Kasserine: Rommel's Battle for Tunisia, 1943 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 2.0 Game Equipment
  • 2.1 The Game Map
  • 2.2 Charts and Tables
  • 2.3 The Playing Pieces
  • 2.4 The Die
• 3.0 Basic Concepts
  • 3.1 Terminology
  • 3.2 Zones of Control
  • 3.3 Stacking
  • 3.4 Efficiency and Lead Units
  • 3.5 Halving Unit Strengths
  • 3.6 Unit Steps
  • 3.7 Weather
  • 3.8 Formation Colors
  • 3.9 Disruption
• 4.0 Starting the Game
  • 4.1 Setting Up the Game
  • 4.2 The Turn
• 5.0 Supply
  • 5.1 Supply Restrictions
  • 5.2 Supply Routes
  • 5.3 Supply Sources
• 6.0 Ground Unit Movement
  • 6.1 Movement Restrictions
  • 6.2 ZOC Effects on Movement
  • 6.3 Effects of Terrain
  • 6.4 Weather Effects on Movement
  • 6.5 Orange Circle MA Units
  • 6.6 Overruns
• 7.0 Pre-Combat Actions
  • 7.1 Combat Declaration
  • 7.2 Combat Refusal
  • 7.3 Reaction Movement
  • 7.4 No Retreat Declaration
• 8.0 Combat
  • 8.1 Attack Restrictions
  • 8.2 Effects of Terrain on Combat
  • 8.3 Preparing for Combat
  • 8.4 Combat Coordination
  • 8.5 Determining the Combat Odds
  • 8.6 Resolving the Combat
  • 8.7 Applying Combat Results
  • 8.8 Retreats
  • 8.9 Advance after Combat
• 9.0 Artillery/Anti-Tank Units
  • 9.1 Artillery Fire Support
  • 9.2 Defense
  • 9.3 Artillery General Limitation
  • 9.4 Anti-Tank Units
• 10.0 Air Support
  • 10.1 Air Unit Restrictions
  • 10.2 Air Coordination
  • 10.3 Interdiction Missions
  • 10.4 Close Air Support Missions
  • 10.5 Air Strike Missions
• 11.0 Fortifications
  • 11.1 Strongpoints
  • 11.2 How to Build a Strongpoint
  • 11.3 Minefields
  • 11.4 How to Build a Minefield
• 12.0 HQ and Leader Units
  • 12.1 HQ Characteristics
  • 12.2 Command Point Expenditure
  • 12.3 American Artillery Fire Nets
  • 12.4 Leader Units
• 13.0 Special Situations
  • 13.1 Mountain Units
  • 13.2 German Heavy Tanks
  • 13.3 Allied National Restrictions
• 14.0 Reinforcements
  • 14.1 Reinforcement Arrival
  • 14.2 Reinforcement Entry
  • 14.3 Exiting the Mapsheet
  • 14.4 Withdrawals
• 15.0 Scenarios
  • 15.1 Scenario #1: Faid Pass
  • 15.2 Scenario #2: The Campaign
  • 15.3 Scenario #3: The Axis Decide
  • 15.4 Scenario #4: Thala
  • 15.5 Scenario #5: Red Bull at Fondouk Pass
  • 15.6 Scenario #6: Second Battle of Fondouk
• 16.0 Designer's Section
  • 16.1 Unit Abbreviations
• Extended Example of Play
• Expanded Sequence of Play

2.0 Game Equipment

Each Kasserine game includes:

• one 22" x 34" mapsheet
• 420 die-cut counters
• one Rule Book
• Axis and Allied Set Up Cards
• Player Aid Cards
• one ten-sided die

2.1 The Game Map

The mapsheet portrays that part of Tunisia where the major battles took place. The grid of hexagons superimposed over the terrain features facilitates movement and the positioning of playing pieces. These hexagons are hereafter called "hexes." Each hex has a four-digit identification number, used for game reference purposes only. Each hex on the mapsheet represents about 2.0 miles (3.2 km) of terrain from side to side.

Important Corrections to Wording in Map's Air Unit Display Box:

Unfortunately, a few typos eluded us until after the map was printed. These are small, but important items. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but wanted to avoid any confusion the typos might cause by setting it right here.

1. In the Air Interdiction box, on the "Pass" line, ignore the phrase about the netting out process. It should read simply "Remain in Box."
2. In the CAS and Air Strike Mission boxes, the first line should read "Make ER check for each Lead air unit."

2.2 Charts and Tables

Kasserine includes Set Up Cards and various Charts and Tables to help players set up the game, keep track of reinforcements, and resolve movement and combat functions. Place these to the side of the map for easy reference.

2.3 The Playing Pieces

2.31 There are five types of playing pieces:

a. Most playing pieces are ground combat units. These represent the military units that fought (or could have fought) in the historical campaign.

b. Ground non-combat units are Leader units.

c. Air units are any pieces with an aircraft silhouette.

d. Each side has six Force markers to use as placeholders for large stacks on the map [3.34].

e. All remaining pieces are player aid markers used to assist game play.

Note: The three German Plan markers will be used in a future C3i Kasserine variant.

2.32 For an explanation of the numbers and symbols on the pieces, see the "How to Read the Units" player aid card.

2.33 All ground combat units bear unit designations, which are the historical unit identifications. For an explanation of abbreviations on the unit counters, refer to the Unit Abbreviations section of this book [16.1].

2.34 Each ground combat unit's Unit Type Box [See "How to Read the Units" card] is colored to distinguish units controlled by each HQ, as well as those not controlled by any HQ. This color scheme has effects on play [12.13 and 12.32].

2.35 Some armor ground units have only one step of strength [3.6], although others of equal strength have two steps. No, we didn't forget to put the back sides on these units. The one-step units represent green, untried formations, or units with poor quality armor.

2.4 The Die

2.41 The game uses a ten-sided die. The number "0" is read as ten (10), not zero (0).

2.42 To perform many game functions, you will roll one die to determine a result. Often you will modify the actual die roll results by plus (+) or minus (-) amounts. These are called Die Roll Modifiers (DRMs).

3.0 Basic Concepts

3.1 Terminology

3.11 Friendly and Enemy

a. Units. If you are the Allied player, all Allied units are friendly; all Axis units are the enemy units. The situation is reversed for the Axis player.

b. Segment Phases. Axis Phases are friendly to the Axis player and enemy to the Allied player; Allied phases are friendly to the Allied player and enemy to the Axis player.

c. Hexes and Supply Sources. Those last occupied or controlled by Allied units are friendly to the Allied player; those last occupied or controlled by Axis units are friendly to the Axis player.

3.12 Controlled Hexes. A hex is controlled by the last player to move a ground combat unit through that hex or to project an uncontested Zone of Control [3.25] into it.

3.13 Contiguous hexes. This is an unbroken series of connected hexes used for movement and Supply Routes.

3.14 Motorized. Units with their movement allowances in red boxes or orange circles are both considered motorized, though their capabilities differ [6.5].

3.2 Zones of Control

The hex a unit occupies and the six hexes immediately surrounding it constitute the unit's Zone of Control (ZOC). Hexes into which a unit exerts a ZOC are called controlled hexes. Enemy unit ZOC affects the movement of your units [6.2] and restricts a unit's retreat after combat [8.83, 8.86, 8.88-9].

3.21 A ground combat unit always controls the hex it occupies, even if it does not exert a ZOC into any of the six surrounding hexes.

3.22 Ground combat units that do not exert ZOC into the six surrounding hexes have a yellow No ZOC band across the top. If at least one unit in a hex exerts a ZOC (that is, it does not have the No ZOC band), all combat units in that hex exert a ZOC.

3.23 A unit's ZOC extends into all hexes and across all hexsides except for those prohibited to it [see Terrain Effects Chart].

3.24 A ZOC is not affected by other units, enemy or friendly, except when tracing a Supply Route [5.24] or for a Retreat [8.83].

3.25 If units of only one side project a ZOC into a vacant hex, that side controls the hex. If both enemy and friendly units project a ZOC into a vacant hex, both ZOCs coexist, and the hex is contested by both players.

3.26 There is no additional effect when more than one unit exerts a ZOC into a hex.

3.27 A friendly unit's ZOC does not affect the movement of other friendly units.

3.3 Stacking

Stacking refers to the placing of more than one unit in a hex. The position of a unit within a stack has no effect on play.

