Destruction of Army Group Center (Second Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Map Errata
• Counter Errata
• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Components
• 3.0 Set Up, Scenarios & Hex Control
• 4.0 How to Win
• 5.0 Sequence of Play
• 6.0 Stacking
• 7.0 Supply
• 8.0 Zones of Control
• 9.0 Movement
• 10.0 Reinforcements
• 11.0 Combat
• 12.0 Special Unit Characteristics
• 13.0 Soviet Airpower
• 14.0 Greater East Asia War Add-On Counters

Map Errata

Hex 2903 should contain a German entrenchment.

There are two hexes labeled "2802." The hex sandwiched between hexes "2901" and "2903" should be "2902." The other hex "2802" is correctly labeled.

Counter Errata

Among the seven 1st Ukrainian Front ("1UF") units, in the counter-sheet's lower-right corner, there are two – "1GT" and "3G" – which have had their unit-type boxes misprinted on their front sides. That is, "1GT" should be shown as a "tank" unit (rather than as infantry), while "3G" should be shown as a "Guards" mechanized infantry unit (rather than as infantry). Note that both units' types are shown correctly in the unit-type boxes on their reverse sides.

The Soviet 6th Guards Army should start play in hex 3301 rather than in the hex shown on its counter.

Note: Rules section 14.0 provides rules for the add-on units on this issue's counter-sheet for issue number six's game, Greater East Asia War, and has been written by GEAW's designer, Joseph Miranda.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 This edition of Destruction of Army Group Center is a redesign of the game by that same name originally published by old-SPI in 1973. It covers the Soviet offensives across the northern half of the eastern front in the summer of 1944. The Soviet player is predominantly on the offensive, though German counterattacks certainly aren't ruled out.

1.2 Scale. Each hex on the map equals 16 miles (26 kilometers) from side to opposite side. Each game turn represents a week. Playing pieces represent corps, armies, cavalry-mechanized groups and Korps Gruppen (German for "corps groups") of various kinds of infantry, cavalry and mechanized formations, each containing from about 5,000 to 40,000 men and/or 50 to 900 armored fighting vehicles.

1.3 North. Whenever a compass direction is referenced, it should be understood the north side of map is composed of hexes 1000 to 1028, inclusive. The east side of that map is composed of hexes 1000 to 5000, inclusive. The south side is 5000 to 5028, inclusive, and the west side is 5028 to 1028, inclusive. Note the corner hexes are therefore each part of two map sides.

1.4 Scenario Applicability. Any given rule applies to the play of all scenarios (see section 3.0) unless otherwise specified.

2.0 Components

2.1 The components to a complete game of Destruction of Army Group Center (DAGC) include these rules, the mapsheet and 160 die-cut counters (also called "units" and "unit counters"). Players must provide themselves with a standard six-sided die to resolve combat and other probabilistic events that occur during play.

2.2 Map. The game map represents the militarily significant terrain found in and around Belorussia in 1944 when portrayed at this scale. A hexagonal ("hex") grid has been printed over it to regulate unit placement and movement similar to the way squares are used in Chess and Checkers. A unit is always in only one hex at any one time.

Each hex contains natural and/or manmade terrain features that may effect movement and combat. The map's terrain representations have been altered slightly from their exact real-world configurations in order to make them conform to the hex-grid, but the terrain relationships from hex to hex are accurate to the degree necessary to present players with the same space-time dilemmas that were faced by their historic counterparts during this campaign.

Each hex on the map also has a unique four-digit number printed in it. They are provided to help you find specific locations referred to in the rules (for example, the city of Minsk is in hex 3908), and to allow you to record unit positions if a match has to be interrupted and taken down before it can be completed.

2.3 Counters. There are 160 counters in the game (also referred to as "units" and "unit-counters"), most of which represent combat formations; others are provided as memory aids and informational markers. Carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the "dog ears" from their corners with a fingernail clipper facilitates handling and stacking during play and enhances their appearance. Each combat unit-counter displays several pieces of information: nationality, organizational affiliation, specific type, combat and step strength, reinforcement or set up status and historic identification. Note there are also 16 Greater East Asia War add-on units included on the counter-sheet.

2.4 Sample Combat Unit. This unit is the German 1st Infantry Corps. It has a full-strength combat factor of "3," a reduced strength of "2," and begins play set up in hex 3102. It contains two strength steps.

2.5 Sides. A unit's nationality, and therefore its "side," is indicated by its color scheme.

Soviet Units

• Main Front: red and gold
• 1st Ukrainian Front: light blue

German Units

• Army Group Center Starting Units: white on black and red
• Ad Hoc Korps Gruppen: black on sky blue and yellow
• Fortified Localities: black on light green and yellow
• Army Group North Ukraine: black on gray and green
• 5th Panzer Army: black on dark green and gray

2.6 Historic Unit Identifications & Abbreviations. Each ground combat unit is identified by the number or abbreviated name of its historic counterpart. Those abbreviations are as follows:

• B—Cavalry-Mechanized Group Baranov
• Bnu—Korps Gruppe Buneau
• Brn—Korps Gruppe Brenner
• G—Guards
• GT—Guards Tank
• Hrt—Korps Gruppe Hartneck
• Klf—Korps Gruppe Kleffel
• NU—Army Group North Ukraine
• O—Cavalry-Mechanized Group Oslikovskiy
• P—Cavalry-Mechanized Group Pliyev
• S—Cavalry-Mechanized Group Sokolov
• 5PA—5th Panzer Army
• Pol—Polish
• Skn—Korps Gruppe Saucken
• SS—Schutzstaffel
• Str—Korps Gruppe Strachwitz
• 1UF—1st Ukrainian Front
• Wdl—Korps Gruppe Weidling

2.7 Unit Types. Units are distinguished by their specific type. In the list below, if there's a slash between two names, the name to the left of it is the German term while the name to the right is the Soviet term.

• Horse Cavalry
• Combined-Arms Mechanized Group ("Cav-Mech")
• Fortified Locality
• Panzer / Tank
• Guards
• Shock
• Infantry

Old Hands Note: The game system doesn't distinguish between mechanized and non-mechanized mobility categories.

2.8 Unit Sizes. Units' organizational sizes are indicated by the symbols atop their unit-type boxes. There's no real difference in functionality among the various organizational sizes of units; those details are provided for historical accuracy. If a German unit has its organizational size-symbol bracketed on its counter, that unit is a Korps Gruppe (KG). That is, it's an ad hoc "corps group" that wasn't part of that army's normal tables of organization, but that was instead assembled from previously wrecked units in order to provide some on-hand reinforcements. Bracketed Soviet units are Cavalry-Mechanized Groups: elite, highly mobile, though still originally ad hoc, formations used as exploitation forces for their offensive. The size-symbol beneath each bracket corresponds to the standard-unit-size that most closely corresponds to the functional size of each bracketed unit. The two unit sizes in the game are listed below from largest down to smallest.

