GD '41
GD '41 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Part 1: Tactical Combat Series Rules, version 3.1
- Introduction
- 1.0 General Game Concepts
- 2.0 Sequences of Play
- 3.0 Units
- 4.0 Modes
- 5.0 Stacking
- 6.0 Command
- 7.0 Visibility and Weather
- 8.0 Line of Sight (LOS)
- 9.0 Fire Combat
- 10.0 Losses
- 11.0 Area Fire Combat
- 12.0 Point Fire Combat
- 13.0 The Suppressive Fire Action
- 14.0 Overwatch
- 15.0 AT Rolls
- 16.0 Morale
- 17.0 Artillery
- 18.0 Indirect Fire vs. Point Targets
- 19.0 Smoke
- 20.0 Movement
- 21.0 Minefields
- 22.0 Assault Combat
- 23.0 Overrun Combat
- 24.0 Consolidated Assault
- 25.0 Special Units
- 26.0 Aircraft
- 27.0 Night
- Designer's Notes (Version 3.1)
- Chart of Common Graphic Symbols (for Op Sheets)
- Part 2: GD '41 Game Rules (The Tula Road, 22-25 October 1941; TCS #2-09)
- Introduction
- 1.0 General Special Rules
- 2.0 German Special Rules
- 3.0 Soviet Special Rules
- 4.0 Scenarios
- Designer's Notes
- Historical Notes
- Player's Notes
- Guderian's Blitzkrieg Scenario (OCS)
- Counter Manifest & Order of Battle
- Terrain Effects on Movement and Combat
Part 1: Tactical Combat Series Rules, version 3.1
Introduction
Version 3.1
This is an update of the 3.0 rules to accommodate your comments and suggestions. The changes will stick out to people who are familiar with the 3.0 rules; those who aren't will be learning them fresh anyway. These rules are now set in stone and will hit version 3.2 only if some errata needs inclusion. You will find the game plays faster and cleaner as a result.
This rules version does not support the Modern Expansion rules presented in Force Eagle's War. Please use the 2nd Edition rules when playing that game. Otherwise, these rules are compatible with all earlier TCS games.
The Components
I. The Map. The map included in this game depicts the area in which the battle was fought. To eliminate troublesome folds, carefully backfold each crease. Secure the map to the playing surface with drafting tape or play it under Plexiglas to help protect your gaming investment.
A. The Hex Numbering System. Every hex on the game map is identified by a hex number (e.g. 29.17). The digits before the decimal point (29.xx) indicate the vertical hex column, reading along the map from left to right. The digits after the decimal point (xx.17) identify the exact hex in the column, reading from bottom to top. To reduce map clutter, hex numbers are printed only on every fifth row of hexes (xx.05, xx.10, xx.15). To find hex 29.17, for example, follow the xx.15 row until you find the 29.xx column, then count up two hexes to 29.17. If the game uses more than one map, any reference to a hex number will include the appropriate map letter, as in B29.17.
B. Map Edge Hexes. Only hexes with at least 1/2 hex showing are playable.
C. Off Map Movement and Fires. Unless specifically allowed in a given game, units cannot conduct any sort of off-map movement. Destroy units forced off the map. Artillery Fires which scatter off the game map have no effect on units on it.
II. The Rules. Every Gamers' Brand game contains separate Series and Game rulebooks. The Series rulebook contains the rules generally applicable to all the games in the series. The Game book gives the details needed for a specific game, including any special rules, scenarios, and set up information.
A. Organization. Section and Case numbers outline the rules. Each major grouping of the rules is a section; a paragraph within a rules section is a case. The number 4.2 would, for example, refer to section 4, case 2. A specific case can contain a number of related statements. Statements within a case are numbered as in 4.2a, 4.2b, etc.
B. Repetition. Once stated, a rule is repeated only if needed for clarification.
The rules use the term "Assault-style Combat" to replace the more tedious "Assault, Consolidated Assault, and Overrun Combats" with the same meaning.
III. Set Up Notes
- "w/i X" means set up the unit at or within X hexes of the listed hex.
- Units can set up in any mode and can be mounted or dismounted.
- Units can never start the game overstacked.
- Unless noted otherwise, units start at full strength.
- Where given, spread losses as equally as possible within the listed organization. If Losses are by type, eliminate the losses from that type.
- Historical orders are for informational purposes only. The player is free to create his Op Sheets before the game begins. All Op Sheets created before the game start play implemented. Unless the scenario requires otherwise, these can be of any type. Players cannot begin the game with unimplemented Op Sheets - these must be drawn up no earlier than turn one.
- In older games where an at-start value for "Company Morale" is given do the following: average the Company Morales of all the companies in the battalion (ignore companies which did not have Company Morale before), and divide the result by 5 (round normally). That is the Battalion Morale for that battalion at start.
Beginner's Note
If you are new to wargames, WELCOME! This is an exciting and challenging hobby that allows for more intellectual competition than almost any other game form. Each wargame, in addition to being a competitive activity, also gives players a glimpse of history in action unavailable elsewhere.
To learn to play, browse through the rules and other components to become familiar with them. Try to develop a good idea of what exists in the game and where to locate it. Then read through the rules lightly. Never attempt to memorize game rules! Set up a few units and run through the individual sequences with the rules handy to follow how they work. Allow the game to teach itself to you as you look up things you're unsure about. If something still confuses you or doesn't seem right, feel free to call or write to ask.
After learning the various procedures using a handful of units, set up the smallest or shortest scenario available in the game. Play it with a friend with the rules readily available. It will probably be best to not use the Command Rules in your first battle.
When you feel comfortable with the major game rules and the game's mechanics, read more closely the main Command Rules (6.0) and experiment with them. This system adds greatly to the game's realistic portrayal of WW II combat by imposing the limitations unavoidable in real battle.
By this time you will have mastered this game series and will be able to play any game in it with a minimal amount of rules learning. Good luck and good fighting!
Playing Solitaire
You can easily enjoy this game series solitaire. While such playings will lack the tension of not knowing the enemy's plan, this can be made up for by rigidly following the orders you give as intended at the time you wrote them.
Playing solitaire is best using the command system. You do not have to "forget" what the enemy is doing, etc. Play each side (orders and all) the best way you can. Do not write Op Sheets that directly counter the other side's intentions not yet shown by movements on the map. If you do, you will only destroy your own fun. Remember, the command system was not designed as a limited intelligence tool, but as a limitation on responsiveness. Play out the Op Sheets you've made up as you intended when you wrote them. Make no modifications to them because of changing circumstances. Assign any Op Sheets you want and force yourself to live with the consequences. The result will be a game that tells you its battle's story, and you can enjoy the fun. Playing solitaire with a scenario's optional historical orders can yield insights into how the actual commanders fought the battle.
1.0 General Game Concepts
1.1 Scale
Each turn is 20 minutes (one hour at night) and each hex 125-yards with a 20 meter contour interval. Some early games had a 10 meter contour interval. Most personnel units are generally platoons. Most weapons units (AT guns, etc.) represent a single gun, mortar, or artillery piece, and all vehicle units (tanks, recon vehicles, etc.) are individuals. Carriers (trucks, halftracks) represent sufficient vehicles to carry a full infantry platoon.
1.2 Retreat Rule
Players retreat their own units. A retreat must begin with the hex opposite the enemy action that caused it. If that first hex is blocked, you can substitute another. Following the first retreat hex, the retreat path can be anywhere, provided the unit does not circle back to its original location. If the unit is unable to retreat as required, destroy it. Retreating units do not generate Overwatch Triggers. Units must end their retreat further from all enemy units than when they began the retreat. Units which cannot do so are destroyed.
1.3 Standard Rounding Rule
Round .00 to .49 down, round .50 to .99 up.
When rounding must occur, do so only after making all modifications (before final application). In no case should you round a number before another manipulation.
Example: Three fires of 3 points each fire at a target. Each Firer is suppressed (meaning they fire at half strength). The total fire strength is 5.
1.4 Fog of War
To increase realism, a player should not be aware of the enemy's Op Sheets, Battalion Morale values, task organizations, artillery availability or ammunition, nor any future plans that might be converted into Op Sheets. It is OK to look at enemy stacks in this system.
1.5 Dice Rolls
Many two-dice rolls in this game system are sequential (in the 11..66 format). For those unaccustomed to sequential rolls, roll two dice. Read the red die as the tens digit and the white die as the ones. For instance, a roll of 3 on the red die and 4 on the white one would be 34.
2.0 Sequences of Play
In all cases requiring a die roll to determine the sequence of events, each player rolls two dice. The player with the higher roll chooses to be first or second. Reroll any ties.
2.1 Outline Sequence of Play
- Command Phase
- Aircraft Fire Phase
- Action Phases
- Clean Up Phase
- Turn End
2.2 Narrative Sequence of Play
Command Phase
Both players do the following:
- Accrue Weighted Turns.
- Make any implementation checks.
- Create new Op Sheets.
- Make any Task Organization changes.
- Make any Reserve or Alternate Die Roll Check attempts.
Do these only in the order above. When weather needs to be determined, do so on hourly turns (0600, 0700 etc.). Where aircraft sorties need to be determined by dice rolling, do so for the turn at this time.
Aircraft Fire Phase
Roll to determine which player fires first (see 2.0). One player at a time resolves all his available sorties in a single batch.
Action Phase
Roll to determine who conducts his phase first (see 2.0). Each player has his own separate Action Phase. Conduct them one right after the other.
Remove your own Battery and Battalion Barrage Markers from your last Action Phase, and place reinforcements on the appropriate map edge at the beginning of the phase. If an enemy Artillery Barrage Marker or an enemy unit blocks the precise hex of reinforcement entry, shift the reinforcements along the map edge anywhere at or within 10 hexes of the assigned entry hex. Reinforcements cannot be withheld until later turns.
In his Action Phase, a player can conduct Mode Change, Movement, Artillery Missions, Suppressive Fire Actions, Assault-style Combats (Overruns, Assaults, Consolidated Assaults), Overwatch Fires, Save Yourself Retreats (SYRs), Minefield Breaches, and By-Force Minefield Crossings. In either Action Phase both players can conduct appropriate Overwatch Fires.
Conduct these actions in any desired sequence or order.
At the end of your Action Phase, remove any Bad Shoot Barrage Markers from the map.
Clean Up Phase
Both players work together to do all of the following, ORDER is important:
- Remove all Suppressed, Buttoned Up, Illumination (Illum) and Fired Markers.
- Reduce all Paralyzed Markers to Suppressed Markers.
- Remove all regular smoke markers and Level 1 Smoke Barrage Markers.
- Flip all Level 2 Smoke Barrage Markers to Level 1 Smoke Barrage Markers.
- Both players recover their Battalion Morales simultaneously. Roll one die separately for each battalion with a non-zero Battalion Morale. If the roll is equal to or less than the battalion's current Battalion Morale, reduce that Battalion Morale by 1. On any other result, there is no effect.
Turn End Phase
Advance the Turn Marker ahead one space and, for another turn, proceed again from the beginning of the sequence.
2.3 Assault Sequence of Play
- Attacker announces intention to Assault a given hex
- Defender's fight or flee decision
- Attacker moves into hex
- The Defender Fires, followed by the Attacker
- Each target checks Morale right after being fired upon (perhaps before returning fire, depending on the firing order) EVEN if the Area Fire Table result does not call for a Morale Check - the unit MUST check Morale.
- The Attacker decides if he wants to continue the combat.
- If the combat continues, the attacking units must enter Fire Mode.
- Repeat above fire steps until the combat ends.
- No Overwatch Trigger is generated.
2.4 Overrun Sequence of Play
- Attacker enters hex (at a +3 MP cost)
- The Defender Fires, followed by the Attacker
- Each target checks Morale right after being fired upon (perhaps before returning fire, depending on the firing order) EVEN if the Area Fire Table result does not call for a Morale Check - the unit MUST check Morale.
- Attacker must exit hex.
- Exit hex is an Overwatch Trigger.
2.5 Consolidated Assault
- Attacker enters hex (at a +3 MP Cost to vehicles and carriers, no cost for infantry)
- Mounted attacking units may dismount
- The Defender Fires, followed by the Attacker
- Each target checks Morale right after being fired upon (perhaps before returning fire, depending on the firing order) EVEN if the Area Fire Table result does not call for a Morale Check - the unit MUST check Morale.
- The Attacker decides if he wants to continue the combat.
- If the combat continues, the attacking units must enter Fire Mode.
- Repeat above fire steps until the combat ends.
- No Overwatch Trigger is generated.
2.6 Artillery Fire Resolution Sequence
- Announce Target Hex, caliber of shells, ammunition type, type of fire (battery, battalion, fast fire, etc.) and spotter.
- Place Target Hex Marker.
- Use the Adjustment Table to determine if a Good, Bad, or No Shoot occurs. Scatter if appropriate.
- Replace the Target Hex Marker with the appropriate Barrage Marker.
- Resolve all fire combats in or adjacent to the Barrage Marker's Attack Zone.
3.0 Units
The game's playing pieces - the counters - represent combat units, vehicles, and informational markers. The word "unit" often denotes any counter representing troops or vehicles - as opposed to informational markers. Each unit belongs to one of the following categories: infantry, weapons, vehicle, or carrier.
3.0a Infantry Units. The infantry unit category includes not only infantry platoons, but also engineers, military police and other troop units. Infantry units are area-type targets and firers. They have Morale and make Morale Checks. Only this unit type can breach minefields or attack in Assault Combats and make AT Rolls.
3.0b Weapons Units. These units represent heavier weapons systems that require a crew of three or more. They generally have one step (MG units and mortar platoons have two). They have Morale and make Morale Checks. These units can never attack in Assault-style Combat, conduct minefield breaches, or make AT rolls.
3.0c Vehicle Units. A vehicle is an individual combat vehicle, such as a tank, assault gun, tank destroyer, or SP artillery, not specifically designed to carry passengers. These are generally Point targets armed with Point weapons. They can tow weapons. They do not have Morale and are capable of Overrun Combat. These units can carry other units using special rules.
3.0d Carrier Units. Carriers have a white box around their silhouette. These are trucks, halftracks, and other vehicles whose purpose is the transportation of men and equipment. They function like vehicles above, except that they can use the carrier rules to transport other units. They can tow weapons. They have no Morale and are capable of Overrun Combat.
3.0e The counters are coded for firing class and type. A box around the range number indicates an Area-type direct fire weapon. A circle around the range number indicates an Area-type indirect fire weapon. A white range number blocked in red indicates a Point-type firer's nominal range.
(Counter-anatomy diagram, "TCS Unit Explanations": An infantry platoon's Fire Mode side shows unit type/size symbol (a Platoon is indicated by three dots, a Section by two; Company and Battalion, Regiment and Division symbols are shown for higher units), Area Firepower, Range (a red square outline indicates direct fire), Firer Type (P = Point, A = Area), and Morale (white on red). Its Move Mode side shows the Movement Allowance (TO = Tow Only) and Target Type (P = Point, A = Area, B = Both). A typical vehicle shows Attack Rating, Nominal Range (white on red), and Point Defense (black in yellow). A carrier has a white box showing Carrier status. A mortar platoon shows caliber, Firepower, Range (a red circle indicates indirect fire) and Morale. Basic weapons symbols: AT Gun, MG (machine-gun), Infantry Gun, Mortar. Game markers shown: Turn, Day, Weather, Step Loss (one step down), Fired, Buttoned Up, Suppressed, Paralyzed, Illum Round, Mines/Minefield, Mine Breach, Smoke (Level 1, Level 2), Target Hex, Battery/Battalion Good Shoot and Bad Shoot, and Dug In.)
3.1 Target and Firer Types
There are two classifications on a unit's Move Mode side which give a unit's firer and target characteristics.
3.1a The target and firer types are Area-type (A-type) and Point-type (P-type), plus the combination target type called Both-type (B-type). A- or P-type firers engage A-type targets on the Area Fire Table. P-type firers engage P-type targets on the Point Fire Table. P-type firers can engage B-type targets on either table. A-type firers can fire only on the Area Fire Table, while P-type firers can fire on either table.
3.1b The abbreviations on the unit's back are: "A" for Area, "P" for Point, and "B" for Both. A "dash" in the firer type's place indicates a unit without a weapon or with a special classification (such as on-map artillery).
3.1c Whenever directing fires against a B-type target, the firing player must select the fire resolution method (Area or Point) before resolving his fire. B-type units are not subject to "double-jeopardy" whereby the same fire is used against them on each table in turn. The Artillery Point Fire Table does not affect B-type targets.
4.0 Modes
All units in the game have two modes: Fire and Move. Modes determine many of a unit's capabilities. The side of a counter facing up shows that unit's Mode.
4.1 Mode Change
A player can change unit modes during his Action Phase. Units can change from Move Mode to Fire Mode at NO Movement Point (MP) cost. It requires 1/2 of a unit's Movement Allowance (round normally immediately) to switch from Fire Mode to Move Mode. Tow-only units have an assumed Movement Allowance (MA) of two for this purpose. A unit may also be required to change mode, at no MP cost, when it conducts a Save Yourself Retreat (SYR), suffers a Suppressed or Paralyzed Morale result, or during an Assault-style combat.
4.1a Restrictions on Mode Change. Suppressed, Paralyzed, or Fired-marked units cannot change mode. Units required to change Mode (due to Morale results or Assault-style Combat) can do so even if Suppressed or Fired-marked. Units being towed or mounted on a carrier must remain in Move Mode. Being Buttoned Up has no effect on Mode Change ability or the MP cost to enter Move Mode.
4.2 Mode Effects
Units in Fire Mode can fire Suppressive Fire Actions or Overwatch. Move Mode units can move, conduct Assault-style Combats, Mount or Dismount carriers, and breach minefields. In Assault-style Combat, mode has no effect on the ability to fire. EXCEPTION: Even then, Move Mode Mortars and towed units CANNOT fire. Mode has no effect on the ability of a unit to spot for Mortars, BUT, in order to spot for Artillery Missions, a unit must be in Fire Mode and have been that way since the beginning of the current Phase.
5.0 Stacking
Stacking is the placing of more than one unit in a single hex. Enforce stacking limits at the end of each Action Phase and during the execution of Assault-style Combats (both sides can stack to the limits during Assault-style combats, count up each side independently of the other). The owning player destroys the excess in any overstacked hexes. The two stacking rules below do not affect each other in any way.
5.1 Stacking Limits
5.1a Vehicles and Carriers. No more than 5 vehicle and/or carrier units can stack in one hex.
5.1b Other Units. A maximum of 30 steps of other unit types can stack in a single hex.
5.1c Combinations. A single hex can hold the maximum of both 5.1a and 5.1b at the same time.
5.2 Handling Rules
5.2a Stacking and unstacking have no Movement Point cost. Stacks need not move together. Players can freely create and break up stacks during movement.
5.2b Units in a hex can be in any mode or Morale condition.
5.2c Friendly and enemy units can occupy a hex together only during an Assault-style combat. Units can never end a phase stacked with an enemy unit. Destroy units forced to enter an enemy occupied hex for reasons other than Assault-style attacks.
5.2d Unlike in some other Gamers brand games, both sides can examine the contents of any enemy stack at any time anywhere on the map.
6.0 Command
The command rules impose realistic limits on the player's ability to rapidly change missions. Create Op Sheets to define your objectives. The units on an Op Sheet must execute the mission on that sheet until they accomplish the mission, are reassigned, or the player cancels it.
6.1 Playing without Command (optional)
You can easily play without the formal command system. Skip all the rules in section 6. Players can easily choose between realism and simplicity to suit their tastes. The game design works with or without the Command Rules.
Some Tactical Combat Series games (such as Hunters from the Sky) do not make use of the main Command Rules. For those games, ignore all of the rules from 6.0 through 6.16. Special rules will cover Digging In in those games as section 6.16 would not be used. Check with the Game Specific rules to determine if the Command Rules apply. Unless the game rules specifically state they don't, the main Command Rules do apply.
6.2 Unit Actions Unaffected by Command
Op Sheets show only the functions of higher level units (battalions, etc.). Much of what unit counters do, while part of a higher plan, need not be mentioned or controlled by Op Sheets. These items include (but aren't limited to) fire combats (Overwatch or Suppressive Fire Action), exact unit movements, Assault-style attacks, minefield operations, and artillery fires. Play proceeds along Op Sheet frameworks, but Op Sheets do not control precise unit actions - as would be the case in games featuring plotted movement.
6.3 Units without Orders
Units not listed on a current implemented Op Sheet's Task Organization are in a "No Orders" Status and Unassigned. Only when a new Op Sheet which contains them implements does such a unit become "assigned" and leave No Orders Status.
6.3a Unassigned units must remain at or within 5 hexes of a specific center hex. The owning player chooses and records this center hex. He cannot change that hex unless the units become assigned and then unassigned again later or if 6.3c or 6.14a applies. Each center hex can be for as many units as the player wants.
6.3b Important: Unassigned units are never Dug In and CANNOT fire Suppressive Fire Actions (SFAs); they can fire Overwatch Fires. Otherwise, Unassigned units can freely move and fight within their 5 hex radius.
6.3c The player must give each unassigned unit group (those within the radius of a common hex) a contingency plan. They can be told to defend in place, but they can do so for no more than 3 turns. Such a group must also be told what to do upon reaching the time limit. Such instructions cannot be more complex than "retreat quickly to X" (X must be at least 10 hexes from the earlier center hex). Upon reaching X, the player must record a new center hex and the process begins again.