3.31 Each ground combat unit has a stacking point value (ranging from 0 to 4) on its counter. Air units, leaders, and markers have no stacking point value.

3.32 A maximum of nine (9) stacking points of units can occupy a hex at the end of any game phase. Units currently moving or retreating can enter and pass through stacks of friendly units without regard to stacking. If a stack of units is found to exceed the maximum at the end of any phase (or retreat), the excess is eliminated immediately by the owning player.

3.33 Players can freely inspect enemy stacks.

3.34 Force Markers and Holding Boxes. As a convenience to help players manage large stacks of units (and to quickly count combat factors at a glance), the game includes force markers and holding boxes. Each force marker is named and corresponds to a holding box on one of the player aid cards. It is used as a placeholder for a stack of units kept in the corresponding holding box, and is moved on the map to represent the movement of the entire stack.

a. A player can place a Force marker at any time by putting the marker on the map in a hex with a stack of units, and moving that stack of units to the correspondingly-named holding box.

b. Each player may freely move units back and forth between the map and the holding boxes at any time, as long as the units are transferred from/to the hex containing the corresponding Force marker.

c. A Force marker cannot expend more MAs than the lowest MA unit in the holding box possesses.

d. A Force marker must pay motorized movement rates if one or more units in the holding box is motorized.

e. Both players may freely inspect the holding boxes for both sides.

Note: Allied Force markers are backprinted in British or French national colors; Axis Force markers are backprinted in Italian colors. This coloring does not affect which units may be replaced by a given Force marker; all units of a given side are eligible.

3.4 Efficiency and Lead Units

3.41 The Efficiency Rating (ER) on each unit represents that unit's level of training, cohesion, and effectiveness in combat. The higher the ER, the better the unit.

Note: The reduced-step side of most, but not all, units shows a reduced ER.

A number of game procedures require a unit (or a group of units) to pass an ER check [3.43].

3.42 Lead Units. When making an ER check [3.43], a player must choose one unit to represent all of the units affected by the ER check. This unit is called the "Lead Unit," and its ER is the benchmark against which the success or failure of the ER check is determined. Note that:

a. The choice of the Lead Unit is always left to the owning player. He need not choose the unit with highest ER (but it usually makes sense to do so).

b. The Lead Unit almost always takes the first step of any loss [Exceptions: 9.43, 11.33d].

3.43 To perform an ER check, the owning player rolls one die and compares the die roll result to the unit's ER. If the adjusted die roll result is equal to or less than the unit's ER, the ER check is successful. If the adjusted die roll result is greater, the ER check fails.

3.44 Unit ERs can be reduced by combat loss, disruption, or out of supply status, but no ER can ever be reduced below one.

3.5 Halving Unit Strengths

3.51 Combat units may have their attack or Support Strengths halved for several reasons.

Examples: Out of Supply [5.14]; Terrain [6.36]; Artillery units that are not Combat Coordinated [8.41].

3.52 Halving is cumulative. It can happen more than once to the same unit or group of units in a given combat. Follow the halving sequence in 3.55.

3.53 Halving and Rounding:

1. All supporting artillery units (attacking and defending) are halved individually (rounding down)
2. Attacking non-artillery ground combat units are all totalled and then halved (rounding down).
3. Some units in stacks may be subject to halving while others are not. Total the strengths of the affected units and halve them (rounding down)

Example: A stack consisting of two tank units (with Attack Strengths of 4 and 3) and two motorized infantry units attacks a Minefield hex. The tank units (only) are halved due to the Minefield. Their Attack Strengths of 4 and 3 are added together for a total of 7, and then halved (rounding down) to 3. The motorized infantry is not halved by the Minefield.

3.55 Halving is done in the following order:

a. Artillery units

• Units that fail ER checks for combat coordination.

Note: One artillery unit in the defender hex is always coordinated.

b. Non-artillery ground combat units:

• Armor, AA, and AT units attacking through road hexsides into mountain hexes or armor attacking into Minefield hexes.
• Units bearing OoS markers.

3.6 Unit Steps

3.61 Steps represent the durability or staying power of combat units. Ground units have either one or two steps. A unit with values printed on both sides has two steps: its front side shows the unit at full-strength, and its reverse side represents the same unit at reduced strength.

Note: HQs have only one step. The back side of their counters represents the HQ that has spent its Command Points [12.2].

3.62 Combat causes step losses to units, reducing their strength and staying power. A two step full-strength unit that takes one step loss is turned over to its reduced-strength side. A one step unit (with no back side) or a two step unit already on its reduced-strength side is eliminated and removed from the map when it takes a step loss.

3.7 Weather

Weather conditions governed much of the campaign in Tunisia. Both sides were affected. Generally, game rules have been written assuming Dry weather. Other weather conditions will affect supply, movement, air unit readiness and coordination, and various game functions.

3.71 Weather Conditions

a. The weather condition for the turn is determined during the Weather Phase. The Allied player rolls one die and consults the Weather Table.

b. There are three possible weather conditions: Dry, Cloudy, and Rain.

c. The weather condition for the current turn applies to the entire map.

d. Optional. In some scenarios, the historical weather condition for each turn is marked on the Turn Record Track with an asterisk. If both agree, players may choose to apply historical weather for the entire game.

3.72 Cloudy Weather Effects:

a. There are no effects on ground movement.

b. There is a +1 DRM to all Air unit Coordination [10.2] die rolls.

3.73 Rain Weather Effects:

a. The movement point cost to enter or cross the various terrain types is changed to that listed in the Rain column on the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC). Note the difference in costs between motorized and non-motorized units.

b. Wadi hexsides become prohibited to movement by red-box and orange-circle MA units, except at a bridge [main or minor road: 6.35a].

c. A Supply Line traced to a Supply Road is reduced from seven to five hexes in length [5.21].

d. Trails are ignored and have no effects [6.42].

e. There is a +1 DRM to all Allied and +2 DRM to all Axis Air unit Coordination [10.2] die rolls.

3.74 Lingering Mud Weather Effects. During any Cloudy turn that follows a Rain turn continue to use Rain effects as shown on the TEC, but apply Dry weather for movement along roads (including Trails). If a Dry weather turn follows a Rain turn, there is no Lingering Mud.

3.8 Formation Colors

3.81 Most unit type boxes (or unit size boxes for counters with armored vehicle silhouettes) have specific colors. All units possessing the same color in a unit type or size box belong to the same formation.

3.82 Units with white unit type or size boxes are Army units. These can be used, within limits, with any formation [12.13 and 12.32].

3.9 Disruption

3.91 Disruption is the impairment of a unit's capabilities due to certain Air Strike, Assault CRT, and Overrun results.

3.92 A Disrupted result from Overrun or Assault Combat affects all units in the stack [3.94 for units added to stack later].

A "1D" or "2D" result on the Air Strike Table indicates that one or two units in the target hex are Disrupted. The striking player chooses the affected unit(s).

3.93 Effects of Disruption on a unit are:

a. Reduce its printed Movement Allowance (MA) by half, retaining fractions (not cumulative with OoS MA halving [5.14a]).

b. Reduce its attacking or defending Efficiency Rating (ER) by one (cumulative with OoS -2 ER Reduction [5.14c]).

c. Reduce Disrupted HQ unit Command Points to zero.

d. Reduce the -2 US Division HQ Fire Net DRM to zero [12.3].

e. Cannot attempt:

• Combat Refusal [7.3]
• Reaction Movement [7.4].
• Overrun [6.6]

f. Can advance only one hex after combat [8.91].

g. Disrupted artillery units cannot provide Fire Support.

h. Cannot construct Strongpoints [11.22].

3.94 Marking Disruption. Place a Disrupted marker atop a unit or stack when it becomes Disrupted. If a Disrupted unit(s) subsequently becomes part of a stack containing both Disrupted and undisrupted units, place the undisrupted units on top of the Disrupted marker and leave the Disrupted units beneath the marker.

3.95 Removing Disruption. Remove Disruption markers during each turn's Reorganization Phase, as follows:

a. Remove all Disruption markers from units that are not in an enemy ZOC.

b. Make an ER check [3.43] for each Disrupted unit in an enemy ZOC. If the unit passes the ER check, remove its Disruption marker. If it fails, it retains the Disruption marker and remains Disrupted.

