker.
- If a Company starts a scenario/stanza with less than half the number of Squads (reduced or otherwise) than it started the campaign with, Fatigue accumulates at double the normal rate (+4 for each Infantry unit step lost, etc.).
A Company's Fatigue marker can only be moved down between scenarios/stanzas. Guns, Vehicles, and other non-Infantry units are not part of a Company and do not impact Fatigue levels.
64.2 Fatigue Levels
Each campaign gives thresholds of Fatigue. For each level of Fatigue that the Fatigue marker reaches, the following effects happen immediately.
- Lose 1 CP - a currently unused CP if possible.
- All units in that Company have their Morale immediately lowered by 1 to a minimum of 1 (before all other Morale modifiers).
If a Company's Fatigue is reduced back below a threshold, a lost CP can be regained and the Morale increases.
Japanese fatigue continues to accumulate during a Banzai Charge, but the fatigue morale modifiers are ignored for the turn of the Banzai Charge and the next turn.
EXAMPLE: A Company started the scenario with 3 CPs and Fatigue thresholds of 12/18/24. It has lost 3 Infantry units and had an additional one Reduced. It is part of the Attacker and it is the Recovery Phase of turn 4. Its Fatigue level is moved to 18 (3 lost units x4 + 1 Reduced x2 + 4 Recovery Phases). It has reached the second Fatigue Threshold. The Company has now lost 2 of its starting CPs and all units left in that Company have -2 to their Morale.
The next turn an Unsuppressed Squad in that Company, which is also Out of Command attempts to activate. If it attempts to move, its Morale is 5 (10 -2 Fatigue -3 Out of Command). If it attempts to fire, its Morale is 8 (10 -2 Fatigue)
65.0 Regrouping
After a scenario ends, units recover and map positions may be adjusted. Regrouping happens between scenarios.
65.1 Initiative and Scenario/Stanza End
Each Attacker Company gets an additional point of Fatigue during the Recovery Phase. If a Campaign scenario does not have a fixed turn limit, the following happens as the very last step of the Recovery Phase.
If the Attacker wishes to continue the scenario, another turn is played.
If the Attacker wishes to not play another turn, the other side may decide to become the new Attacker. Another turn is played and the new Attacker will move first and each of their companies will get an extra point of Fatigue in the Recovery Phase.
This process continues until neither side wishes to continue, at which point the scenario or stanza ends.
If a Melee is in progress at scenario/stanza end, immediately complete Melee Phases until only one side remains in the hex. Before each Melee Phase complete a Rout Phase for the units in the hex. No CPs may be used in these extra Rout and Melee Phases.
65.2 Loss Recovery
For each Company, compare the starting forces with the ending forces to determine the number of step losses the Company incurred. Each Casualty Reduction is one step loss. Half of those steps, rounded up, are returned to the Company. Only losses from that scenario can be returned. When returning steps, a Company may not have more of a type of unit than it started the scenario with.
Each Company's Fatigue level is also reduced by 10. As Fatigue is reduced, CPs are also gained back, but a Company may not have more than 1 CP per 3 units. CPs beyond that are permanently lost.
If a Company does not participate in the next scenario, the Fatigue level of the Company is reduced to 0.
EXAMPLE: A Company started a scenario with 7 Squads & 1 WT. At the end it had 2 Full Strength Squads, 3 Reduced, no WT, and 27 Fatigue. It suffered 9 step losses and gets 5 steps returned. The player decides to have 5 Full Strength Squads and 1 Full Strength WT. He could have chosen to have 5 Full Strength Squads, 2 Reduced, and no WT. The Company has 17 Fatigue. In either case the Company can not have more than 2 CP.
65.3 Map Situation
If the next scenario/stanza is played on the same map, the end position in the last Recovery Phase is very important. The Attacker at the end of the scenario takes all of the following steps:
- Remove all Vehicles.
- Mark every hex occupied by a friendly Infantry unit, Gun, or Decoy with a Used counter and remove all friendly pieces (this also facilitates calculating Loss Recovery). This removal does not cause a fortification to lose Concealment.