6.4 Higher Commander's Intent
The higher commander's intent drives the player's operations. These intents appear in the game rules. The intent is a battlefield vision that your commander wants you to create. You can freely use your units to make his intent come true. Your success on the game map will be judged by your success in achieving that intent. It will determine your victory or defeat.
6.5 Op Sheets
Each Op Sheet contains all the instructions for its Task Organization. An Op Sheet can be implemented or non-implemented. An Implemented Op Sheet has passed its Command Prep (see 6.9) and its units must now follow its instructions. Non-implemented Op Sheets are still in their Command Prep and cannot control their units.
(The rulebook shows several example Op Sheets - an Attack, a Prepared Defense, a Hasty Defense (elastic, and zone/sector) - each a form with Time, Type, Size, Task Organization, a map-sketch graphic, Written Notes, and Failure Instructions. Their diagrams are omitted.)
6.5a The Graphic. The graphic is a reduced version of the game map on which players draw up their operations. Other than the use of alternates, reserves, and the addition of new units to the Task Organization, make no changes to the graphic after creating it. We recommend the use of standard US Army (NATO) symbols. A list of useful symbols is on the back of the series rulebook. Players can use custom symbols as long as both players agree to their meaning. The graphic alone should provide much of the information needed for another person to understand the Op Sheet.
6.5b Written Notes. The written notes give the information needed to cement together the graphic's logic and order. Written notes should be as short as possible. They should explain the execution details for the graphic so another person can fully understand the Op Sheet.
6.5c Failure Instructions. Every Op Sheet must give instructions of what to do if it fails. The determination of failure is up to the owning player. These instructions must include where the units are to withdraw to await further orders. Failure instructions can only entail a rapid movement to a rear position, avoiding enemy contact on the way. Any parts of a Task Organization that execute failure instructions become unassigned.
6.6 Op Sheet Types
Each Op Sheet can entail a number of actions (movements, attacks, etc.). The number and type of "sub-missions" is unlimited. While a sheet can contain any number of sub-mission types, a given set of units on an Op Sheet can only have one. In other words, a company could never be ordered to attack a hill - and then defend it - on the same Op Sheet. That would take two separate Op Sheets. (For instance, a player can have an attack Op Sheet. Simultaneously he draws up a Prepared Defense Op Sheet. The defense accrues time while the attack is underway and the player doesn't roll for it until the objective is secured.)
Multiple sub-missions here refers to having a single Op Sheet which deals with a large number of units, say a regiment, in which one battalion is doing one job, and another is doing something else - no single batch of units (such as a battalion) is trying to pull off two successive tasks on the same Op Sheet.
It is OK to assign one element the job of attacking through a route to and through one hill and into another - that would be considered to be one attack. It is also allowed to generate a defense in zones which allow the player's units to defend one phase line after another as the situation develops. It is important to avoid being too "tight" in terms of the mission allowances for an Op Sheet - provided you are not setting up a single order to attack an objective and then defend it on the same Op Sheet, you are probably OK.
Identify each Op Sheet as one of four types: Attack, Hasty Defense, Prepared Defense, or Move. Categorize the Op Sheet itself according to the one highest ranking operation on it according to this order:
- Prepared Defense
- Attack
- Hasty Defense
- Move.
6.6a Prepared Defense. A Prepared Defense is similar to a Hasty Defense, except that there is enough time for the troops to dig in fully to include the laying of minefields.
6.6b Attack Type. An Attack-type Op Sheet is any that includes any offensive operations - even to occupy terrain not garrisoned by the enemy. A group of units in Reserve counts as a group with attack orders.
6.6c Hasty Defense. A Hasty Defense is a quick defensive order that does not allow enough time to dig in fully or lay mines.
6.6d Move Type. Move orders are for non-combat movement. Units with Move-type Op Sheets must follow failure instructions if they make enemy contact.
Design Note: The concept of attacking an objective while a defense order accrues time in your pocket might raise eyebrows. The point here is that only a limited amount of the time spent implementing a Prepared Defense is that actually spent digging (gamers typically think that the time it takes to put together a prepared defense is due to digging alone). Actually, the majority of the time is expended doing coordination with other friendly units (units in the area, supporting units, securing needed supplies, setting up artillery fires, etc.) in order to be "ready to defend." The actual digging does not take all that long and need not be finished for the unit to be "ready to defend" - indeed doctrine in most countries is that field position improvement is an on-going process that never is really finished. The time accrued represents the staff preparing for a mission it knows is coming up - not Snuffy digging a prepared hole that he carries with him in the attack...
Play Note: In conjunction with the above, be careful where your units are when you start rolling for a Prepared Defense - a lucky die roll might cause you to dig in at a location you don't want. Wherever all the units are the instant the roll is successful is where they will be dug in - so be careful.
6.7 Task Organization
List the units making up an Op Sheet in its Task Organization. The Task Organization must provide a complete unit listing for that Op Sheet. Units not so listed cannot operate as part of an Op Sheet. The player can assign his units (on or off map) to any Op Sheet he devises.
6.7a List all units that are to conduct an Op Sheet's operation on that sheet's Task Organization. Players can divide their units as they see fit. If a Task Organization contains the "304 PG Rgt," then that Op Sheet contains all the 304th Panzergrenadiers' elements - including those off-map. Off-map elements contained on a Task Organization do count for that sheet's size modifier. Never leave any doubt about which units are or aren't in a Task Organization.
6.7b Limitation on Op Sheet Assignments. Never list a unit on more than two Op Sheets (one implemented, one not, or two non-implemented ones - never two implemented Op Sheets).
6.8 Op Sheet Creation
Players can create Op Sheets both before the game and during any Command Phase. When drawn, Op Sheets are non-implemented (except for those drawn before the game, see III.6). When the player successfully rolls on the Command Prep Table, the Op Sheet is implemented. A player can draw up any number of Op Sheets in a turn. Complete all Op Sheet parts when first creating it. A player can assign any of his units (on or off map) to any Op Sheet. Forces placed on a new Op Sheet while under an old implemented one remain under the old sheet's control until the new one implements.
6.9 Command Prep
Each Op Sheet begins its "Command Prep" when the player creates it. The Command Prep ends when the player implements the Op Sheet using the Command Prep Table.
6.9a While not assigned to some implemented Op Sheet, units belonging to a non-implemented Op Sheet are unassigned (see 6.3).
6.9b The game rules give each side a Command Prep Rating. This rating reflects each side's command system's ability to conduct operations quickly, or - more specifically - to change plans rapidly.
6.9c Op Sheet Size. Op Sheet Size modifies the player's Command Prep Rating for use on the Command Prep Table. To find the appropriate size, determine the number of elements in the Task Organization. An "element" is the representation of battalions of any type. Extras - such as regimental AT guns, Weapons Companies, Scout platoons, and other items not represented by a battalion - do not count. No matter how much of a given element is present, count it as one element. A group containing three companies each from a different battalion would have a size of 3, while one that has all three companies from the same battalion would have a size of 1 (which becomes a 0 with the staff modifier (6.9d)). A group with an infantry battalion, two tank platoons (of the same battalion as each other) and an AT Gun (from the regimental weapons) would have a size of 2 (after 6.9d, this becomes a 1).
6.9d Staffs. Any Op Sheet having one or more battalion (or higher) staffs attached to it subtracts ONE from the Op Sheet size. A staff is attached if the Op Sheet has at least one whole battalion (which must include all parts not in the dead pile) assigned to it. Multiple staffs do not give additional modifications.
For example, a full Infantry Battalion would normally get a size of 1, but since it has a staff attached the size is 0.
6.9e Weighted Turns. Each turn, a non-implemented Op Sheet accrues "weighted turns" representing the value of the time spent preparing. Before checking any Op Sheets for implementation in each Command Phase, add a number of marks (according to the following) to each sheet's tally. The number of marks made each turn depends on the condition of the units in each Op Sheet's Task Organization. If all the Op Sheet's members are unassigned AND none received any direct fires in the previous turn, the number is 3 weighted turns. If some (or all) are assigned, BUT none received direct fires in the previous turn, then the number is 2 weighted turns. If ANY member of the Task Organization received DIRECT fires in the previous turn, then the number is 1 weighted turn. If Task Organization falls into more than one category, it gets the smallest applicable number.
Example: Weighted Turns. The weighted turns given to each Op Sheet each turn is a simple idea that looks confusing as a rule, but is easy to understand by example. Weighted turns represent the preceding turn's value for mission preparation (and the tally likewise represents the summation of the earlier turns for this purpose). Obviously, units under fire require much longer to prepare for new missions than those in protected assembly areas. So, if you have three groups, one attacking a hill, one in defense, and another in an assembly area, they would get 1, 2, and 3 turns of credit or weighted turns respectively each turn. If each group was fired upon with direct fires in the preceding turn, they would each get only one turn of credit.
6.9f The Command Prep Table. During each Command Phase, the player can attempt to implement each of his non-implemented Op Sheets. The player is never forced to try to implement an Op Sheet. Use the Command Prep Table to implement Op Sheets. Add the total weighted turns accrued so far and follow the row giving the Op Sheet's type across to find the column containing that number. Modify your Command Prep Rating for the Op Sheet's "size" (6.9c & 6.9d). Find the row containing the modified Command Prep Rating and cross index it with the column found earlier to locate the table's value. Roll two dice. If the roll is greater than or equal to the table's value, implement the Op Sheet. Otherwise, the attempt fails, and you can try again next turn. Roll separately for each Op Sheet.
Example: The Command Prep Table. A player has a non-implemented attack Op Sheet with a full regiment on it awaiting implementation. So far it has accrued (it is sitting in a protected assembly area) 27 weighted turns. It has a size of 2 (three battalions less the staff modifier). The player has a Command Prep Rating of 3. Cross indexing the modified Command Prep Rating (5) with the 27 weighted turns (along the Attack-type line) gives a required roll of 10 or more. The player rolls two dice and gets a 6. The order does not implement...and the player curses his bad luck and threatens to sack the regimental commander.
On the next turn, he tries again. This time he has accrued 30 weighted turns (three more for this last turn) that changes the needed roll to a 8. The player grits his teeth and rolls the dice getting an 8 implementing the Op Sheet. Elated at this turn of events, the player chortles his approval thereby warning the sly mug across the table to watch out. Our hero realizes this and kicks himself for his lack of a poker face and promises himself to do better next time.
6.10 Implementation
Upon a successful roll on the Command Prep Table, an Op Sheet implements. The player must follow each implemented Op Sheet until he removes that sheet by whatever means: mission completion, failure, or unit reassignment.
6.10a Newly implemented Op Sheets always supersede older ones whenever a conflict arises, and the "age" of an Op Sheet is always dependent on when the sheet was implemented, not when it was written.
6.10b The player is free to use his units as he sees fit in following Op Sheet instructions, but he must follow them. He is free to vary his operational tempo for any reason he chooses, provided he does not violate Op Sheet instructions.
6.11 Mission Success
At some point the player can find that he has successfully fulfilled an Op Sheet's instructions. Once a mission succeeds, the units become unassigned (6.3). Remove completed Op Sheets from play.
6.12 Mission Failure
Every Op Sheet requires instructions about what to do if it fails. The decision to call off a mission rests solely with the player. The player can decide to start executing Failure Instructions in any friendly phase.
6.12a Any group moving via failure instructions must avoid enemy contact. If it cannot do so, the player must give it new failure instructions in the next Command Phase. Units cannot follow failure instructions which force them to move toward enemy locations - it is possible they might not be able to move at all, but be pinned in the middle of enemy territory as unassigned units - and that's bad.
6.12b It is possible for only a portion of a Task Organization to fail. An example would be a battalion defense where one company gets hammered, while the others are OK. Cross out the failed units from the Op Sheet and allow them to independently follow the failure instructions.
6.12c Any group of units from an Op Sheet which follow their failure instructions automatically become unassigned.
6.13 Special Handling Issues
6.13a Removing Units from an Implemented Op Sheet. If a new Op Sheet implements listing all or some of another implemented Op Sheet's Task Organization, erase the reassigned units from the older Op Sheet. Also, a player can voluntarily scratch off units in a Task Organization during any Command Phase and make them unassigned.
6.13b Removing Units from a Non-implemented Op Sheet. The player can scratch off units on such a Task Organization during any Command Phase. DO NOT adjust the Op Sheet's size modifier.
6.13c Adding Units to an Existing Implemented Op Sheet. To add units, draw their part on the graphic and add the written notes. Add them to the Task Organization. Those units (only) must go through the implementation process (using the staff modification from the gaining sheet, if any, and the size of the adding force only - determine weighted turns based on the adding force only) and they cannot function with their new Op Sheet until they implement it themselves.
6.13d Adding Units to an Existing Non-implemented Op Sheet. These units cause the subtraction of 3 weighted turns per element (battalion) added. The result must be the actual remainder or zero, whichever is more. Change the size modifier to reflect the new Op Sheet size. No other delays incur by adding units to an existing non-implemented Op Sheet.
6.13e Reinforcements and Op Sheets. Handle these according to 6.13c, 6.13d above or allow them to enter unassigned and write up a new Op Sheet for them. It is also perfectly acceptable to write up Op Sheets for reinforcements ahead of their arrival. Count all turns accrued before arrival at the 3 per turn weighted level.
6.14 Special Instructions
The following are different in some respects from the foregoing and supersede the earlier rules where conflict exists.
6.14a Preliminary Instructions. Follow these immediately - before the Op Sheet implements. Use preliminary instructions to get units to a common assembly area to prepare for future combat operations. When drawing up a new Op Sheet, the player can list any preliminary instructions he wants. These units must avoid all enemy contact during this movement.
Drop units from any implemented Op Sheet they might be on if assigned Preliminary instructions. They perform the instructions and are then unassigned.
6.14b Reserves. Use reserves to give Op Sheets a bit more flexibility. Designate reserves when drawing up the Op Sheet. Any portion of an Op Sheet can be in reserve. Consider an Op Sheet's reserves to have Attack-type orders for implementation purposes. Uncommitted reserves are unassigned. To commit a reserve, the player must first draw in the reserve's intended use on the Op Sheet's graphic (which cannot be changed later) and successfully pass a Die Roll Check (see 6.14d). Non-implemented Op Sheets cannot make any use of their reserves.
6.14c Alternates. A player can list alternate routes and/or objectives on an Op Sheet. The player can switch to these in the same way as he commits reserves. Draw alternates on the graphic when creating the Op Sheet. Once a player switches his Op Sheet to its alternates, he cannot later switch back.
6.14d Die Roll Checks. To commit a reserve or switch to alternates, make a Die Roll Check in the Command Phase. Conduct a Die Roll Check as follows: Roll one die. If the roll is greater than or equal to the Command Prep Rating of the checking side, then the Die Roll Check is successful. Otherwise, it has no effect. A player with a Command Prep rating of 7 or more cannot pass a Die Roll Check and is therefore unable to use Alternates or Reserves.
Example: Die Roll Check. A player with a Command Prep Rating of 3 wants to release a reserve. To perform his Die Roll Check, he rolls one die and gets a 3. He can release his reserve.
Play Note: It is possible (for some armies, anyway) to establish Op Sheets which consist of nothing but reserves. That allows a player a great deal of flexibility when he doesn't know where the enemy might be coming from. Such play is allowed, but must be used with care so as to not lose track of your own forces.
(An example night-attack Op Sheet with a supporting attack and a main effort, including preliminary movement to points of departure, is shown here in the rulebook; its diagram is omitted.)
6.15 Line Entry Command (optional)
Line Entry Command is a shorthand version of the command system. It does require a fair degree of honesty to use, since there is no graphic to follow.
6.15a For each Op Sheet in this system, allocate one line on a piece of paper. Enter the units involved on the left followed by the Op Sheet size and type. Jot down the mission of the units (e.g., Attack to capture village A).
6.15b Each Command Phase, jot down the weighted turns and make any implementation rolls normally. Place a check mark to the right of any line that implements.
6.15c You must come up with an idea of how you want to execute the mission when it is first written and follow that plan when it implements - regardless of changing circumstances.
6.16 Digging In
Digging In is a condition of a task force with an implemented Prepared Defense Op Sheet. Digging In is a property of an Op Sheet and not usually shown mechanically (but see 6.16f). All members of a Task Organization with an implemented Prepared Defense Op Sheet are Dug In. No other units are ever Dug In.
6.16a A unit loses its Dug In status if it leaves its hex. Units cannot reoccupy the hex to regain the benefit. A hex is Dug In only for the units in a hex at the moment the Op Sheet implements. Changing mode does not cancel the Dug In status of a hex.
6.16b Any number of units in a hex can be Dug In.
6.16c Players must keep track of which units are or aren't Dug In (see 6.16f).
6.16d Vehicle and Carrier units cannot be Dug In.
6.16e Op Sheet Changes & Requirements. Any change in an Op Sheet causing a unit to become unassigned or assigned to some mission other than Prepared Defense (Prepared Defense in the same location, that is), causes the unit to automatically lose Dug In status. Units assigned to an implemented Prepared Defense Op Sheet are Dug In only if the mission they are to conduct is also Prepared Defense.
6.16f A limited number of Dug In Markers are available in some TCS games. Even in these games there is not enough of these markers to mark every Dug In unit on the map - they are intended to help in areas where players might get confused.
7.0 Visibility and Weather
The individual game rules can give visibility and weather effects. When not explicitly given, there are no special effects due to weather.
7.0a Visibility is the maximum range at which LOSs can be unblocked. LOSs longer than the current Visibility are automatically blocked.
7.0b Weather can apply restrictions according to the game rules. When used, determine the Weather every hour turn during the Command Phase by a die roll on the Weather Table. The Weather determined affects the entire hour after the roll.
7.0c Night has its own effect on visibility (see 27.0).
7.1 Spotting Ranges
The ranges at which certain types of fires can occur is limited by "Spotting Ranges." Regardless of the appropriate Spotting Range, firing range might be still further limited by LOS (8.0) and weapon ranges.
7.1a The available Spotting Ranges are given on the Spotting Range Chart. The player must know the type of fire (Suppressive Fire Action, Fire-based Overwatch, or Movement-based Overwatch), the target type, the firer type, the range, and the target hex's terrain type. The Spotting Ranges are meant to be intuitive and easily memorized.
7.1b Regardless of other circumstances, fires are not allowed beyond the appropriate Spotting Range.
7.1c In the case of spotters for Mortars, the range from the spotter is used, NOT the range from the Mortar itself.
7.1d In the case of mixed Target or Firer types, apply the following. In the case of the Target, use the type with the longest Spotting Range. In the case of the Firer or Spotter, use the type with the shortest Spotting Range.
Design Note: Probably the most important feature of the modern battlefield is the fact that to any one observer on it, there is little or nothing to see. This has been termed the "Empty Battlefield". Even what appears to be "open" terrain is filled with minor obstructions to observation (trees, bushes, high grass, walls, small buildings, depressions, gullies, drainage ditches, and so on) making what appears to be an easy task to the game player (seeing what's coming at him) impossible. Rather than to attempt to control what a player knows, these rules inhibit his ability to use that knowledge. Furthermore, when you see that infantry running up the "barren" hill at you, remember there is a lot of firing going on which is beyond your control and of too little effect to worry about - the pot-shots of individual riflemen who are engaging fleeting targets of opportunity.
8.0 Line of Sight (LOS)
A Line of Sight (LOS) check determines if two units can see (and fire on) each other. Newer games have a hex center dot to facilitate these rules. Older games in the series (1991 and earlier) do not.
8.1 General Rule
8.1a LOS is determined by tracing a straight line from one hex's center dot to another. A thread or cut rubber-band can be of help. Features that lie along this line might block LOS.
8.1b Determining a Point or Hex's Elevation. The map has been printed with contour lines (natural measurements of the ground elevations) and a color-coding to assist in determining the elevation of any hex. The elevation of a particular contour line is given along the line in meters. The Contour Interval (vertical distance between the lines) is 20 meters. Ignore "Spot Elevations" and "Benchmarks" when evaluating elevations; they are for location reference only. The judgment of the elevation of a point falls into one of three categories:
A) Hilltops. A Hilltop is an area encircled by one last high contour line (possibly with the help of the map edge) and does not contain any contour lines higher than that top line. Elevations on a Hilltop are equal to the contour line encircling the feature. Hilltops are, in effect, flat.
B) Between or On Contour Lines. Draw a line through the point being evaluated which is perpendicular to the next higher and next lower contour lines. This line must begin at the next lower and end at the next higher contour lines. Determine which quarter mark the point is closest to (0/4, 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4). Add this proportion of the contour interval (20m) to the lower of the two contour lines used (you'll add one of the following: 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20). In other words, a point which falls closest to the 1/4 mark above the 30 meter contour line would have an elevation of 35 meters. Accuracy beyond 5 meters is not required. The case where a contour line goes right through the point is the easiest - read the value of that contour line and that is the elevation.
C) Bottoms. A Bottom is the inverse of a Hilltop. It is an area encircled by one last low contour line (possibly with the help of the map edge) and does not contain any contour lines lower than that final line. Elevations in a Bottom are equal to the contour line encircling the feature. Bottoms are, in effect, flat.
(Diagram "Elevation Determination": a contour sketch with lettered points A-L and their elevations, showing the perpendicular lines used. Elevations: A 100 (Hilltop), B 95, C 100, D 85, E 65, F 55, G 80 (Hilltop), H 70, I 55, J 50, K 60, L 40 (Bottom).)