4.0 Starting the Game

4.1 Setting Up the Game

4.11 Choose which scenario to play, then refer to that scenario's Set Up Card.

4.12 Examine the At Start section of the chosen scenario's Set Up Card. Place each unit on the map at the location listed for that unit. The Allied player always places his units first, regardless of scenario.

Units begin the game at the strength level [3.6] shown on the Set Up Card. Units at a reduced strength level are indicated by an asterisk in their unit box on the Set Up Card. Not all units are used in every scenario.

4.13 Air units that are available at the beginning of the scenario are placed in the appropriate boxes of the on-map Air Display (NE corner of the mapsheet), in accordance with the scenario instructions.

4.2 The Turn

Kasserine is played in successive turns, each composed of the segments outlined below [see also the Expanded Sequence of Play for a detailed explanation of each Phase].

A. Strategic Segment (both players)

1. Weather Phase
2. Reinforcements/Special Events Phase
3. Supply Determination Phase
4. Air Readiness Phase
5. Joint Air Phase

B. Axis Operations Segment

1. Axis Movement Phase
2. Allied Reaction Phase
3. Axis Combat Phase

(Turn all Fired artillery units back to their unfired sides at the end of this phase)

4. Axis Motorized Movement Phase

C. Allied Operations Segment

1. Allied Movement Phase
2. Axis Reaction Phase
3. Allied Combat Phase

(Turn all Fired artillery units back to their unfired sides at the end of this phase)

4. Allied Motorized Movement Phase

D. Reorganization Segment (both players)

1. Engineering Phase
2. Reorganization Phase
3. Victory Determination Phase
4. Turn Record Phase

Play proceeds according to the sequence above until the end of the final turn of the scenario. At that point the players' performance is evaluated according to scenario victory conditions to determine the winner.

Note: Scenario #2 may end prior to the last turn if the German player has amassed enough Victory Points to achieve a sudden death victory.

ER Checks Possible During a Turn

4.31 Joint Air Phase

a. Air units to Interdiction Box [10.33]

b. Lead Air units attempting each Strike Mission [10.54]

4.32 Axis/Allied Reaction Phase

a. Each Combat Refusal Attempt [7.2]

b. Each Reaction Movement Attempt [7.3]

c. Each No Retreat Attempt [7.4]

4.33 Axis/Allied Combat Phase (each Declared Combat)

a. Attacker Artillery Coordination [8.41]

b. Defender Artillery Coordination [8.41]

c. Attacker Ground unit Coordination [8.42]

d. Attacker CAS Coordination [8.43]

e. Defender CAS Coordination [8.43]

f. Special Retreat Through EZOC [8.89c]*

4.34 Reorganization Phase

a. Disruption Removal in EZOC [3.95]*

* = No DRMs are applied to these ER Checks. For DRMs to all other ER checks, consult appropriate rules section or charts.

5.0 Supply

A unit's supply status affects its movement and combat abilities [5.14]. A unit must be in supply to move and fight without penalty.

Procedure:

During each turn's Supply Determination Phase, the players determine which of their units are in supply. A unit deemed in supply during the Supply Determination Phase is treated as in supply at all times during the rest of that turn. A unit deemed out of supply during the Supply Determination Phase is treated as out of supply for the rest of that turn, even if it moves back into supply during its Movement Phase.

5.1 Supply Restrictions

5.11 To be in supply, a unit must be able to trace a Supply Route [5.2] through a path of contiguous hexes to a friendly Supply Source [5.3] during the Supply Determination Phase.

5.12 A unit that is able to trace a Supply Route [5.2] in the Supply Determination Phase is in supply for the entire turn. Remove any Emergency or Out of Supply markers from that unit.

Note: Supply Interdiction air missions [10.37] may place units that are able to trace a Supply Route in this phase Out of Supply.

Any unit unable to trace a Supply Route in the Supply Determination Phase:

a. receives an Emergency Supply [5.13] marker if it has no Emergency or Out of Supply marker.

b. has any Emergency Supply marker already on the unit turned over to its Out of Supply side.

c. retains any Out of Supply marker already on the unit.

5.13 A unit with an Emergency Supply marker suffers no ill effects. Emergency Supply cannot last for more than one turn.

Design Note: When a unit is first out of supply, it is assumed to be consuming reserve stocks of fuel and ammunition.

5.14 A unit with an OoS marker is penalized as follows:

a. Reduce its printed MA by half, retaining fractions (not cumulative with Disruption MA halving [3.93a]).

b. If the unit is attacking, reduce its Attack Strength (AS) by half (drop fraction).

c. If the unit is attacking or defending, reduce its ER by two (-2) during that combat (cumulative with Disruption -1 ER reduction [3.93b]).

d. If the unit is artillery, reduce its Support Strength to zero.

e. Red-box MA units cannot attempt:

• Combat Refusal [7.3]
• Reaction Movement [7.4].
• Overrun [6.6]

f. It cannot construct Strongpoints.

5.15 A unit cannot be eliminated solely through lack of supply.

5.2 Supply Routes

A Supply Route is any path of contiguous hexes that contain no enemy combat units or vacant hexes in enemy ZOCs (contested or uncontested). A Supply Route consists of a Supply Line traced from the unit either directly to a Supply Source or to a Supply Road which then leads to a friendly Supply Source.

5.21 A Supply Line cannot be more than seven hexes long to a Supply Road (do not count the hex the unit occupies). During Rain or Lingering Mud weather, reduce Supply Line length to five hexes.

5.22 A friendly Supply Road is any network of connected main or minor roads that is free from enemy ZOC and that leads to a friendly supply source. The network may be of any length. Trails do not qualify as Supply Roads.

5.23 A Supply Line can be traced through all terrain except:

a. mountain hexes (except along road or trail), or

b. across escarpment hexsides, or

c. across wadi hexsides during Rain turns except at bridges [main and minor roads crossing wadi hexsides: 6.35a]

d. across wadi hexsides during Lingering Mud turns except at bridges and trails [3.74].

e. through enemy Minefield or Strongpoint hexes.

5.24 A Supply Route can be traced through a hex in an enemy ZOC only if a friendly combat unit occupies that hex.

5.3 Supply Sources

5.31 There are five Supply Sources friendly to the Axis player and four Supply Sources friendly to the Allied player. All of these are printed on the map. A Supply Source friendly to one player will not be friendly to the other player, even if captured. If captured, a Supply Source will cease giving supply but if recaptured by the friendly player, it will provide supply beginning the next friendly Supply Determination Phase.

5.32 Units available for play but currently held off the map are always deemed as in supply while off map. Any reinforcement unit [14.21] is automatically in supply during the turn it enters the map.

6.0 Ground Unit Movement

During his Movement Phase, a player can move any number of his units. He moves them through contiguous hexes in any direction or combination of directions. Movement can be affected by supply, terrain, weather, and enemy ZOC. Overruns [6.6] can be conducted during movement.

Procedure:

Move your units or stacks one at a time by tracing a path of contiguous hexes through the hex grid. Each unit or stack will spend movement points (MPs) from its movement allowance (MA) to enter each hex [see Terrain Effects Chart (TEC)].

6.1 Movement Restrictions

Eligible units move during the friendly Movement or Motorized Movement phases or when performing Reaction Movement. These are the only times when "movement," as described below, is conducted. During the Combat Phase, units of either side may advance or retreat as a result of combat; advance or retreat uses no MPs, and is not considered "movement" for the purposes of these rules.

6.11 Move units from hex to adjacent hex one at a time or as a stack [6.12]. There is no limit to the number of friendly units that can move through a single hex in one turn.

6.12 A stack [3.3] is defined as two or more friendly units in a hex. Units in a stack that have not moved can move off of the stack singly or in smaller stacks. Once a stack begins movement:

• The MA of stacked units is that of the slowest unit in that stack.
• Stacks cannot drop off, pick up, or add units while moving, but once a stack has ceased moving, other units can move into its hex (within stacking limits [3.32]).

6.13 A unit can move only once in a movement phase. It can never spend more MPs than its total MA, and cannot enter a hex if it does not have sufficient MPs available to do so. Unused MPs cannot be accumulated for future turns or transferred to other units.

6.14 A moving unit can never enter a hex containing enemy combat units [Exception: unless those units are retreated by a successful Overrun—6.67d]. It can move through a friendly-occupied hex at no extra MP cost.