- Place all units and Company Hubs, including Loss Recovery units, Decoys, and Reinforcements as follows:
- They may not be placed closer to the opponent's Rout Edge than the hex row occupied by the closest Used marker to the unit.
- They may not be placed within 3 hexes of an enemy unit unless placed in the same hex with a Used marker.
- The Defender then takes those same steps.
EXAMPLE: On map 31, the opponent's Rout Edge is hex row 1. The player has a Used marker in C7 and G5. The player can not place a unit closer to the opponent's Rout Edge than A7, B6, C7, D6, E5, F4, G5 (assuming no enemy units are on the map).
65.4 The Next Scenario
Additional forces and Fortifications may be assigned as reinforcements. In addition, all surviving forces after Loss Recovery go into the next scenario/stanza.
If played on the same map as the previous scenario/stanza, all Unmounted Squads and WTs may place a Foxhole on their position. Fortifications existing from the previous scenario may be kept in place or removed (player who controlled them last decides), but may not be moved.
66.0 Recommendation for Solo Play
The Decoy units in the game can cause minor difficulties for solo play. When playing solitaire, first set up all Guns and Vehicles normally and cover them with Concealment counters if allowed. Possible unit counters are represented by a Concealment counter with no unit underneath. Place one Possible unit counter on the board for each Infantry unit and Decoy. The Infantry units and Decoys represented by those Possible unit counters are placed in a cup.
Anytime the defending side wants to use a Possible unit, assume that there is a unit there, find it in the cup, and replace the Possible unit counter with the unit.
Anytime a Possible unit receives a Suppression result or would be revealed by another method, draw a counter randomly from the cup. If it is a Decoy counter, then there is no unit there. Remove the Decoy and Possible unit counter. If a real unit is drawn, place that unit in the hex.
Using this method there is the added benefit to the defense of being able to put a unit where you want it mid scenario, but you can end up drawing a Decoy counter where the defense would dearly love to have a unit. There is some incentive when playing defense to activate a unit earlier so that you can ensure that the MG is in a certain spot, for example.
67.0 Extended Example of Play
Board 20, 2 Germans, 1 German Decoy and 5 Russians. Each side in this example has 1 CP, an Operations Range of 1-2, and the Russians move first (Figure #1).
1st Operations Phase – Russian:
The Germans could spend their CP to do something first, but decline. The Russians have to use 1-2 units and the Squad in F7 fires at the Decoy (unbeknownst to him) in G5. With a Morale of 10, no MC roll is needed. The FP is 6, halved because of long range down to 3 (the Submachine Gun squads only have a range of 2) -1 (target is Concealed), -1 (target is in a Wood Building) = a FP of 1 for the attack. The Russian luckily rolls a 1 and gets a Suppression result. The Conceal counter is removed, revealing a Decoy, which is also removed and the Russian Squad is marked as Used.
The Russian player decided to use another unit and moves one of the Squads in H6 into H5. Before he can move any farther, the German announces that he is going to Op Fire and removes the Conceal counter from the unit in F5. This is Op Fire so the Proficient FP of 5 is used. The German could spend his CP to increase this by one, but chooses not to. The FP for the attack is 5 +4 (moving in Open Ground 2 hexes away) = 9.
The German rolls a 3, which is 6 lower than his FP. The Russian Squad is Reduced and takes 2 steps of Suppression. Had he rolled a 2, the Russian Squad would have been eliminated. The German Squad is marked as Used. The Russian Squad would like to continue moving, but now must pass a MC because it took effective fire mid move. He fails (he needed a 1) and the Squad is marked as Used. He could have spent his CP to reroll the MC, but declines. Having Used 2 units, he can perform no other actions and the Operations Phase passes to the Germans.
Operations Phase Germans:
The Germans must use 1-2 units. The two Russian units in G7 make a tempting target, but he decides to sit tight and marks the unit in E6 as Op Fire (Figure #2).
Operations Phase Russians Again:
The Russians once again have to use 1-2 units. They fire one of the Squads in G7 at the revealed German Squad in F5. FP is 6 -2 (Stone Building) = 4. The Russian again rolls a 1, but this only results in a Suppression of the German Squad. Next the Russian moves his Squad in H6 into H5 with the Reduced Squad. The German player elects to spend a CP and Final Op Fire the Squad in F5. Normally, Final Op Fire is only allowed in adjacent hexes, but spending a CP allows a unit to do it within Normal Range. Since it is Suppressed, it must pass a MC and fails (it needed a 6 or lower). The unit is marked with a CP counter (which was spent to no effect since it failed its MC).