8.2 Determining LOS
8.2a Rules of Thumb. If terrain along the line between the firer and the target is higher than both, the LOS is blocked. Terrain lower than either never blocks. If this principal does not decide the issue, follow the LOS Decision Rule (8.2b) below.
8.2b LOS Decision Rule
Step 1: Determine a straight line between the firer and target hex centers.
Step 2: Determine each end point's elevation.
Step 3: The targeted player selects a point of his choice along the LOS line as his "Point of Contention." Select any point along the line not in, or along the hexsides, of either end hex. (EXCEPTION: in Movement-based Overwatch Trigger spotting, he can select any point in the target's hex closer to the firer than the trigger's hexside.) He can select only one point and cannot later change it due to a bad choice.
Step 4: Determine the ground level of the Point of Contention (including modifiers), as well as the distance in hexes from the Lower End Point to both the Point of Contention and to the Higher End Point, and the Higher and Lower End Point elevations.
Step 5: Work through the following formula, if the selected Point of Contention is greater than or equal to the result, the LOS is blocked. Otherwise, the LOS is not blocked.
d(H-L)/D + L where...
- d = The distance from the Point of Contention to the Low End Point.
- H = The raw elevation of the High End Point.
- L = The raw elevation of the Low End Point.
- D = The distance from the High End Point to the Low End Point.
(Diagram "The LOS Formula": if the test value, d(H-L)/D + L, is less than the elevation of Point C [the Point of Contention], then the LOS is blocked.)
Line of Sight Issues
Hexside LOS: Unit A moves into hex B. Enemy unit C attempts to spot the Overwatch trigger along the center of the hexside unit A used to get into B along the LOS C. This LOS is blocked by the edge of the woods at E, so no Overwatch fire is possible.
Hex Dot LOS: In another phase, the LOS between units A and C comes up again when unit C wishes to fire an SFA at unit A. This time, the LOS is to the center dot of unit A's hex and is not blocked by the woods as before. Unit C couldn't engage A when it moved into position, but it can now AFTER A enters Fire Mode.
Formula Calculation: B is attempting to fire upon A, but the LOS is contended over point C. Point C has an elevation of 30 m which becomes 50 m because of the woods. d = 3 hexes, H = 60m, L = 25m, D = 8 hexes, giving the formula set up as 3*(60-25)/8 + 25 = 38.125, which is less than Point C, so the LOS is Blocked.
Example: Working through the LOS Formula. The players run into a dispute over LOS which cannot be resolved to both's satisfaction by "eye-balling" the terrain. The LOS is from a AT Gun to a Movement-based Overwatch trigger generated by a moving tank. The moving player selects a point along the LOS which is atop a small hill which has forest on it. The elevation of the Point of Contention is determined to be 40 meters (the elevation of the last contour line of the hill the PoC is on) plus 20 meters for the trees, for a total of 60 meters. The Higher End Point is determined to be 125 meters (it is slightly above the 120 meter contour line). The Lower End Point is in a hex where the center dot lies right on the 20 meter line, so it is 20 meters. The distance between the Lower End Point and the Point of Contention is 6 hexes and between the Lower End Point and the Higher End Point is 15 hexes. This sets up the formula as follows: 6*(125-20)/15 + 20 which equals 62 meaning the LOS is not blocked, but was very close.
8.3 Effects and Restrictions
8.3a LOS is either blocked or unblocked. Blocked LOSs do not allow fire combat or spotting to occur between the hexes in question. Unblocked LOSs allow fire combat and spotting in both directions. LOS has no other effects.
8.3b Trees (in forest, woods, hedgerow, orchard and other symbols) and buildings (alone or in towns and villages) add 20 meters to the ground's elevation if at the Point of Contention.
8.3c Units can always fire into or out of - but not through - forest, orchard, and town or village hexes. If the elevations work out correctly, it is possible to fire over these features. See also 8.3h.
8.3d Units have no effect on LOS.
8.3e Features within an end-point hex of an LOS never block an LOS, with the exception of when the Overwatch Trigger is in the center of the hexside a unit crossed to enter the hex - in that case, features in the end-point hex can block LOS.
8.3f Smoke and artillery Attack Zones are an infinitely high LOS block in its hex and hexsides. LOSs can freely pass into or out of such hexes, but never through them.
8.3g LOSs are never blocked into a unit's adjacent hexes. (This supercedes 8.3e.)
9.0 Fire Combat
Fire combat occurs in two forms in this game system: Area and Point. Area Fires are sprayed into a hex. Point Fires are aimed shots at a specific target within a hex. Firing types are either Area or Point. An Area weapon can only use the Area Fire Table. Point weapons can use either the Point Fire Table or the Area Fire Table.
Fire combats occur in the Action Phases as Suppressive Fire Actions (SFAs), Overwatch Fires, or Assault-style Combats. Artillery Barrage Markers automatically attack any unit which enters a hex in or adjacent to their Attack Zones.
9.1 General Restrictions on Fire Combat
9.1a A unit can fire as many times in an Action Phase as it has Overwatch Triggers, plus up to one Suppressive Fire Action. Mortar units can only fire ONCE per Action Phase (for a total of TWICE in a turn).
9.1b Only units in Fire Mode can fire. EXCEPTION: Mode has no effect on the ability to fire in Assault-style combat or to conduct AT Rolls, but EVEN in Assault-style Combat, Move Mode Mortars CANNOT fire.
9.1c Non-Artillery Fires have no effect on other units which are not in the target hex.
9.1d All direct fires require an unblocked LOS from the firer to the target. Indirect weapons (such as Mortars and artillery) require an unblocked LOS from a spotter to the target.
9.1e The Area Fire Table firepower of Suppressed and Buttoned Up units is x1/2. Paralyzed units generally cannot fire, but when they can, treat them as Suppressed.
9.1f Mounted units can fire only in Assault-style combat. Towed units can never fire.
9.1g No single unit can split its fire into multiple targets. Exception: The Pillboxes in Omaha which have two weapons systems each can fire these weapons individually at the same or different targets - together or separately.
9.2 Target Type Restrictions
A unit's target type (Point, Area, or Both) determines how an enemy unit can engage it. Point targets are hard vehicles that require a direct hit to be destroyed. Area targets are soft units and subject to elimination by random shots or explosive bursts. B-type targets are large enough to be aimed at and destroyed by Point weapons, but are soft enough to be destroyed by MG fires. A unit's target type appears on the counter's back.
9.2a Engage Point targets with the Point Fire Table, AT Rolls, and the Artillery Point Target Fire Table.
9.2b Engage Area targets on the Area Fire Table.
9.2c Engage B-type targets with the Point Fire Table, AT Rolls, or the Area Fire Table. Do not engage B-type units with the Artillery Point Fire Table - apply the artillery fires to the Area Fire Table instead.
9.3 Terrain Effects on Fire Combat
Each fire table gives terrain effects for each of four different classes of terrain: Billiard Table, Open, Partly Protective, and Protective. The Terrain Effects Chart will list the class of each of the game's terrains.
9.3a The applicable terrain effects are those of the target's hex and hexsides. Use the most protective terrain of the target hex when resolving a fire combat - therefore, a hex with some Open terrain and a small amount of forest (Partly Protective) would be considered to be Partly Protective.
9.3b Terrain has no effect on Area Fire Table rolls caused by minefields.
10.0 Losses
Losses for all units are in steps. Different unit types have different numbers of steps available. Mark step losses by placing Step Loss markers under the unit.
10.0a Infantry Platoons have five steps. Mortar Platoons, Infantry Sections, and MG units have two steps. All other units have one step.
10.0b Step losses do not affect the firepower of most units, but they do affect Morale Checks (see 16.2). Important: Mortar Platoons, however, have their Fire Strength HALVED if they have lost one of their steps.
Design Note: The lack of effect due to hits in, say, an infantry platoon, can seem odd at first and - in fact - earlier versions of this system did include a reduced firepower rule. After some reflection, I determined that this degradation was inappropriate. The reason? Let's take the infantry platoon as an example...all but one point of most infantry unit's firepower comes from its machineguns. As the unit takes losses, unless one of the guns is destroyed (unlikely) the platoon will scramble to ensure that the guns are manned and firing right up to the end. So, while that one point of firepower keeps dropping due to losses, the bulk of the firepower remains the same until the last step (the last six guys available to feed the "pigs,") is destroyed and no one is left to man the guns. Disagree if you like, but I believe history, and the inner workings of infantry units bear this out. A much more important method of reducing enemy fire effectiveness is suppression by fire, both in real life and here.
10.0c Whenever a fire table result calls for one or more step losses, adjust the markers under the target units and kill off any that reach their step loss limit. Permanently remove destroyed units from play.
10.0d Step losses belong to the unit that incurred them. Never transfer, absorb, or consolidate them with other units.
10.0e Ignore casualties in excess of the number of steps in a stack.
10.0f In Area Fires, step losses can come from any unit in the hex - BUT the first loss must come from the largest unit (in steps) in the hex. After that first loss, remaining losses can come from any unit in the hex. After the first step loss, split the remaining step losses in half and round normally. The defending player selects which units to inflict those losses upon. After these losses are taken, the attacking player inflicts the remaining losses (those left-over after the division by 2 and rounding procedure) on the units of his choice.
Example: Loss Distribution. Player A makes an Area Fire attack against a stack of Player B's units. The Area Fire Table result turns out to be 8 steps plus a Morale Check (a Three Dice result totaling 16 which is divided by 2). After Player B gets done screaming at Player A and kicking furniture around the room, they must inflict the 8 steps. There are two infantry platoons and an AT Gun in the target hex. First, they take the very first step loss from one of the infantry platoons. This leaves 7 steps to distribute. They divide the 7 by 2 and round normally to get 4. Player B inflicts 4 step losses between the two infantry platoons. Player A then gets to inflict the remaining 3 step losses. He takes great care to kill off the AT Gun and then to hit the infantry platoon hard which has the worst morale of the two - thereby setting up the target hex for a big failure when it comes time to do the Morale Check required of the Area Fire Table result. Player B swears under his breath.
11.0 Area Fire Combat
Resolve fires against area targets using the Area Fire Table. Handle the attack as one strike against the hex, with all Area and B-type targets being attacked together. Note that Area- and P-type firers can combine directly to make common Area Target attacks. Point weapons can make such shots (and add in with other units) at ranges up to 2x their nominal range, inclusive.
Procedure: Identify the Target Hex and the firers. Total the applied firepower and find the column heading containing that amount. Apply any applicable column shifts from the lists above the table. After finishing the above, roll two dice on the table and read the result. Apply the result. If one or more step losses or a Morale Check result occurs, do a Morale Check on the stack.
11.1 Restrictions
11.1a Area Fires do not affect P-type targets. Exception: See Buttoning Up, 16.7. Ignore P-type targets and anything mounted in Half-tracks (count things being towed) when calculating the stacking modification for an Area Fire Combat.
11.1b Any of the eligible target units in a hex can be used to satisfy the loss required (given 10.0f). If a carrier is destroyed, automatically destroy any mounted or towed units with it.
11.1c A hex which does not contain any targets susceptible to the Area Fire Table can be engaged anyway. See Buttoning Up, 16.7.
11.1d A hex can be fired upon any number of times in a single phase.
11.1e Apply the Range Shift of the longest range firer (or spotter, in the case of Mortars) involved. No range modification is ever used when the Area Fire Table is used to resolve Artillery or Sortie attacks.
Design Note: The longest ranged firer is used to help the game inhibit giant consolidated and coordinated shots (quite rare in real life, but all too common in wargames) from occurring. The game was designed to highlight and reward the kind of close-in sporadic fighting that did occur - not the typical wargame 'everyone within two klicks fire up that platoon in hex 12.34' shot.
11.1f Combat results on the Area Fire Table appear as step losses. Sometimes the casualty result gives a number of dice. In those cases, roll that number of dice and divide the results by 2. If the casualties are high enough as a result of the Area Fire Table result, one or more might be added to the Battalion Morale of units in the hex - see the Battalion Morale Additions Chart with the Area Fire Table for details.
11.1g While it is generally true that units can fire any number of times in a turn (given appropriate triggers and the like) there are two important restrictions to keep in mind: No unit can ever perform more than one Suppressive Fire Action in a turn and Mortars can fire only ONCE per Action Phase (for a total of twice per turn).
11.1h Any unit which enters any hex in or adjacent to a Barrage Marker's Attack Zone is automatically attacked by that marker. Units in hexes in the Attack Zone are attacked with full strength. Those in hexes adjacent to the Attack Zone are attacked with half strength. Separately handle this attack on the moving units the instant the units enter such a hex. Repeat the attack (from the same or different Artillery Barrage Markers) each time they enter such a hex. The attack made on the moving units does not involve or affect any units which already happen to be in the hex. If more than one Barrage Marker affects a given hex, make one attack with the cumulative firepower of all the Barrage Markers affecting the hex.
Example: Area Fires. One player announces an Area Fire in the form of a Suppressive Fire Action on a hex containing three halftracks with two mounted platoons and one dismounted platoon. It is in Open terrain and some of the units are in Move Mode. The attacking strength is 11 and all the firing units (including the Mortar's spotter, but not the Mortar unit itself, which does not matter) are 4 hexes away.
The 11 firepower gives the 10-12 column which is not shifted for the open terrain, nor for the 4-hex range, but is shifted +1 for the Move Mode units. Only the non-mounted platoon counts for stacking, so there are 8 steps in the hex giving another +1 shift. The total shift is +2 and the fire is resolved on the 17-20 table.
The firing player rolls two dice rolling a 46 which is a "One Die x 1/2" result. The player then rolls one die (getting a 5) and divides the result by 2 which gives 2.5 which is rounded to 3 losses. No addition is made to the Battalion Morales of the units in the hex. The owning player kills one step from one of the platoons in the hex. The remaining two step losses are split between the firing and targeted players. The targeted player applies his to another mounted infantry platoon (knowing full well what the firer will do with his step loss, he wants to mitigate his situation as best he can). The firer predictably uses his step loss to kill one of the halftracks (which takes one of the mounted platoons (sans a step) with it). The targeted player then goes on to make his Morale Check using the vaporized platoon's morale plus its dead steps.
11.2 The Crossfire Modifier
The modifier for Crossfire requires a bit more explanation than other table modifiers, so it gets this special rules section.
11.2a Requirements. For a fire resolution and its corresponding Morale Check to apply the Crossfire Modifiers, ALL of the following must apply:
- The fire attack must be on the Area Fire Table.
- The fire attack must be from a simultaneous Suppressive Fire Action (SFA) from two or more units. (Fires in a single SFA which are not resolved simultaneously do not count.)
- The incoming fire must include at least two non-adjacent hexsides (see the diagram in the rulebook). The firing player can only count one hex corner in his favor - if two hex corners are involved, one must favor the targeted player.
(Diagram: "A few examples of the requirements of the Crossfire Modifier" - fire arcs into a hex, showing cases where Crossfire is allowed and not allowed, given that other conditions are met. In the one corner case, the hexside counting as in the firer's favor is the only one that counts.)
11.2b Apply the Morale Table Crossfire Modifier if the Area Fire Table result which generated the Morale Check was eligible for its Crossfire Modifier according to the above.
12.0 Point Fire Combat
Point fire combat represents the fire of precision weapons against relatively large individual targets (such as vehicles or AT Guns) where a kill results from a direct hit. Resolve Point fires on the Point Fire Table.
Procedure: Total the applicable modifiers from the lists above the Point Fire Table. The total of the modifiers (the Net Modifier row to use) can be either positive or negative. Subtract the Defender's Defense value from the Attacker's Attack value to determine the Firing Differential column to use.
Using the Point Fire Table, cross index the Net Modifier with the Firing Differential to find a list of three numbers. They are the kill rolls for Close, Nominal, and Long ranges respectively. Select the one that applies to the fire. If your kill roll is a "P" instead of a number, a kill is not possible and the shot was wasted.
Roll two dice. If the roll is equal to or greater than the kill roll, the target is killed and Button Up others in the hex (16.7). Otherwise, there is no effect.
12.1 Restrictions & Special Cases
12.1a Identify each firing unit and its target. A given target can be engaged by as many or as few firers as the player wants, given the rules about Suppressive Fire Actions and Overwatch.
12.1b The range printed on the front of a Point weapon counter is its "Nominal" range. The weapon range categories are Close (less than or equal to 1/2 printed range), Nominal (greater than 1/2 and less than or equal to the printed range), and Long (greater than the printed range and less than or equal to 2x the printed range).
12.1c Missed shots, against any target, have no effect at all. In a number of cases, the Point weapon unit is better off engaging its target by using the Area Fire Table.
12.1d Automatically destroy any Mounted and Towed units whose carrier is destroyed.
12.1e The firing player can selectively target Point Fires against towed units, and such fires do not affect the towing unit regardless of the result.
12.1f Point Fire attacks with a Firing Differential of -5 or less are allowed (if a player mistakenly declares such an attack), but have no possibility of a kill.
12.1g See also the effects of Buttoning Up, 16.7.
12.1h B-type targets which have a Morale value on their counter's front instead of a Defense Value are assumed to have a Defense value of Zero.
Example: Point Fire Combat. A Panther fires on a Fire Mode Sherman at range 8 in Open terrain. This is a long range shot for the Panther (whose nominal range is 7). The following determine the Net Modifier: Open terrain +2, Target in Fire Mode -1, SFA fires +2, so the Net Modifier is +3. The Firing Differential is 5 (the Panther's Attack Rating) less 3 (the Sherman's Defense Rating) for a final differential of +2.
The cross index between the +3 Net Modifier and the +2 Firing Differential yields 22, 25, 51 of which the 51 applies to this combat because of the long range. The player rolls a 43 which is a miss and there is no effect on the Sherman.
The Sherman uses the Panther's fire as an Overwatch Trigger with which to return fire. Use the same Net Modifier (since the Panther, too, is in the Open in Fire Mode) but without the +2 for SFA fires so the Net Mod is now +1, and the Firing Differential is now -1 (the Sherman's attack is 3 (a short barreled 75mm gun) and the Panther's Defense is 4). The range for the Sherman is also Long.
The cross index this time gives 42, 52, 61 and use the 61 (for Long range). The player rolls two dice and manages to roll 62 which kills the Panther.
13.0 The Suppressive Fire Action
The Suppressive Fire Action (SFA) is the only non-Overwatch Fire method. Doing an SFA together is the only way for units in multiple hexes to engage a common target stack in one fire combat. To do an SFA, fulfill the various requirements below and announce the firers and the target. Mark any units firing an SFA with Fired Markers.
Each SFA fires require a single Target Hex. As long as you have units eligible to fire, you can continue to do SFA fires.
Design Note: Players should be forewarned of the implications of firing SFAs. While the fire of an SFA is coordinated between different units, the tradeoff is that after firing the SFA the units are marked as Fired. That removes their ability to fire Overwatch for the rest of the turn. For those who fail to leave someone to cover the units firing SFAs and choose to fire many SFAs in the first Action Phase of the turn, remember you were told to be careful - don't come running to me if you have no one left to fire Overwatch when the enemy bolts across an open field to assault your units.
13.1 Restrictions on SFAs
13.1a A player can do SFAs only in his own Action Phase.
13.1b SFA firing units must fulfill the following:
- They must have been continually in Fire Mode since the beginning of the current Phase.
- They cannot already be marked with a Fired Marker. EXCEPTION: Fired Marked units can spot for any type of fire from Mortars.
- Unassigned units (6.3) cannot fire SFAs; they can only fire Overwatch Fires.
13.1c A given target can be engaged by any number of separate SFA attacks. After engaging one target hex (with any number of firers, a player could target a hex with a couple of Area Fire Attacks, several Point Fires per Point Target before announcing that he is done with the hex), the SFA provides an Overwatch Fire trigger to the enemy. After that trigger and any enemy fires, the phasing player can perform another SFA against the same or different targets. To restate, No Trigger Occurs until the firing player announces that he is done firing SFAs against a particular target hex.
Example: Multiple SFA Attacks. To show the amount of fires a player could pour forth before allowing the enemy to have his Overwatch Trigger, a quick example is in order. As long as only one target hex is involved, the following is OK. The player fires three Area Fire SFAs at the hex, progressively bewildering the troops there, killing some. Not happy with the results, he fires two more SFAs at it. Now out of Area Firers, ten times in a row he selects a tank, fires Point Fires at a target in the hex, and then selects another tank and so on. When all of this is over, the targeted player gets his Overwatch trigger. The downside is that the firing player now has his entire army marked as Fired - and he did this to engage one hex.
13.1d Units in different stacks can combine their fires to do a SFA.
13.1e Suppressed units can freely join in on any SFA (or make their own) given their firepower modifications.
13.1f SFAs require no trigger.
13.1g A unit can conduct an AT Roll attack in addition to its regular fire SFA. Units are marked with a Fired Marker after they fire their regular SFA fires, not when they conduct AT Rolls.
13.1h After each SFA fire, mark all the units that fired with Fired Markers.
13.1i Only SFAs on the Area Fire Table allow the Crossfire Modifier to be applied.
14.0 Overwatch
Overwatch is this game system's approach to what is commonly called "Opportunity Fire" in other games. Overwatch Fire is a provoked action taken by units with an unblocked LOS to an Overwatch Trigger. An Overwatch Trigger (trigger, for short) is an event that draws enemy fire - such as the movement into a hex or enemy fires. A unit can fire more than one Overwatch Fire in a phase, provided the other conditions for firing are met.
Firing Overwatch is voluntary - no unit is ever forced to fire when an Overwatch Trigger occurs. These fires do not need to be planned in any way - eligible units which can see the trigger can take advantage of it.