6.15 Only the following units can voluntarily move into a hex where they can no longer trace a Supply Route (placing themselves at risk of gaining an Emergency Supply marker during the next Supply Determination Phase):

• all German units,
• reconnaissance (any nationality),
• armored car (any nationality),
• any non-motorized unit (any nationality),
• any unit already judged out of supply

Design Note: To operate efficiently, mechanized forces of both sides were restricted to an area that could be properly supplied. Because of the large size and great vulnerability of supply units, logistics staffs were loath to allow combat movement out of such a zone. German units are exempt because their commanders were likely to take greater risks. Recon and armored car units are exempt because of their function and considerable communications gear.

6.2 ZOC Effects on Movement

6.21 General.

a. In most cases, a unit must spend +1 MP to enter an enemy ZOC (even if the hex is friendly-occupied).

Exceptions: Reaction Movement [7.33], and 6.22a, 2nd bullet

b. If a moving unit does not have sufficient MPs to pay the combined terrain and ZOC cost, it may not enter the hex.

c. There is no MP cost to exit an enemy ZOC.

6.22 Procedure

a. Beginning Movement in an Enemy ZOC

• Red Box MA units may enter an adjacent enemy ZOC hex by paying the normal terrain cost plus one additional MP, and may continue movement (even into adjacent enemy ZOC hexes).
• Orange Circle MA and non-motorized units may enter an adjacent enemy ZOC hex by expending their entire Movement Allowances.

b. During movement all units may enter an enemy ZOC from a non-enemy ZOC hex.

• Red Box MA units may continue movement (even into adjacent enemy ZOC hexes).
• Orange Circle MA and non-motorized units may continue movement, but must first exit the enemy ZOC into a non-enemy ZOC hex prior to re-entering another enemy ZOC.

6.23 Friendly ZOC does not affect the movement of your units.

6.3 Effects of Terrain

The Terrain Key identifies all terrain, and the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) lists the differing MP entry costs a unit spends to enter the various terrain types.

6.31 Each hex contains one or more terrain types. Where a single hex contains more than one type of terrain, apply the following:

a. If the hex contains more than one type of natural terrain (Example: clear and hill), units not on roads [6.33] pay the highest MP cost to occupy the hex.

Exception: 6.34a

b. If the hex contains a Strongpoint or Minefield marker, units always pay the MP cost for each marker in addition to any other terrain cost.

Example: In Dry weather an armored unit not moving on a road would pay 3 MPs to occupy a hex containing both clear and hill terrain. The same armored unit would pay 4 MPs if the hill hex contained a Strongpoint.

6.32 A unit cannot enter a hex if it does not have sufficient MPs remaining to pay the movement cost prior to entering the hex or to cross the hexside (even if this is the only hex it would enter this turn).

6.33 A unit that moves from one road hex directly into another adjacent road hex through a hexside crossed by the road symbol spends MPs according to that road's rate, ignoring other terrain in the hex.

Note: There are three types of road: main road, minor road, and trail.

6.34 Woods.

a. Woods terrain MP cost is always in addition to other terrain in a hex.

b. Ignore the effect of woods when moving along any type of road.

c. The Terrain Effects Chart and Terrain Key show two types of woods patterns – one representing cultivated orchards and groves, the other representing forested areas. Both function identically.

6.35 Certain terrain features are found on the hexside. A unit spends MPs to cross these hexsides in addition to the cost to enter the terrain in the hex itself.

a. Wadi. Bridges are implied wherever a main or minor road crosses a wadi hexside. There is no bridge where a trail crosses a wadi; apply the MP cost to cross the wadi when continuing to move along the trail on the other side. Units crossing wadi hexsides on a road are moved at that road's rate and do not pay the additional hexside cost.

Red-box and Orange-circle MA units are prohibited from crossing non-bridged Wadi hexsides (including Trail hexsides) during rain turns.

Design Note: Although wadis held little water during the dry season, their banks could present a serious obstacle, and would become impossible to cross after rain.

b. Escarpments. Red-box and Orange-circle MA units cannot move, retreat, or attack through non-road escarpment hexsides, though artillery may provide support strength to declared attacks against defender hexes behind escarpment hexsides.

Design Note: Escarpments represent abrupt changes in elevation of 200-500 meters that were virtually impossible for artillery or tanks to cross.

6.36 Mountain Terrain Hexes

a. Armored, artillery, anti-tank, and AA units cannot enter, leave, advance, or retreat into or through a mountain hex except through a hexside containing a road or trail.

b. Armored, anti-tank, and AA units can attack (at half strength, rounding down) through a mountain hexside, but only if it is crossed by a road or trail.

Note: Artillery may provide support strength to declared attacks against mountain defender hexes.

c. All units except mountain units [13.1] must stop when entering any mountain hex through a non-road or trail hexside.

Exception: Trails [6.42]

6.4 Weather Effects on Movement

6.41 The TEC includes separate columns for use on Dry/Cloudy and Rain turns.

Example: If the current weather condition is Rain, the cost for motorized units to enter Hills terrain increases from 3 MPs to 4 MPs

6.42 During Rain weather ignore all effects of trails.

Exception: A trail can still provide a Supply Line through mountain terrain.

6.5 Orange Circle MA Units

Units with an orange circle around their MA (mostly artillery, AA, and HQ units) contain truck transport in varying degrees (the differing MAs), but are not as mobile as those units with red motorized boxes. Orange circle MA units pay motorized costs as shown on the TEC, but are not eligible for the Reaction or Motorized Movement Phases, cannot perform overruns [6.61], and cannot advance after combat [8.97].

Design Note: Two French tank units (1/5 RCA and 2/5 RCA) have an orange circle MA. The tanks were D1s, slow and used almost exclusively for infantry support.

6.6 Overruns

An Overrun is an attempt to move into an enemy occupied hex (hereafter called the "Target Hex"). Although it bears some resemblance to Combat [8.0], Overrun is a function of movement. During the friendly Movement or Motorized Movement phases, any motorized unit (or stack) can attempt to perform an Overrun.

Note to First Time Players: Please read carefully the Combat rules [8.0] before reading this section.

6.61 Only undisrupted red-box MA units without Out of Supply markers can perform Overruns. Only one unit or stack of motorized units (up to 9 stacking points) can conduct a single Overrun, and the overrun occurs while the unit or stack expends MPs. An overrunning stack:

a. must begin movement stacked together in the same hex; and

b. must leave behind any orange-circle or non-motorized units in the hex where it starts moving; and

c. cannot pick up units while it is moving.

Note: A unit (or stack) could be subjected to Overrun by two or more successive units or stacks of qualifying enemy units.

6.62 Weather and Terrain Restrictions

a. An Overrun cannot occur during Rain weather.

b. An Overrun is allowed only into the following hexes:

• clear (can include woods and villages)
• rough

c. An Overrun cannot be made into hexes containing Strongpoints or Minefields.

6.63 The cost to conduct an Overrun is two MPs in addition to the hex and hexside terrain costs in the target hex. If an Overrun is made across a hexside containing a road, use the applicable road movement rate for the target hex terrain. The motorized stack must have sufficient MPs available in all units to conduct the Overrun. If not, its movement ceases.

6.64 An Overrun is not a Declared Combat [7.1]. Use the Mobile Combat Results Table for each Overrun attack.

Note: Because this is not a Declared Attack [7.1], the defender cannot attempt Combat Refusal [7.2], Reaction Movement [7.3], or No Retreat [7.4].

6.65 Overrun can be conducted at any odds level. Leaders [12.4] and Combined Arms Bonus [8.54] can provide column shifts to the odds.

6.66 The Axis player may allocate one air unit to Close Air Support during an overrun attack. No Allied CAS is allowed during overruns.

Design Note: German air-ground coordination was superior to the allies' during this campaign.

Artillery Support during overruns is not allowed for either side. Ground Unit Coordination does not apply to Overruns.

6.67 Procedure:

a. Select Lead units (for Efficiency and Loss determination); Compute odds; perform CAS for Axis (if Axis units are moving); apply column shifts.

b. Roll the die, apply any Efficiency, Axis CAS, or terrain DRMs [see TEC], and consult the Mobile CRT for results.

c. Units forced to retreat are retreated two hexes by the player making the Overrun. Place a Disrupted marker on all retreated enemy units.

d. If the Overrun succeeds in clearing the target hex of all enemy units, move the motorized stack into the target hex at no additional MP cost. Disregard enemy ZOCs when entering the target hex.

e. The motorized stack may continue moving up to the limit of its remaining MA, and may conduct a second Overrun if sufficient MPs remain.

f. If the Overrun does not succeed in clearing the target hex of enemy units, the motorized unit (or stack) ceases movement in the hex adjacent to the target hex, and loses one step (Overrunning player's choice) in addition to any step loss already required by the CRT.

