Kasserine Pass
Kasserine Pass Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- An Introduction to the Rules
- Victory Conditions
- The Playing Pieces
- Combat
- Zone of Control
- Movement
- Sequence of Movement
- Terrain Considerations
- Stacking
- Use of Artillery
- Supply
- German Tactical Experience
- Movement Through American Infantry ZOC
- Cost of Combat
- Selective Attack
- Special Units
- Clarifications and Miscellaneous
- Optional Rules and Clarifications
- Two Die Combat Result Table
- German Order of Battle
- Allied Order of Battle
- Errata
An Introduction to the Rules
The game KASSERINE PASS has been designed to make as much use as possible of existing wargame mechanics. So if you are familiar with other games you probably will be able to begin to play after quickly glancing over the rules. Only on a few points is it different. However, if this is your first wargame don't panic, read the rules over a few times until you get a general drift of what they are trying to portray. Then go back and study individual sections that seemed particularly confusing. In any case, you should find yourself completely at home after a few games.
Victory Conditions
The game is won on the basis of how much the German can take and hold. The actual victory is calculated on a point system with the cities and villages having the following point values:
- Ferriana, Kasserine, and Sbiba - 1 POINT EACH
- Le Kef, Thala - 2 POINTS EACH
- Tebessa - 3 POINTS
At the end of the game the German player adds up the total number of points he has on the basis of the places he holds. To "hold" a place your units must have been the last people to pass through. The degree of victory is then determined as so:
- 0 to 2 points - German defeat
- 3 to 4 points - German tactical victory, Allies set back
- 5 to 7 points - German decisive victory, Allies got problems
- 8 to 10 points - German strategic victory, Allies go home
The Playing Pieces
Punch out the playing pieces, the Germans are in "buff" and the Allies in "olive". Take a look at a typical counter, here is what all the numbers mean:
- Nationality (top, beside the size symbol)
- Type of Unit (the symbol in the box)
- Size of Unit (symbol above the box)
- Parent Unit or Nationality (right of the box)
- Combat Factor - Movement Factor (printed below the symbol, e.g. 2-16)
Also for your reference, here is a list of standard symbols:
- Types: Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Armored Infantry, Recon, Engineers, Anti-Tank, Flak
- Sizes: Detachment (I), Battalion (II), Regiment (III), Brigade (X)
And, if you're the Germans your armor is "Panzer" and your armored infantry is "Panzer Grenadier".
A "B" means British, "Fr" - French. On Allies with no nationality marking, assume American.
Combat
Combat is resolved by moving your unit adjacent to an "enemy" unit and attacking it in your portion of the turn. To resolve the combat, compare the total combat factors you have attacking, to the total combat factors he has defending and resolve it on an odds basis. As an example, should three armored units (2-16's) be attacking one enemy armored unit, it would be a total of "six" combat factors against "two". This boils down to a "3 to 1". You then look under the "3 to 1" column on COMBAT RESULTS TABLE, roll both dice and interpret the results. Also should the odds not work out even you always round off in favor of the defender.
Zone of Control
Another key concept in wargames is "zone of control". This is the ring of hexes around a unit. This is the area a unit influences with its firepower. As soon as you move into an enemy "zone of control" you must stop and fight that unit. You cannot sit in any enemy's "zone of control" unless you attack him. You may not retreat through a "zone of control". For future reference we will abbreviate "zone of control" as ZOC.
Movement
In general, movement is a function of a unit's "Movement Factor". This is the number of "Movement Points", hereafter abbreviated MP, a unit has to spend on movement. Different types of terrain use up MPs in different amounts, combat also uses up MPs.