Important: Handle all Overwatch Fires on a single stack basis. Units in two different stacks can never act on the same Overwatch Trigger. Once a trigger is spotted, conduct the Overwatch Fire exactly as any other fire in the game, and resolve it fully before continuing play. The firing player chooses which stack to fire and if he wants to use the trigger at all.
14.1 The Two Overwatch Cycles
There are two primary cycles of events that Overwatch Fires can follow in this game series. One is for Movement-based triggers. The other is for Fire-based triggers. Regardless of which cycle is in use, the cycle ends after the Overwatch Return Fire. In 14.1a and 14.1b, Player A is the one whose Action Phase it is. Player B is that other guy.
14.1a Movement-based Overwatch Cycle. This cycle occurs the instant a unit moves into a hex.
- Movement Overwatch Trigger (Player A)
- Overwatch Fire (Player B)
- Overwatch Return Fire (Player A)
14.1b Fire-based Overwatch Cycle. This cycle occurs when a player finishes firing an SFA.
- Suppressive Fire Action announced as finished (Player A)
- Overwatch Return Fire (Player B)
14.2 Overwatch Triggers
All Overwatch Fires require an Overwatch Trigger to occur. If there is no trigger or the trigger cannot be spotted according to the following, there can be no Overwatch Fires.
14.2a Events Generating Triggers. Two events trigger Overwatch: Movement and Fires. Triggers occur when A) an enemy unit enters a hex or B) when an enemy unit or stack fires. All triggers require an unblocked LOS to the event itself within the appropriate Spotting Range - for the Overwatching unit, or (in the case of Mortars) a spotter. If a stack moves into a hex or fires together, it generates only one trigger. AT Rolls, Assault-style Combats, and Artillery Missions never generate Overwatch Triggers.
14.2b LOS and Triggers. The location for all Overwatch Triggers is important. A Movement-based trigger's exact location is the center of the hexside through which the unit moved into the hex. Fire-Based triggers are visible if the LOS is unblocked to the hexsides surrounding the firing (not spotter) stack's hex along the line to the hex center. Triggers at one hex range are always visible, regardless of the trigger's location in the hex.
14.2c Movement-based Triggers. Movement triggers occur the instant an enemy unit enters a hex (after the unit is attacked by any Artillery Barrage Markers). Any Overwatch Fires against a unit moving occur before that unit changes Mode - regardless of the moving player's intention to switch Modes. Once the fire has been resolved, the moving units can switch Modes, or continue to move. A moving unit which draws Overwatch Fires can never use those fires as a trigger for its own Overwatch Fires.
The movement into Assault-style combat hexes, Mode change, SYRs, and mounting and dismounting are not Overwatch Triggers. The exit of a unit from an Overrun Combat generates a trigger.
14.2d Fire-based Triggers. These triggers happen whenever an SFA is finished, or a stack fires against a Movement-based Overwatch Trigger. When an SFA generates a Fire-based Overwatch Trigger, there exists one at each SFA firing hex, but the enemy can only select one hex as the trigger-generator to return fire against. In SFAs, no trigger occurs until the firing player announces that he is done firing SFAs at a given hex. Fires within Assault-style combats do not generate Overwatch Triggers.
14.2e Targets and Triggers. All triggers allow the attack of the Overwatch Firing Stack against any unit in the trigger's stack. All units in the stack are attacked anyway in Area Fires, but this means Point Fires can be directed against units in the hex which did not generate the trigger themselves.
Note: Remember that you must spot the firing Mortar unit in order to use its fire as a trigger. Being able to spot the Mortar unit's spotter has no effect.
14.3 Restrictions on Overwatch Fire Combat
14.3a Only units in Fire Mode and NOT Fired Marked, Paralyzed, or Suppressed can fire Overwatch. Units with a Fired Marker or in Move Mode can spot for Overwatch Fire from Mortars.
14.3b Units can make AT Rolls in response to Overwatch Triggers.
14.3c There is no exception to the inability of Suppressed and Paralyzed units to fire Overwatch.
14.3d A player cannot fire an Artillery Mission in response to an Overwatch Trigger.
15.0 AT Rolls
An "AT Roll" is the game's way of handling infantry small group assaults. Naturally, this combat method is dependent on the terrain available and the cover and concealment afforded.
Units can only use AT Roll attacks to destroy P-type and B-type targets at a range of one hex or less.
Important: A unit can make one AT Roll attack versus one target unit per step in the firing unit, but each target cannot be attacked more than once in a given fire. Units can perform their regular fire in addition to any AT Roll attacks they might make.
Procedure: Cross index the target hex's terrain with the attack's range on the AT Roll Table to determine the base roll needed for a kill. Roll two dice for each target in the Target Hex - up to a maximum of one attack per attacking step. Modify each roll according to the table's modifiers. A modified roll greater than or equal to the table's kill number destroys the target. If the raw dice roll made for an AT Roll attack is 3 or less, destroy the attacking step.
15.1 Restrictions
15.1a Only Infantry-type units can make AT Rolls. Mode has no effect on a unit's ability to do so (this does not allow Move Mode units to do AT Rolls as Overwatch Fires). Paralyzed and Mounted units cannot make AT Rolls. Suppressed units can, but do so with a modifier. No unit is ever required to make an AT Roll attack.
15.1b An AT Roll attack can be part of an SFA or Overwatch. Regardless, the unit conducting the AT Roll can also fire normally at the same time. A unit can do both during an Assault-style combat sequence as well.
15.1c When a unit makes an AT Roll attack against a hex, roll separately for each P-type or B-type target attacked. A given infantry unit can attack only one hex with AT Rolls per fire, regardless of the number of steps involved.
15.1d AT Roll attacks can only be made in the attacking unit's hex or adjacent to it.
15.1e AT Roll attacks are not affected by any Artillery Attack Zones in which they might occur.
15.1f A RAW dice roll made in an AT Roll attack of 3 or less destroys the step making the attack. These losses do not cause Morale Checks. Only the one step of the unit actually making the attack is affected by this rule.
Example: AT Roll Attack. The player decides to do an AT Roll attack against an adjacent stack of five tanks with a platoon of two steps. The Target Hex is protective terrain. The target is covered with smoke from an earlier mortar fire. The terrain of the attack is that of the Target Hex (Protective). The base roll for an adjacent attack with protective terrain is 8. Of the existing modifiers, only the +1 for a target with smoke applies, so the attack will be successful if the player rolls a 7 or more. He rolls once for each of the two tanks the unit can attack (because he only has 2 steps to attack with), getting a 9, and 4. The final result is that one of the tanks is destroyed.
16.0 Morale
Morale effects represent the troops' covert or overt actions to refuse to continue dangerous operations.
16.0a All infantry and weapons units are at times subject to Morale Checks and their results. Vehicles and Carriers never make Morale Checks of their own. When a Morale Check is required, the entire stack checks Morale as one item and the result affects the entire stack - vehicles and carriers ignore Suppressed or Paralyzed results, but must follow any SYR or Surrender results.
16.0b Units check Morale only when called for by the Area Fire Table result, or after every fire in Assault-style combat. Any Area Fire Table result other than No Effect requires the target stack to check Morale. Morale Checks never occur at any other time.
16.0c The Morale Rating of most units subject to Morale Effects is printed in white in a red box on the unit counter's front. It is a number ranging from zero (the best troops) to any number greater than zero. The greater the rating, the worse the troops are. Weapons units having a Point Defense value instead of a Morale Rating (such as AT Guns and Infantry Guns) have a Morale Rating of 3. On-map artillery units have a Morale Rating of 6.
16.0d Mark unit Morale conditions with Morale Markers. Assume all units under a Morale Marker to have the same Morale condition.
16.0e A unit's Morale condition is that unit's property alone. It is never transferred to other units.
16.0f Ignore results from the Area Fire Table calling for a Morale Check on units not subject to Morale Effects.
16.1 Battalion Morale
Battalion Morale is a measure of cumulative punishment. Step Loss markers in a Battalion Morale Box indicate Battalion Morale. The total of the Step Loss markers in a battalion's Battalion Morale Box is that battalion's Battalion Morale. Results from the Area Fire Table can cause additions to Battalion Morale. A Battalion Morale never becomes less than zero and can increase infinitely. Unless specified otherwise, all Battalion Morales begin at zero.
16.1a Only units belonging to a battalion with a Battalion Morale Box are subject to Battalion Morale.
16.1b All units in a battalion suffer the same Battalion Morale - regardless of their individual circumstances. One unit's Battalion Morale only affects another unit when a unit makes the Morale Check for a stack, otherwise the Battalion Morales of different battalions never affect one another.
16.1c Battalion Morale affects any of a battalion's units when they make Morale Checks.
16.1d Add any Battalion Morale addition incurred on a hex to every battalion represented in it. For instance, if units from two battalions are in a hex and the hex gets a +1 to the Battalion Morale result, each battalion suffers a +1.
16.1e Battalion Morale Reduction. Every Turn during the Clean Up Phase, both players recover their Battalion Morales simultaneously. Roll one die separately for each battalion with a Battalion Morale. If the roll is equal to or less than the battalion's current Battalion Morale, reduce that Battalion Morale by 1. On any other result, there is no effect. Remember, no Battalion Morale ever becomes less than zero.
16.1f Converting Old Company Morales to Bn Morales. In older games where an at-start value for "Company Morale" is given do the following: Average the Company Morales of all the companies in the battalion (ignore companies which did not have Company Morale before), and divide the result by 5. That is the Battalion Morale at start. Use one of the old Company Morale Boxes as the Battalion Morale Box for each Battalion in the old games.
Design Note: Unlike the Company Morale of earlier versions, Battalion Morale is a difficult thing to obtain and even harder to shake. Units will rarely have even small Battalion Morales (those with large ones can be written off...) and once a unit manages to obtain a Battalion Morale, it will be lugging it about for a long time!
16.2 Morale Checks
Make Morale Checks according to the following at the times listed in 16.0b.
Procedure: Add the unit's Morale, its Battalion Morale, the number of steps the unit has lost, and any applicable modifiers above the table. The unit's Morale is multiplied by 2 if the Morale Check is the result of any sort of Assault-style Combat (EXCEPTION: Do not apply this multiplier for Morale Checks generated by Overruns in Partly Protective or Protective terrain). Find the column on top of the Morale Table that contains the resulting number. Roll two dice. Read down the final column to find the row containing the dice roll result. Read to the table's left to determine the result. Apply the result.
Example: Morale Check with Save Yourself Retreat (SYR). After taking a step loss due to an Area Fire combat, a player has to make a Morale Check for his stack. The unit which took the step loss is an infantry platoon with a Morale of 4 and has now lost a total of three steps. It has a Battalion Morale of 1. The only modifier which applies is the +1 for being at Night. This gives a total of 9 (4 Morale + 3 Steps Lost + 1 Battalion Morale + 1 Night). Find 9 along the top of the Morale Table and roll two dice (11..66). The player rolls a 36 which gives an SYR result.
Go to the SYR Table. Roll one die and add the Unit Morale, Battalion Morale, and the number of steps lost. The player rolls a 4 and adds a total of 8. This gives a 12 and a result of "Retreat 5 Hexes, -1 Step." The stack retreats five hexes and the player chooses to inflict the step loss on one of the other platoons in the hex.
16.2a Determining Which Unit Checks Morale for the Stack. The selection of which unit performs a stack's Morale Check is important. The chosen unit must have the "worst morale" in the hex. To determine the "worst morale unit", select the one that has the greatest total of raw unit morale and casualties. Ignore Battalion Morale values when determining the "worst morale" unit. Select the applicable unit even if it died (in which case, apply the total number of steps the unit has lost, less any due to carrier destruction) in the fire combat generating the check (unless it was the only unit in the hex; in that case, there would be no Morale Check).
If no unit in the hex is subject to Morale or all units in the hex were destroyed, make no check.
16.3 Suppression
Suppression is the most common fire combat effect on a unit. Suppression hampers a unit's ability to fire and move.
16.3a Suppressed units CANNOT...
- ...Move, change Mode (except for SYRs and 16.3c), breach mines, or mount/dismount,
- ...fire Overwatch,
- ...Spot for artillery or Mortar fires.
16.3b Suppressed units CAN...
- ...Fire SFAs,
- ...Make AT Roll attacks.
16.3c Units in Move Mode that become Suppressed automatically switch to Fire Mode. Units mounted in carriers ignore this result.
16.3d Additional Suppressed results have no further effect.
16.3e Suppressed units automatically recover to normal during each Clean Up Phase.
16.4 Paralysis
Paralysis is a more severe Morale effect than suppression.
16.4a Paralyzed units are unable to move, change Mode (except for 16.4c), breach mines, mount/dismount, fire (except in one situation, see below), spot for artillery or mortar fires, or SYR. Essentially, they can do nothing.
16.4b Paralyzed units CAN fire once (as a Suppressed unit) during each Assault-style Combat against them. At no other time can they fire. Units can make this shot in addition to AT Roll attacks. If caught in a hex with an enemy unit (after making their one fire) during Assault or Consolidated Assault Combats (not in Overruns), destroy the Paralyzed units.
16.4c Units in Move Mode that become Paralyzed automatically switch to Fire Mode. Units mounted in carriers ignore this result.
16.4d Additional Paralyzed results on a stack already Paralyzed have no effect.
16.4e All Paralyzed units recover to Suppressed status during each Clean Up Phase.
16.4f Paralyzed units cannot choose to Flee at the beginning of an Assault Combat.
16.5 Save Yourself Retreats
A Save Yourself Retreat (SYR) is the result of the troops deciding that it is better to be elsewhere.
Procedure: An SYR can begin in one of three ways: because of a Morale Table result; voluntarily during a friendly Action Phase (in place of regular movement, to avoid drawing Overwatch Fires); or units choosing to "flee" in an Assault Combat's Fight or Flee Segment. Resolve SYRs on the SYR Table. Roll one die and add the unit's Morale, Battalion Morale, and number of steps lost (just like the regular Morale Check, except the unit Morale is NOT x2, even in Assault-style Combat) (the same unit checks here as did for the Morale Result, or the player's choice when no Morale Result occurred). Read the result of the modified die roll off the SYR Table. The result will be the number of hexes the unit must retreat and possibly step losses. Execute the result.
16.5a Any unit subject to Morale Effects can be forced to SYR (or voluntarily conduct one). SYRs always affect the entire stack (except Paralyzed units). Only units which could roll for an SYR themselves are subject to the losses from the SYR Table - ignore any losses which would apply to units which could not roll on the SYR Table for themselves. Losses are inflicted on a per stack basis, not per unit, and the owning player inflicts these losses as he desires upon the units in the stack.
16.5b Units in either Mode can SYR. At the SYR's end, regardless of the unit's original mode, place the unit in Move Mode and remove any Fired Marker from it.
16.5c Suppressed units can do SYRs (and lose their Suppressed marker at the SYR's end). Paralyzed units ignore SYR results. Paralyzed units cannot SYR. Units with Fired Markers can only conduct involuntary SYRs.
16.5d SYR movement is always in hex terms, not Movement Points. A stack executing an SYR must move the exact number of hexes in the result and cannot split up along the way. SYRs must move through enemy-free terrain traversable in regular movement. If a unit is unable to retreat the required number of hexes for any reason, destroy it. (See also 16.5L.)
16.5e For all SYRs, the SYR's direction must be locally to the rear and towards protective terrain. No "doubling back" is allowed, and the retreat must be in a reasonably straight line. Units must end their retreat further from all enemy units than when they began the retreat.
16.5f No unit conducting an SYR ever generates an Overwatch Trigger, even if the unit moves adjacent to enemy units.
16.5g During a friendly Action Phase, the player can voluntarily choose to have any number of his SYR-eligible units do an SYR. Such an SYR is the unit's entire movement. The unit cannot have moved before the SYR. Handle voluntary SYRs in the same manner as involuntary SYRs in all respects - to include the requirement to move the entire stack. A unit can only do one voluntary SYR in a phase. Units which have fired an SFA cannot also conduct a voluntary SYR in the same phase.
16.5h A unit that does an SYR cannot move further in that phase. The SYR does not affect the unit in future phases.
16.5i Units crossing a minefield hex during an SYR always do so by force, even if there is a breach.
16.5j Destroy Tow-Only units (while not being towed), Mortar units, AT Guns, Infantry Guns, and On-Map Artillery units forced to conduct an SYR.
16.5k Units conducting SYRs are susceptible to attack by any Artillery Barrage Markers whose Attack Zones they enter, or move adjacent to, during their retreat. Ignore Suppressed, Paralyzed, and additional SYR results during these attacks - the stack either surrenders or keeps doing the original SYR.
16.5L SYR'ing Adjacent to the Enemy. Destroy any unit which must enter a hex adjacent to any enemy unit during the course of an SYR. The only exception is the first hex of an SYR out of an Assault-style combat hex - there is no effect if that hex happens to be adjacent to enemy units (even those which were participating in the Assault-style combat). Also, IGNORE this rule during NIGHT turns - there is no effect for SYR'ing adjacent to enemy units during full night turns (the regular rule applies during twilight turns).
16.6 Surrender
The Surrender result on the Morale Table represents the complete collapse of resistance. Remove from play any stack that surrenders. Remove all units in such a hex, even if not subject to Morale results normally.
16.7 Buttoning Up
While not technically a Morale Result, Buttoning Up has been added to the effects which can be inflicted on tanks and other armored vehicles. Units subject to this rule include all P-type targets and any B-type target which is either a Tank, SP artillery Gun, Assault Gun, Tank Destroyer, Recon vehicle, half-track, or any other kind of Armored Personnel Carrier or vehicle. This rule does not affect Area-type targets, AT Guns, Infantry Guns, On-Map Artillery Guns, trucks, or wagons.
16.7a Inflicting a Buttoned Up Result. The applicable units in a hex automatically Button Up (and are marked with a Buttoned Up Marker) whenever any of the following occur:
- An Area Fire result greater than a Morale Check (one which would require a loss) is applied against their hex.
- An Artillery Barrage Marker's Attack Zone or Infantry Gun fire (100mm or larger) is applied to their hex causing a roll on the Artillery Point Fire Table - regardless of the roll's success.
- A Point Fire attack results in a kill of some unit in their hex.
- A Sortie Point Fire is made against their hex - even if the attack is unsuccessful.
16.7b Effects of Being Buttoned Up. A Buttoned Up vehicle or carrier suffers the following:
- Their Area Firepower is x1/2.
- They suffer modifiers on the Point Fire and AT Roll Tables.
- They CANNOT spot for Artillery or Mortar Fires.
- They CAN fire Overwatch, but do so with both modifiers and a Spotting Range restriction.
- All hex MP costs for movement (hex and hexside MP costs) are DOUBLED. The costs to change mode and conduct Overruns or Consolidated Assaults remain the same.
- Additional Buttoned Up results give no additional effects.
16.7c Removal of Buttoned Up Results. All Buttoned Up Markers are removed automatically from both side's units during the Clean Up Phase at the end of each turn.
17.0 Artillery
Artillery Missions are fired during each player's Action Phase. Only the Phasing Player can fire Artillery Missions during a given Action Phase. The player can integrate Artillery Missions with all the other activities he can do in his Action Phase. Resolve each fire mission by announcing the Target Hex, Mission type, Spotter, if Fast Fire, and size of guns firing; making a roll on the Adjustment Table; and attacking all units within or adjacent to the Attack Zone of the Artillery Barrage.
17.0a Unless specified otherwise, artillery can hit targets anywhere on any map.
17.0b Good Shoot Artillery Barrage Markers remain on the map until the beginning of the owning player's next Action Phase (Bad Shoot Markers are removed at the end of the Phase in which they were fired) and attack any unit (of either side) their Attack Zones happen to land upon (to include the hexes adjacent to the Attack Zone proper). After attacking the units already within or adjacent to its Attack Zone, a Barrage Marker no longer affects those units unless they attempt to move from one Attack Zone Hex to another Attack Zone Hex or hex adjacent to such a hex. Furthermore, units within an existing Zone can fire normally, provided all LOS requirements are met.
17.0c Artillery Barrage Markers act as LOS blocks in their Attack Zone hexes - functioning in exactly the same way as if each Attack Zone hex had a Smoke Marker in it. Hexes adjacent to the Attack Zone do not block LOS.
17.0d Artillery fires cannot be cancelled after being announced.
17.1 Artillery Fires
Artillery Missions (except for any game specific requirements) never need to be plotted in advance. During a player's Action Phase, the phasing player merely announces each Artillery Mission he wishes to perform and proceeds to execute it immediately. Ignore Called Fire Delays listed in older games.
One fire mission is the fires of a single artillery battery or battalion. Resolve each fire mission in its entirety before moving on with the phase. Every fire mission consists of the following:
- Announce Target Hex, Fires Type, Spotter, Round Size, and if it is a Fast Fire Mission.
- Place the Target Hex Marker in the desired Target Hex.
- Use the Adjustment Table to determine if a Good Shoot, Bad Shoot, No Shoot, or Bad Shoot with Scatter occurs.
- Replace the Target Hex Marker with the appropriate Barrage Marker.
- Resolve all fire combats within and adjacent to the Barrage Marker's Attack Zone.
17.1a A battery can execute ONE fire mission in a single turn. The number of guns in a battery has no effect on the battery's abilities, or its ammunition consumption.
