Heroes of Normandie: Gazette #2 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Funnies in HoN Games
• Scenario 1 - Cut Off the Bridges
  • 1- Battlefield and Deployment
  • 2- Set Up
  • 3- Composition of the Armies
  • 4- Playing the Game
  • 5- End of the Game and Victory
• Scenario 2 - Red Death!
  • 1- Battlefield and Deployment
  • 2- Set Up
  • 3- Composition of the Armies
  • 4- Playing the Game
  • 5- End of the Game and Victory
• Classified - Special Abilities
  • Flail
  • Mechanic
  • Tank Crew
  • Trailer
  • Churchill Ark
  • Churchill Crocodile

Funnies in HoN Games

There are really two ways to use these tanks in a HoN game.

First, you can assign some of the Funnies to the Allied side of a scenario, to allow the Allies to bypass or overcome certain scenario obstacles. As an example, you could play a river scenario where the only bridge across the water is controlled by the Germans. Giving the Allies a bridge-laying Funny would allow them to choose an alternate crossing point, and force the Germans to defend along the entire riverfront instead of just at the bridge. This makes the scenario more fluid and exciting.

The other way is to use one or more Funnies as the actual objective in a scenario. Imagine a group of Allied infantry and engineers having to escort two or three Funnies through enemy held territory so they can be used in a later offensive. The Germans' goal is to destroy these tanks, while the Americans must defend the lumbering behemoths (most Funnies were painfully slow, being engineering vehicles). The Germans get points for each Funny destroyed, as their objectives move and shift to avoid attack.

Outside of their element, Funnies are mostly useless; almost all were so specialized they were unable to be used as main armored vehicles (American Sherman tank-dozers being a notable exception) in straight-up fighting. But, for their designed functions, the Funnies were a masterpiece of design and planning which made a serious impact on the Allied invasion.

Scenario 1 - Cut Off the Bridges

Pursued by a German armored division, the English force must cross the river at any cost in order to rejoin the bulk of the Allied army. Ideally, they will also destroy the bridge once they have crossed the river, but time is running out!

1- Battlefield and Deployment

You need to have the Commonwealth Army Box, the River Set, and The Devil Pig News #1 in order to play this scenario.

Terrain tiles: C1-B / C2-B / C3-A / C4-A / C5-B / C6-B / R1-A / R2-A / R4-B.

The tiles are laid out in three rows of three, as printed on the scenario map:

• Top row, left to right: C4-A, C3-A, C1-B.
• Middle row, left to right: R2-A, R1-A, R4-B (the river runs across this row, with the bridge on R4-B).
• Bottom row, left to right: C6-B, C5-B, C2-B.

The German deployment zone is marked on C3-A (the target marker in the centre of the top middle tile). The English deployment zone is marked on C5-B (the target marker in the bottom middle tile).

2- Set Up

German player places the Mines tokens on the bridge.

Remove the cards Surprise, and the Artillery and Aviation cards from the English deck.

Remove the cards Surprise, Precision, Return to Sender, Sneaky shot, Traped, and the Artillery and Aviation cards from the German deck.

Set aside the Artillery card "88 mm Flak 18".

The English player has the initiative. Place the corresponding marker on space 1 of the turn counter.

Each player draws 4 cards.

3- Composition of the Armies

If you don't have The Devil Pig News #1, you can download the "Mines" player aid and replace the 10.5 cm LEFH18 with an option of your choice worth 40 army points.

The armies are shown as the following groups, with the points printed on each card or group.

English army (Percy Hobart, Hobart's Funnies)

• Percy Hobart (hero, 30): Sherman Crab (75); APC Shells x3 (10); Directive x1 (15).
• Field Command - Captain Colin Maud & Winnie (35): Smoke x3 (10); Fuel x3 (5); Churchill Ark Mk I (25).
• 4th County of London Yeomanry (group of 120): Ace Driver (5); HE Shells x3 (10); two Churchill tanks (group of 120 shown); Churchill Crocodile (95).
• Ernest "Smokey" Smith, Walking Fire (30): hero card, Walking Fire.
• Walter Pipkin, Tank Killer (85): hero card, Tank Killer.
• Suffolk Regiment, 3rd Inf. Div., 8th Infantry Brigade:
  • Bren Platoon, Leader team and fire team (60);
  • Staghound (35);
  • Lt. Lawson group with Leader team, Fire team, 2 inch Mortar and Bren (95);
  • Universal Carrier (30);
  • Churchill AVRE (75).
• Explosive markers and Detonator: three Explosive markers and one Detonator, assigned at the start of the game (see Playing the Game).