Sequence of Movement
A complete turn, representing one day of time, is composed of the following steps:
- GERMAN MOVEMENT: German player moves all his units he wishes
- GERMAN COMBAT: German player resolves all his combat
- ALLIED MOVEMENT: Allied player moves all his units he wishes
- ALLIED COMBAT: Allied player resolves all combat
Terrain Considerations
Terrain affects both combat and movement as follows:
| Terrain | Effect |
|---|---|
| PLAIN TERRAIN | Costs 2 MP's to enter, no effect on combat. |
| HIGH GROUND | Costs 4 MP's to enter, may halve attacker's combat factor. |
| RUGGED CREST | Costs 8 MP's to enter, may halve attacker's combat factor. |
| CLIFF | No movement across whatsoever. ZOC does not extend up, but does extend down. If attack up, attack factor is quartered. |
| RIVER | Costs 4 MP's to enter a river hex, attack factor is halved if attacking from a river hex. |
| ROAD | Costs 1 MP to move along. No effect on combat. |
| VILLAGE | No additional penalty for movement or combat. |
| CITY | No additional movement penalty, defender doubled defensively. |
Now, notice that for High Ground and Rugged Crest, the attacker may have his attack factor cut in half. The rule here is, should a defending unit have a height advantage on the attacker then the attacker would be halved. Now, it is quite possible for the defender to have a height advantage on some of the attacking units, but not all of them. In this case, only those attacking units which have the height "inferiority" would be halved. Now high ground is higher than plain terrain, and rugged crest is higher than high ground. So, in KASSERINE, unlike other wargames, a defensive position should be chosen not so much on what the hex is, as much as what it is relative to the adjacent hexes.
Another point is the "semi-cumulative" effect of terrain penalties. As an example, should you be attacking from a river hex and have a height inferiority against the defending unit you would have your attack factor cut in 1/4. However, no matter how bad things get you can never have your attack factor worse than 1/4 of its normal combat factor.
Stacking
In general you may stack combat units up to regimental or brigade strength. For playing purposes consider three battalions equal one regiment. Notice that there are a few units that are already regiments or brigades. They do not stack with anything else. There is one exception and that is engineers, artillery, and flak. Since these are non-organic support elements they stack free. However, a stack may never be made more than four units tall, no matter what.
Use of Artillery
Definition Of
Artillery in KASSERINE is defined to be a support element, rather than a direct combat unit. Hence it does not engage in combat itself but supports other units that are in direct combat. Let's examine a typical artillery piece: it shows a support range (2), a support factor (4), a movement factor (8) and a parent unit (10).
Use Of
The "support range" is the number of hexes away it can give fire support to a friendly unit. So the artillery unit above could support any friendly unit within 2 hexes. It can give support both offensively and defensively. The procedure is as follows:
- Attacker sets up all his attacks and announces which artillery is supporting what attacks. When arty supports, it simply adds in its support factor to the attacker's combat factor.
- Then, after the attacker has allocated his artillery the defender allocates his by simply adding his support factors to the defending unit's combat factor. It is a source of infinite joy, to the defender, to be able to convert his opponent's carefully planned 3-to-1's to 1-to-1's.
Artillery Clarifications
One Artillery battery can support only one unit. It may not split its support factor to help two or more units.
Should arty by itself be attacked, i.e. not stacked with anybody, it defends with a "1" combat factor and if forced to retreat is considered eliminated instead.
Arty in a stack cannot be "selectively attacked" and the rest of the stack be "soaked off" against. The attacker must set up his attacks against the regular combat units in the stack as if the artillery unit wasn't there. However, should all the units in a stack, with arty, be forced into retreat and the attacker has the right to move into the hex where the defender "used-to-be" then the attacker moves onto the arty unit, captures the guns and now may use them as his own artillery unit.
If arty support had raised a "1-16", for example, to a defense factor of "3" and the attacker rolled an EXCHANGE, the attacker would only have to give up "one" factor because that was the base value of the defender. He would not have to give up "three factors" though that was the final value of the defender.
Supply
Since the whole game is only 12 days long it is highly unlikely that anybody would run out of supplies to the point where a special rule would have to be made. So, don't worry about it.
German Tactical Experience
The main difference between the Americans and the Germans at Kasserine was the edge the Germans had in tactical "know-how". The Americans were green, and it showed. To reflect this, incorporate the following special rules:
Break-Off
All German Panzer, Panzer Grenadier may break-off an "engaged" at the cost of 2 extra MP's. No Allied unit may break-off an "engaged" at all.
German Breakdown
The following illustration shows which German units may breakdown and how they do it. The German player may breakdown his units anytime during his portion of the turn at no cost to his Movement Points. An obvious advantage is should a German "2-16" roll an "exchange" against an American "1-16" he could "breakdown" his "2-16" into two "1-16's" and thereby only give up a single "1-16" rather than losing his "2-16". If the same thing happens to the Allies, they may not breakdown. For them, it's tough luck.