17.1b A Battalion Fire Mission requires the fires of three batteries from the same artillery battalion. Being part of a Battalion Fire Mission uses up a battery's mission for the turn. For battalions with mixed gun types, use the smallest caliber for determining the firepower of the Artillery Attack Zone and the largest caliber for determining the availability of Fast Fires.
17.1c Resolve Artillery Missions independently of any fires of regular units (an Artillery Mission cannot have its firepower attack strengths increased by the addition of other units, etc.).
17.2 Spotting
All artillery fire missions require a spotter with an unblocked LOS to the Target Hex (except for Illumination (Illum) Missions, see 17.7b). Identify the unit responsible for spotting the mission when it is announced.
17.2a Any unit-type, from any organization, can spot for any artillery mission.
17.2b Restrictions. The spotter must have an unblocked LOS to the Target Hex. The spotter cannot be Paralyzed, Suppressed, Buttoned Up, or within a Barrage Marker's Attack Zone. A spotter must be in Fire Mode and have been in that Mode since the beginning of the phase.
17.2c Illumination Missions do not need spotters.
17.3 Ammunition
Each scenario gives the ammunition available. Players might receive more later in the game (as reinforcements which arrive at the beginning of the Action Phase in time for use), but generally the at-start amount needs to last through the game. Ammunition is given in "Battery Fires" and each Battery Fire is the ammunition needed to fire one battery fully in order to generate a Battery Barrage Marker. Battery Fires are given as HE (High Explosive), Smoke, or Illum (Illumination) types. A single battery can fire only one type of Battery Fire per mission.
In older series games (2-01 through 2-05), ammunition was given differently than is used in the current rules. To play those games using these rules, divide the HE and Smoke ammo allotments by 4. The Illum allotments given remains the same.
17.3a Players must keep a running record of their remaining ammunition by type and caliber. Delete used ammunition the moment it is fired. A player can never use more total Battery Fires than he has available - either guns or ammo.
17.3b Each Fire mission can consist of only one ammunition type.
17.3c A Battery Barrage Marker costs 1 Battery Fire of ammunition. A Battalion Barrage Marker (and hence, mission) requires 3 Battery Fires of ammunition. Fast Fire Missions cost triple the usual number of Battery Fires for the size of unit firing.
17.4 Adjustment
The Adjustment of an artillery mission determines if an Artillery Mission "scatters" from the intended Target Hex, and whether it uses either Good or Bad Shoot attack values. Adjustment is performed on the Adjustment Table.
Rocket Artillery always gives a Good Shoot and always scatters. The Adjustment Table is not used for Rocket fires.
17.4a The Adjustment Table. For regular missions, determine the range to the Target Hex from the spotter to get the Adjustment Table's range. Find the table applicable to that range. Roll two dice (11..66). Cross index the roll with the nationality of the firing unit. If a No Shoot occurs, return the ammunition to the player's pools, but the battery (s) which attempted to fire have used their one mission per turn up. If the mission Scatters, roll one die for direction, and another for distance. Move the Target Hex Marker to that hex and execute the Artillery Mission there as a Bad Shoot. Otherwise, execute a Good or Bad shoot on the intended Target Hex.
17.5 Artillery Barrage Markers and Fires Resolution
Most Artillery Missions place an Artillery Barrage Marker (either a Battery or Battalion, depending on the mission's size and type). Artillery Barrage Markers come in two colors. Before play decide which player gets which color so that it is easy to determine which Barrage Markers to remove at the beginning of each Action Phase.
Rocket Artillery Missions do not place a Barrage Marker - they are resolved on the spot and nothing remains afterward. Smoke Missions are marked with a Level 2 Smoke Barrage Marker.
Artillery Barrage Markers indicate the center of the Artillery Mission's "Attack Zone". The size of the Attack Zone is dependent on the Barrage Marker's exact type. Also, Barrage Markers attack units which happen to be or move into hexes adjacent to their Attack Zone - this represents the "fuzzy edge" of the Fire Mission.
Artillery Barrage Markers from Good Shoot missions exist on the map (after attacking all units already within their Zones) until the very beginning of the next friendly Action Phase, when they are removed. While on the map, these markers automatically attack any unit which moves into or adjacent to their Attack Zone hexes (each time it enters such a hex) AND obstruct LOS throughout their Attack Zone (to include hexsides).
Important: Bad Shoot Barrage Markers are removed at the end of the same Action Phase in which they were fired. Good Shoot Barrage Markers remain on the map until the beginning of the same player's next Action Phase.
Each Zone hex attacks the units within it with the appropriate firepower according to the type of Artillery Barrage Marker and shoot type using the Area Fire Table and/or the Artillery Point Table. Also, each Zone attacks units which happen to be or which move adjacent to it with half firepower.
17.5a Battery Barrage Markers. These represent the fires of one battery. The Attack Zone of a Battery Barrage Marker only consists of the Target Hex itself.
17.5b Battalion Barrage Markers. These represent the fires of three batteries. The Attack Zone of a Battalion Barrage Marker consists of the Target Hex and the six hexes immediately adjacent to it.
Design Note: When looking at an Artillery Barrage Marker sitting on the map attacking units throughout the turn, remember that a Good Shoot barrage lasts for upwards of half the time of a turn (10-15 minutes) and the marker represents an automatic number of repeat missions.
17.6 Mission Execution
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Marking the Target Hex. The firing player places the Target Hex marker in the Target Hex he chooses. For Rocket Artillery Missions always scatter the Target Hex Marker, roll one die for direction and another for distance. Move the Target Hex Marker to that hex and resolve the Rocket Fire there. Rocket Artillery will never hit the exact original Target Hex.
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Adjustment. If this is an Illumination Mission, replace the Target Hex Marker with an Illum Marker and skip down to 5 below. Determine the distance from the spotter to the Target Hex and use the Adjustment Table to determine the type of shoot. Scatter the Target Hex Marker if called for by the Adjustment Table. Rocket Artillery always gives a Good Shoot and the Adjustment Table is not used for Rocket Artillery missions.
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Fire For Effect. If the mission consisted of Smoke ammunition, skip to 4 below (Smoke rounds do not generate fire attacks). Attack every hex in or adjacent to the Attack Zone containing units (enemy or friendly) with the appropriate firepower of the Artillery Barrage Marker (Good vs. Bad Shoot, and caliber of weapon) using the Area Fire Table, and then the Artillery Point Fire Table (this table only affects inside the zone, not adjacent, see 18.0). Inside the Attack Zone, use the firepower directly off the Artillery Barrage Fire Values Chart. Hexes adjacent to the Attack Zone are attacked using half that value.
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Smoke Placement. For a Smoke Mission, replace the Target Hex Marker with a Level 2 Smoke Barrage Marker.
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Mission End. Proceed with the player's Action Phase as desired.
17.7 Special Mission Types
17.7a Rocket Artillery. Rocket Artillery must always scatter its Target Hex (see 17.6, section 1) and does not use the Adjustment Table (see 17.4) or place a Barrage Marker. Resolve all attacks immediately - Rocket Artillery does not 'influence' the map until the next Action Phase like regular artillery can. For the first games in the series, here are the Rocket Artillery Zones (measured in hexes from the Target Hex) and Area Firepowers for each:
- Bloody 110: The Nebelwerfer fires have an Attack Zone of 5 hexes (firepower 20).
- Objective: Schmidt: None
- Omaha: The LCT(R) fires have an Attack Zone of 8 hexes (firepower 30).
17.7b Smoke Missions. Artillery can fire Smoke missions by using Smoke ammunition. No special requirements exist; simply use Smoke ammo in place of HE. Fire the mission normally. A Bad Shoot means nothing to a Smoke mission, however Smoke Missions will scatter if the Adjustment Table calls for that result. Replace the Target Hex Marker with a Level 2 Smoke Barrage Marker immediately. Only batteries (never battalions) can fire Smoke Missions.
17.7c Illum Missions. Use Illum Missions to light the battlefield at night. These missions do not count as a battery's mission for the turn. To fire an Illum mission, place the Illum Marker directly into the desired Target Hex. Do not use the Adjustment Table for Illum Missions. Illum can be fired into any hex on the map - visibility, spotters, and LOS has no effect on firing Illum.
17.7d Fast Fire Missions. Use these against priority targets. Only 122mm Guns or smaller can fire Fast Fire Missions. Announce the mission (at the moment of firing) to be a Fast Fire Mission. Expend triple the Battery Fires you normally would for the size of mission desired (3 Battery Fires for a Battery, 9 for a Battalion). Execute the mission as you would any other, except that the firepower of the Attack Zone is x2. On Map Guns cannot use Fast Fire Missions when they execute direct fires. All attacks made by the Attack Zone even after the initial burst are at the x2 firepower level.
18.0 Indirect Fire vs. Point Targets
Whenever an Artillery Barrage Marker is placed such that hexes containing P-type targets fall into its Attack Zone, use the Artillery Point Fire Table against them.
Important: Only hexes inside the Attack Zone apply this table, hexes adjacent to such zones do not. Roll two dice (modified according to the table's modifiers) for each P-type target in each hex. Roll once per target. If the modified roll is greater than or equal to the table roll, destroy the target. Make this same attack roll (once per target per hex) whenever a moving P-type unit enters a Barrage Marker's Attack Zone (again, not the adjacent hexes).
18.0a Artillery of any caliber can destroy targets with any defense value using this table.
18.0b A missed roll on this table has no effect, except that units in the hex Button Up (see 16.7).
18.0c If Infantry Guns of 100mm or larger fire at a hex containing Point Targets, roll once per target using the Artillery Point Fire Table in addition to any Area Fire attack made against the hex.
19.0 Smoke
Smoke blocks LOS and gives a modifier on some tables.
19.1 Smoke Effects
19.1a Hexes with a Smoke Marker present an infinitely high LOS obstacle. Smoke Markers affect their entire hex and its hexsides. Multiple Smoke Markers in a hex give no additional effect. Any number of Smoke Markers can be in one hex at one time. Units can always see OUT OF (or INTO) a hex containing Smoke (for ANY purpose, even spotting and Overwatch trigger observation), BUT a unit can never see THROUGH such a hex.
19.1b Never place Smoke Markers in an all-sea hex.
19.1c Smoke has no effect on movement.
19.2 Smoke Reduction
Remove all regular Smoke Markers and all Level 1 Smoke Barrage Markers in each Clean Up Phase. Then reduce all Level 2 Smoke Barrage Markers to Level 1 Smoke Barrage Markers.
19.3 Artillery Smoke
Artillery missions place Smoke Markers only when Smoke Missions are fired.
19.3a Each Smoke Mission generates one Level 2 Smoke Barrage Marker.
19.3b A Smoke Barrage Marker represents the same effect as having all hexes filled with regular Smoke Markers at or within the distance (in Hexes) from the Smoke Barrage Marker equal to its Level. Therefore, a Level 2 Smoke Barrage Marker "smokes up" all hexes out to and including two hexes from the marker. A Level 1 Smoke Barrage Marker "smokes up" all hexes including and adjacent to the marker.
19.4 Other Weapons and Smoke
Instead of their regular fire, larger Mortars (80mm+) and Infantry Guns (100mm+) can fire smoke. Firing smoke allows the player to place one regular Smoke Marker in the hex of his choosing (subject to scatter, see 19.4a) (for Mortars, the hex must be spotted by an appropriate spotter; Infantry Guns must fire as direct-fire) within the range of the firing unit. These units cannot fire smoke in response to an Overwatch trigger.
19.4a Mortar & Infantry Gun Smoke Scatter. Whenever a player wants to use a Mortar or Infantry gun to place a Smoke Marker, he must do the following: Identify the desired hex. Roll one die. On a 4-6, place the Smoke Marker where it was intended. On a 2-3, scatter the Smoke into an adjacent hex using a scatter die roll. Finally, on a 1, do not place any Smoke, but the SFA of the firing unit did occur and it is still marked as Fired. These rolls are also listed on the Mortar & Infantry Gun Smoke Scatter Table.
Design Note: At first glance this rule might seem a bit much over a little matter. It exists to correct for a degree of certainty players took advantage of and to account for both the occasionally ineffective smoke screen and the rather limited amount of smoke ammunition these units have with them. It also accounts for the now standard effect we put into our games - yes, you know the enemy is there, but the game won't let you take advantage of that information as if you really did.
20.0 Movement
During a player's Action Phase, he can move all, some, or none of his units. A unit moves along a contiguous path of hexes (in any direction or set of directions) using its Movement Allowance to pay each hex's and hexside's Movement Point cost. A moving unit can generate Overwatch Triggers. If the enemy fires, the players immediately follow the Overwatch cycle for that trigger, and the unit can continue moving only after the cycle ends.
20.0a Only friendly units in Move Mode that are not Suppressed, Paralyzed, or marked with a Fired Marker can move. Each unit moves through the hex grid keeping track of its remaining Movement Allowance as it expends Movement Points according to the game's specific Terrain Effects on Movement Chart. Units can move individually or in stacks. Stacks can stack or split off at any time during their movement at no additional Movement Point cost.
20.0b A unit cannot expend more Movement Points than its Movement Allowance. EXCEPTION: If otherwise able to move, a unit can always move a single hex in an Action Phase (into non-prohibitive terrain) regardless of the Movement Point cost. If the owning player uses the above, the one hex moved must be the ONLY hex that unit enters during that Action Phase. This rule does not allow units to change to Move Mode in addition to moving into a hex costing more MPs than they can afford.
20.0c Units cannot "save" unused Movement Points from turn to turn or transfer them from unit to unit. The only time the movement of one friendly unit assists another is by the use of carriers and vehicles as transport.
20.0d A unit or stack can halt its movement at any time and continue later with whatever Movement Points it had remaining. Be careful in doing so, so as to avoid confusion.
20.0e Units can use an SYR to move during an Action Phase (given the rules in 16.5) but can do so only if they have not yet moved in the phase. A unit that does so cannot move later in that phase.
20.0f A player can move his units as he sees fit as he follows their Op Sheet or unassigned unit instructions. Players should keep in mind that they should not violate the letter OR the SPIRIT of the instructions.
20.0g Units marked TOW ONLY (TO) instead of a Movement Allowance cannot move under their own power (even one hex) and must be towed. If they are forced to move by themselves, destroy them. These units have an assumed Movement Allowance of 2 for Mode Change and for proportioning movement with respect to carriers.
20.0h Units cannot enter the same hex as enemy units, except in Assault-style Combat. Destroy units forced to violate this rule.
20.0i Units can do an Assault-style Combat as a "stack" only if the stack existed at the Action Phase's beginning. Whether operating as a stack or individually, units must maintain their own Movement Allowances and points spent. Stacks can break up at any time during their movement. There is no Movement Point cost to stack or unstack.
20.0j Units that fire an SFA cannot move afterward - regular movement or voluntary SYR - and, conversely, units that move cannot fire an SFA later in the same phase. Involuntary SYRs are allowed.
20.0k See also the effects of Buttoning Up, 16.7.
20.1 Terrain Effects on Movement
Terrain affects movement by the Movement Point cost of various hex and hexside features as given on the Terrain Effects on Movement Chart. Each game has its own Terrain Effects on Movement Chart and the series itself has a Basic Terrain Effects on Movement Chart (given in the Charts and Tables Booklet). Use the Basic Terrain Effects on Movement Chart when playing the games Bloody 110, Objective: Schmidt, and Omaha. A hex's Movement Point cost is that of the hex plus any hexside feature crossed to enter it.
20.1a Certain features, such as buildings, are not listed on the Terrain Effects on Movement Chart. These have no effect on movement.
20.1b Elevation Changes. All units must pay +1 MP for each hex they enter that has a different center dot elevation than the one they came from - regardless of whether the change is up or down. In other words, if, as the unit moves from center dot to center dot, it must cross one or more contour lines, add the +1 MP cost. Multiple contour lines give no additional effect. Rule 20.1d applies here as well. Count contour lines which run through the center dot of the next hex to be moved into.
20.1c Bottlenecks. Bottlenecks are features, such as bridges, that force units to cross hexsides one at a time. All units must cross Bottleneck hexsides one at a time - never as a stack. Any number can cross during a turn, but they must do so one at a time. Units being towed or riding as passengers can cross a Bottleneck with their transporter. Each game might specify Bottleneck features. In addition, bridges, Roads (and road-like features, like tracks and Railroads), and Minefield Breaches are ALWAYS Bottlenecks when units move using them.
20.1d Units using Roads and Road-like features (trails, etc.) to move, ignore the Movement Point costs of the other terrain features in the hex or hexside. This only applies to units following the road's path. Moving along a road makes a unit vulnerable to negative modifiers during Overwatch Fires. Units can move paying the non-road costs of hexes (moving off-road) so as to avoid the penalties associated with moving on the road - they then are not eligible for the benefits, either.
20.1e Certain hexes and hexsides are prohibited. No unit can enter prohibited hexes or cross prohibited hexsides. Destroy units forced to do so.
20.1f If more than one terrain type (each with different MP costs) exists within a hex, apply only the most costly. Add the cost of hexside features a unit must cross to enter the hex to the most expensive terrain in the hex to determine the hex's total Movement Point cost. 20.1d might negate all or part of this rule depending on the terrain of the hex involved.
20.1g A hex's terrain cost is the same regardless of the direction from which a unit enters (given that hexside features can be different and that roads might negate in some directions).
20.1h Slow Go Terrain and Blocks. Slow Go Terrain and Blocks are no longer used.
20.1i Woods and Forest Features. Forests and woods are not whole-hex features, but sometimes occupy only a part of a hex. Consider a hex to be forest (or woods, as appropriate) for movement & combat if any of the hex is covered by the symbol. The actual location of the symbol is given for LOS effects.
20.1j Contour Lines and Vehicle Movement. No vehicle or carrier can enter a hex containing two or more contour lines. Rule 20.1d negates this.
21.0 Minefields
Use Minefields to prevent enemy movements into an area or to channel them into an area you want him to enter - a kill zone. Place minefields on the map either as part of the game's set up or whenever a new Prepared Defense Op Sheet implements.
21.0a Once emplaced, Minefields attack both sides in the same manner. There are no friendly Minefields.
21.0b Minefields attack either on the Area Fire Table (see 21.2 or 21.3, depending on the crossing type) or by a straight dice roll, depending on target type of the unit crossing the Minefield. Against an Area or B-type target moving under its own power, use the Area Fire Table. Against a P-type target, use the straight dice roll (a roll of 8 or more on two dice destroys the vehicle; roll for each vehicle separately). Only the Stacking modifier applies to the Area Fire Table roll. No other modifiers apply to the Area Fire Table, and none of them apply to the straight roll.
21.0c Ignore Suppressed or Paralyzed results given by a Minefield attack; apply all other Morale Table results normally.
21.0d Regardless of whether a unit attempts to cross a minefield by force or by breaching, resolve Overwatch Fires against that unit before it enters the Minefield Hex. This Overwatch Fire applies even if the unit starts adjacent to the hex. The trigger is located on the hexside entering the Minefield. Apply all the 'moving in a minefield' modifiers to the Overwatch Fire and use the terrain of the unit's current hex (not the Minefield's). No further Overwatch Trigger occurs when the unit actually enters the Minefield hex.
21.0e Dummy mines are no longer used in the series.
21.1 Laying Mines
Lay mines before the game begins (if given in the scenario's set up) or whenever a Prepared Defense Op Sheet (never a Hasty Defense one) implements. When laying mines before play begins, you cannot place them in any hex in which your opponent can set up, if your side sets up first.
When a Prepared Defense Op Sheet implements, the player can place one Minefield hex for every two infantry platoons on the Op Sheet (no rounding allowed, each Minefield hex MUST have two platoons as parents). Place minefields the instant the Op Sheet implements (during the Command Phase) anywhere at or within 4 hexes of each of the two platoons which generated the Minefield (provided the hex is also at least 5 hexes away from any enemy unit).
21.2 Crossing By Force
To Cross by Force, announce the attempt and pay the cost of the Minefield hex +2 MPs. Apply Overwatch Fires as per 21.0d. Attack the units moving into the hex with the 8+ straight roll for each P-type target in the hex, and then attack the Area and B-type targets in the hex with a firepower of 18 (modified for stacking only).
The player can attempt to cross any enemy Minefield by force. SYR units must always cross by force.
21.3 Breaching
To Breach a minefield, move adjacent to the Minefield and announce the breach attempt. Apply Overwatch Fires as per 21.0d. If still able to move, the unit must then spend the MP cost to get into the Minefield hex +3 MPs (rule 20.0b does not apply here). After paying that cost, the Mines attack as in 21.2. The attack, however, is done with a firepower of 9. The unit does not leave the hex adjacent to the Minefield until completing the breach (after the attack, flip the Mine Marker to its Breached side), and then it can continue to move with any remaining MPs it has.
21.3a Only infantry units in Move Mode can breach Minefields. Mounted, Suppressed, and Paralyzed units cannot breach Minefields.
21.3b Place the Breach Marker in the hex with the cleared path running from the hexside the unit breached to that directly opposite it. This breached path can be changed only by rebreaching the hex from another hexside. A hex can only have one cleared path.
21.3c No unit can end its movement in a Minefield Breach. If a unit becomes Suppressed or Paralyzed while crossing a breach (because of Overwatch Fires), it must move back to the hex it entered from and then become Suppressed or Paralyzed. No unit can enter Fire Mode in a breach hex. Units which do not have enough MPs to cross the breach and enter the hex on the other side cannot attempt to cross the breach or enter the breach hex.
21.3d Units moving by an SYR can never use a Minefield breach. They must cross by force.