The Russian unit continues to G5 and the German unit may again Final Op Fire (since the Russian is adjacent). This time the German passes its MC. Proficient FP of 5 is increased to 6 because the unit is adjacent. The FP for the attack is then 6 -1 (Wood Building) +3 (adjacent) -2 (Final Op Fire) = 6. The roll is a 2, which reduces the unit and gives 2 steps of Suppression. The Russian player must take a MC (needs a 1) and this time passes! He originally had planned to move the unit into Melee with the German (which would have used the last of its 5 MP), but decides against doing so with a Fully Suppressed unit. He instead Assault fires at the adjacent German. Prof. FP of 3, -2 (Stone Building) +3 (adjacent) = 4. Unfortunately he rolls a 5 and misses. Had he spent a CP to increase his Prof. FP, it would have been another step of Suppression on the German.
Operations Phase Germans Again:
The unit marked Op Fire may not be selected for an action and so the turn passes back to the Russians (Figure #3).
Operations Phase Russians Again:
The last Russian Squad moves from G7 into G6. The Suppressed German Squad again attempts Final Op Fire, but rolls a 7 and fails its MC. The German then removes the Conceal marker in E6 and fires that Squad. The Prof. FP of 5 is increased to 6 because the unit is marked Op Fire. Even if the Germans had another CP this could not be increased any further because the Prof. FP can never be increased above the Normal FP before the application of terrain modifiers. FP of 6 +4 (moving in Open Ground) = 10. The German rolls a 9, resulting in a Suppression. The Russian must pass a MC to keep moving (needs a 6) and does. This time he moves into Melee with the Squad in F5. All units have been Used and this concludes the Operations Phase (Figure #4).
ROUT PHASE: Because the Russian player moved first, he must conduct his Rout Phase first. The only Russian unit that must pass a Rout Phase MC is the one in Melee. The Squad in G5 does not have to because the German it is adjacent to is in Melee. The unit in H5 does not have to (even though it is in Open Ground) because the German in E6 does not have LOS to it. The Russian Squad in Melee rolls a 7 and fails! However, the Russian player saved his CP and decides to spend it now to reroll this check. This time he rolls a 5 and passes. The German player now must conduct his part of the Rout Phase and his unit in Melee rolls a 9 and fails the MC. With no CPs left, the result must be accepted. The unit is forced to Rout out of the hex. Since there are no German units remaining in the Melee hex, this Routing unit will immediately be adjacent to a Russian unit not in Melee and so is eliminated.
MELEE PHASE: There is no Melee Phase because one of the sides in Melee died in the Rout phase. It is important to think of the Rout phase as almost part of Melee. Because of the Suppression that the Germans were under, it just turned out to be a very one sided combat and they were eliminated before they could fire. If they had both survived until Melee, both Squads would have rolled two dice and delivered one casualty reduction for each result less than or equal to their FP.
RECOVERY PHASE: The Used markers are removed, all Suppression markers are reduced by one step, and the turn marker is advanced on the scenario card (Figure #5).
68.0 Glossary and Index
ACCURACY CHECK (32.0): A die roll made against an Artillery Accuracy rating. A failed Accuracy Check will cause the Artillery fire to drift in a random direction a number of hexes equal to the amount by which the Check was failed.
ARTILLERY (32.0): Off-board gun support.
ASSAULT FIRE (5.2, 6.0): Fire performed after a unit moves. Uses Prof FP.
BENEFICIAL TERRAIN (6.0, 11.0): Terrain that lowers the Infantry FP of a firer.
CARRIER (21.0): Generally, an armored transport Vehicle used for moving Infantry or Guns around the board.
CASUALTY RATING (2.1, 6.2, 8.0): A value on a unit indicating its ability to absorb Fire attacks before Reduction or elimination.