German army (Feldkommando and Panzergrenadiere)

• Feldkommando - Major Hans Gruber (leader, 30), boxed as "200+": Concealed (10); Grenade x3 (5); Panzer IV (65).
• Panzergrenadiere, 1. Battalion, PzGr Lehr Rgt. 901:
  • Panzerschreck group, Fire group, MG 42 (60);
  • 10.5 cm LEFH18 (40), or the replacement option described above;
  • Ob Hauser group with Recon group, Fire group and MG 42 (65);
  • Panzerfaust x3 (20).
• Panzergrenadiere, 1. Battalion, PzGr Lehr Rgt. 902:
  • Panzerschreck group, Recon group, Fire group (50);
  • PaK 40 (25);
  • Oblt. Helfer group with Recon group, Fire group (70);
  • Panzerfaust x3 (20).
• Achtung Minen! Minefield AR (6 mines + 2 decoys) (45): a player-aid card from The Devil Pig News #1.

4- Playing the Game

The game lasts 8 turns.

The English player must make it past the other side of the river with at least 50% (10 counters) of his units before the end of the game.

The English player can try to blow up the bridge with explosives in order to improve his victory. At the start of the game, assign explosive markers and the detonator to a hero, officer, or infantry units (one per unit).

A unit with an Order (or during the Supply phase) that is in the central space of the bridge can place its explosive marker there, instead of moving or shooting.

A unit with an Order (or during the Supply phase) that is two spaces away from the central space of the bridge can activate the detonator.

Instead of moving or shooting. Roll 4 dice per explosive marker present on the central space of the bridge.

Discard the explosive markers, but keep the detonator if you still have unused explosives.

In turns 6 and 7, the German player can use the 88mm Artillery Flak 18 card.

5- End of the Game and Victory

Victory Conditions and Particular Information:

ENGLISH VICTORY

75% of the units (15 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is destroyed: Total Victory.

75% of the units (15 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is intact: Major Victory.

50% of the units (10 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is destroyed: Major Victory.

50% of the units (10 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is intact: Minor Victory.

GERMAN VICTORY

Fewer than 50% of the English units (9 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is destroyed: Minor Victory.

Fewer than 50% of the English units (9 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is intact: Major Victory.

Fewer than 25% of the English units (4 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is destroyed: Major Victory.

Fewer than 25% of the English units (4 counters) are on the other side of the river at the end of turn 8, and the bridge is intact: Total Victory.

Scenario 2 - Red Death!

A Russian military advisor, named Sasha, accompanies the British army in the Normandy campaign. A priority message arrived: We must eliminate this communist! Sasha is the secret son of Beria, head of the NKVD, and his death will have consequences for diplomatic relations between Churchill and Stalin.

1- Battlefield and Deployment

You need to have the Commonwealth Army Box in order to play this scenario.

Terrain tiles: C1-B / C2-B / C3-A / C5-B.

The tiles are laid out in two rows of two, as printed on the scenario map:

• Top row, left to right: C3-A, C1-B.
• Bottom row, left to right: C2-B, C5-B.

The German entry spaces are marked by the blue arrows printed on the map edges: at the top-left corner of C3-A, at the top of C1-B, and at the bottom edge of C2-B. The English deployment zone is marked on C5-B (the target marker on the left side of that tile).

2- Set Up

Without looking, randomly select 2 Bonus tactics markers and place them.

Place a Destruction marker on each building.

Remove the cards Don't stop !, Repair, It Bounces Right Of It, Surprise, and the Artillery and Aviation cards from the English deck.

Remove the cards Precision, Weak Point, and the Artillery and Aviation cards from the German deck.

The German player has the initiative. Place the corresponding marker on space 1 of the turn counter.

Each player draws 4 cards.

3- Composition of the Armies

The armies are shown as the following groups, with the points printed on each card or group.

English army (Sasha, Military Advisor)

• Sasha (hero, 30): Military Advisor, Urban Fighter.
• Régiment de la Chaudière, 3rd Inf. Div., 8th Infantry Brigade (group of 55): Lt. Durois group with 3 inch Mortar, Vickers and Bazooka; Ammo Belt x3 (20); MG Platoon (70) with Vickers x3 and Universal Carrier.
• Suffolk Regiment, 3rd Inf. Div., 8th Infantry Brigade:
  • Lt. Lawson group with Leader team, Fire team, 2 inch Mortar and Bren (group of 95);
  • Grenade x3 (5);
  • Staghound (35);
  • Support (65) with Leader team, PIAT and Bren.