22.0 Assault Combat
The player can conduct Assault Combats at any time during his Action Phase. Resolve each of these combats in its entirety before moving on. These combats affect only the units within the resolution hex. Every Assault Combat must end with one side or the other alone in the resolution hex. Assault Combats do not require any additional MP costs, except that the attacker must have enough MPs left when the assault is announced to enter the defending hex. Resolve any attacks by Artillery Barrage Markers against the moving attacking units before carrying out any Assault-style Combat.
Procedure: The attacking stack moves adjacent to the Defender and the players resolve any Overwatch and Artillery Barrage Marker fires. The Attacker announces his intention to do an Assault Combat. The Defender must then decide either to fight or to flee. If the Defender chooses to flee, all his units must do an SYR.
If the Defender stands his ground, place the attacking units in the target hex (resolve any artillery Attack Zone fires before continuing), first the Defender fires, then the attacker. As each side fires, the other must take the combat result AND make a Morale Check (even if the Area Fire Table result does not call for it) before moving to the next fire. In each new combat round, use the same firing order.
Combat rounds continue until one side or the other is alone in the hex.
22.0a Only Move Mode infantry units (NOT MGs, other weapons units, vehicles, or carriers) that are not Suppressed or Paralyzed and that have enough MPs left to enter the Defender's hex can attack in Assault Combat.
22.0b Move Mode units fire normally in an Assault with the exception of towed units and Move Mode Mortars which cannot fire at all.
22.0c Paralyzed units can fire (as a Suppressed unit) once per Assault Combat. If, after that one fire and its Morale Check, the enemy is still in the hex with them, destroy the Paralyzed unit. The presence of other non-paralyzed units in the hex does not stop this from happening.
22.0d The phasing player can Assault a hex as many times as he has the units to do so. He can make these Assaults in any order with respect to other actions and fires.
22.0e Mounted units cannot conduct Assault Combat as the Attacker. Mounted units in a hex against which the other player announces an Assault can dismount to receive the attack. Towed units cannot take advantage of this rule. Mounted Defenders can fire and accept the combat mounted, but cannot conduct AT Roll attacks and are automatically destroyed if their carrier is destroyed.
22.0f Area Fires in an Assault Combat hex only affect the enemy - even Mortar fires. Calculate the stacking modifier for each side separately.
22.0g In Assault Combat, use the terrain of the Defender's hex and ignore any hexside features. Both sides are considered to be in the same hex.
22.0h In each combat round, a unit can conduct both AT rolls and regular fire. Otherwise, each unit gets to shoot once per round. All Area Fires must be consolidated into one shot per round and make all available AT Rolls.
22.0i Fired markers have no effect on Assault Combats.
22.0j The attacking units must switch to Fire Mode at the instant of becoming Suppressed or at the beginning of the second combat round. Also, the Attacker can voluntarily switch to Fire Mode at the end of the first round of combat if there will be no second round (he won). The Defender can only change mode when becoming Suppressed or Paralyzed.
22.0k After resolving an Assault Combat, the Attacker (if still otherwise able to do so) can continue to move the units which made the Assault with any MPs they happen to have remaining.
22.1 Ending Assault Combats
Assault Combat rounds continue until one side or the other ends up alone in the hex. The following rules handle the situations that arise during Assault Combat execution.
22.1a If the Attacking stack suffers a Paralyzed result, execute an SYR with the attacking units. The combat ends immediately.
22.1b If the Attacking stack gets a Suppressed result, place a Suppressed Marker, switch the attacking units to Fire Mode, and continue the combat.
22.1c At the end of any combat round (both side's fires and Morale Checks), the Attacker can decide to give up with all or some of his units. The attacking units must conduct an SYR to leave the combat hex. Once the Defender decides to fight, he cannot later voluntarily end the combat - only the Attacker has this option.
22.1d If the defending units are (or become) Paralyzed, they get one shot as a Suppressed unit in the next combat round. If the Attacker is still in the hex after that fire's resolution, destroy the Paralyzed units.
22.1e If the Defender becomes Suppressed, place a Suppressed Marker, switch any defending units from Move Mode to Fire Mode, and continue the fight.
22.1f If either side Surrenders or is destroyed, end the combat.
23.0 Overrun Combat
Overrun Combat is the vehicular version of Assault. Effectively, the vehicles drive through the hex with guns blazing and exit the hex immediately. These combats end after one round - instead of the multiple rounds involved in an Assault or Consolidated Assault.
Procedure: The attacking units enter the Target Hex paying the hex's cost +3 MPs. The Defender fires first, followed by the Attacker. As each side fires, the other MUST make a Morale Check (if there are eligible units on that side) even if the table result does not call for it, before moving on. After both sides fire, the attacking units must exit into any adjacent hex.
23.0a Only vehicles and carriers (including any passengers) in Move Mode with enough MPs to pay for the Defender's hex plus 3 MPs can conduct Overrun attacks. Overrun singly or in stacks (given 20.0i). Units of both sides can fire in Move Mode, including mounted units (towed units cannot fire).
23.0b In Overrun Combat, use the terrain of the Defender's hex. Ignore any hexside feature the attacking units crossed to get into that hex.
23.0c A player can conduct Overruns at any time in his own Action Phase. Any number of overruns can be conducted against a single hex in one phase.
23.0d The attacking units do not pay additional MPs to enter the exit hex (that is part of the +3 cost) but that hex must be free of enemy units and may not be prohibited terrain. An attacking force cannot exit from the Overrun Target Hex directly into another one. Exiting an Overrun hex generates a Movement-based Overwatch Trigger. The Overrun itself does not.
23.0e Paralyzed units can fire as Suppressed units. They are not destroyed as in other Assault-style Combats.
23.0f Fired markers have no effect on Overrun Combats.
23.0g After resolving an Overrun Combat, the Attacker (if still otherwise able to do so) can continue to move the units which made the Overrun with any MPs they happen to have remaining.
23.0h Do not apply the x2 multiplier to unit morale during a Morale Check generated by an Overrun in Partly Protective or Protective terrain.
24.0 Consolidated Assault
A Consolidated Assault (CA) is one in which the player combines an Assault with an Overrun - an example would be to ride into the enemy hex mounted on tanks and then dismount to assault.
With the exception of the Dismount segment, the first stage of the CA sequence is the same as an Overrun, and the following stages (to include the multiple rounds of combat) are the same as an Assault Combat. Regardless of events, there is never a Defender Fight or Flee Decision Segment in the CA sequence.
24.0a Along with the units listed in 23.0a, only Move Mode Infantry units can conduct a CA, but they can be mounted on any vehicle or carrier - even trucks. Towed units cannot be part of a CA as the Attacker. Alternatively, the infantry units can move under their own power as part of a stack of vehicles to enter a CA.
24.0b To execute a CA requires both a vehicle or carrier AND at least one infantry unit. A player cannot decide to launch a CA with just infantry or vehicles. If either element is removed from the Attacker's force during the assault, finish the assault like this: If only Infantry is left, finish as a regular Assault Combat; If only vehicles are left, finish as an Overrun.
24.0c The vehicles or carriers involved in a CA do not need to leave the hex immediately as in Overruns. Instead, they participate in as many rounds as the attacking player wants - they can also voluntarily leave the hex (as in 22.1c) after any round of combat.
24.0d Combat rounds continue in a CA until the combat ends according to the same conditions as those that end an Assault (see 22.1). Exception: Continue as an Overrun if the CA becomes an Overrun according to 24.0b.
24.0e In CAs, use the terrain of the Defender's hex. Ignore any hexside features of that hex.
24.0f Other than the above, the special rules in 22.0, 22.1, and 23.0 apply to CAs as well.
25.0 Special Units
25.1 Carriers
Carriers are vehicles designed to transport other units. Trucks, wagons, and half-tracks are the usual carriers. A white box around the silhouette identifies a carrier. Each carrier unit represents the number of vehicles required to make up a platoon-sized portage capacity. Consider a unit mounted (or towed) if the carrier's counter is on top of it.
While a passenger, a unit expends MPs in proportion to the carrier's MA. For example, if a carrier with a MA of 18 expends a third (6 points), the transported unit with an MA of 6 expends that fraction also (2 points).
For simplicity, in the following rules "mounting" refers to all the operations of mounting, dismounting, hitching, or unhitching.
25.1a All carriers can carry up to 5 steps OR tow up to two towable (AT Guns, On-Map Artillery, Mortars marked Tow Only, and Infantry Guns) units. These limits are mutually exclusive: units that tow cannot carry at the same time or vice versa. Units which can be "carried" are Infantry, MG, and Mortar (that are not marked Tow Only) units.
25.1b Mounting costs the carrier 3 MPs and the mounting unit 1 MP. Units must be in Move Mode to mount and remain so while mounted. Suppressed or Paralyzed units cannot voluntarily mount or dismount.
25.1c Mounted units can fire only in Assault-style Combat. Such units cannot make AT Roll attacks. Units being towed and mounted Mortar units cannot fire at all.
25.1d If a carrier is destroyed, automatically destroy any units it might be carrying or towing.
25.1e Vehicles as Carriers. Players can use tanks and other vehicles as makeshift carriers. The vehicle capacity is 2 steps or one towed unit - these are also mutually exclusive. More than one vehicle can move as a stack to carry platoon sized units. The vehicle can fire using this rule (as can the regular carriers above). The remaining rules above also apply in these cases.
25.2 Mortars
Mortars are indirect fire Area Fire weapons (shown by a red circle around their range - meaning no LOS is required from the Mortar to the target, but from an appropriate spotter to the target instead). All Mortar platoons have two steps and are subject to Morale Effects.
25.2a Mortars do not require an unblocked LOS to the target from their own hex. They must, however, have an appropriate spotter that does. The spotter must be from the same next-higher-echelon as the Mortar itself - the same company (in the case of Company Mortars), same battalion (in the case of Battalion Mortar Platoons or Heavy Weapons Companies), or the same regiment (in the case of Regimental Heavy Weapons Companies or Battalions). Buttoned Up, Suppressed or Paralyzed units cannot spot for Mortars. Mode has no effect on a unit's ability to spot for Mortars.
25.2b Mortars are Area Fire weapons that are affected by the range of their spotter to the target hex. Important: Mortars can fire only ONCE per Action Phase (for a total of twice in a game turn). A Mortar cannot fire to obtain its "once per phase" in violation of the effects of Fired Markers and the like. Mortars involved in an Assault-style combat can fire once (provided they had not already used their one shot for the phase) and then attempt to live through future combat rounds without firing. Mortars can fire Overwatch Fires provided the spotter can spot the trigger.
25.2c Instead of regular fire, a Mortar can fire one Smoke or Illum Marker. Only 80mm or larger Mortars can fire these. Illum can be fired into any hex in range - visibility and LOS has no effect on firing Illum by Mortar. Smoke requires the target hex to be in range and spotted by an appropriate spotter. Smoke and Illum cannot be fired in response to an Overwatch trigger. Identify the hex to attempt to place Smoke with the Mortar and then see 19.4a to apply scatter.
25.2d Unless Paralyzed or Suppressed, Mortars can self-spot.
25.2e Mortars can move by themselves or be carried by carriers. Large Mortars (marked as Tow Only) cannot move by themselves and must be towed.
25.2f Even in Assault-style Combat, Move Mode Mortars CANNOT fire. Fire Mode mortars can fire once in these combats (if they haven't already shot their one shot for the phase, in which case, they couldn't fire at all) and their fires only affect enemy units.
25.3 Anti-Tank (AT) Guns
AT Guns are B-type targets and direct-fire Point firers. They have one step and have an assumed Morale of 3 (when no Morale Rating is given on the counter).
25.4 Infantry Guns
Infantry Guns are B-type targets and direct-fire Area Firers. They have one step and have an assumed Morale of 3 (when no Morale Rating is given on the counter).
25.4a Instead of regular fire, an Infantry Gun can fire one Smoke Marker to any hex in range with an unblocked LOS to the gun (subject to scatter, see 19.4a). Only 100mm or larger Infantry Guns can fire Smoke but cannot do so as Overwatch Fire.
25.4b If Infantry Guns of 100mm or larger fire at a hex containing Point Targets, roll once per target using the Artillery Point Fire Table in addition to any Area Fire attack made against the hex.
25.5 On-Map Artillery
Most games will restrict artillery to being off-map, but sometimes the situation will require these units to be on the map. On-map artillery functions like its off-map cousin in all functions except the following:
25.5a On-map artillery can direct fire. If any gun does so, the whole battery cannot fire regular artillery missions in the same turn - the inverse is also true. The on-map artillery unit must have no fewer than 2 guns remaining in play in order to be able to fire regular artillery missions.
25.5b All direct fires require an LOS from the firing unit to the target - On-map artillery is no exception. On-map artillery can never fire like Mortars. Given 25.5a, On-map artillery can participate in normal artillery missions using spotters. On-map artillery can fire SFAs or Overwatch.
25.5c For each gun that fires directly, expend one HE Battery Fire and place one Battery Barrage Marker on the Target Hex. The Battery Barrage Marker then attacks using the usual rules on the Area Fire Table (Good Shoot strength) and/or the Artillery Point Fire Table. On-map artillery never uses the regular Point Fire Table.
25.5d On-map artillery cannot fire Smoke or Illum in direct fire mode.
25.5e To fire regular artillery missions, all the battery's guns must be in Fire Mode and must not have fired Direct Fires in the current turn.
25.5f On-map guns have one step and an assumed Morale of 6. Suppressed or Paralyzed on-map guns cannot fire.
25.5g On-map Guns cannot use Fast Fire Missions when firing Direct Fires.
26.0 Aircraft
When aircraft are available, they are given as "sorties." A sortie is the attack of one aircraft against one target unit or hex. In earlier games, sorties represented an aircraft making a number of "runs" against the map. To play those games using these rules, consider each run for an aircraft as a separate sortie. Therefore, an old game air mission that allows two aircraft to make three Area attacks would convert into six separate sorties.
Resolve all aircraft fires in the Aircraft Fire Phase. Execute all available sorties before passing play to the enemy. Any number of the available sorties can be directed against a single hex, provided they are all placed on the map beforehand and are resolved independently.
The number of available sorties is determined by a die roll. The player selects the ordnance type and target hex when he executes his sorties. In games beginning with Hunters From the Sky, players have a marker for each possible available sortie. When a player is going to resolve his sorties, place all the markers on the hexes they are to hit and resolve them all after placement. Once placed, a sortie cannot be moved to another hex.
26.1 Sorties
26.1a Sorties use their Area (or strafe) ability to attack using the Area Fire Table. The sortie's Point ability is a dice roll to kill P-type or B-type targets. These abilities cannot be combined in one sortie. The player must announce which ability the sortie is to use when he resolves the attack and forfeits the other ability when he does so.
26.1b Resolve the Area attacks in the usual way - modify according to only those modifiers that apply to sorties. The straight Point kill roll requires a roll on two dice. Modify the roll according to the Sortie Point Fire Modifications Chart. If the modified roll is greater than or equal to the kill number, destroy the target. Any other roll has no effect, except that it will cause the units affected by 16.7 to Button Up.
26.1c On any turn in which one or more sorties are available, the player uses them all in the Aircraft Fire Phase. He picks each target hex and no ground spotter is needed.
26.1d In Matanikau, do not roll on the Sortie Successful Attack Table for each sortie. This effect has already been worked into the way that game handles its sorties.
26.2 Aircraft Sortie Resolution
Resolve each sortie as follows:
- Place all the side's available sorties for the turn.
- For each sortie, follow the remaining steps after placement:
- Identify the sortie to be resolved, its type and weapon load
- Roll one die on the Sortie Successful Attack Table. If the roll is within the range specified on the table, execute the attack. Otherwise no attack is made.
- Execute the attack, if any. If more than one Sortie is directed against a hex, each must be resolved independently.
27.0 Night
The difficulty of military operations at night is impossible to describe adequately. Dusk and Dawn are the turns just before and after real night begins. In these turns, the maximum visibility is limited. Dawn and Dusk turns do not qualify as either Night or Daytime, so the following are true: the Night rules and modifiers do not apply, and sorties cannot be used. Illum cannot be used during these turns.
27.1 Night Effects
27.1a The maximum number of weighted turns an Op Sheet can accrue at night is 2.
27.1b Night missions must be tightly controlled by their Op Sheets. Players must use much more precise routes and other control measures.
27.1c Visibility at night is two hexes.
27.1d Night turns represent a full hour. Even so, attempt to recover Battalion Morale only on even night turns (2000, 2200, 2400, etc.).
27.1e Morale Checks at night suffer additional modifiers. Artillery Adjustment is always conducted on the longest range table. Illum-lighted areas do not negate these.
27.1f Area, Point, and AT Roll combats are modified at night - even artillery fire resolutions are modified.
27.2 Illumination (Illum)
Illum rounds provide battlefield illumination.
27.2a Each Illum Battery Fire and each Illum Mortar shot generates one Illum Marker. See 17.7c and 25.2c for details.
27.2b Each Illum Marker generates a lighted area with a 5 hex radius around its location. This lighted area acts as a spot of daylight and negates the night effects (except for Morale). During Dawn and Dusk Turns Illum Markers have no effect on visibility.
27.2c Remove all Illum Markers on the map during each Clean Up Phase.
Designer's Notes (Version 3.1)
After numerous suggestions and comments by many players of version 3.0 rules in the games GD'40 and Matanikau, I decided to pull out the stops and make the changes players were asking for - as well as some of my own - in order to make the game play quicker and easier than that given in version 3.0.
The artillery system has been heavily revamped and integrated into the Action Phase. This eliminates both the need to plot missions and as well as a number of rules regarding spotting. The system is as clean as it gets and can now be integrated directly into your tactical actions. Beware of the effects of dumping artillery barrages on your objectives - unless you are willing to chase into your own barrages, you might protect the enemy from your assaults!
Battalion Morale (instead of Company Morales) means less bookkeeping and an effect that, I think, is in the correct proportion when compared to unit morale and casualties. This made for a more sensitive Morale Table and a bigger difference between good and poor units. Battalion Morales make up the least important of the triumverate which makes up morale - these are, in order of importance: Casualties, Unit Morale, and Battalion Morale.
Spotting Ranges allow a better look at the "empty battlefield" effect and dispenses with the old marking of overwatch firing units with Fired Markers. A marked unit risked getting "rushed" by attackers who knew they were safe. The same is still true of Suppressed units, but then that is the purpose of suppression (to allow freer movement of your own troops) and you have to earn it. The result works very well.
Buttoned Up adds a new dimension to armor engagements and, I think, adds just the right spice to simulate those actions well.
I am thankful for the amount of feedback version 3.0 got and I look forward to your comments on 3.1, but keep in mind that the door to further official system change is closed except to error correction. The TCS rules are done.
Chart of Common Graphic Symbols (for Op Sheets)
- Lateral Boundary (for a Battalion, for a Company): defines the limit of operations between adjacent units.
- Line of Departure (LD): designates the line at which operations begin: the jump-off point.
- Phase Line (PL, e.g. PL Fish): Phase Lines are used to control the actions of several units. They can be used to coordinate the units, and to define different phases of the operation.
- Unit Location (here a Battalion): used to mark a unit's location on the map.
- Objective (in this case, OBJ Green): denotes the area to be taken by an attack or held by a defense. Obtainment of the objective is how operations succeed.
- Axis of Advance (in this case, Axis Red): denotes the general course of movement of the assigned units. Units are free to move anywhere within the bounds of the axis of advance.
- Direction of Advance: gives the exact path the movement must follow. This control measure is much more restrictive than the axis of advance as the units must take exactly the path under the arrow.
- Area to be screened by Smoke: denotes the use of smoke. A good idea is to record the time to use it with the symbol - such as "Fire when advance reaches PL Cod Piece."
Disclosure: the series rulebook's tables (Command Prep, Area Fire, Point Fire, Morale, SYR, Adjustment, AT Roll, Artillery Point Fire, Spotting Range, Weather, Terrain Effects on Movement, etc.) are printed in a separate Charts and Tables booklet, not in the series rules PDF; they are not transcribed here except as included in the GD '41 module rules below. The publisher's customer-support contact page is omitted.
Part 2: GD '41 Game Rules (The Tula Road, 22-25 October 1941; TCS #2-09)
Introduction
The final German attack on Moscow began on 30 September 1941 with the battles of encirclement at Bryansk and Vyazma. Further south, Guderian's Second Panzer Group captured Orel on 3 October without fighting and pushed on to the Zusha River. While Mtzensk fell on 10 October, further advances would have to wait until the pocketed Russians could be eliminated.
The Russian 4th Tank and 201st Parachute Brigades had been fighting rear guard actions as the Germans advanced beyond Orel. Mtzensk's defense fell under the newly formed 26th Army composed of the 6th Guard Rifle Division, 4th and 11th Tank Brigades, 41st Cavalry Division, and the 5th Parachute Corps (three Parachute Brigades).
The German drive on Tula resumed on 22 October in spite of the terrible German supply situation. Russian defenses proved too much for the frontal assault attempted by the 4th Panzer Division, so a combined attack by the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions along with Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland was ordered for 23 October.
A complete copy of GD '41 includes: 1 box, 1 TCS Series Rulebook (v3.1), 1 Game Specific Rulebook, 2 dice (two colors), 2 maps (22 x 34 inches), 3 countersheets of 280 counters, a registration card and a price list.
Note on the Counters: The counter style is the result of a vote conducted at the end of July 1996 regarding which format of counters players most preferred. The majority preferred this style over the other used for TCS counters. Some minor changes were made as requested by those polled.