CLOSE ASSAULT (20.9, 21.5): An Infantry attack against a vehicle in its hex using a single roll against its Melee Firepower.
COMBAT EVENTS* (17.0): Special events that may occur on a Firepower roll of "1" (These are mandatory in Pacific scenarios and by Optional rule only in other scenarios).
COMMAND POINTS (CPS) (3.0, 20.0, 20.7, 32.0): Counters that may be given to each side in a scenario. They may be used to perform special actions and are refreshed at the end of each turn.
CONCEAL (15.0, 4.1, 20.1, 20.5, 21.2, 35.0): A counter that indicates a unit is hidden from enemy view, reducing enemy Firepower by 1 or 2 if against certain Japanese units.
CRITICAL HIT* (61.3): An ineffective Firepower attack with a result of 1 against a vehicle, which leads to a second Firepower roll with +6 to the Firepower to attempt an UK (by Optional Rule only).
DECLARED RETREAT (5.3): A Movement action used to more easily pass a Suppressed unit's Morale Check. Units declaring Retreat get a temporary +4 modifier to their Morale but must follow Rout restrictions.
DECOY (15.0, 4.1, 4.3, 18.0, 35.0): A concealed "fake" unit.
DIRECT FIRE (6.0, 11.0): All Fire attacks from units other than Mortar WTs and Artillery.
DIRECTED FIRE (31.1, 6.1, 14.0): A special Fire attack performed by Mortar WTs at units to which they do not have direct line of sight.
FINAL OP FIRE (10.0, 3.0, 20.7): An Op Fire action available to units that have already been marked as Used for the current turn. Usable only as part of Sustained Fire or at a range of 1 hex unless a CP is spent.
FIRE ATTACK (6.0, 20.4-8): An action units may select during the Operations Phase. For Infantry, one die is rolled against the attacking unit's Firepower, which is compared to the target's casualty rating after modifiers are applied. Regular Fire, Op Fire, Final Op Fire, and Assault Fire are all types of Fire attacks that may be performed. Guns and Vehicles may make fire attacks on enemy infantry units, Gun and Vehicles. They must first pass a Proficiency Check.
FIREPOWER (FP) (2.1): A set of numbers on each unit representing its ability to inflict damage. On Infantry, the first number is its Normal Firepower used for most attacks, and the second number is its Prof Firepower. On Guns and Vehicles, the first Number is used against Vehicles while the second is used against Infantry and Guns.
FIRING ARC (20.4, 20.7): The area extending outward from the two hexes a Vehicle or Gun is facing. These units may only fire at targets in their Firing Arc.
FLANKS* (2.2): The sides of an Infantry unit, which are more vulnerable to Firepower and Melee attacks (by Optional Rule only).
GUN (20.2, 20.4-8, 21.3, 21.6): A unit representing a piece of onboard Artillery or anti-tank gun and its operating crew.
LINE OF SIGHT (LOS) (14.0, 6.1): The invisible line between two opposing units, indicating whether or not they can see one another for purposes of Concealment, Rout, and Fire attacks. Terrain in intervening hexes may block Line of Sight.
LOCATION (2.0): Most hexes are just one Location but some hexes in advanced scenarios have two Locations: the hex itself and terrain within it, such as Caves (43.4), Bridges over Gullies (45.3), and buildings with a Level 1 and an Upper Level (40.2).
MELEE PHASE (12.0, 1.0, 20.8, 20.9): The third phase of a turn, in which opposing units in the same hex have Melee combat.
MORALE CHECK (MC) (7.0): A die roll made before a unit performs an action. It must roll equal to or less than its current Morale value or it is marked Used and fails to perform the action it was attempting. Units with a Morale value of 10 automatically pass (no MC is required).
MORTAR UNIT (31.0, 2.0): A WT unit representing a small group of troops operating an indirect fire Mortar weapon.
MOUNTING/DISMOUNTING (21.3): The act of loading/unloading units from a Carrier. Infantry and Guns dismounting face movement restrictions, and units normally cannot Mount except by SSR.
MOVE COUNTER (20.3): A counter used to mark Vehicles after they move to a new hex, making the Vehicle harder to hit. These are removed only when the Vehicle is selected for an action on the following turn.