• XXXX—Soviet armies (equivalent to a reinforced Western corps)
• XXX—German corps, KG & fortified localities; Soviet cav-mech groups

2.9 Combat Factor. These numbers are a measure of each unit's relative ability to attack and defend (see section 11.0).

2.10 Movement Factors (MF). Unlike most wargames, in DAGC the movement factors of the units generally aren't printed on their counters. The movement factor of most of the units of both sides is seven. The exceptions are: 1) Soviet Bagration-activated units [see 5.4] have movement factors of eight during Game Turn 1; 2) German fortified localities never move once placed on the map except to go into the dead pile; and 3) German 5th Panzer Army units have MF of 10, which is shown on their counters. Also note Soviet cav-mech groups in effect have higher MF due to their ability to go through otherwise prohibitive terrain as if it were clear. See section 9.0 for more details on all this.

2.11 Step Strength. All units in the game contain one or two "strength steps" (also simply called "steps"). That's an arbitrary term used to express the ability of a unit to absorb a certain amount of combat losses before ceasing to be an effective formation (a measure of its "robustness" in current US Army jargon). Those units with combat factors on only one side of their counter are "one-step" units; those with combat factors on both sides of a single counter are "two-step" units. If a two-step unit suffers a step loss, it's flipped so its reduced side (the one with the lower combat factor) shows upward. If a one-step unit, or a two-stepper that's already been reduced, takes a step loss, it's removed from the map ("eliminated") and placed in the "dead pile." All units of both sides start the game, or enter play later, at their full step strengths. No unit may ever give or loan a step to another unit. No single unit has more than two steps.

2.12 Other Counters. The uses of the following counters are explained at appropriate points throughout the rest of the rules.

• Game Turn Marker (see section 5.0)
• Soviet Control Marker (see 3.3 & 4.3)
• Operation Bagration Center of Gravity Marker (see 5.4)
• Soviet VP Markers (see section 4.0)
• German Armor Concentration Marker (see 12.6)
• Soviet Air Army (see section 13.0)

3.0 Set Up, Scenarios & Hex Control

3.1 Historical Scenario Set Up. After determining who will command which side, both players should simultaneously set up for play. Those units that start each game already deployed on the map have four-digit numbers printed in their upper-left corners on their full-strength sides (see 2.11). Units that enter play after the game has begun have one-digit or two-digit numbers printed in the upper-left corners of their full-strength sides (or on their reverse sides in the case of one-step units). Place the starting units directly in the hexes indicated on their counters. Place later-entering reinforcement units on the Game Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. Put each one of them in the numbered box corresponding to the number printed in the upper-left corner of its full-strength side (or on their reverse sides in the case of one-step units).

German Army Group North Ukraine (NU) reinforcements should be set aside unless you're playing the Bold Stroke Scenario (see 3.6). German 5th Panzer Army (5PA) units should be set aside unless you're playing the D-Day Failed Scenario (see 3.7).

3.2 Initial Marker Placement. After all units have been sorted and placed as described above, put the Game Turn marker in the Game Turn 1 box on the Game Turn Record Track, and put the Operation Bagration Center of Gravity marker in hex 4004 (see 5.4). Temporarily place aside, within easy reach, all the other markers pictured in 2.12.

3.3 Hex Control. Hex control is the term used to describe which side is in control of (owns) important hexes at different times during play. In this game, hex control is important when tracing supply and when determining victory (see sections 4.0 & 7.0). At the start of play the German player controls all the hexes on the map in and generally west of his line of entrenchments. The Soviet player controls all other hexes on the map.

The control status of a hex changes the instant a unit of the other side enters it. The control status of each hex may change any number of times during a game as units of the two sides enter and reenter various parts of the map. The mere projection of a "zone of control" into a hex isn't enough to establish or change the control status of that hex. Don't confuse this idea of "hex control" with that of "zone of control," which is explained in 8.0.

3.4 Control Markers. Note that a large number of Soviet Control markers (see 2.12) have been provided in the counter-mix. Place one of them in each town and city hex taken control of by the Soviet side. Remove them if a locale is later retaken by the German side. You should also use them to indicate any Baltic Sea coastal hexes, from 2015 through 2927, which come under Soviet control. See section 4.0 for more details on this.

3.5 Alternative History Scenarios. In addition to providing a tool with which to investigate the historic situation in and around Belorussia in the summer of 1944, DAGC may also be used to examine the possibilities inherent if certain other large-scale factors surrounding this campaign had gone differently. There are four such alternative history scenarios available: 1) the Bold Stroke Scenario; 2) the D-Day Defeated Scenario; 3) the No Bomb Plot Scenario; and 4) the D-Day Failed and No Bomb Plot Combination Scenario. The special rules for each of those scenarios are given below.

Note the game has been balanced with the main (historical) scenario in mind. The Bold Stroke Scenario still provides a competitive experience for both players, but the other three alternative history scenarios will tend to produce German victories. They're provided simply for the purpose of examining the various ways in which this campaign could've been altered by events taking place off the map. All the alternative history scenarios use the regular historical scenario victory conditions given in section 4.0.

3.6 Bold Stroke Scenario. This scenario examines the possibilities inherent in a Soviet offensive set up with its main weight and drive coming out of the western Pripyat Marshes area and directed primarily at an early capture of Koenigsberg. That was the offensive Hitler expected the Soviets to launch.

To play this scenario, both players should set up as described above in 3.1, except the Soviet player should place the Operation Bagration Center of Gravity marker in hex 4720 rather than 4004 (see 5.4). He should then also redeploy the nine main front units marked with asterisks in their upper-right corners into any Soviet-controlled hexes within nine hexes of 4720.

In this scenario, Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front (1UF) reinforcements still enter as described in 10.2, but they're then free to move and fight normally anywhere on the map once they have entered.

In this scenario the German player adds the four corps (3rd, 24th, 46th & 48th Panzer) of NU reinforcements to his order of battle by placing them on the Turn Record Track in the box for Game Turn 3. On that turn (and/or on turns thereafter, decided by the German player on a unit-by-unit and turn-by-turn basis), the German player may enter them via any map edge hexes between 4428 and 5021, inclusive. They pay no movement cost to get on the map, and may then potentially move and fight normally anywhere across it (together and/or in conjunction with any other German units).

The Western Pripyat Supply rule (see 7.11) is used in this scenario, but it doesn't come into effect until the start of Game Turn 2.

Historical Note. The name of the scenario described in 3.6 was simply one chosen by us to best describe it. Though historically both sides' command staffs studied the possibilities inherent in such an approach, the Soviets apparently didn't get far enough along in their planning to give it an official codename.

3.7 D-Day Defeated Scenario. By playing this scenario you can examine the effects the failure of the Western Allies' D-Day landings could've had on that summer's combat in Belorussia. To play it, set up as for the Historical Scenario except the German player then adds the four corps of 5th Panzer Army (1st SS, 2nd SS, 47th & 58th Panzer) to his starting on-map forces. He may set up those four corps in any two, three or four mutually adjacent German-controlled hexes that aren't adjacent to any of his own side's entrenchment hexes. Once play begins, they may move and fight normally across the map (also see 2.10 concerning 5PA movement).

Design Note. The historical rationale behind the enhanced 5PA movement factors is that they were corps refurbished for service on the western front earlier that year. That meant they were given top priority in terms of their degree of mechanization and motorization.