Breakdown (each unit becomes the units shown):
- DAK 7-10 (brigade armor) becomes two DAK 2-10 armor battalions
- DAK 5-10 (brigade armored infantry) becomes two DAK 2-10 armored infantry battalions
- 3-18 (battalion recon) becomes two 1-18 recon detachments
- 2-16 (battalion armor) becomes two 1-16 armor detachments
- 2-16 (battalion armored infantry) becomes two 1-16 armored infantry detachments
- 2-8 (battalion anti-tank) becomes two 1-6 anti-tank detachments
"Broken-down" units may not recombine into the larger parent unit.
Movement Through American Infantry ZOC
German Panzer, Panzer Grenadier, or Recon may move through American Infantry ZOC at a cost of 2 MP extra per hex moved through. For instance to move along a road, that has three hexes in an American Infantry ZOC would cost a Panzer unit 9 MPs.
Cost of Combat
All Allied units cost 4 extra MP to move in and fight, but all German and Italian units are penalized only 2 extra MP's to fight. This restriction applies to all units, even artillery, if it is used to support an attack that turn. In any case, you can always move one hex and fight. If you do not have enough MP left to fight, you may not enter an enemy ZOC.
Selective Attack
The Germans may make "selective attacks". That is hitting one unit in a stack at high odds and "soak off" on the rest. The Allied player, on the other hand, must hit the whole stack as one.
Special Units
Engineers
In addition to being a semi-combat unit, the engineers also have the ability to destroy bridges. To do so they move onto a bridge hex, spend an additional 4 MP's, and the bridge is destroyed. One engineer unit can destroy only one bridge per turn. If he has MP's left after the bridge is destroyed he may use them. To repair a previously destroyed bridge follow the same procedure except that it takes 8 MPs to rebuild it. You probably noticed that the American engineers have better movement factors than the Germans. In Tunisia this was so, the Germans were so low on vehicles that somebody had to do without, invariably this was the engineers. Also, even at the beginning of the war American engineers demonstrated that they were the best. They could build or blow up anything, and do it quicker than anyone else.
Rangers
The U. S. Rangers only have a "5" movement factor. However, they go five hexes regardless of the terrain. It costs them nothing to fight.
Clarifications and Miscellaneous
Mines/Minefields
Though the Americans used about 20,000 mines in the defense of Kasserine, they are not accounted for in the rules. This was because they were very clumsy in using them. In many cases the mines were simply distributed unburied on the surface of the ground, and when they were properly buried they, in one instance, left the area clearly roped off.
Combination Hexes
Notice that there are a few hexes, just northwest of Kasserine that are both road and river hexes. For combat they are considered river hexes, for movement - it depends. If you were already on the road prior to entering the hex, consider it road movement. If you enter the hex from a non-road position consider it a river.
Cliffs/ZOC
Since ZOC does not extend up a cliff, but does extend down it, a unit on top could sit adjacent to a unit on the bottom. But a unit on the bottom would not have that option.
Retreat/Blocking Terrain
If a unit's retreat calls for him to move more MP's worth of terrain than his movement factor the unit dies. As an example an Italian battalion could not retreat two hexes in "high ground" since that would use 8 MP's or it could not retreat one hex in "rugged crest". A unit may always move one hex and fight, but this does not apply to retreats. Obviously, retreats are not allowed over cliffs, not even for Rangers.
Movement Along Rivers
In some games, you get a break when you move along a river as opposed to moving across it. Not so here, every river costs 4 MP's regardless of how you are moving on it; this is because the main hassle with the rivers in Tunisia was not the river itself, but the chopped-up terrain all around it.
Exchange, Attacker's Losses
Always, unless the defender was in a city, on an EXCHANGE the attacker only has to give up as much as the basic combat factor of the defender. Even if the attacker was 1/2 or 1/4 due to terrain, and the defender had bunches of arty support, the attacker only has to lose exactly equal to the defender. The one exception and that is in cities, is where the defender was doubled, then the attacker must give up twice as much as the defender.
Optional Rules and Clarifications
German Initial Placement
The Germans, since they start on the board edge, must count the first hex they place their troops on as part of their movement.
Advance After Combat
A unit may never advance through terrain that normally would cause him to use more MP's than he is worth.