7.0 Pre-Combat Actions

Combat resolution is preceded by a series of actions that set the stage for combat:

• Combat Declaration
• Combat Refusal
• Reaction Movement
• No Retreat Declaration

7.1 Combat Declaration

7.11 At the conclusion of each friendly Movement Phase, the moving player declares which enemy hexes he will attack, and designates which adjacent friendly units (or stacks) will attack each enemy hex. Individual units in a stack may attack different adjacent hexes.

7.12 No more than one enemy hex can be attacked in any single combat. Place Declared Attack markers on each of the attacking units (or stacks), with the arrow pointing toward the hex that will be attacked (the Defender Hex). Enemy hexes with no adjacent Declared Attack marker pointing toward them cannot be attacked.

Note: More than one Declared Attack marker can be placed in the same hex on top of each group of units attacking a different adjacent Defender Hex.

7.13 An enemy-occupied hex can be attacked by as many units as can be brought to bear in the six adjacent hexes, with possible additional artillery Support Strength and Close Air Support, all subject to Attack Coordination.

7.14 Units with Attack Strengths of zero cannot declare or participate in attacks. Any unit (or stack) whose total Attack Strength has been reduced to less than one because of halving [3.53] cannot attack.

7.15 A unit cannot declare combat into a hex or across a hexside prohibited to its movement.

Exception: Artillery can contribute Support Strength into Defender Hexes it cannot enter.

7.16 Once the Declared Attack markers are placed, the attack is irrevocable, and the Defender Hex must be attacked by all units that declare combat against it.

7.2 Combat Refusal

7.21 After all combats have been declared, the opposing player has the option to conduct Combat Refusal in all eligible Defender Hexes. Defender unit eligibility requirements:

• all units in the hex have the red box MA,
• no OoS or Disruption marker in hex.

7.22 Conduct an ER check of the lead unit in the Defender Hex. Apply DRMs for Interdicting enemy air units [10.3], or from Command Points [12.23].

If the ER check fails, the stack remains in the Defender Hex and it must defend in combat. If the ER check passes, the owner retreats the entire stack two hexes [8.8].

Now the attacking player has the option to advance up to nine stacking points into the original vacated hex, after removing all Declared Attack markers from the attacking force.

Note: All attacking units from this Declared Attack cannot participate in any other combats during this Combat Phase because they no longer bear Declared Attack Markers.

7.23 Combat Refusal is not movement. It is considered a retreat [8.8].

7.24 A stack that succeeds in Combat Refusal cannot end its retreat in a hex that itself is the target of a Declared Attack, although it can pass through such a hex during its retreat.

7.25 Combat Refusal cannot occur if the retreat path must pass through a vacant hex in an enemy ZOC.

7.26 Units which retreat due to Combat Refusal cannot subsequently conduct Reaction Movement this turn.

7.3 Reaction Movement

Reaction Movement takes place after all Combat Refusal resolution. Reaction is always determined on a unit-by-unit basis.

7.31 The defender can move any eligible Red-box MA units, except HQs, that are within two hexes of a Defender Hex up to half of their MA (retain fractions). A unit is eligible if it:

a. has a red box MA, and

b. is not in an enemy ZOC (if Italian or Allied; German units can be in Allied ZOCs), and

c. passes an ER check (apply Interdiction and/or Command Point DRMs), and

d. did not attempt Combat Refusal this turn, and

e. is not in a Defender Hex, and

f. is not OoS or Disrupted.

Note: If there are no declared combats, no Reaction Movement is possible.

7.32 If a unit fails to react, it remains in place and cannot make further attempts that phase.

7.33 During Reaction Movement, a unit cannot move adjacent to an enemy unit or into an enemy ZOC unless it has sufficient movement points and a friendly combat unit already occupies that hex (subject to stacking limits). If it enters an enemy ZOC, it does not pay the MP cost to enter enemy ZOC, but it stops immediately.

7.34 Reaction Movement need not be into a Defender Hex, or toward any combat. A unit cannot react into a hex or across a hexside containing terrain that is prohibited to that unit for movement.

7.4 No Retreat Declaration

7.41 The No Retreat option allows the defender to forego Retreat after combat [8.87]. The defender may declare No Retreat if:

• the Defender Hex contains at least two steps of units, and
• the defender hex contains a Strongpoint or Minefield, and
• the defender Lead Unit passes an ER check.

7.42 If the ER check succeeds, place a No Retreat marker on the defender hex.

7.43 There is a +1 DRM to the Combat Die Roll in any combat in which the Defender Hex bears a No Retreat marker.

8.0 Combat

The player who placed the Declared Attack markers in the prior Movement Phase is the Attacker. The other player is the Defender, regardless of the overall strategic situation. The attacker resolves Declared Attacks individually in any order desired, according to the procedure below. Combat results include retreat, advance, reduction, and elimination of involved units.

8.1 Attack Restrictions

8.11 No unit can attack or defend more than once per Combat Phase.

8.12 A unit (or stack) without a Declared Attack marker cannot attack. (In the unlikely even that you run out of Declared Attack markers, use spare markers; the countermix is not intended to limit the number of Declared Attacks per Combat Phase.)

Exception: Adjacent and nonadjacent artillery units may be able to provide support [9.1].

8.13 A unit cannot divide its Attack Strength among different combats or lend it to other units.

8.14 No more than one Defender Hex can be the object of a single Declared Attack.

8.15 Attacking is voluntary. A unit/stack does not have to attack all units in its ZOC or units in all enemy hexes which project a ZOC into the attacker's hex.

8.16 No enemy units (either adjacent or nonadjacent to friendly units) can be attacked solely by artillery or air units during a Combat Phase.

Note: Air Strikes can be made against enemy units during the Joint Air Phase.

8.17 All units in a Defender Hex defend as one combined Defense Strength. The defender cannot withhold a unit in a hex under attack.

8.18 Remove Declared Attack markers before Coordination for each combat.

8.2 Effects of Terrain on Combat

8.21 A defending unit benefits from the terrain in the hex it occupies and its perimeter hexsides.

8.22 The defender receives the following cumulative DRM benefits for terrain:

a. only one DRM for terrain in the Defender Hex, but always the most favorable DRM available if more than one terrain type exists in the Defender Hex.

b. DRMs for both a Minefield (+1 or +2) and/or a Strongpoint (+1) in the Defender hex.

c. A hexside terrain DRM if all attacking units are attacking through that type of hexside [TEC].

8.23 Terrain in hexes occupied by attacking units has no effect on combat.

8.24 Supply [5.14] and terrain [6.36] might halve [3.5] an attacking unit's combat strength. Any attacking unit/stack thus reduced to less than one strength point [note halving conventions in 3.53] cannot attack.

8.25 A unit cannot attack across a hexside that it is prohibited from moving across.

Example: An armored unit cannot attack a mountain hex through non-road hexsides.

Exception: Artillery can contribute its Support Strength to any in-range Declared Attack regardless of the terrain in the Defender Hex.

8.3 Preparing for Combat

8.31 Selecting "Lead Units." Each player selects a "Lead Unit" for the combat [3.43]. Lead Units are important because they:

• use their ER for Coordination and No Retreat die rolls for the entire force, and
• take the first step-loss in combat [Exceptions 9.43 and 11.33d].

8.32 Choosing the CRT. Only one of the two Combat Results Tables (CRTs) will be used for each combat. The attacking player identifies which CRT will be used for each combat, within these restrictions:

a. The Assault CRT is mandatory for all combats during Rain weather or Lingering Mud turns and for any combat where the Defender hex contains:

• a Strongpoint or Minefield, or
• town, hill, or mountain terrain, or
• an escarpment hexside

b. The attacker may choose the Mobile CRT if:

• using the Assault CRT is not mandatory, and
• at least one attacking unit in the combat is armored (with red Attack Strength).