3.8 No Bomb Plot Scenario. The head of the German Army's replacement system was one of the July bomb plot conspirators. Throughout 1944, prior to the explosion of that bomb, in order to build up forces inside Germany with which the plotters could take over the country once Hitler was killed, only a trickle of replacements were sent to the combat fronts. After the plot failed, Hitler took personal control of the replacement system. It was then he 'discovered' the great mass of uncommitted manpower that enabled the German recovery on both the east and west fronts in September and October. To investigate the possibilities inherent in the situation had the German replacement system been functioning normally all that summer, set up as for the Historical Scenario but change the German replacement rate to a steady and unaltered two steps per game turn starting with Game Turn 1.

3.9 D-Day Defeated & No Bomb Plot Scenario. To examine this worst-of-all-possible-worlds for the Allies, combine the two scenarios described above in 3.7 and 3.8. German replacements, though, are set at three steps per game turn starting with Game Turn 1. Note: had the D-Day landings been defeated, it's likely the bomb plot conspirators never would've even made their move.

3.10 Scenario Mix & Match. Players should feel free to generate further scenario combinations and variants from among those listed above.

4.0 How to Win

4.1 The Soviet player is generally the one on the offensive in the game. He's seeking to win by: 1) capturing Koenigsberg; or 2) by seizing a significant number of other locales.

4.2 Soviet Sudden Death Victory. Play stops, and the Soviet player is declared the winner, the instant he succeeds in gaining control of the city of Koenigsberg (hex 2825).

4.3 Soviet Victory on Points. At the start of the game all the towns and cities on the map are under German control (see 3.3). Upon capture by the Soviet player, each town is worth one "victory point" (VP) and each city is worth four VP (supply state irrelevant in both cases). Further, the Soviet player is awarded 10 VP if, at the end of Game Turn 9, he controls in supply one or more Baltic Sea coastal hexes between 2015 and 2927, inclusive. Even further, if the Soviet player controls all 27 hexes of the 1UF-area in supply at end of Game Turn 9, he's awarded one VP (total) for that. The German player wins if the Soviet player ends the game with 30 or fewer VP; the Soviet player wins with a final tally of 31 or more.

4.4 German Victory. There's no sudden death German victory. The German player may only be determined to have won the game at the end of Game Turn 9. At that time, if the Soviet player has failed to win as described above in 4.2 and 4.3, the German player is declared the winner. No draws are possible.

5.0 Sequence of Play

5.1 Every game turn of DAGC is divided into two "player turns," one Soviet and one German. That sequence makes up one "game turn," of which there are a maximum of nine in an entire match. The Soviet Player Turn is the first player turn in every game turn. At the very end of every completed game turn, move forward the Game Turn marker one box on the Game Turn Record Track. Every action taken by a player must be carried out during the appropriate part of the sequence outlined below. Once a player has finished a particular activity, he may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless his opponent graciously permits it.

5.2 Turn Sequence. The game turn sequence is given below in out line. The rest of the rules are organized, as much as possible, to explain things in the order they're encountered as you go through each game turn's sequence.

I. Soviet Player Turn

• A. Soviet Replacement & Reinforcement Phase
• B. Soviet Pre-Movement Combat Phase
• C. Soviet Movement Phase
• D. Soviet Post-Movement Combat Phase

II. German Player Turn

• A. German Replacement & Reinforcement Phase
• B. German Pre-Movement Combat Phase
• C. Soviet Air Army Interdiction Placement Phase
• D. German Movement Phase
• E. German Post-Movement Combat Phase

Design Note. The Soviet Air Army Interdiction Placement Phase (II.C. in the outline above) takes place as a kind of interruption of the German Player Turn.

5.3 Ending a Game Turn. Each game turn is complete when the German Post-Movement Combat Phase is concluded. At those times move forward by one box the Game Turn marker on the Game Turn Track printed on the mapsheet.

5.4 Bagration Center of Gravity & Special Game Turn 1 Rules. During the Soviet Player Turn of Game Turn 1, only Soviet units starting that game turn within nine hexes of the Operation Bagration Center of Gravity marker may attack or move (see 3.1 & 3.6). All those Bagration-activated Soviet units get a one-right column shift on their attacks in the Soviet Pre-Movement Combat Phase that turn (see section 11.0). Further, all Bagration-activated units may move directly from EZOC to EZOC during the Game Turn 1 Soviet Movement Phase, even if entering a German entrenchment hex when they do so, by paying normal costs for EZOC to EZOC movement (see section 8.0). Note that Soviet air armies are allowed to interdict anywhere on the map, in their normal fashion, on Game Turn 1.

The Bagration Center of Gravity marker has no combat strength or movement factor, nor does it have any stacking or step values; it's simply a visual aid for calculating which portion of the Soviet front will begin the offensive. When counting the nine-hex activation range, count from the marker to the units in question. Don't count the marker's hex; do count the units' hexes. Count as straight as possible within the hex-grid, ignoring terrain, enemy units and their zones of control.

6.0 Stacking

6.1 "Stacking" is the term used to describe the piling of more than one friendly unit in a hex at the same time. The general rule is, both players may stack no more than two units in any hex at one time.

6.2 Stacking Value. Every unit of both sides, both mobile and static, counts as one unit for stacking purposes. All units count for stacking unless specifically exempted.

6.3 No Stacked Movement. Units are never moved in stacks; they're always moved one at a time. Further, the movement of a given moving unit must be completed before that of another is begun.

6.4 Stacking & Unstacking Costs. In general, it costs one extra movement point (+1 MP) for a stacked unit to move out of a hex that contains another unit. Similarly, it costs +1 MP for a moving unit to enter a hex that, at that time, contains another friendly unit. "Extra" means in addition to the other costs involved for entering a hex (see section 9.0).

6.5 No Overstacking. A moving unit may not enter a hex if doing so would mean that hex would be overstacked.

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

Units beginning a movement phase stacked together need not remain together simply because of that fact; they must be moved off individually.

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

6.7 Free Stacking Markers. None of the markers shown in rule 2.12 have any stacking value. They may be added to any stacks according to the details given for their use.

6.8 Fog of War. The Soviet player may freely examine the units beneath the top units of all of his opponent's stacks at any time. The German player may not examine any Soviet stack unless and until he's declared an attack against it. Such combat phase examinations don't allow for a declared attack to be called off.

6.9 Enemy Occupied Hexes. Your units may never enter hexes containing any enemy ground unit.

6.10 No Soviet Inter-Front Stacking. Soviet main front and 1st Ukrainian Front units may not stack together in any scenario. They may not even enter or pass through one another's hexes during Soviet movement (including retreats and advances after combat), nor may they ever participate together in the same attack.

7.0 Supply

7.1 In general, in order for a unit to be able to move and fight at its full potential, it must be in supply. Supply for movement is determined at the moment a given unit begins to move and, once determined, that status lasts all during a unit's move. Supply for combat is determined at the start of each individual battle for all the units of both sides involved in that battle.