American Rangers ZOC
Due to the higher training of the Rangers, they would exert a ZOC equal to a British or French infantry unit. Hence the German PZ. or PZ. GREN. could not move through their ZOC.
Italian Infantry ZOC
Due to the low quality of the Italian troops, American Armor and all British and French units may move through their ZOC at a cost of 2 MP extra per hex moved through.
Allied Air Power
Starting with Feb. 22 the Allies gained a decided air superiority. To reflect this allow the Allies to increase any one attack one "level" per turn starting with the Feb. 22 turn. As an example, this means on their attacks, they could select one, say a "3 to 1" and increase it to a "4 to 1". The Allies may do this for one attack per turn beginning on Feb. 22.
Note on Optional Rules
Kasserine Pass is delicately balanced and the incorporation of these rules will give the Allies a definite edge. However, for strict historical accuracy, these optional rules should be used. As a compromise, we'd recommend that the Allied Air Power rule only be used if the Allied player needs help. Or roll the die to see if the Allies do indeed gain air superiority. It was a 50/50 chance.
Two Die Combat Result Table
Roll two dice (2-12) and read the column for the odds.
| Die | 1 to 5 | 1 to 4 | 1 to 3 | 1 to 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | A ELIM | A ELIM | A ELIM | D BACK 1 |
| 3 | A ELIM | A ELIM | A ELIM | CONTACT |
| 4 | A ELIM | A ELIM | A ELIM | A ELIM |
| 5 | A ELIM | A ELIM | A ELIM | A ELIM |
| 6 | A ELIM | A ELIM | A BACK 4 | A BACK 3 |
| Die | 1 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | A ELIM | A ELIM | A ELIM | EXCHANGE |
| 3 | A ELIM | A BACK 2 | A BACK 1 | ENGAGED |
| 4 | A BACK 3 | A BACK 2 | ENGAGED | CONTACT |
| 5 | A BACK 2 | A BACK 1 | CONTACT | CONTACT |
| 6 | A BACK 1 | ENGAGED | CONTACT | D BACK 2 |
| Die | 5 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 7 to 1 | 8 to 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | ENGAGED | D ELIM | D ELIM | CONTACT |
| 3 | D ELIM | D ELIM | CONTACT | D BACK 2 |
| 4 | CONTACT | CONTACT | D BACK 2 | D BACK 3 |
| 5 | CONTACT | D BACK 2 | D BACK 2 | D BACK 4 |
| 6 | D BACK 2 | D BACK 2 | D BACK 3 | D ELIM |
- ODDS GREATER THAN "8 to 1" ARE CONSIDERED "D ELIM"
- ODDS OF "1 to 6" ARE ALLOWED, BUT ARE AUTOMATIC "A ELIM"
- ODDS WORSE THAN "1 to 6" ARE NOT ALLOWED
Explanation of Results
- A ELIM: Attacker must remove as many combat factors as the defender was worth. Any remaining attacking units must retreat one hex.
- A BACK "X": Attacker must retreat ALL attacking units "X" number of hexes. Defender may advance one hex less than attacker retreated.
- CONTACT: Defender, in his turn, must either counter-attack ALL the units that attacked him or retreat all of his defending units.
- ENGAGED: ALL units are engaged. Defender flips his units over. Attacker in his next turn must re-attack all the units he attacked and rolled an "engaged" for. Both sides may re-inforce. Attacker may re-allocate his attacks regardless if the defender re-inforced or not. Also, defender in his turn, may elect to counter-attack. But if he does he must attack ALL the units that attacked him.
- EXCHANGE: Defender must remove all his units, then attacker must remove at least an equal number of combat factors. If it works out that he must remove more, that's his tough luck. Any remaining attacking units may occupy the hex where the defender "used-to-be".
- D BACK "X": The defending unit must retreat "X" number of hexes away from the battle. Attacker may advance one less than the defender retreated.
- D ELIM: All defending units are eliminated. Attacker rolls one die and that is the number of MP's he may advance. In any case he may always take the hex where the defender "used-to-be".
- NOTE: On any advance after combat the first hex advanced into must be the hex where the defender "used-to-be".
THIS COMBAT RESULTS TABLE MAY BE USED IN ANY BOARD WARGAME THAT USES A "MOVEMENT POINT" SYSTEM OF MOVEMENT AND UNIT ELIMINATION TYPE OF COMBAT.