1.0 General Special Rules
1.1 Terrain
1.1a Intermediate Contour Lines. Contour lines are marked on the map for every 10 meters, rather than only 20 meters as is normally done. The dashed lines are the Intermediate (10 meter) lines and only apply to LOS purposes; they have no effect on movement.
1.1b Steep Slopes. In addition to the Movement Effects listed on the Terrain Effects Chart, the Steep Slope symbol blocks LOS to and from units adjacent to the down hill side of the slope for lines of sight crossing the symbol.
1.2 Limited Personal AT Weapons
While both sides had overcome much of the terror associated with tanks in the early portion of the war, both were still limited in the available personal AT weapons. Use a -1 die roll modifier for all German AT Roll attacks, and a -2 for all Soviet AT Roll attacks.
1.3 Gun Transport
The trucks, halftracks, horse limbers, and hand carts used by both sides to transport weapons units have been integrated within their Move Mode ratings. MAs with no additional designator are considered foot; those with a "W" move as trucks (i.e. "Wheeled"); those with a "T" move with tracks.
1.4 Command and Control
1.4a German Command Prep. The German rating is 3.
1.4b Soviet Command Prep. The Soviet rating is 6 for attack and movement type op sheets. It is a 3 for any defensive op sheet. Ignore all staff and size modifiers for Soviet Op Sheets.
1.4c German Higher Intent. The Germans are to open the main Orel-Tula highway.
1.4d Soviet Higher Intent. The Soviets must hold the Germans at the Zusha River line.
1.4e Reinforcements and Op Sheets. In all scenarios, players can draw up the Op Sheets of their choice before play begins. Such Op Sheets can also be drawn up for reinforcements. All such pre-game Op Sheets are implemented before play begins. If the player waits until the game begins to issue Op Sheets to reinforcements, then the reinforcements enter with no weighted turns accumulated.
1.4f Soviet Command Restrictions. The Soviet player is limited to one implemented Op Sheet for each Regiment/Brigade that is in play. Russian Op Sheets cannot contain units from more than one Regiment/Brigade. In short, each of the five major Russian formations (4th and 10th Gd Rgts, 201 Para Bde, 4th and 11th Tank Bdes) will have a single implemented Op Sheet which includes only units from its own formation. 6th Gd Division assets can be assigned to either of the Gd Regiment Op Sheets.
1.5 Set Up Notes
1.5a Units Called For. Unless specifically stated otherwise, all units of a formation set up with that formation.
1.5b Order of Set Up. The Soviet player always sets up first and prepares his initial Op Sheets before the German player sets up. The German player sets up second and prepares his Op Sheets after the Russian player sets up.
1.5c Battalion Morales. Unless given as another value in a scenario, all Battalion Morales begin at zero.
1.5d Reinforcements. In the campaign scenarios (4.4 and 4.5) both sides receive reinforcements by rolling each hour on their respective Variable Arrival Table. Even if the roll calls for a unit, that unit cannot arrive until the listed turn occurs - early rolls for the formation are ignored. Units can arrive anywhere at or within 3 hexes of their listed entry hex.
1.5e Artillery Ammunition. Each scenario lists the artillery ammunition available at start. In the two campaign scenarios (4.4 and 4.5) both sides receive additional ammunition by rolling on their respective Ammunition Resupply Tables.
1.5f Minefields. Except for those already printed on the map, neither player can create new minefields during play.
1.6 TCS Additional Rules
The following are rules which have been suggested as additions to the TCS v3.1 system. Use these as standard rules. If you disagree with them, let me (Dean) know and I'll consider your vote regarding their inclusion in the future games of the series (as well as the series rules themselves). I think they add more to the game than their cost in verbiage - making them acceptable additions to the game system.
1.6a Infantry Guns vs. Point Targets. Modify 18.0c to read: If Infantry Guns of 100mm or larger fire at a hex containing Point Targets at a range of 8 or less, roll once per target using the Artillery Point Fire Table in addition to any Area Fire attack made against the hex.
1.6b "Special B" Type Targets. Infantry Guns and AT Guns are considered "Special B" targets rather than the simpler B-type target (now reserved for trucks and very lightly armored vehicles). A Special B type target is an Area Target in all cases except when fired upon in Overwatch Fires or fires within an Assault-style Combat - in those later cases, it can be treated as a B-type Target.
2.0 German Special Rules
2.1 Artillery
The following batteries may be available to the German player (the scenario will state which are available in the time-frame covered):
| Battery | Caliber |
|---|---|
| 1-400 | 105mm |
| 2-400 | 105mm |
| 3-400 | 150mm |
| 1-I-103 | 105mm |
| 2-I-103 | 105mm |
| 3-I-103 | 105mm |
| 4-II-103 | 105mm |
| 5-II-103 | 105mm |
| 6-II-103 | 105mm |
| 7-III-103 | 150mm |
| 8-III-103 | 150mm |
| 9-III-103 | 150mm |
2.1a Mixed Gun Battalion. The 400th Artillery Battalion is made up of both 105mm and 150mm batteries. This battalion can fire Battalion Fires normally with the strength given on the counter. Expend ammunition according to the batteries present (2x 105 & 1x 150).
2.1b Target Reference Points (TRPs). The German player can substitute any of the following TRPs in the place of the spotting unit when determining the distance between the spotter and the target hex for the Adjustment Table. Missions using this technique require a spotter with a clear LOS to both the Target Hex and the TRP. Possible TRPs:
- Building Hexes
- City Hexes
- Road Junctions
- Hilltop Reference Hexes (Those with the elevation marker.)
2.2 Air Power
Each turn between 0700 and 1500, the German player rolls two dice on the German Aircraft Availability Table. Aircraft fire values are given on the counter. Sortie availability is halved in some scenarios.
2.3 Motorcycle Infantry
Several German units were provided with Motorcycles for added mobility. These units are specially marked on their Move Mode sides. When using roads at least 6 hexes away from any enemy unit, these units use a reduced movement cost.
2.4 Pioneers
German Pioneers receive a -2 shift when attacked by minefields.
3.0 Soviet Special Rules
3.1 Artillery
The following artillery battalions may be available to the Soviet player (as given in each scenario):
| Battalion | Caliber |
|---|---|
| 1-34 Gd | 76mm |
| 2-34 Gd | 76mm |
| 1-26 Gd | 76mm |
| 2-26 Gd | 76mm |
3.1a Battalion Fires. All Soviet artillery fires must be Battalion-sized. Each Russian Artillery Ammo point represents a Battalion Fire. When firing smoke, each mission still generates only one Level-2 Smoke Marker. The Russians have no Illum ammunition.
3.1b Rapid Fire. The Soviet artillery cannot make Fast Fire missions.
3.1c Spotters. Control of Russian Indirect Fire was restricted by the general lack of radios and the resulting heavy reliance on Field Telephones. As such, the following restrictions are imposed:
A) Mortars can only fire at targets they spot for themselves. B) 120mm Mortars can additionally fire at targets spotted by their Company FO. C) Artillery Battalions can only fire on targets spotted with their own Battalion Forward Observer.
3.1d Forward Observers (FOs). FOs are exempt from the Mode restrictions in 17.2b. FOs can never actually be killed as a result of the Area Fire Table. If no other units are in the FOs hex which can take the Area Fire Table step loss requirement, ignore the loss. Inflict Morale results (including Surrender and step losses from SYRs) normally.
3.2 Commissars
Soviet Infantry and MG units that receive a Suppressed result can choose to lose one additional step per stack and ignore the suppression. This option can be exercised only once per phase per stack.
3.3 Bunching
All units of a Soviet company (tank as well as infantry) must move during their Action Phase so as to keep bunched up (all units at or within a three hex radius). Move the leading unit/stack of the company; then attempt to move the other units of the company to fulfill this rule. Units which fall behind must continue to "catch up" as best they can.
3.4 Russian Tank Restrictions
3.4a Fire Restrictions. Due to their lack of communications, multiple Soviet tanks cannot combine to make a single SFA attack unless stacked in the same hex. Soviet tanks which move and change to Fire Mode are marked with a "Fired" marker (to preclude their ability to fire Overwatch). Tanks which change to Fire Mode, but do not move, are not so marked.
3.4b Tanks as Carrier Restrictions. Except for the Motorized Battalions, Soviet units cannot use Tanks as Carriers.
3.5 Roadblocks and Minefields
The Russians prepared their defensive positions well and made extensive use of mines and roadblocks. Both are printed on the map. These minefields include a number which represents the chance that the field is incomplete. The first time a German unit makes a breach attempt, the Soviet player rolls one die. If the number rolled is less than or equal to the printed number, the minefield is a dummy and has no further effect on play (mark or record these in any convenient manner).
Roadblocks cannot be cleared - see the Terrain Effects Chart for their effects.
4.0 Scenarios
4.1 Repulse of SR 12
This scenario covers the initial German attempt to open the Tula Road by "storm." The attack failed due to the determined Russian defense and poor coordination of the various attack elements (i.e. infantry, artillery, and the Luftwaffe). The scenario shows the futility of "banging" your head against a brick wall.
General Information
- First Turn: 1000, 22 Oct
- Last Turn: 1300, 22 Oct
- Map Area: Map B north of xx.15 (exclusive)
Soviet Information
Set Up:
- On or northeast of the line from B14.34 to B20.25: 2-10 Gd Inf Battalion; 2x Inf Gun, 10 Gd (Gun-10 Gd); 3x AT Gun, 10 Gd (AT-10 Gd)
- On or northeast of the line from B20.25 to B22.22 to B22.16: 3-10 Gd Inf Battalion; 2x Inf Gun, 109 Gd (Gun-10 Gd); 3x AT Gun, 10 Gd (AT-10 Gd)
- w/i 2 of B35.34: Mtr-10 Gd Mortar Company; at B24.32: FO-10 Gd Mortar FO Section
Artillery:
- 1-34 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-1-34 Gd at B24.23
- 1-26 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-1-26 Gd at B40.21
Ammunition:
- 76mm: 5 HE
Orders:
- Prepared Defense
German Information
Set Up:
- On or southwest of the line from B6.29 to B11.22: I-12 Inf Battalion; 2-49 PJ AT Company
- On or southwest of the line from B11.22 to B11.16: II-12 Inf Battalion; 3-49 PJ AT Company
Artillery:
- I-103 Artillery Battalion
- II-103 Artillery Battalion
Ammunition:
- 105mm: 20 HE, 15 Smoke
Orders:
- Take Strepurino Golubotschki
Victory
The German player wins a major victory if he occupies B24.27 at any time during the game and a smashing victory if he takes any hex of Strepurino Golubotschki (good luck!). Any other result is a minor Soviet victory.
4.2 The GD Attacks
This scenario covers the initial attack of the Grossdeutschland in the Mtzensk area.
General Information
- First Turn: 1000, 24 Oct
- Last Turn: 1500, 24 Oct
- Map Area: Both Maps, but only the area on or north of the main Orel-Tula road
Soviet Information
Set Up:
- On or northeast of the line A1.11 to A10.06 to A17.00: 1-10 Gd Inf Battalion
- On or northeast of the line B14.34 to B20.25: 2-10 Gd Inf Battalion (less six infantry steps); 2x Inf Guns, 10 Gd (Gun-10 Gd); 3x AT Guns, 10 Gd (AT-10 Gd)
- w/i 3 of A22.06: Pio-10 Gd
- w/i 2 of A30.05: Mtr-10 Gd Mortar Company; FO-10 Gd Mortar FO Section at B24.32
- Strepurino Golubotschki: Pio-6 Gd Pioneer Company
Artillery:
- 2-34 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-34 Gd at A22.02
- 2-26 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-26 Gd at A41.30
Ammunition:
- 76mm: 10 HE
Orders:
- Prepared Defense
German Information
Set Up:
- On or southwest of the line B6.29 to B11.22: GD Inf Regiment (less I-GD and V-GD)
Artillery:
- I-103 Artillery Battalion
- I-604 Artillery Battery
Ammunition:
- 105mm: 30 HE, 15 Smoke
- 210mm: 5 HE
Orders:
- Take Point 228
Victory
Soviet:
- Minor: Hold Point 228
- Major: Hold Point 228 and German losses exceed 45 Infantry Steps
German:
- Minor: Hold Point 228
- Major: Hold Point 228 and German losses are less than 35 Infantry Steps
4.3 The Flank is Turned
This scenario covers the final drive by the Grossdeutschland to cut the main Orel-Tula road.
General Information
- First Turn: 0600, 25 Oct
- Last Turn: 1000, 25 Oct
- Map Area: Map A only
Soviet Information
Set Up:
- On or northeast of the line A17.15 to A26.01: 1-10 Gd Inf Battalion (less 18 steps of infantry and with a Battalion Morale of 1); Pio-10 Gd Pioneer Company (less 9 steps)
- w/i 2 of A30.05: Mtr-10 Gd Mortar Company; FO-10 Gd Mortar FO Section
- Krasnyy Lipowez: SMG-6 Gd SMG Company (less 6 steps)
- On or northeast of the line A54.13 to A60.04: 4 Gd Inf Regiment; NKVD-6 Gd Inf Platoon
- On or northeast of the line A45.26 to A54.13: 11 Motor Battalion
Artillery:
- 2-34 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-34 Gd at A25.05
- 2-26 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-26 Gd at A41.30
Ammunition:
- 76mm: 10 HE
Orders:
- Prepared Defense
German Information
Set Up:
- On or southwest of the line A13.14 to A18.07: I-GD Inf Battalion
- On or southwest of the line A18.07 to A22.01: III-GD Inf Battalion (less 9 steps of infantry)
- With any of the above GD units: IV-GD Weapons Battalion (less 2 StuG IIIs); V-GD Regimental units Battalion
- On or northwest of the line A13.35 to A10.30: I-6 Panzer Battalion (3 Pz Div); I-3 Inf Battalion (3 Pz Div)
- Arriving at A10.00 on any desired turn: 3-I-35 Panzer Company; 4-I-35 Panzer Company; 3-79 Pioneer Company; 3-I-11 Flak Company; 2-91.Le Flak Company; 11-12 Inf Gun Company
Artillery:
- 400 Artillery Battalion
- I-103 Artillery Battalion
Ammunition:
- 105mm: 20 HE, 15 Smoke
- 150mm: 5 HE, 5 Smoke
Orders:
- GD: Take the ravine vicinity of A33.10
- 35 Pz: Exit between Entry Hexes N and NE
- 3 Pz Div: Clear area north of the stream
Special Rules:
- 3 Pz Div units cannot cross the stream west of A60.29.
Victory
Soviet:
- Minor: No German Victory
- Major: Hold Saroschtscha, Guschtschenskii, and A59.10
German:
- Minor: No Soviet unit west of A36.xx
- Major: Exit 15 tanks off the east edge south of the stream and there are no Soviet units at or within three hexes of the railroad.
4.4 Mtzensk Breakout
This scenario starts the campaign after the arrival of the Grossdeutschland and covers the successful attack from the Mtzensk bridgehead. It provides the most historical perspective of the battle.
General Information
- First Turn: 1000, 24 Oct
- Last Turn: 1000, 25 Oct
- Map Area: All
Soviet Information
Set Up:
- On or northeast of the line A1.11 to A10.06 to A14.00: 1-10 Gd Inf Battalion
- On or northeast of the line B14.34 to B20.25: 2-10 Gd Inf Battalion (less 6 steps of infantry); 2x Inf Guns, 10 Gd (Gun-10 Gd); 3x AT Guns, 10 Gd (AT-10 Gd)
- On or northeast of the line B20.25 to B26.16: 3-10 Gd Inf Battalion (less 12 steps of infantry); 1x Inf Gun, 10 Gd (Gun-10 Gd); 2x AT Guns, 10 Gd (AT-10 Gd)
- w/i 3 of A22.06: Pio-10 Gd Pioneer Company
- w/i 2 of A30.05: Mtr-10 Gd Mortar Company; FO-10 Gd Mortar FO Section at B24.32
- Strepurino Golubotschki: Pio-6 Gd Pioneer Company
- w/i 2 of A40.03: SMG-6 Gd SMG Company
- On or northeast of the line B26.16 to B36.01: 201 Para Brigade (less 12 steps of infantry)
- On or northeast of the line A54.13 to A60.04: 4 Gd Inf Regiment; NKVD-6 Gd Inf Platoon
Artillery:
- 1-34 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-1-34 Gd at B24.23
- 2-34 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-34 Gd at A22.03
- 1-26 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-1-26 Gd at B40.21
- 2-26 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-26 Gd at A41.30
Ammunition:
- 76mm: 10 HE, 4 Smoke
Orders:
- Prepared Defense
German Information
Set Up:
- On or southwest of the line B6.29 to B11.22: GD Inf Regiment (less I-GD and V-GD)
- On or southwest of the line B16.24 to B22.15: 12 Inf Regiment (less 11-12 Inf Gun Company and 24 steps of infantry); 2-49 PJ AT Company; 3-49 PJ AT Company; 2-79 Pio Pioneer Company (less 6 steps); 2-35 Panzer Company (less 6 tanks)
- On or southwest of the line B22.15 to B27.08 to B27.01: I-33 Inf Battalion (less 9 steps); 1-49 PJ AT Company; 1-79 Pioneer Company (less 2 steps of infantry)
- In reserve (see special rules below) on the line B1.15 to B1.06: 3-35 and 4-35 Panzer Companies; 3-79 Pioneer Company; 3-I-11 Flak Company; 2-91.Le Flak Company; 11-12 Inf Gun Company
- All mines south of B21.20 have been cleared.
Artillery:
- All
Ammunition:
- 105mm: 30 HE, 20 Smoke, 7 Illum
- 150mm: 10 HE, 5 Smoke, 2 Illum
- 210mm: 5 HE
Orders:
- GD: Take Point 228
- 12 Inf Rgt: Take Point 231
- 33 Inf Rgt: Protect the divisional flank
- 35 Panzer Rgt: In Reserve
Special Rules: The German player must place the above noted units in reserve and can only release them when one of the following occurs:
- Point 231 or Point 228 is taken
- It is 0600, 25 Oct
Victory
Victory is based on the status of the Orel-Tula road and railroad. "Open" is defined as no Soviet units at or within 2 hexes of any hex of the feature. If any Soviet unit is at or within two hexes of any hex of the feature, then the feature is "Closed."
Soviets:
- Marginal: The road or RR are closed.
- Minor: The road and RR are closed.
- Major: The road and RR are closed plus tank loses are less than those inflicted.
German:
- Marginal: Both the road and RR are open.
- Minor: Both the road and RR are open plus German tank losses are less than 35.
- Major: Same as Minor, except the Germans exit an infantry Battalion (80% of starting steps) and 15 tanks through each of the E and NE areas.
Victory Shifts:
- Shift one level in favor of the Germans if the road or railroad is open at any time before dusk on 24 Oct.
- Shift one in favor of the Russians if they exit one Infantry Company (at least 80% strength) via Entry Area W at any time during the game.
(A blank GD '41 Op Sheet form with a map sketch of the Krasnyy Lipowez / Butyrki / Guschtschenskij / Saroschtscha / Lechanowka / Strepurino Golubotschki / Mtzensk / Kawergino / Belkowo area follows in the rulebook; it is a photocopiable form and is omitted.)
4.5 The Road to Tula
This scenario starts the campaign one day earlier than 4.4 and provides players with a much more fluid situation. German options for the attack are increased but must be balanced with the increased chances for a Russian counterattack.
General Information
- First Turn: 0700, 23 Oct
- Last Turn: 1000, 25 Oct
- Map Area: All
Soviet Information
Set Up:
- On or northeast of the line A1.11 to A10.06 to A14.00: 1-10 Gd Inf Battalion
- On or northeast of the line B14.34 to B20.25: 2-10 Gd Inf Battalion (less 6 steps of infantry); 2x Inf Guns, 10 Gd (Gun-10 Gd); 3x AT Guns, 10 Gd (AT-10 Gd)
- On or northeast of the line B20.25 to B22.22 to B26.16: 3-10 Gd Inf Battalion (less 6 steps of infantry); 2x Inf Gun, 10 Gd (Gun-10 Gd); 3x AT Guns, 10 Gd (AT-10 Gd)
- w/i 3 of A22.06: Pio-10 Gd Pioneer Company
- w/i 2 of A30.05: Mtr-10 Gd Mortar Company; FO-10 Gd Mortar FO Section at B24.32
- Strepurino Golubotschki: Pio-6 Gd Pioneer Company
- w/i 2 of A40.03: SMG-6 Gd SMG Company
- On or northeast of the line B26.16 to B36.01: 201 Para Brigade (less 6 steps of infantry)
- On or northeast of the line A54.13 to A60.04: 4 Gd Inf Regiment; NKVD-6 Gd Inf Platoon
Artillery:
- 1-34 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-1-34 Gd at B24.23
- 2-34 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-34 Gd at A22.03
- 1-26 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-1-26 Gd at B40.21
- 2-26 Gd Artillery Battalion; FO-2-26 Gd at A41.30
Ammunition:
- 76mm: 10 HE, 5 Smoke
Orders:
- Prepared Defense
German Information
Set Up:
- On or southwest of the line B6.29 to B11.22: I-12 Inf Battalion (less 6 infantry steps); 2-49 PJ AT Company
- On or southwest of the line B11.22 to B11.14: II-12 Inf Battalion (less 6 infantry steps); 3-49 PJ AT Company; 2-79 Pio Pioneer Company; 2-35 Panzer Company
- On or southwest of the line B11.14 to B11.10: I-33 Inf Battalion; 1-49 PJ AT Company; 1-79 Pioneer Company
- In reserve (see special rules below) on the line B1.15 to B1.06: 3-35 and 4-35 Panzer Companies; 3-79 Pioneer Company; 3-I-11 Flak Company; 2-91.Le Flak Company; 11-12 Inf Gun Company
Artillery:
- All
Ammunition:
- 105mm: 30 HE, 20 Smoke, 7 Illum
- 150mm: 10 HE, 5 Smoke, 2 Illum
- 210mm: 5 HE
Orders:
- 12 Inf Rgt: Take Point 231 then Point 228 and protect Mtzensk.