7.2 Tracing Supply Lines. No counters are provided to represent the materiel consumed by the combat units. Instead, that's abstracted into the process of supply line tracing ("tracing supply"). A unit has supply ("is in supply") if it can trace a path of contiguous hexes, generally of any length (but see 7.11 & 7.14), to a friendly "supply source hex." Supply paths may not be traced into enemy occupied hexes or into hexes containing unnegated enemy zones of control. Also note, however, that a friendly unit or stack in a hex containing an enemy zone of control (EZOC) negates that EZOC for purposes of tracing supply lines into and/or through that hex. See section 8.0 for more details on zones of control (ZOC).

Neither player may trace his supply lines across all-lake or all-sea hexsides. The Soviet player may trace his supply lines across the single narrows hex on the map (1803/1804), provided he already controls both those hexes when he does so.

7.3 OOS Movement. If a unit is found to be OOS (out of supply) at the start of its move, the owning player should roll a die to determine the number of movement points it has available to use during that phase (one through six). Also note, if there's more than one OOS unit in a given hex, those stacked units share the same movement determination die roll.

7.4 OOS Combat. If an attack contains one or more units found to be OOS at the start of that battle's resolution, shift that combat differential one column left, in addition to applying all other applicable column shifters (see section 11.0). If a defending force contains one or more units found to be OOS at the start of that battle's resolution, shift that combat differential one column right, in addition to applying all other applicable column shifters (see section 11.0). If both shifts apply in the same battle, they're mutually canceling.

7.5 Indefinite OOS. No unit is ever reduced in step strength or fully eliminated simply for being OOS. Units of both sides may remain OOS indefinitely.

7.6 Willful OOS. It's permitted for both players to move units into hexes in which they may or will become OOS.

7.7 German Supply Source Hexes. German supply source hexes are all the map edge hexes from 2927 to 5020, inclusive. Note, though, those map edges hexes only function as supply sources while they're German controlled. If the Soviet player gains control of one or more such hexes, those lost hexes cease to function as supply sources until such time, if ever, that the German player regains control of them. When simply in an EZOC, supply source hexes may still function as such provided they're occupied by one or two friendly ground units.

7.8 German Supply Line Restriction. Any German supply line that's traced across more than two border hexsides is thereby rendered invalid.

7.9 German Port Supply. German units that are otherwise OOS, but that are in or near a friendly controlled port, have the ability to draw "port supply." With but one exception, all towns and cities on Baltic Sea or Gulf of Finland coastal hexes are ports. The single exception is Narva, in hex 1301, which is not a port for any rules purpose. A unit or stack with port supply is considered fully supplied for both movement and combat.

Units that can trace a supply path no longer than six hexes to a port are in supply, except no single port town can supply more than five units, and no single port city can supply more than 10 units. OOS markers are provided (on the reverse of the Soviet Control markers) to indicate any excess units within a port's perimeter, and it's always up to the German player to pick exactly which ones will be OOS. Those picks should be designated by him at the very start of every game turn in which logistical over-stretch is seen to be taking place among units drawing port supply. If such a situation develops, or is discovered, during the course of a game turn, the supply determination should be made at that time, and they last for the remainder of that game turn. When counting the six-hex supply path range, count from the port to the units in question, and take all normal supply path tracing strictures into account.

A port other than Koenigsberg temporarily loses its supply capacity whenever one or more Soviet units are adjacent to it. If a given port once falls under Soviet control, it never regains its supply capacity even if retaken by the German player. German units in Koenigsberg are always in supply; however, Soviet adjacency would suspend even that city's ability to send out port supply lines. Also note there's no Soviet port supply.

7.10 Soviet Supply Source Hexes. Soviet supply source hexes are all the map edge hexes from 1200 to 3400 and from 4200 to 5019, inclusive. Map edge hexes 3600, 3800 and 4000 are also Soviet supply source hexes. Due to rule 9.12, it's unlikely any Soviet supply source hex will ever be controlled by, or otherwise nullified by, German units. In the case of hexes 1300, 3300, 3400, 3600, 3800, 4000, 4200, 4300 and 5019, that would be possible, though, provided one or more of them was left without a Soviet garrison while simultaneously having an EZOC projected into it. In such cases, the affected hex's supply capacity would be restored as soon as that situation was ended.

7.11 Soviet Western Pripyat Supply. Soviet units, other than cav-mech (see 12.4), whose only supply line contains one or more Western Pripyat Marshes hexes (see the Terrain Key on the mapsheet) are thereby rendered OOS for all purposes. This rule is applied in all scenarios, and generally holds true at all times during a game; however, when playing the Bold Stroke Scenario it doesn't come into effect until the start of Game Turn 2.

7.12 Soviet Auto-OOS. In all scenarios, starting at the beginning of Game Turn 6, all Soviet units are OOS, for all purposes other than replacement replenishment, for the rest of the game. Note, though, that as soon as this Soviet auto-OOS rule takes effect, the Western Pripyat supply rule, given above in 7.11, is thereafter ignored. In other words, there are never any doubly OOS Soviet units.

7.13 Appropriate Supply Sources. Units may only use supply sources appropriate to their own side as described in the rules above. That is, no unit may ever use a captured enemy supply source hex to draw its own supply.

7.14 In all times in all scenarios, no German supply path may ever, under any circumstances, contain any Soviet entrenchment hex. Also see 8.6 and 9.12.

8.0 Zones of Control

8.1 The six hexes immediately surrounding a hex containing one or more ground combat units constitute the "zone of control" (ZOC) of the units in that hex. Zones of control extend across all hexsides and into all types of terrain. All ground units of both sides project their ZOC at all times in all supply states. There's no difference in effect between ZOC projected by units of different sides into the same hex. Opposing units may simultaneously project their ZOC into the same hexes.

8.2 Units Without ZOC. All units in the game project ZOC except for the markers pictured and cescribed in rule 2.12 and 7.9.

8.3 Effect of Enemy Zones of Control (EZOC). In order for one of your moving units to be able to enter an EZOC, it must pay an extra movement point to do so. Similarly, in order for one of your units to leave an EZOC, it must pay an extra movement point to do so. "Extra" means in addition to whatever terrain and river related costs are involved. Thus movement from one EZOC hex directly to another EZOC hex is generally permitted, provided the moving unit has the two extra movement points remaining within its movement factor to allow it to pay for such a move. Also note the extra movement point cost remains unchanged no matter how many enemy units may be simultaneously projecting their EZOC into a given hex.

The exception is: no Soviet unit may move from one German EZOC directly to another German EZOC if the hex being moved into is a German entrenchment hex. The exception to the exception is: such Soviet moves are possible for Bagration-activated units during Game Turn 1 of all scenarios (see 5.4).

8.4 Negating EZOC. A friendly ground unit(s) located in a hex into which an EZOC is being projected negates that EZOC for purposes of tracing supply lines, as well as for retreat after combat. Friendly units don't negate EZOC for purposes of movement phase movement, and EZOC never work to block victorious attacking units from advancing after combat (see 11.22). Further note the markers and units listed above in rule 8.2 may never in anyway be used to negate EZOC.

8.5 EZOC & Supply Tracing. When tracing supply lines into and/or out of negated EZOC, don't pay any extra entry or exit costs.

8.6 German ZOC & Soviet Entrenchments. Despite the strictures given in 7.14 and 9.12, German units do project their ZOC normally into Soviet entrenchment hexes.