8.4 Combat Coordination

Coordination between units is critical to the success of any attack or defense. In this game, we represent this by requiring coordination checks (called ER checks) during combat. The attacker makes up to three coordination checks per combat (for artillery support, CAS, and for non-artillery ground units). The defender makes up to two coordination checks per combat (for artillery support and CAS). As players make ER checks, refer to the Combat Coordination Table on Player Aid Card 1.

Procedure: For each combat, after Lead Unit designations are made, the players designate any air and artillery support they wish to allocate to the combat, then make coordination checks, as follows.

8.41 Artillery Coordination. Both players indicate which eligible [see 9.13] artillery units will support the Declared Combat. Then each selects one artillery unit to be the Lead Unit. Prior to computing any combat strength, each player (attacker first) allocates Command Points from in-range HQs (and possibly US Fire Net Coordination DRM [12.3]), then makes an ER check for his Lead Unit, applying the DRMs from the Coordination Table. The result applies to all artillery units in that Declared Combat.

Exception: One artillery unit in the defender hex is always coordinated [9.27].

DRMs [See Coordination Table]

Artillery Coordination Results:

• A result less than or equal to the lead unit ER allows all attacking artillery units to contribute their full Support Strengths.
• A result greater than the lead unit ER but less than 10 (see below) halves each supporting artillery unit's Support Strength (rounding down). Artillery Support Strengths are not totalled and then halved, but halved individually (rounding down).
• A result of "10" means none of the committed artillery units contribute any Support Strength to the combat.

Note: Regardless of the ER check result, each participating artillery unit is turned to its Fired side after the Declared Attack is completed.

8.42 Ground Unit Coordination.

Defender. The defender never makes this.

Attacker. The attacking player makes an ER check for his Lead ground unit. If the unit passes the ER check, no adjustments are made to the combat. If it fails the ER check, there is a two column shift left to the final combat odds. [8.53]

DRMs [See Coordination Table]

8.43 Close Air Support Coordination.

a. Prior to attacker artillery coordination [8.41], each player (attacker first) commits air units to CAS. Once CAS missions are placed, they cannot be removed prior to the end of the Declared Combat, nor can additional air units be added.

b. After Ground Unit Coordination is complete, each player designates one committed CAS unit as his Lead Unit, and makes an ER Check against that unit, applying any DRMs. The result applies to all friendly air units in that combat.

DRMs [See Coordination Table]

CAS Coordination Results:

• A result less than or equal to the lead air unit ER allows all attacking air units to contribute their full CAS points.
• A result greater than the lead air unit ER means none of the committed air units contribute any CAS points.

8.5 Determining the Combat Odds

8.51 Compute Final Strengths. The attacker and defender each total their attack and defense strengths, as follows:

a. Total all ground units for each side in the combat. Some attacking units or stacks may have their attack strength halved. Halving is cumulative (some units or stacks may be halved more than once) [3.5].

b. Add the support strength of artillery units [8.41].

Note: Total support strength allocated cannot exceed total ground combat strength.

8.52 Compute Combat Odds. Divide total attacking strength by the total defending strength to arrive at a combat odds ratio. Always round off the ratio in favor of the defender to the nearest ratio.

Examples: 8 Attack Strength points against 2 Defense Strength points is 4-1 odds; 8 to 3 is 2-1 odds; 8 to 4 is 2-1 odds; 8 to 5 is 3-2 odds.

a. Final odds of less than 1:4 on either CRT results in automatic elimination of all adjacent attacking units.

b. Final odds greater than 7:1 (Assault CRT) are resolved on the 7:1 column.

c. Final odds greater than 8:1 (Mobile CRT) are resolved on the 8:1 column.

8.53 Determine Column Shifts. Shift the final odds by one or more columns to the right or left due to Combined Arms Bonus (CAB) [8.54], Leader Bonus [8.55], or failed Ground Unit Coordination [8.42, 8.56].

8.54 Combined Arms Bonus. The Combined Arms Bonus (CAB) is a one column shift right on the CRT. The attacking force receives the CAB if both of the following requirements are met:

a. One or more of each of the following unit types are present in the attacking force:

• armor
• motorized infantry, motorcycle, or reconnaissance (not armored car);

one or more armor steps (red Attack Strength) and:

• One or more units in the Defender Hex has a red Defense Strength, and/or
• The Defender Hex contains mines with a +1 or +2 DRM.

The first step loss of any attacker step loss must be an armor step, regardless of the actual Lead Unit for the attack [Exception to 8.75]. If there is no attacker step loss, one armor step must still be lost.

Example: An Allied stack containing a two step armored unit and a non-armor Lead Unit attack a German Tiger (red DS) unit at 3 – 1 odds. The modified die roll is 5, a shaded box DR result. The Tiger retreats, but because of the shaded box, the Allied armor unit becomes the lead unit, and takes a step loss even though there was no numerical step loss for the attacker.

b. The defender has no armor, anti-tank or heavy AA units in the Defender Hex.

8.55 Leader Unit Column Shifts

a. Axis Rommel leader unit. During any Axis Combat Phase, Rommel can shift the final attacker odds one column to the right for any one friendly Declared Attack to which it is adjacent.

b. Allied Harmon leader unit. The Allied player can shift the attacker odds one column to the left on any one Axis Declared Attack on a Defender Hex including or adjacent to the Harmon unit.

8.56 Failed Ground Coordination Column Shifts. If the attacker failed his ground coordination ER check, the combat is shifted two columns to the left on the CRT.

8.6 Resolving the Combat

After all coordination, odds calculation, and column shift allocation is complete, the attacker computes the applicable DRMs for the combat and resolves the combat.

8.61 Combat DRMs. Determine DRMs for:

a. Terrain (both hex and hexside)

b. Differing Allied nationalities

c. Out of Supply or Disrupted Marker

d. Minefield (turn Untried Allied Minefield markers to their Tried sides)

e. Strongpoint

f. ER Differential Calculation. Compare the ER of the lead unit in the lead attack hex to the lead unit in the Defender Hex. If the defender lead unit ER is better than the attacker lead unit ER, a plus (+) DRM equal to the difference results; if defender ER is worse than attacker ER, a minus (-) DRM equal to the difference results.

Example: Attacker lead unit has ER 5 and defender lead unit has ER 7. Subtract Attacker (5) from Defender (7). This results in a +2, meaning a +2 DRM. Attacker now must include plus two (+2) in his DRM calculation.

g. Attacker and Defender CAS DRMs.

h. Defender Hex contains No Retreat marker [7.43].

8.62 Netting DRMs. Net all attacker and defender DRMs. Each +1 DRM offsets a -1 DRM. The positive or negative DRM total remaining after offsetting is the final DRM. Final DRMs are further limited to not greater than +3 or less than -3; disregard final DRM values beyond these limits.

8.63 Roll One Die. Adjust the die roll by the net DRM. Cross-index the modified die roll result with the final odds column on the appropriate CRT. Immediately apply the combat result to the involved units before going on to any other combat.

Combat odds of less than 1-4 on either CRT are not allowed; if attacking units must fight at these odds, they are eliminated before any other combat is resolved. This does not count as combat. Odds greater than 7-1 on the Assault CRT are treated as 7-1; odds greater than 8-1 on the Mobile CRT are treated as 8-1. The attacking player can never voluntarily reduce the combat odds of any given attack.

Example: Attacker cannot declare 2-1 odds when he has 3-1 odds.

8.7 Applying Combat Results

8.71 Interpret results on the CRT as follows:

Result	Meaning
DR	The defender retreats all his units.
AR	The attacker retreats all his units.
AE	All attacking units are eliminated.
DE	All defending units are eliminated.
A-1,2	Attacker eliminates one (or two) step(s) from his attacking force and retreats the surviving units.
D-1,2,3	Defender eliminates one (or two or three) step(s) from his defending force and retreats his surviving units.
d	All involved (attacking or defending, depending on which side incurs the result) units are Disrupted [3.9].

8.72 Shaded boxes on both CRTs mandate armor losses if the attacking force contains one or more armor steps (red Attack Strength) and:

• One or more units in the Defender Hex has a red Defense Strength, and/or
• The Defender Hex contains mines with a +1 or +2 DRM.

The first step loss of any attacker step loss must be an armor step, regardless of the actual Lead Unit for the attack [Exception to 8.75]. If there is no attacker step loss, one armor step must still be lost.

8.73 Non-adjacent artillery units of either side suffer no combat results; they are not reduced, retreated, or advanced after combat.