MOVEMENT (5.0, 14.0, 15.0, 20.3, 21.1): An action Infantry and Vehicles may select during the Operations Phase. Moving units may be subject to Op Fire.
OP FIRE (ATTACK) (9.0, 4.3, 20.3, 20.4, 32.0): An action a player may select for a unit during the opponent's Operations Phase. This action interrupts the Movement of the opposing player's unit, which must receive a Fire attack from the unit performing Op Fire. This attack uses Prof Firepower and is subject to applicable modifiers. Units do not need to be previously marked Op Fire to select this action.
OP FIRE (MARKING) (4.3, 9.0, 20.3): An action a player may select for a unit during his Operations Phase. A unit is simply marked with an Op Fire marker, indicating it is delaying its Fire action until it is able to interrupt an enemy's move with an Op Fire Attack.
OPEN GROUND (52.0, 9.0): Terrain that does not provide any beneficial modifiers against enemy Fire attacks or block Line of Sight.
OPERATIONS PHASE (4.0, 1.0): The first phase of each turn, wherein the opposing sides take turns activating units as allowed by their Operations Range. The Operations Phase ends when all units have been activated.
OPERATIONS RANGE (4.1, 4.0, 20.0): The range of units a player must activate during the Operations Phase before passing control to the opponent, as specified on the Scenario Card.
PROFICIENCY RATING (20.4, 20.3, 32.0, 46.0, 48.0, 50.2, 54.1, 54.2): A value on Guns, Vehicles, Aircraft, and Artillery representing how well their crews can perform difficult tasks, such as Op Fire, Fire at longer Range, firing after moving or turning, firing at a Vehicle with a Move counter, and firing through Smoke or at higher elevation.
PROFICIENT FIREPOWER (2.1, 3.0, 9.0): A reduced Firepower value utilized when an Infantry unit attempts more difficult Fire attacks, such as Assault Fire and Op Fire.
RANGE (2.1, 6.0, 6.1, 31.0): A value on a unit's counter that indicates how far it can perform an attack, measured in hexes. Some units can fire up to twice their normal Range at the cost of half their Firepower.
RECOVERY PHASE (13.0, 1.0): The final, "clean up" phase of a turn.
REDUCTION (8.0, 6.2, 11.0, 12.0): The act of flipping a unit to its Reduced side and applying Full Suppression. When a unit is hit by a Firepower attack such that the die roll plus its first Casualty number is less than or equal to the opponent's Firepower, or when it takes a hit in Melee, it is immediately Reduced and Fully Suppressed.
ROUT PHASE (11.0, 1.0, 20.2, 21.6): The second phase of a turn, wherein Infantry and Gun units adjacent to an enemy that is not in melee, sharing an enemy's hex, or within 5 hexes, in Open Ground and in LOS of an enemy unit not in Melee must pass a Morale Check. Failing units must move toward cover without moving adjacent to or closer to an enemy.
SATW (33.0, 2.1, 61.2): Anti-armor equipment carried by infantry.
SCENARIO SPECIAL RULE (SSR): A rule for a scenario that adds to, revises or makes an exception to the core rules.
SQUAD (2.0): One of two types of Infantry units, the other being WTs. Represents 10-15 men and has 5 MPs.
STACKING (2.0, 20.10): A limit imposed on how many friendly units can end a turn in one hex: two Infantry units, one Gun and one Infantry unit, or one Vehicle and up to two Infantry units, one of which may be a Gun.
SUPPRESSION (7.0, 5.0, 6.2, 9.0, 13.0, 20.2, 20.8, 21.1, 22.0): The measure of how responsive a unit may be once it has taken effective Fire attacks. Units may be Unsuppressed, Suppressed, or Fully Suppressed, and have different morale values for each state.
SUSTAINED FIRE* (61.1): A special MG WT Fire attack that allows it to use Final Op Fire in two adjacent hexes in its LOS (by Optional rule only).
UNCONFIRMED KILL (UK)* (61.2): A marker placed on a Vehicle to indicate that it may or may not have been destroyed (optional rule).
UNITS (2.0, 20.2): All on-board counters representing soldiers, armor, batteries, and other resources used in a battle. Units include Infantry Squads, WTs, Decoys, Vehicles, or Guns.