9.0 Movement

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

9.2 General Movement Strictures. MP may not be accumulated from turn to turn or phase to phase, nor may they be given or loaned from one unit to another. A player may move all, some, or none of his mobile units in each of his side's movement phases throughout the game at his own discretion and within the strictures given in these rules. Units that move aren't required to expend all their MP before stopping. The movement of the currently moving unit must be completed before that of another is begun. A player may change the position of an already moved unit only if his opponent agrees to allow it.

No "skipping" of hexes is allowed. Units move from hex to adjacent hex, paying varied movement costs to do so depending on the terrain and water barriers in the hex being entered and along its hexsides. In general, the movement of your units takes place only during your own player turn; no enemy movement takes place during your player turn (exception: see 11.17).

9.3 No Minimum Movement Guarantee. Unlike many other wargames, units in this game aren't guaranteed the ability to move at least one hex during its side's movement phases. A unit may only enter a hex if it has in its remaining movement allowance all (or more) of the required movement points needed to pay all the entry costs for that hex.

9.4 Enemy Units. It's not permitted for your units to enter hexes occupied by enemy units.

9.5 Terrain & Movement. The number of movement points a unit must expend to enter a hex depends on the type of terrain in that hex and, possibly, the presence of a river in the hexside through which it will cross to enter the new hex (also see 12.3). The cost to enter a hex containing only clear terrain is one MP. The costs to enter other terrain types are higher; see the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet. If a hex contains more than one kind of terrain, for movement purposes it's considered to consist entirely of the single most high-cost terrain within it. For example, a hex containing both clear and forest terrain would be considered all forest; a hex containing both forest and marsh would be considered all marsh, etc.

9.6 Rivers. When crossing a river hexside, one MP must be expended in addition to the MP necessary to enter the hex being crossed into. Thus, for example, any unit other than a cav-mech group, would expand a total of three MP to cross a river into a forest hex, while a cav-mech group would pay two MP to make that same move.

9.7 All-Lake & All-Sea Hexsides. Neither player may move any of his units across any all-lake or all-sea hexsides, and that includes retreats and advances after combat.

9.8 Narrows Hexside. Once per game the Soviet player may move any one of his units across the narrows hexside (1803/1804), in either direction, as if it were a river hexside. An added stricture, though, is that he must already be in control of both those hexes prior to the time the crossing is made. That is the only trans-narrows movement possible by either player.

9.9 Partisan Areas. The partisan areas delineated on the map have an effect on German movement similar to that of rivers. That is, every time a German unit enters such a hex, the normal movement cost for it is increased by one MP, including the cost paid for river crossings. Soviet movement is unaffected, as is the tracing of both sides' supply lines. Also see 11.25.

9.10 Other Terrain. Whenever the phrase "Other Terrain" appears on the Terrain Effects Chart, that means the movement cost for entering that type of terrain is determined by the other terrain in that hex. For example, hexes containing a town have no special movement cost due to the presence of that settlement; the movement cost to enter would be determined by whatever other terrain was there.

9.11 Exiting the Map. No unit once in play on the map may ever move off it except to go into the dead pile, and that includes retreats and advances after combat.

9.12 No German unit may ever move into, including via advance or retreat after combat, any Soviet entrenchment hex. German ZOC do extend into such hexes.

10.0 Reinforcements

10.1 Reinforcement Arrival. Both players receive new units during the movement phases of their own player turns during specified game turns. For example, the Soviet 1st Polish Army becomes available on Game Turn 2, as indicated by that number appearing in the upper-left of its counter.

In general, newly arriving units may enter the map via any friendly controlled board edge supply source hexes, decided by the receiving player on a turn-by-turn and unit-by-unit basis. Both players may also generally enter reinforcements via any friendly controlled and overland-supplied city hexes that have no enemy units adjacent to them at the time. The German player may also enter units via Koenigsberg, even if enemy units are adjacent at the time. (No other ports may ever be used for entry.) Arriving reinforcements must take stacking restrictions into account, but their placement onto the map doesn't use up any of their MF for that turn.

10.2 1st Ukrainian Front Entry & Restrictions. Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front's (1UF) main area of operations lies just off the southern edge of the map. Those five ground units are the exception to normal reinforcement entry on the Soviet side. That is, they may only enter play, in all scenarios, via Soviet-controlled south map edge Western Pripyat Marsh hexes. For details on 1UF air army operations, see section 13.0.

When playing the Historical Scenario, 1UF units may only move and/or attack (and/or interdict, in the case of the two air armies) in their own front's area of operations as delineated on the map. In all other scenarios, though their entry restrictions remain the same, the five ground units are then free to move and fight anywhere across the map (but see 11.24). On the Soviet side of the entrenchment line, they may always move about normally—to whatever purpose that might serve.

10.3 Army Group North Ukraine Reinforcements. German Army Group North Ukraine's (NU) main area of operations lies just off the southern edge of the map. Those four ground units are one exception to normal reinforcement entry on the German side. That is, they may only enter play—and only in the Bold Stroke Scenario—as described in paragraph four of rule 3.6.

Historical Note. The 56th Panzer Corps, starting in hex 4919, was historically also part of AGNU. In the actual event, though, due to its being the northern-most corps of that army group, it essentially came to function as the southern terminus of AGC. Therefore we didn't print it up as an NU unit and it doesn't count as such.

10.4 German Korps Gruppen (KG). German KG reinforcements are the second exception to normal German reinforcement arrival strictures. That is, each KG is entered into play by being placed atop a German unit that is itself already in play on the map. Such KG placement-receiving units may themselves be any type of German unit other than KG. Further, the supply state of the receiving unit is irrelevant, though normal stacking restrictions must be observed; so no more than on KG may enter per receiving unit per turn. Also note that, once entered into play, each KG is then potentially free to move and fight across the map; it needn't stay 'attached' to its receiving unit.

The earliest possible turn of entry for each KG is printed on its reverse side along with the letter "N" or "S." The "S" KGs may only enter, in accord with the restrictions given above, in hexes south of the Dvina River. The lone "N" KG may only do so in hexes north of that river. Both types may operate on either side of the river once in play.

10.5 Either player may delay the arrival of any given reinforcement, decided on a turn-by-turn and unit-by-unit basis. Neither player may accelerate the arrival of any reinforcement.

10.6 Replacements. Replacements are levies of new troops and equipment, not themselves represented by separate counters, used to reclaim from the dead pile units that have been eliminated, and to rebuild to full strength two-step units (see 2.11) that have been "reduced" but are still in play on the map. Each replacement increment — called a "step" — is able to recreate one eliminated step. Neither player may accumulate replacement steps from turn to turn; those not used on their turn of receipt are forfeit. Both players' replacement allotments for each game turn are listed on the Turn Record Track (also see 3.7, 3.8 & 3.9).

10.7 Non-Replaceable Units. The only units not eligible to be replaced are German fortified localities and KG; those one-step units, once eliminated, are out of play for the remainder of the game. All other units of both sides may be replaced from the dead pile, and/or replenished to full strength, any number of times, no matter the circumstances of their elimination.