German Order of Battle
All German and Italian units appear Turn 1, February 14, 1943. Units are listed as type, combat factor-movement factor.
10th Panzer Division
Appears east edge between, or on, roads 3 and 4.
- Six of: armor battalion, 2-16
- Three of: armored infantry battalion, 2-16
- One each of: anti-tank battalion 2-8; recon battalion 3-18; artillery battalion 4-8 (support range 2); engineers battalion 1-8
21st Panzer Division
Appears east edge between, or on, roads 2 and 3.
- Three of: armor battalion, 2-16
- Three of: armored infantry battalion, 2-16
- One each of: anti-tank battalion 2-8; recon battalion 3-18; artillery battalion 4-8 (support range 2); engineers battalion 1-8
D.A.K.
Appears between, or on, roads 1 and 2. One each of:
- Armor brigade 7-10
- Armored infantry brigade 5-10
- Armor regiment 3-10
- Armored infantry brigade 4-8
- Artillery battalion 3-8 (support range 3)
- Recon detachment 1-12
- Engineers battalion 1-8
- Anti-tank battalion 1-6
Italians
Anywhere within 2 hexes of east board edge. Ten of: infantry battalion, 1-6.
Allied Order of Battle
A total of 35 units placed in their indicated positions on the game board.
- FEB. 15: Road Five: U.S. 18th RCT - three infantry battalions, 1-16 each.
- FEB. 16: At Le Kef: 1st Gds. Bde. - British infantry 2/5 Leicesters 1-16 and 2nd Hampshires 1-16. Road Five: 1st Rgr. Batl. - infantry 2-5.
- FEB. 17: At Le Kef: Elements 26th Arm. Bde. - British 2nd Lothians infantry 1-16; 17/21 Lancers recon 2-16; 16/5 Lancers recon 2-16.
- FEB. 18: Road Six: U.S. 26th RCT - three infantry battalions, 1-16 each.
- FEB. 19: At Le Kef: Unattached Sherman Battalion - British armor 2-16. (This was a real "wierdo" unit. It was simply a bunch of Shermans brought up to re-inforce the present units in the area. However, the Allies scrounged up crews and committed them as an un-named unit instead.)
- FEB. 20: At Le Kef: Assorted British Elements - 86 Div. Engrs. engineers 1-16; 10 Batl. Royal Buffs infantry 1-16; 2nd Batl. 13th Arm. British armor 2-16. Road Five: 3 Batl. 6th Arm. Inf. - armored infantry 2-16.
- FEB. 21: Road Six: 9th Div. - Arty.: artillery 6-8 (support range 4); three artillery 3-8 (support range 3); flak 1-14. (This was every single gun the 9th owned.)
- FEB. 22: Road Six: Elements 9th Div. - two infantry battalions, 1-16 each.
- FEB. 23: Road Six: Engineers, 9th Div. - engineers 1-16.
- FEB. 24: No Further Re-Inforcements.
- FEB. 25: Last Turn of Game. HAS FREDENDALL BEEN REPLACED YET?
Errata
Official rule clarifications (from a magazine clipping):
- Q: Is the cost to enter a crest hex in rugged terrain 2 MP or 4 MP? A: 2 MP.
- Q: Do anti-tank units count as artillery? A: No.
- Q: There is a contradiction between rules and Combat Results Table. On D Elim, does attacker roll die for MPs advance after combat, or does he only get to advance into defender's vacated hex? A: He rolls die.
- Q: Must units advancing after combat stop in enemy Zone of Control? A: Yes, except where movement rules allow Zones of Control to be ignored.
- Q: On D1 result, may attacker advance into defender's vacated hex? A: Yes.
- Q: Must units advancing after combat follow retreating defender's path? A: No, except first hex must be defender's vacated hex.
- Q: If defender is eliminated because he cannot retreat far enough (say, on D4 result if he can retreat only 2 hexes), how far may attacker advance? A: One hex less than D result from CRT.
- Q: On A Elim and Exchange results, are defensive artillery points included in count of Combat Factors attacker must match? A: No.
- Q: Are enemy Zones of Control negated by presence of friendly units for purposes of retreat after combat? A: No.