8.74 Extracting Losses. When called for by the CRT, the owner removes the indicated number of steps from the total force, not from each unit in that force.

a. The process of applying each step of loss to a unit varies according to the number of steps a unit has.

• When a one step unit takes a step loss, remove it from play.
• When a two step unit takes its first loss, turn the unit over to its Reduced Strength side. A second step loss removes the unit from play.

b. The following types of units have only one step of combat strength:

• non-artillery combat units with unit strengths on only one side of the counter.
• all artillery units.
• HQs.

c. When a combat result requires a unit to be eliminated, remove it from play. Any unit obliged to lose more steps than it has available is removed from play.

8.75 Lead Unit Losses. The ground unit chosen as the Lead Unit (attacker and defender) must take the first step of any combat loss required by the CRT.

Exception: On a shaded-box result, the first step lost must come from an attacking armor unit, regardless if it were the designated Lead Unit or not.

8.76 Additionally, the defender's Lead Unit must take the step of loss for No Retreat if the CRT did not mandate a combat step loss.

8.77 Reduced losses. If one side has fewer steps to lose than mandated by the combat result, the other side has any step losses reduced by one.

8.8 Retreats

When a combat result requires units to retreat, the owning player immediately moves the affected units individually (or as a stack) one or two hexes, as he desires or the chosen CRT mandates, in any direction away from their Defender Hex.

a. No retreat may exceed two hexes.

b. Retreats generated from the Mobile CRT must be two hexes.

c. Retreats generated from the Assault CRT may be one or two hexes (retreating player choice).

A unit unable to retreat within the restrictions below is eliminated.

Exception: Special Retreat Through Enemy ZOC [8.89].

8.81 A retreating unit cannot retreat across a terrain hexside prohibited to its movement or off the edge of the mapsheet, or through enemy combat units. A unit cannot retreat into a hex that it could not normally enter during its Movement Phase.

Note: Some hexsides become prohibited terrain during Rain.

8.82 A unit can retreat through a hex containing friendly units even if it means a temporary violation of stacking limits; however, a unit cannot end its retreat in violation of stacking limits. If it does, it is eliminated.

8.83 A unit cannot end its retreat in an enemy ZOC. Friendly units negate enemy ZOC for purposes of retreat in such a hex. A unit can end its retreat in a friendly occupied hex in enemy ZOC.

8.84 A unit can end its retreat in a Defender Hex where combat has not yet been resolved (subject to stacking restrictions). It contributes no Defense Strength to that combat, and cannot act as a lead defender unit. It does, however, suffer any elimination or retreat combat results inflicted on the defenders in that combat.

8.85 A unit cannot retreat to an out of supply position unless no alternate position exists (stacking limits apply).

8.86 Artillery, anti-tank, and AA units with Orange-Circle MA cannot retreat through vacant hexes in enemy ZOCs.

8.87 No Retreat Option.

a. Units bearing No Retreat markers do not retreat, but must suffer one additional step loss.

b. Procedure

1. Remove any numerical step losses mandated by the CRT, taking the first step loss from the Lead Unit.
2. Take the additional No Retreat step loss from the Lead Unit. If the Lead Unit has already been eliminated, take the step from the unit in the Defender Hex with the highest ER (defender choice in case two or more units have the highest ER).
3. If the last step in the Defender Hex is eliminated by the No Retreat loss, no attacker advance is allowed.

8.88 Retreat Through Enemy ZOC.

a. No unit can retreat through an enemy ZOC, contested or non-contested, unless no alternate path exists.

b. A unit can retreat through a hex occupied by one or more friendly units even if enemy units project a ZOC into that hex (because a friendly unit controls the hex it occupies).

c. A unit can end its retreat in a friendly occupied hex (subject to stacking restrictions) even if that hex is in an enemy ZOC.

8.89 Special Retreat Through Enemy ZOC

a. A unit that must retreat through just one vacant hex in an enemy ZOC can do so, but it must retreat two hexes and it may be reduced or eliminated in the process.

b. Artillery, anti-tank, and AA units with Orange-Circle MA cannot conduct this procedure. A player can choose to eliminate these Orange-Circle MA units in order to conduct this form of retreat.

Exception: Allied armored artillery can conduct Special Retreat (because of their red motorized boxes).

c. Procedure:

• Conduct the two-hex retreat. Retreating stacks must remain stacked together.
• When the retreat is completed, the owner conducts an ER check on the retreating unit. If it is a stack, he conducts an ER check on the lead unit of that stack.
• If the ER check fails, the lead unit takes a one step loss. If it passes, there is no loss.

d. A unit is automatically eliminated if its only path of retreat is through two or more vacant hexes in enemy ZOCs.

8.9 Advance after Combat

Whenever the original Defender Hex has been vacated as a result of combat, the attacking units can advance. The length of the advance is dictated by the CRT used for the combat and by whether attacking units are disrupted.

Exception: 8.96

8.91 Length of Advance. Attacking units advance only one hex (into the vacated defender hex) when the Assault CRT was used to resolve the combat.

The advance may be one or two hexes (the first into the defender hex, and the second of the advancing player's choosing) when the Mobile CRT was used to resolve the combat.

Defenders never advance after attacker retreat.

Disrupted units may never advance more than one hex.

8.92 A player must exercise the option to advance immediately, before resolving any other combats. A player is not forced to advance a unit. After advancing, units cannot attack again in that phase, even if their advance places them adjacent to enemy units.

8.93 Only those victorious attacking units which participated in that combat can advance. Units can advance from any of the hexes from which the attack was made. Units which served only to block enemy retreat routes (no Declared Attack markers for that combat) cannot advance.

8.94 The advance must be first into the hex that was attacked. Advancing units ignore all enemy ZOCs. Advance after combat is not movement and uses no movement points.

8.95 Units cannot violate stacking limits at the end of an advance after combat.

8.96 Advance is not allowed into a hex where the last remaining defender step was lost due to No Retreat.

8.97 Orange-circle MA units cannot advance after combat.

Exception: Armored artillery units in the attacker force can advance when adjacent to the Defender Hex (due to their red motorized boxes).

9.0 Artillery/Anti-Tank Units

Artillery units participate in combat either from adjacent or nonadjacent hexes. Artillery units have a Support Strength used to supplement the Attack or Defense strengths of other friendly units. Artillery units need not be adjacent to, but must be within range of, the Defender Hex any time they participate in artillery Fire Support. In most cases [Exception 9.27], artillery must make a Coordination Check [8.41] to participate in combat.

9.1 Artillery Fire Support

Artillery Fire Support is conducted by using the Support Strength of supplied attacking artillery units in conjunction with any friendly non-artillery units making attacks, or conducted by using the Support Strength of defending supplied artillery units in conjunction with a friendly non-artillery unit (or stack) defending in the Defender Hex.

9.11 Declaration. During the Combat Coordination process of each combat, the attacker and then defender declare artillery Fire Support during attacker odds computation of each Declared Combat.

9.12 Only eligible [9.13] artillery units can participate in Fire Support. No in-range artillery is required to contribute its Support Strength.

9.13 Eligibility Requirements:

a. An artillery unit must be within range of the Defender Hex. Each artillery unit has a range circle with its range expressed in hexes. Count range from the artillery unit hex to the Defender Hex (enemy or friendly) by including the Defender Hex but not the artillery unit hex.

b. There is no limit to the number of in-range artillery units that can combine to support any one combat.

Exception: See 9.3.

c. An artillery unit on its Fired side when attacker or defender support is declared cannot use its Support Strength.

d. An artillery with an OoS or Disrupted marker cannot use its Support Strength.

9.14 A defending artillery unit can use its Support Strength or its Defense Strength in a single combat, but not both [9.2]. A single artillery unit can fire on only one Defender Hex in a turn; it cannot split its strength or lend it to other artillery units.

9.15 Nonadjacent artillery units providing Support Strengths are never eliminated or retreated regardless of the results received in the combat they are supporting. Artillery units in a Defender Hex, or supporting a Declared Attack against a Defender Hex from an adjacent hex suffer any adverse combat results.

9.16 Terrain or intervening units do not block artillery Fire Support.

9.17 Turn each artillery unit (attacker and defender) over to its Fired side after making its coordination check. Such units cannot contribute their Support Strengths for the remainder of the Combat Phase even if their Support Strengths are halved or remain unused due to failed coordination checks. Both players turn all artillery units back to their unfired sides at the end of each player's Combat Phase.