10.8 Replacement Procedures & Strictures. A replaceable eliminated unit may be reclaimed from the dead pile using a replacement step, and it may then, that same player turn, be reentered into play as if it were a reinforcement arriving into play on the map for the first time. Such units, though, may only be reentered into play at one-step strength; no unit may absorb more than one step of replacements per game turn. On subsequent turns they could be fully replenished to two-step strength.

Replacements reclaimed from the dead pile have all their normal movement and combat capabilities available to them starting with their turn of arrival back into play. Note, however, that reappearing 1UF and NU units still have to comply with the entry restrictions given in 10.2 and 10.3, respectively.

Reduced units that receive replacement replenishment while still on the map are free to move and fight normally that same player turn. Such replenishment is generally only allowed, though, to units in regular overland supply at that time (also see 12.4). Exception: starting with Game Turn 6, when all Soviet units become OOS, reduced units are eligible for replacement replenishment if they can trace what would otherwise be a workable supply line that doesn't go into or out of any Western Pripyat Marsh hex.

Also note that reduced German units tracing port supply may generally not receive replacement replenishment. Exception: German units tracing port supply to Koenigsberg may receive replacement replenishment.

11.0 Combat

11.1 There are two combat phases per player turn, one prior to the movement phase and one after the movement phase. Combat between adjacent opposing units is generally optional, decided by the player presently carrying out one of his combat phases. The exception is, when playing the Historical Scenario, all Bagration-activated units (see 5.4) must attack during the Soviet Pre-Movement Combat Phase of Game Turn 1.

Each unit has a combat factor printed on it, which represents its basic power to attack during its side's combat phases and its basic power to defend during the opposing side's combat phases. Note that all units of one side may potentially attack within both combat phases of a player turn. (Exception: German fortified localities never attack; they have a zero printed to the left of their combat factor as a reminder of that; see 12.5.) Attacking in the pre-movement combat phase in no way works to prohibit an otherwise attack-eligible unit from also attacking during that same player turn's post-movement combat phase, nor does attacking prohibit, or in any way inhibit, such units from moving during that same player turn's movement phase.

11.2 A unit must be directly adjacent to an enemy unit in order to be able to attack it. Such adjacency usually doesn't require an attack be made—but see the first paragraph of 11.1 above—it simply allows for it.

11.3 No single attack may have as its objective more than on enemy occupied hex. No single defending unit or stack may be attacked more than once per combat phase.

11.4 Multi-Hex Attacks. In general, as many units as can be brought to bear from one or more adjacent hexes may combine their combat factors to participate in the same attack on the same defending hex (but see 11.24).

11.5 Unitary Combat Factors. A single unit's full available combat strength must always be used whenever it's involved in combat. No single attacking unit may have its combat factor split in order to be applied in more than attack. In general, no defending unit or stack may refuse combat (exception: see 12.2).

11.6 Stacks Attacking. Units located in the same hex need not all take part in the same attack simply because they're stacked together. If stacked units are adjacent to more than one enemy occupied hex, one of those units might attack into one hex while the other attacked into another hex or simply didn't attack at all.

11.7 Attack Resolution. Attacks may be made in any order as long as the resolution of one attack is completed before that of the next is begun. The attacking player need not declare beforehand all the attacks he will make that phase. The attacking player determines the order in which his attacks will be declared and resolved.

11.8 General Combat Resolution Procedure. To resolve an attack, the attacking player should total the combat factors of all his units involved in that combat. Then he subtracts from that total the combat factor strength of all the units in the defending force being attacked. That resulting number—either positive, zero or negative—is the "combat differential." The attacking player then locates the column heading on the Combat Results Table (CRT) printed on the mapsheet that corresponds to the combat differential he just calculated. Also see below: certain circumstances may cause the initially calculated differential to be shifted left or right.

The attacking player then rolls a die and cross-indexes that result beneath the previously determined column heading and finds the "combat result." That result is applied immediately, before going on to the resolution of another attack. When the attacking player has made all the attacks he wants, he announces the end of that combat phase.

11.9 Terrain & Rivers in Combat. When calculating the combat differential as described above, the number listed in the third column of the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet (headed "Combat Addition"), is added to the combat strength of the defending force. Only add in the total combat addition one time, no matter how many units constitute the defending force.

The river hexside bonus is also added in, in addition to the in-hex terrain additions for forest, towns and /or cities and/or entrenchments. Note, though, the river addition is only granted to a defending foce when all the units attacking it are coming across river hexsides.

The defensive bonus for a town is also added in, in addition to that for the natural terrain in that hex and/or the presence of a river. Thus a unit defending with a combat factor of "2" in a forest hex that contained a town, and that was being attacked only through river hexsides, would have a total defense strength of "7." That's its own combat factor of "2," plus the forest terrain addition of "1," plus the town addition of "1," plus the river hexside addition of "3."

11.10 Entrenchment Hexes. Entrenchment hexes only provide their defensive combat addition to defending units of their own side. When calculating the defense strength of Soviet defenders in German entrenchment hexes, completely ignore those entrenchments. Note, though, German entrenchment hexes aren't destroyed by Soviet occupation. If a once-captured German entrenchment hex is retaken by that player, its defensive bonus is again available to his units in those hexes. German units may never attack into Soviet entrenchment hexes. Also see 7.14, 8.6 & 9.12.

11.11 Concentric Attack. In general, if a defending unit or stack is attacked by enemy units from opposite sides, or by units from three hexes with one hex between each and the next, or by units from more than three hexes, that attack gains a one column rightward differential column shift. The exception is that this bonus is never available against defenders in city hexes; nor is it available against a hex containing a fortified locality (see 12.5).

11.12 Supply & Combat. See 7.4 for the effects of being out of supply on combat.

11.13 Differential Limits. If the finally determined combat differential is higher (or lower) than the highest (or lowest) column heading on the CRT, resolve that attack using the highest (or lowest) column.

11.14 Lowering Combat Differentials. The attacking player may choose to lower his combat differential in any given battle by one or more columns. He must, though, announce that decision before rolling the resolution die.

11.15 Attack Stalled (AS) Combat Result. In effect, nothing happens. No losses are suffered, nor does any movement take place, by the involved units of either side.

11.16 Attacker Eliminated (AE) Combat Result. All involved one-step attacking units are removed to the dead pile; all involved two-step attacking units are reduced to one-step strength and remain in place.

11.17 Defender Retreat (DR) Combat Result. When a combat result requires a player's units be retreated after combat—the DR result—the defending player must immediately move the affected units one hex. If no hex is open to receive the retreat, a blocked unit or stack is instead kept in place and must there suffer a DE result instead (see 11.20 below). No unit may retreat into an unnegated EZOC or off the map or into a hex where it would be overstacked. Units retreating from the same hex must be retreated into the same hex unless stacking limits would thereby be violated in the new hex.

Both players retreat their own units. If more than one retreat destination hex is open to retreating German units, they should be retreated into the hex that brings them closest to their nearest functioning supply source hex. If two or more equally eligible retreat-destination hexes exist, the German player is free to choose between/among them. If more than one hex is open to retreating Soviet units, they should be retreated into the hex that brings them closest to their nearest functioning supply source hex. If two or more equally eligible retreat-destination hexes exist, the Soviet player is free to choose between/among them. (On Game Turn 6 and later, determine Soviet retreat paths as if the overall OOS stricture weren't in place.)