German army (Feldkommando and Panzergrenadiere)

• Feldkommando - Major Hans Gruber (leader, 30), boxed as "200+": Planning (10); Veteran x3 (15); Panzer II Luchs (50).
• Panzergrenadiere, 1. Battalion, PzGr Lehr Rgt. 901:
  • Assault group with Fire group, Fire group and MG 42 (55);
  • Grenade x3 (5);
  • Ob Hauser group with Fire group, Recon group and MG 42 (group of 65);
  • Puma (40);
  • Panzergrenadiere with Recon group, Fire group and MG 42 (45).

4- Playing the Game

The game lasts 6 turns.

The English player deploys his groups in his deployment zone. He places Sasha in the largest of the houses.

The German player brings his units in (with an Order or in the Supply phase) on the spaces indicated by a blue arrow. He cannot bring two vehicles into the same space in the same turn.

The German player must eliminate Sasha before the end of turn 6.

5- End of the Game and Victory

Victory Conditions and Particular Information:

ENGLISH VICTORY: English player wins the game if Sasha is still alive at the end of turn 6.

GERMAN VICTORY: German player wins the game if Sasha is eliminated before the end of turn 6.

Classified - Special Abilities

Flail

If the vehicle decides to use its flail, its movement is reduced by 2 points. During its movement, the vehicle can discard all Mine tokens adjacent to the spaces it traverses during its move. It can also discard Barbed Wire tokens that it crosses.

If, during its movement, the vehicle crosses a space occupied by an enemy infantry unit, the unit is displaced as usual, but it also receives a Suppressed marker.

If the infantry unit has a movement of 0, it is eliminated. If the vehicle stops on a space occupied by an infantry unit, roll a die. The unit suffers a hit on a result of 5 or more, then, if it survives, it is displaced and receives a Suppressed marker.

Note: the first word of the Flail paragraph is partly covered by the flail icon in the scan; it is read as "If", as the sentence that follows requires.

Mechanic

The Mechanic can repair a heavy vehicle that has suffered damage. In order to remove the damage marker, the Mechanic must be adjacent to the heavy vehicle, and have an Order. Then, instead of shooting or moving, he can remove one damage marker of his choice. With a Burst into Action card, or by using the Heroic character trait (or any other suitable trick you have), he can move and repair in the same turn.

Tank Crew

If the unit ends its movement on a space occupied by an allied vehicle (heavy or light), the unit can enter it.

Flip the token and leave it on the vehicle. The unit adds its special abilities to the vehicle.

If the vehicle is destroyed, the unit must be placed on a space adjacent to the vehicle. Also place a Suppressed token on the unit.

Trailer

The trailer hooks up to the back of a vehicle bearing the same symbol, but inverted. It follows in the vehicle's movements, occupying the space left free by the back of the tank.

As long as the tank is attached to the vehicle, the tank can use the special ability depicted in the the Trailer symbol. The trailer can be targeted independently.

If it is destroyed, flip over its counter.

The vehicle thus loses its special ability depicted in the Trailer symbol, but it can still use its own weapon. If the vehicle is destroyed, leave the trailer where it sits.

Churchill Ark

Place the bridge token on the Churchill ARK, on its "Tank" side.

At the end of its movement, the Churchill ARK can deploy its bridge behind it (place the Bridge counter on the terrain). It cannot deploy the bridge diagonally. It cannot deploy the bridge on a space occupied by another vehicle.

If the bridge is deployed on a space occupied by an infantry unit, the infantry is relocated into an adjacent space of its owner's choosing. If the infantry unit has a movement of 0, it is eliminated.

The Churchill ARK might, in certain circumstances, find itself entirely in water spaces. Once in this position, it can no longer budge for the rest of the game.

Once deployed, the bridge is considered to be a normal terrain element, 3 spaces long. Units can thus enter and exit it, following the blue arrows.

The Bridge counter can be targeted independently from the Churchill ARK. If it is destroyed, discard it.

If a vehicle stopped on it, the Churchill ARK can no longer shoot nor be targeted.

If the Churchill ARK is destroyed, discard the Bridge counter.

During the damage localization, if you score a 5, discard the Bridge counter.

Churchill Crocodile

The flamethrower of the Churchill Crocodile has a limited firing axis. Place the template on the tank's axis, with the smaller end on the yellow dot.

The example diagram shows the spaces affected by the flamethrower template, marked with a yellow starburst (legend: "Spaces affected by the flamthrower template").