- 33 Inf Rgt: Take Point 199
- 35 Panzer Rgt: In Reserve
Special Rules: The German player must place the above noted units in reserve and can only release them when one of the following occurs:
- Point 231 or Point 228 is taken
- It is 0600, 25 Oct
Victory
Victory is based on the status of the Orel-Tula road and railroad. "Open" is defined as no Soviet units at or within 2 hexes of any hex of the feature. If any Soviet unit is at or within two hexes of any hex of the feature, then the feature is "Closed."
Soviets:
- Marginal: The road or RR are closed.
- Minor: The road and RR are closed.
- Major: The road and RR are closed plus tank loses are less than those inflicted.
German:
- Marginal: Both the road and RR are open.
- Minor: Both the road and RR are open plus German tank losses are less than 35.
- Major: Same as Minor, except the Germans exit an infantry Battalion (80% of starting steps) and 15 tanks through each of the E and NE areas.
Victory Shifts:
- Shift one level in favor of the Germans if the road or railroad is open at any time before dusk on 24 Oct.
- Shift one in favor of the Russians if they exit one Infantry Company (at least 80% strength) via Entry Area W at any time during the game.
Designer's Notes
The hardest part about preparing GD '41 was in selecting which battle to portray. The Grossdeutschland's experience in 1941 was primarily defensive (protecting the flanks of the panzers) and I actually did a great deal of work on a situation where the GD held off an attack by three Russian infantry divisions. But this had very few tanks and would not have done the TCS justice. Dean kept asking about Tula and with a little digging I uncovered the Battle of Mtzensk.
Once selected, Mtzensk proved to be a fairly easy research job with the significant data available from the German records. Tank strengths for both sides were spelled out in great detail as was a complete listing of unit movements. The records even included a captured minefield plan for the Russian 25th Guard Regiment (just off the map to the north).
The special rules dealing with Russian operations are an attempt to saddle the player with some of the limitations of the 1941 Russian army. On the defense, Russian infantry performance was generally very good and they exhibited an innate ability to melt into the terrain. On the attack, however, they suffered from gross fits of inexperience and command paralysis.
The artillery rules were the last to come together and were developed through considerable research and playtesting (including GD '41, GD '42, and Black Wednesday). Until Dean finally came up with the FO system (in Black Wednesday) the Soviet artillery was always able to fire on gaps in the minefields with surgical precision - something they were historically unable to do. As with GD '40, the use of artillery is hamstrung by shortages of ammunition and the resupply tables represent the unreliable nature of the supply lines of both sides.
The reinforcement system was set up based on the known data and to include some variables. For the Germans, the northern Kampfgruppe arrived early on the 25th and there is little chance that this will vary much in play. The Grossdeutschland will also begin arriving historically on the 24th and the arrival table should provide a reasonable amount of delay before they are all available (they had marched all night from Orel). On the Russian side, things are more variable. The 11th Brigade started the battle east of the map and operated on the map at various times on the 24th. The 4th Brigade fought north of the map (against the rest of the 3rd Panzer Division) and is included in the unlikely event that they moved south disregarding the northern German threat.
Weather was excluded from the game as there are no indications that it played a role in the fighting along the Zusha. The fall rains and muddy season had certainly begun, but the area around Mtzensk was still fairly solid due to the good drainage. In fact, the only log road built on the map was at A56.08 and A56.09.
The idea to integrate the carriers and weapons units came from Black Wednesday and solves the problem of players using the carriers to move non-historical passengers about. This rule should be applied in GD '40 as well.
The battle of October 22 is included but is not part of the full campaign game as this preliminary attack was a complete failure which resulted in the plan to flank the Russian positions on the road. A campaign game is included in two versions - long and short. The short version (4.4) begins after the arrival of the Grossdeutschland and includes most of the significant actions.
Historical Notes
The Grossdeutschland in 1941
As 1941 began, the Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland (I.R.GD) was continuing its training in France. This routine continued until 6 April 41, when the regiment entrained to move to the new front in Yugoslavia and Greece.
The role of the I.R.GD in the Yugoslavian campaign was brief and included little fighting. The border was crossed on 11 April. After breaking the border fortifications, the regiment passed many ethnic German towns where they were welcomed as liberators. The "casual" advance halted at the blown Danube bridges on the outskirts of Belgrade. On 12 April, a patrol of the SS Division "Reich" succeeded in entering Belgrade but ended up surrounded in the German embassy. The I.R.GD was ordered to cross the Danube on makeshift rafts and rescue the SS men. The German ambassador met the regiment on the far bank and led them into the city. By the 14th, the city was secured and the Yugoslavian campaign was over.
The I.R.GD remained in the Belgrade area on occupation duties until mid-May when they were ordered to move into western Poland.
The Initial Phase in Russia
The I.R.GD was assigned to the 46th Panzer Corps of Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group. The corps (which included the 10 Pz Division and the SS-Reich Motorized Division) was initially in reserve and did not enter Russia until June 27th. By then, the Russian border defenses had been defeated and the German mobile troops were beginning their drive into the interior.
The role of the regiment throughout the early campaign was two-fold: 1) protect the open flanks of the Panzer spearheads and 2) help in holding the perimeter of large pockets. By 9 August, the regiment had reached the Dnepr River south of Mogilev. The river was crossed on a broad front on 11 August and the battle for Smolensk began. As the Panzer Divisions made a long swing to the east toward Yelnya, the I.R.GD was assigned the task of holding the Smolensk-Roslavl Road.
A Russian counterattack was ordered against the Germans encircling Smolensk consisting of 20 divisions released from the Reserve Front. Though most attacked from North and East of Smolensk, three attacked from the Roslavl area. The resulting battle on the Stomet River was the first real crisis for the I.R.GD. The regiment was spread out over a 6 Km front and short one of its battalions. The attack of three Soviet Rifle Divisions was finally repulsed with the help of the 5th MG Battalion and elements of the 18th Panzer Division.
In September, the regiment moved south with the rest of the Panzer Group. It continued its duties as flank guard and sometimes had to cover very large frontages. In early October, the final drive on Moscow began and great pockets of Russians were formed at Bryansk and Vyazma. These were cleared by 20 October and the I.R.GD was given a few days rest in Orel.
The Battle of Mtzensk
As the 2nd Panzer Group was busy reducing the Bryansk Pocket, the Russians concentrated a blocking force (the 26th Army) along the Orel-Tula road at Mtzensk. The major element of this force was the 6th Gds Rifle Division posted astride the road. Extending the line to the north was the 41st Cavalry Division and to the south three Parachute Brigades. The army was supported by two Tank Brigades (28 modern tanks and over 90 light tanks).
The 4th Panzer Division had been holding the Zusha River crossing at Mtzensk since 10 October but had made no attempts to drive to the east. The 3rd Panzer Division was in the Bolchow area and was moving rapidly to the Zusha despite deteriorating road conditions. On 22 October, the 4th Panzer Division was ordered to force the Mtzensk heights and to open the road to Tula. This frontal attack failed miserably as the Russians were well dug in.
It was apparent from the failure on the 22nd that the frontal approach would be too costly and an alternative was drawn up. The 3rd Panzer was ordered to cross the Zusha in two groups (3rd Schutzen and 5 Panzer Brigades) north of Mtzensk and would drive into the flank and rear of the Russian positions. The 4th Panzer would continue to apply pressure along the main road. The I.R.GD would reinforce the final assault. The river crossing of the 3rd Schutzen Brigade occurred around noon on 23 Oct with the 5th Panzer Brigade crossing early on the 24th. Significant bridgeheads were developed in the area of the 25th Gds Regiment and a tank battle erupted between the 5th Panzer Brigade and the 4th Tank Brigade as the Russians sought to close the gaps in their lines. The panzers won this contest and were able to exploit their success by reaching the Orel-Tula road 16 Km north of Mtzensk around midnight on the 24th.
In front of Mtzensk, the 4th Schutzen Brigade worked throughout the 23rd to stretch the Russians in the area of the 201st Para Brigade. By late morning on the 24th, the I.R.GD began arriving in force and a general attack both north and south of the main road developed. By the end of the day, the Russians realized the Zusha positions could not be held and began withdrawing to the southeast. The 11th Tank Brigade, restricted by the condition of the secondary roads, could not retreat cross-country and was forced to fight through the Germans along the road to the north. This attack ended in disaster for the Russians and 17 more tanks were abandoned.
The fighting in Mtzensk is described in the records as most intense. From the Grossdeutschland's history - Nests of resistance had to be stormed, and whole trench systems were softened up with hand grenades and taken. The Russian defenders, who fought bitterly, were cut down one by one.
On to Tula
After the battle at Mtzensk, the road to Tula lay open. Guderian formed a Kampfgruppe around the 5th Panzer Brigade consisting of the I.R.GD and all the remaining tanks of the Panzer Group. Their task was to take Tula by storm. Through deteriorating road conditions, the attackers pushed north. Tschern was taken on 25 October and the outskirts of Tula were reached on the 29th. An attack on the city started well on the 30th, but by the afternoon had run into an anti-tank ditch and an area of open ground. Here, the I.R.GD changed over to the defense as the muddy conditions had made further attacks impossible. Russian counterattacks were fought off daily until the unit was relieved in mid-November.
On 30 November, Army Group Center decided to take advantage of the frost to make one final attempt to take Tula. This attack would envelop the city from the east and was conducted in the freezing cold. The I.R.GD was spread over the entire front to provide shock troops to the various attack divisions. These attacks began on 2 December and continued until the 5th. On that date, the war in Russia changed. The Russians committed their Siberian Divisions in their first full-scale winter counteroffensive.
Hungry and cold, the I.R.GD fought continuous rear guard actions along the Orel-Tula road. On 21 December, they were back to Tschern with company strengths ranging from 10 to 25 men. On the 23rd, they moved through Mtzensk and took up positions on the Oka River near Bolchow. They stood there for several months.
Thus ended 1941, a year that spanned emotions - from the euphoric summer advances to the disasters of the winter. Through it all, the Grossdeutschland earned itself a reputation as a dependable "fire brigade." But, the reputation came with a high cost - casualties for the year reached 4,070 men from the initial strength of about 5,000. As bad as 1941 ended, 1942 would be worse.
Unit Notes
- The 35th Panzer Regiment had been reduced to a single battalion by October with 36 tanks remaining out of the 168 available on 22 June.
- The 6th Panzer Regiment was composed of three equal strength battalions (72 out of 22 June's 198 tanks). The two battalions not included in the game (along with the tanks of the 18th Panzer Regiment) were operating just north of the map.
- The Russian 4th and 11th Tank Brigades are at full strength and it is interesting to note that they had more KV-1s than T-34s.
- The 26th Army was formed from the 1st Gds Rifle Corps in October and would become the 2nd Shock Army in November.
- The 6th Gds Rifle Division was formed by the redesignation of the 120th Rifle Division on 26 September. The 120th was formed in central Asia and fought with distinction in the battles round Yelnya in August.
- The 4th Tank Brigade was redesignated 1st Gds Tank Brigade before the end of 1941 for its exploits between Orel and Tula (including Mtzensk). Performance of this brigade prompted Guderian to request a formal investigation by officials in the German Armaments Industry. This investigation ultimately resulted in the decision to accelerate efforts to field the Panther tank.
Note: The 1st Gds Tank Brigade (later forming the backbone of the 3rd Mech Corps) continued to cross paths with the GD. The two will tangle again in the Luchessa Valley in November, 1942 and south of Kursk in 1943.
Player's Notes
German
The situation for the German player is a classic in the employment of mobile forces. Facing an extended, entrenched enemy line, the German player hopes to breakthrough the center without taking excessive losses. Plans must be made to bypass them.
The historical German plan was a good one. Operations on the 23rd concentrated on stretching the Russian flanks. On the 24th, this was continued with increasing pressure and when enough of the I.R.GD had been assembled, an all out attack that outflanked the northern defenses sent the Russians running. Remember, the Russians have only a limited ability to plug a gap once formed and cannot hope to fight a mobile battle successfully.
The level of German victory will usually hinge on tank losses and these must be kept to a minimum. The real German commanders had to protect these assets if there was to be any hope of taking Moscow. Infantry with other weapons in support should be used to stop counterattacking Soviet armor before attempting to do so with the panzers.
Soviet
The first major task for the Russian player is to make wise choices in the initial set up. Each minefield hex must be covered with fire and special care must be given to the composition of each stack. Initial Op Sheets for the potential reinforcements should be carefully considered and drawn up.
Once play begins, punish the German any chance you get...especially his tanks. Try to hold out some form of reserve as a major crisis will develop on one flank or another (or both). The arrival of reinforcements are not certain, but if they are received use them in mass against the German spearheads. Start with an implemented Op Sheet and begin planning another as soon as the German attack plans are revealed.
The temptation to use the 4th Gds Regiment forward should be avoided as their initial positions can be very hard for a reduced German force to deal with (thus providing a good chance for a marginal Russian victory).
Guderian's Blitzkrieg Scenario (OCS)
The Battle for Mtzensk can also be portrayed using the OCS game Guderian's Blitzkrieg. The following OCS v2.0i scenario is provided for players who own that game.
Turn 10 (German player-turn only). Weather: Normal. Reserve Markers: Any desired number.
German Set Up:
- A35.03: 3 Pz Div (1 Rec Bn, Organic Truck), 1 SP
- A36.01: 3 Pz Div (2-6 Pz Bn), 18 Pz Div (118 Pz Bn)
- A37.01: 3 Pz Div (1-6 Pz Bn, 394 Shu Inf Rgt, 75 Arty Rgt)
- A39.01: 3 Pz Div (3 Shu Inf Rgt)
- B39.34: 4 Pz Div (1-35 Pz Bn, 12 Shu Inf Rgt, Organic Truck), 1 SP
- B39.33: 4 Pz Div (7 Rec Bn, 33 Shu Inf Rgt)
- B37.32: 4 Pz Div (103 Arty Rgt)
- B34.29: 24 Pz Corps HQ, GD Inf Rgt, 440 Arty Bn, 622 Arty Bn, 2 SPs
Soviet Set Up:
- A43.02: 26 Army HQ, 1 SP
- A39.01: 41 Cav Div
- A41.01: 12-0-1 Arty Bde
- A41.02: 12-4-6 Tank Bde
- A40.01: Level 2 Hedgehog, Breakdown Rgt
- B40.34: 10-2-1 Inf Rgt (120, less one step), Level 2 Hedgehog
- B41.34: 10-3-4 Tank Bde
- B40.33: 2-1-1 Para Bde (201)*
- B41.33: 2-1-1 Para Bde (9)*
- B41.32: 2-1-1 Para Bde (10)*
*Use Para Bdes from Boyd Schorzman's variant.
Victory: The Germans win if they capture Chern', otherwise the Russians win.
Counter Manifest & Order of Battle
German Forces: 24th Panzer Corps
3rd Panzer Division (part)
- I Battalion, 6 Panzer Regiment: 1 Co (8x Pz III); 2 Co (8x Pz III); 3 Co (3x Pz II, 5x Pz IV)
- 521 Panzer-Jäger Battalion: 3 Co (4x PzJgI)
- I Battalion, 3 Infantry Regiment: 1 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 2 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 3 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 4 Co (3x MG, 3x Mort); 5 Co (2x AT)
4th Panzer Division (part)
- I Battalion, 35 Panzer Regiment: 2 Co (2x Pz II, 11x Pz III); 3 Co (2x Pz II, 11x Pz III); 4 Co (5x Pz II, 5x Pz IV)
- 11 Flak Battalion: 3 Co (4x 88mm)
- 91.Le Flak Battalion: 2 Co (2x 20mm)
- I Battalion, 12 Infantry Regiment: 1 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 2 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 3 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 4 Co (3x MG, 3x Mort); 5 Co (2x AT, 2x IG)
- II Battalion, 12 Infantry Regiment: 6 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 7 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 8 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 9 Co (3x MG, 3x Mort); 10 Co (2x AT, 2x IG)
- 12 Infantry Regiment, Regimental Troops: 11 Co (2x 75mm IG, 2x 150mm IG)
- I Battalion, 33 Infantry Regiment: 1 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 2 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 3 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 4 Co (3x MG, 3x Mort); 5 Co (2x AT, 2x IG)
- 79 Pioneer Battalion: 1 Co (1x Pio); 2 Co (3x Pio); 3 Co (3x Pio)
- 49 Panzer-Jäger Battalion: 1 Co (2x AT); 2 Co (2x AT); 3 Co (3x AT)
Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland
- I Battalion (1x Pio, 2x AA, 4x AT): 1 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 2 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 3 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 4 Co (3x MG, 3x Mort)
- II Battalion (1x Pio, 2x AA, 4x AT): 5 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 6 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 7 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 8 Co (3x MG, 3x Mort)
- III Battalion (1x Pio, 2x AA, 4x AT): 9 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 10 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 11 Co (3x Inf, 1x MG); 12 Co (3x MG, 3x Mort)
- IV Battalion: 13 Co (4x IG); 14 Co (6x AT); 15 Co (4x IG); 16 Co (4x StuG III)
- V Battalion: 17 Co (3x MC Inf, 1x MC MG, 2x SdKfz 221, 2x SdKfz 222); 18 Co (3x Pio); 19 Co (6x SdKfz 6/2)
Soviet Forces: 26th Army
6 Guard Rifle Division (part)
- 1st Battalion, 4 Gd Infantry Regiment: 1 Co (3x Inf); 2 Co (3x Inf); 3 Co (3x Inf); MG Co (4x MG); Mtr Co (1x Mortar)
- 2nd Battalion, 4 Gd Infantry Regiment: 4 Co (3x Inf); 5 Co (3x Inf); 6 Co (3x Inf); MG Co (4x MG); Mtr Co (1x Mortar)
- AT Company, 4 Gd Infantry Regiment (4x AT)
- Mortar Company, 4 Gd Infantry Regiment (1x Mortar, 1x FO)
- 1st Battalion, 10 Gd Infantry Regiment: 1 Co (3x Inf); 2 Co (3x Inf); 3 Co (3x Inf); MG Co (4x MG); Mtr Co (1x Mortar)
- 2nd Battalion, 10 Gd Infantry Regiment: 4 Co (3x Inf); 5 Co (3x Inf); 6 Co (3x Inf); MG Co (4x MG); Mtr Co (1x Mortar)
- 3rd Battalion, 10 Gd Infantry Regiment: 7 Co (3x Inf); 8 Co (3x Inf); 9 Co (3x Inf); MG Co (4x MG); Mtr Co (1x Mortar)
- AT Company, 10 Gd Infantry Regiment (4x AT)
- Mortar Company, 10 Gd Infantry Regiment (1x Mortar, 1x FO)
- SMG Company, 6 Gd Rifle Division (3x Inf)
- Pioneer Company, 6 Gd Rifle Division (3x Inf)
- NKVD Detachment, 6 Gd Rifle Division (1x Inf)
- 34th Gd Artillery Regiment (2x FO)
- 26th Artillery Brigade (2x FO)
1st Battalion, 201st Parachute Brigade: 1 Co (3x Inf); 2 Co (3x Inf); 3 Co (3x Inf); MG Co (2x MG); Mtr Co (1x Mort); AT Co (4x BT-7)
4th Tank Brigade
- 10th Tank Battalion: 1 Co (4x KV-1); 2 Co (7x BT-5); 3 Co (6x BT-7)
- 235th Tank Battalion: 1 Co (4x KV-1); 2 Co (7x BT-5); 3 Co (7x BT-7)
- 4th Motorized Battalion: 1 Co (3x Inf); 2 Co (3x Inf); 3 Co (3x Inf); Battalion Troops (6x MG, 3x Mort)
11th Tank Brigade
- 2nd Tank Battalion: 1 Co (4x KV-1); 2 Co (4x KV-1); 3 Co (6x T-34)
- 11th Tank Battalion: 1 Co (8x T-26); 2 Co (8x T-26); 3 Co (8x T-26)
- 257th Tank Battalion: 1 Co (8x T-26); 2 Co (8x T-26); 3 Co (8x T-26)
- 11th Motorized Battalion: 1 Co (3x Inf); 2 Co (3x Inf); 3 Co (3x Inf); Battalion Troops (6x MG, 3x Mort)
Terrain Effects on Movement and Combat
| Terrain | Combat | Foot MPs | Tracked MPs | Truck MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Open | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Woods | Partly Protective | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Orchard | Partly Protective | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fields | Open | 2 | 3 | P |
| Buildings | Partly Protective | ot | ot | ot |
(#) - motorcycle movement; NR - No Road in hex; ot - other terrain; P - prohibited.
Disclosure: the GD '41 module's Variable Arrival, Ammunition Resupply, and German Aircraft Availability tables, and the Weather/Command/Fire/Morale tables, are on the game's separate charts and are not part of the rules PDF; they are not transcribed here.