USED (4.2): A marker placed on a unit after it performs or attempts to perform an action during the Operations Phase. These are removed during the Recovery Phase.
VEHICLE (20.0): A unit representing a tank, assault gun, or a Carrier.
WEAPONS TEAM (WT) (2.0, 5.0, 12.0, 20.8, 21.0, 21.3, 21.4, 21.5, 31.0): One of two types of Infantry units, the other being Squads. WTs may operate Mortars or Machine Guns as shown on their counter. Some Japanese and Italian WTs can operate SATWs. WTs have 4 MPs, lower Melee Firepower, and may not usually Assault Fire.
Combat Event Table
(Use if 1 or 2 is rolled)
| Roll | Combat Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The unit that made the roll OR one unit being fired upon/attacked is removed if a Decoy, SATT, or Gun, Reduced if an Infantry unit, and is marked as UK if a Vehicle. |
| 2 | Sniper Attack: Pick one unconcealed Squad/WT and Reduce it. |
| 3 | Pick one Reduced Squad and flip it to its Full Strength side. It retains any Suppression. |
| 4 | Pick one Squad that has been eliminated and place it Used on its Reduced side with a lone, unconcealed Unmounted Squad of the same nationality. A Squad may remove its Concealment so this may be placed. If none are available, it may not be placed. |
| 5 | Select two enemy units to become Unconcealed. If one of the units is in a Fortification then by rule the Fortification loses Concealment. |
| 6 | Add Concealment Counters to 2 unconcealed, unmounted Squads or WTs that are in a hex that gives them a Beneficial Terrain modifier and is not adjacent to an enemy unit. |
| 7 | Mark 2 unconcealed Squads or WTs not in a Carrier as Used. |
| 8 | Remove Used and/or Op Fire counters from 2 Infantry units or 1 Vehicle, Gun, or Carrier with passenger(s) (not aircraft). If these are removed from a side that had finished using units for that turn, they may be used the next time the Operations Range reverts to that player. |
| 9 | Gain 2 additional, one-time use CPs that may be Used on this or future turns. Use CP counters from a nationality not involved in the scenario to represent them. |
| 10 | Choose one event from this table. |
Japanese Event Table
(Use only if there is a Japanese player and a 3 is rolled)
| Roll | Combat Event |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | SNIPER ATTACK: Pick one unconcealed Squad/WT and Reduce it. If no enemy units qualify then no event. |
| 4-6 | FUGG BABE RUTH: The Japanese player selects an unmounted enemy Infantry unit. If it is Concealed, remove the Conceal marker. If it is unused and not a Decoy or Wire, the Japanese player rolls a die. On a result of 9 or higher, the unit fires at an imaginary target, causing Muzzle Flash and being marked as Used. If the unit is not a Marine unit, add 3 to the die roll. |
| 7-8 | AMBUSH: If there is at least one Melee currently on the board, the Japanese player immediately rolls a Melee attack with one of his units in a Melee with no bonus. If there is no current Melee, then no event. |
| 9-10 | BANZAI: The non-Japanese player chooses one Japanese non-GD Squad to immediately remove Suppression and conduct a Banzai Charge. It must be unconcealed, not in Melee, and not Used or currently being Used. It may be marked Op Fire. If there are none, then no event. |
Terrain Clarifications
Because of the dense, multi-level, and contiguous terrain in the Pacific, it can sometimes be difficult to immediately see the level of a hex. When in doubt, counting crest lines can help.
A hex is a Kunai Grass hex only if it covers the center hex dot. Terrain that is not Kunai Grass does not impact fire that passes through it; Kunai Grass in an intervening hex impacts fire that crosses its hexsides even if the LOS does not cross the artwork depiction directly.
Credits
GAME DESIGN: Jim Krohn, Beresford Dickens, Brendan Clark, and Dean Halley
GAMEBOARD ART: Michael Evans
COUNTER ART: Brandon Pennington, Christopher Ono, and Iván Cáceres
GAME COMPONENT LAYOUT & DESIGNS: Sean Cooke
© 2022 Worthington Games www.worthingtongames.com