If a unit is retreated onto another friendly unit that's subsequently attacked that same phase, the retreated-in unit doesn't contribute its combat strength to the new defense, but it does share in the result of the attack made into its new hex.

If any unit or stack of either side is blocked from retreating for any reason, it suffers a DE result in place (see 11.20 below).

11.18 DR Conversions in Cities. As noted on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet, whenever a DR result is obtained against defenders in a city hex, that result is automatically converted to a BB (see 11.21).

11.19 DR Conversion Outside Cities. Whenever a DR result is obtained against defenders in any kind of hex other than a city, the player owning the involved defending units may decline to make the retreat by converting that result into a DL1. The DL1 (Defender Lose 1 Step) result isn't on the CRT as such; it only occurs in this kind of conversion. To administer a DL1 result, the defending player must reduce any one of his units involved in that battle by one step, with the survivors remaining in place. If a defending force contains only one step, this DR conversion is not available as a choice for the defending player. The decision to convert a DR to a DL1 need not be declared before a DR result is rolled. Also note, if a defending force has no retreat path as described above in 11.17, it inescapably suffers a DE. This conversion to a DL1 is only open to defenders who would otherwise have a valid retreat hex open to them.

Historical Note. Player's who want—or who feel it necessary for the sake of competitive balance—to incorporate the 'Hitler Stand Fast' concept into their play of the game, should always require eligible German defenders receiving a DR result outside of cities to apply rule 11.19.

11.20 Defender Eliminated (DE) Combat Result. All involved one-step defending units are removed to the dead pile; all involved two-step defending units are reduced to one-step strength and remain in place. If the defender hex is left vacant by this result, victorious attacking units may advance after combat (see 11.22).

11.21 Bloodbath (BB) Combat Result. All involved one-step defending units are removed to the dead pile; all involved two-step defending units are reduced to one-step strength and remain in place. The attacker should note the number of strength-steps (not combat factors, but strength steps) which were just lost by the defender. He must then reduce his attacking force by that number of steps. In multi-unit situations, the attacker may generally apportion those step losses among his involved units any way he sees fit. (Exception: if an attacking Soviet force contained one or more full-strength shock armies, one of those units must lose the first step to be given up.) If the defended hex is left vacant by this result, victorious attacking units may advance after combat (see below).

11.22 Advance After Combat. Whenever a defended hex is vacated by any combat result, one or more involved attacking units may be advanced into that vacated hex. Within normal stacking limits, more than one involved attacking unit may advance. Exactly which involved unit(s) conduct(s) the advance-after-combat, if any, is up to the owning player. For both players, such advances after combat may be made without regard to EZOC. Advances after combat don't involve the expenditure of any movement points by the advancing units; they are, in essence, free movement. Advances after combat are always voluntary, but each must be performed immediately as the opportunity for it occurs, before any other attacks are resolved. Note there are never any defender advances after combat; victorious defenders simply remain in place. Also see 12.2.

11.23 National Socialist Ardor & Proletarian Revolutionary Spirit Attacks. Whenever either player is attacking on any one of the three left-most columns on the CRT ("≤ -3" or "-2 or -1" or "0"), he may announce he's committing to a "National Socialist Ardor" or "Proletarian Revolutionary Spirit" attack. (The first is for the German player, the latter for the Soviet; they're effectively the same thing.) That means he will roll the resolution die until the first time he gets a result other than AS. He must make that commitment prior to rolling the die the first time and, once so committed, he may not change his mind.

11.24 No Inter-Front Soviet Attacks. Main front and 1UF units may never participate together in the same attack.

11.25 Soviet Attacks into Partisan Areas. Soviet attacks into the partisan area hexes delineated on the map always receive a one-column bonus rightward differential shift in addition to all other applicable shifts.

12.0 Special Unit Characteristics

12.1 Certain units on both sides have characteristics unique to their type. Those characteristics are described below.

12.2 Soviet Cav-Mech Group Retreat Before & Advance After Combat. During Game Turns 1 through 5, if a supplied cav-mech group is alone in a hex and the German player declares an attack against it, the Soviet player may decide he will retreat before combat (take a DR result) with that cav-mech group. The declaration is announced prior to the combat resolution die roll being made. Such retreats before combat allow for normal German advances after combat, and they must be made under all the strictures given for a normal DR result.

Also during Game Turns 1 through 5, if a supplied cav-mech group is eligible to participate in an advance after combat (see 11.22), it may advance a second hex. To do so, it makes a normal one-hex advance, alone or in conjunction with another Soviet unit, and then may immediately advance one more hex. The strictures on second-hex advances are exactly the same as those given for one-hex advances. If two cav-mech groups advanced into the same vacated defender hex, both would also be eligible for the two-hex advance.

12.3 Soviet Cav-Mech Group Movement. Cav-mech groups always pay only one MP to enter each hex of forest, marsh and Western Pripyat terrain. They do pay the normal river-crossing cost.

12.4 Soviet Cav-Mech Group Supply. Cav-mech groups, unlike all other Soviet units, may always trace their own supply lines into and out of Western Pripyat Marsh hexes. Thus a reduced cav-mech group could receive replacement replenishment even if its supply line were traced through one or more such hexes. Note, though, starting with Game Turn 6, cav-mech groups do suffer all the other effects of the overall Soviet OOS state that descends across the map at that time.

12.5 German Fortified Localities. These units—which count for stacking, exert normal ZOC, but may not be replaced—have the following additional unique characteristics.

1. No concentric attack bonus may ever be used against them, and that benefit is also extended to any unit stacked with them.

2. Fortified localities are always in supply for purposes of defensive combat, and that defensive combat supply benefit is also extended to any unit stacked with them. Note that for movement and attack supply purposes, such co-located German units would need to trace a normal supply line or suffer being OOS.

3. If a fortified locality receives a DR result, it's eliminated in place. Any unit stacked with it may make a retreat, provided a normal retreat path is open to it; otherwise, of course, it would also suffer a DE result in place.

4. Fortified localities never attack by themselves, nor may they in any way participate in an attack with other German units. That stricture doesn't, however, in any way prohibit or inhibit another German unit in a hex with a fortified locality from attacking normally; simply and completely ignore the fortified locality's presence while resolving such attacks.

12.6 German Armor Concentration Counter. Starting with Game Turn 2, this counter is available to potentially support any one German attack (never defense) in each German Player Turn. To support an attack, at least one overland-supplied German unit must be involved. Further, as soon as he's declared the counter's commitment, the German player should roll a die: if it's Game Turn 2 through 5, the counter fails to show up on a result of five or six; if it's Game Turn 6 or later, it fails to show up on a roll of six. If it fails its die roll check, the counter may not be rolled for again that same turn. The effect of successfully committing the counter to a German attack is to generate a one column rightward differential shift on the CRT for that battle, in addition to all other applicable shifts.

The counter is only a marker; it has no stacking or step values of its own; nor does it exert a ZOC; nor may it be given up to in any way satisfy a combat result. It's removed from the map as soon as a supported attack is resolved.

12.7 Shock Armies on the Attack. During Game Turns 2 through 5, in every Soviet attack in which all participating units are supplied and one or more of them is a full-strength shock army (see 2.7), that attack receives a one-column rightward differential column shift on the CRT in addition to all other applicable shifts. This effect permanently disappears at the start of Game Turn 6; further, the one-column shift may not be increased by the participation of more than one shock army in the same attack.

13.0 Soviet Airpower

13.1 Soviet Combat Air Support. The Soviet player starts the game with eight air army markers. Those units are available for use starting that game turn. The markers have no step, stacking or combat values of their own, nor do they exert zones of control. They're indestructible in game terms, and may never be used to satisfy any combat result. They generally have no range limit (but see 13.2), and each one may be deployed once per game turn. For combat support, they may be deployed onto the map in any Soviet Combat Phase (pre- or post-movement), at the rate of no more than one per attack. The effect is to shift the combat differential one column in the Soviet attacking force's favor (right). Within those strictures, combat air support may even be given to Soviet attacks that contain one or more OOS units.

13.2 1st Ukrainian Front Air Armies. The arrival of the 1UF ground force also brings with it two additional air armies. Those units may only support 1UF ground attacks. In all scenarios other than the Bold Stroke, they may only interdict the movement of German units that begin that side's movement phase in hexes within the 1UF area of operations; however, if such interdicted German units moved out of that area, the interdiction would retain its normal effect for that phase. In the Bold Stroke Scenario, the 1UF air armies may interdict anywhere across the map. Also note that, in all scenarios, main front air armies may never give combat support to 1UF attacks or interdict German units that start their movement within the 1UF area delineated on the map.

13.3 Interdiction Missions. Air armies may be used to interdict (slow) German movement. Interdiction takes place as Phase C of the German Player Turn (see 5.2). At that time, any air armies that weren't committed to combat support during that same game turn's Soviet Combat Phases are eligible to be used for interdiction. All air armies to be committed to interdiction that game turn should be placed atop their target units at the start of the Soviet Air Army Interdiction Phase, which actually occurs as an interruption in the German Player Turn.

The effect of an air army committed to interdict a German unit's movement is to cause the player to roll for that unit's MF in the same way as if it were OOS (see 7.3). If an already OOS German unit is interdicted, those conditions are compounded. That is, the German player would first roll to determined the OOS unit's MF for that phase; then the Soviet player would roll for the interdiction, and that result would be subtracted from the rolled German MF.

No German unit may be interdicted by more than one air army per German Movement Phase. In stacked situations, two air armies may be committed in order to interdict both German units, or not, as the Soviet player chooses (make separate die rolls). If he decides to only interdict one German unit in a stack, it's the Soviet player's choice as to which receives the interdiction. Interdiction has no effect on fortified localities, though mobile German units stacked with them may be interdicted. Interdiction may effectively reduce a German unit's MF to zero (see 9.3).

13.4 Air Army Fatigue. At the start of Game Turn 6, when the overall Soviet OOS state descends across the map, the Soviet player must permanently withdraw from play one 1UF air army along with four main front air armies.

13.5 Air Army Recovery. Each air army marker should be removed from the map by the Soviet player immediately after it's flown its one combat support or interdiction mission for the game turn. Each air army, within the strictures given above, is available for one combat support or one interdiction mission per game turn.

14.0 Greater East Asia War Add-On Counters

14.1 Additional US Forces. The Allied player can mobilize the following additional US units: one amphibious USMC corps, two amphibious USMC divisions, one airborne division, one tactical air wing, one carrier task force, one bombardment naval task force, one amphibious naval task force. Additionally, he now has an additional supply. These units are subject to the following special rules.

1. These units may be mobilized starting with the 1944 IV Game Turn. They're initially placed off map in the Allied Staging Area. They move onto the map via the east map edge. The airborne unit may enter via a free airborne move on its turn of placement, landing on or adjacent to any coastal hex in the countries listed below.

2. These units may enter only the following areas: Formosa, Korea, Hong Kong and China. After initial entry, the Allied player may move them normally.

3. The Allied player may mobilize the US amphibious corps as a complete unit, instead of as its constituent divisions, by paying 21 VP and placing the unit in the Allied Staging Area. He may also build this corps by combining three US Marine divisions. The US amphibious corps may not be on the map at the same time as any of the three US Marine divisions. Similarly, the British amphibious corps in the original game may not be on the map at the same as the two Australian amphibious divisions.

4. If one or more of these units are entered into play, the Japanese player gains 10 VP each turn for the rest of the game.

14.2 Allied Partisans. The Allied player may mobilize partisan units. Partisans are placed in an opaque container called the "Partisan Pool." They appear from there as follows.

1. Random Events. If the Allied Guerrilla Raids event occurs, the Allied player may either implement that event or he may instead pick at random one partisan unit and place it in one of the following countries: China, Indochina, Burma, Dutch East Indies.

2. PSYWAR. Change the Uprising outcome to: "Same as Guerrilla Warfare, but the Allied player may instead place one partisan unit in any one of the following: China, Korea, Formosa, Indochina, Siam, Burma, India, Dutch East Indies."

14.3 Partisan Deployment. The Allied player may place a partisan unit on any hex in the listed country that doesn't contain enemy units.

14.4 Partisan Operations. Partisans are treated as Allied units with the following special characteristics.

1. They may never leave their country of placement, nor may they attack across borders.

2. They have no ZOC, and they're never affected by EZOC.

3. They're always in general supply. At the same time, though, they never receive any benefit for supply units being expended.

4. They may never receive any kind of support from Allied support units (headquarters, air or naval).

5. Their elimination causes no VP change.

14.5 Japanese Security Operations. When using this option, Japanese garrison divisions may attack a hex containing only partisan units. In that case, each Japanese security division is considered to have an attack strength of one.

14.6 Scenarios. When using this option, the Chinese Communist army that normally starts the game behind Japanese lines isn't deployed. In its place the Allied player deploys two partisan units picked at random.

14.7 New Unit Mobilization Costs

Unit	Allied VP Cost	Notes
Amphibious Corps	21	1945
Airborne Division	12	1945
Partisan	-	Via Random Event & PSYWAR

14.8 New Units Abbreviations

• M: Marine Aviation Wing
• VAC: 5th Amphibious Corps

14.9 Historical Notes. The additional forces option gives players a chance to explore "what if" the US had decided to invade Formosa or the Asian mainland instead of the Philippines or continuing the Central Pacific offensive. There actually were such plan, but they were dropped in favor of the Philippines operation. That was in part due to political considerations: if American forces failed to liberate the Philippines it could have had considerable postwar implications for US power in the region. In this scenario, the Japanese get extra VPs if the Allies choose this option. The extra Allied supply unit represents the additional logistics the US would have brought to such an operation.

Partisans represent major concentrations of guerrilla forces, or guerrillas who were trained and led by the Allies, such as the Kachin Rangers in Burma. The limits on the countries in which they can be placed represent the historic level of partisan activities. It's easier to mobilize them in China and Indochina, for example, as those regions had large indigenous guerrilla movements.