9.2 Defense

9.21 When an artillery unit is attacked while alone in a hex, use its Defense Strength, not its Support Strength.

9.22 When any number of artillery units defend a hex together, use only the combined Defense Strengths, not any of their Support Strengths.

9.23 When any number of artillery, AT, AA or HQ units (in any combination) defend a hex, use only the artillery unit's Defense Strength.

9.24 When an artillery unit is in a Defender Hex with any non-artillery, AA, AT, or HQ units, it must apply its Support Strength to the defense strength of the hex. It is subject to all combat results.

9.25 After combat, turn all artillery in the Defender Hex over to their Fired sides.

9.26 The Support Strength of a nonadjacent defender artillery unit cannot be used if at any time an enemy combat unit moves adjacent to it before the battle it is supporting is resolved. Do not include it in that combat. Turn over that artillery unit to its Fired side.

9.27 One artillery unit (defender's choice) in a Defender Hex can automatically coordinate without making an ER check.

9.28 Artillery cannot support a unit or stack whose inherent Defense Strength is zero.

9.3 Artillery General Limitation

In any Declared Attack, attacker Support Strength can never exceed Attack Strength and defender Support Strength can never exceed Defense Strength. Excess points are lost.

Design Note: It is not the design intent that a single one-defense-point unit be able to call in some huge number of Support points to aid its defense or attack.

9.4 Anti-Tank Units

9.41 In addition to units with anti-tank unit type boxes (or "Anti-Tank" noted next to their silhouettes on the "How to Read the Units" Card), all units with a red attack strength (armor units) and all Heavy AA and red-Defense Strength units also function as anti-tank units (but only red Defense Strength units qualify for the Shaded box results against armor units [9.43]).

9.42 Any anti-tank unit in a Defender Hex nullifies the CAB column shift [8.54].

9.43 AA and Tiger tank units with red Defense Strengths have the powerful 88mm (or equivalent) guns capable of knocking out the heaviest armor possessed by either side. If one or more of these units is defending when a Shaded Box result occurs on either CRT, the first step loss of any printed attacker loss must be an armor step, regardless of which unit was the Lead Unit for the combat [Exception to 8.75]. If there was no printed attacker step loss on the CRT, one armor step must still be lost.

10.0 Air Support

Air units represent the tactical air forces that participated in the battle. Air units may perform one of three missions each turn: Interdiction, Close Air Support, or Air Strike.

10.1 Air Unit Restrictions

10.11 Keep air units in the appropriate box of the on-map Air Display when they are not performing a mission.

10.12 Air Unit Readiness Procedure. During the Joint Air Phase, remove all air units from the Flown box to the Ready box of their respective Air Displays.

10.13 During the turn, units in the Ready Box are available to perform air missions. An air unit is not available to perform a mission unless it is in the Ready Box.

10.14 Each air unit in the Ready Box can perform one air mission per turn. All units are eligible for any of the three types of air missions, but may only perform one per turn.

10.15 Air units can perform missions anywhere on the map, regardless of terrain or the presence of enemy ground units.

Exception: Air units may only perform CAS missions if a friendly HQ is within four hexes of the Defender hex of a Declared Combat.

10.16 Air units neither exert nor are affected by ZOC. Air units are not affected by ground combat results.

10.17 As an air unit completes its mission for the turn, place it in the Flown Box.

10.2 Air Coordination

Air units are subject to ER checks when they perform missions. Refer to sections 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5.

Note: Every air unit is subject to the Weather DRMs listed on the Air Unit Display. Air Strike and CAS missions may have additional DRMs [See Coordination and Air Strike Tables].

10.3 Interdiction Missions

10.31 Any air unit can perform an Interdiction mission.

10.32 Interdiction units are placed during the Joint Air Phase.

10.33 Each player can place up to four air units from the Ready Box into the Interdiction Box on the Air Display. Make a Coordination die roll (modify for possible Weather DRM [3.72b,3.73e]) for each unit as you place it. Each air unit that fails is placed immediately in the Flown Box.

10.34 After making Coordination die rolls, turn over each unit that passes to its Air Interdiction side in the Interdiction Box.

Note: Ignore the reference to "netting out process" on the map's Air Unit Display. It was dropped during final game testing.

10.35 Interdiction units remain in the Interdiction Box until needed for a mission. After they perform a mission, return the air units (face up) to the Flown Box. Return any remaining interdicting air units to the Flown Box during the Reorganization Segment.

10.36 Air Interdiction Effects. Each player may use each Air Interdiction unit in the Interdiction Box to either:

a. Attack enemy Supply (on the Supply Interdiction Table) [10.37], or

b. Add a +1 DRM one time during the turn to any enemy Combat Refusal or Reaction die roll.

10.37 The Supply Interdiction Table [See Charts and Tables]. During the Interdiction segment of each Joint Air Phase, after Interdiction ER checks are made, each side may allocate (Axis first) and resolve Supply Interdiction missions with up to three friendly air units from the Interdiction Box.

To do so, total the number of air units used and find the column that matches the total on the Supply Interdiction Table. Roll one die. The result is the number of enemy red-box MA or artillery units that immediately receive an "Out of Supply" marker. Note that the player flying the Supply Interdiction mission gets to choose which units get the Out of Supply marker(s).

10.38 Priority Supply. The affected player may opt to place any OoS marker himself by choosing to place OoS markers on two other supplied red-box MA or artillery units instead (not units that already bear any kind of supply marker). Any units receiving OoS markers remain out of supply for the remainder of the turn.

Example: The German player allocates two air units on their interdiction side to Supply Interdiction. He rolls a "1" on the "2" column of the Supply Interdiction Table. The result is "3." So the German player gets to choose 3 Allied red-box MA or Artillery units to place OoS. The Allied player may then alter where the supply shortage hits by placing two red-box MA or artillery units of his choice OoS for each one of the just-placed OoS markers that he removes.

10.4 Close Air Support Missions

10.41 During the Combat Phase both players may assign available air units to Close Air Support (CAS) missions. Both players can commit air units to CAS in the same Declared Combat. Air units are allocated at the beginning of each combat resolution.

10.42 Available air units (of either side) can be allocated to support any combat against any Defender Hex that is within four hexes of a friendly, non-disrupted HQ unit.

10.43 CAS Coordination Process. [8.43]

10.44 Make ER checks on the Lead air unit. Missions that fail the check must go to the Flown Box; no additional air units can be allocated to the Declared Attack to replace them. Apply each surviving attacking CAS point as a minus (-) DRM. Apply each surviving defending CAS point as a plus (+) DRM. Attack and defense CAS points are netted in the same process as in 8.62.

10.45 CAS air units cannot be taken as casualties, regardless of the combat result.

10.46 Remove CAS air units at the end of each combat. Place them in the Flown Box.

10.47 French CAS Restriction. The Allied player cannot assign air units to CAS for Defender Hexes which contain only French units or to CAS for attacks made entirely by French units.

Design Note: Not only did Allied forces suffer air doctrine problems but the American II Corps commander flatly refused to offer air support to the French, even when requested.

10.5 Air Strike Missions

10.51 During the Joint Air Phase, select eligible air units. As many eligible air units as desired can conduct a single Air Strike.

10.52 An air unit is eligible if it:

a. has an Air Strike rating, and

b. is in the Ready Box.

10.53 The target hex may be anywhere on the game map.

10.54 The attacking player selects one air unit in the Air Strike mission to be the Lead Unit. The lead unit conducts an ER Check (modify for possible Weather DRM [3.72b,3.73e]). The result of the attacker unit ER check applies to all air units in the Air Strike mission.

• A result less than or equal to the lead air unit ER allows all attacking air units to contribute their full Air Strike strength.
• A result greater than the lead air unit ER halves each attacking air unit's Air Strike strength (rounding down).
• A result of "10" or more means none of the committed air units contribute any Air Strength.

Note: Additional air units cannot be allocated to an Air Strike mission after the ER check to replace any halved or flown air units.

10.55 Add together the Air Strike ratings of all air units assigned to a given Air Strike mission for a total value. Find the column on the Air Strike Table corresponding to that value, roll one die, and apply the result immediately.

10.56 Air Strike results include:

• Disruption [3.9]: The striking player places a Disrupted marker on the indicated number of units in the hex (not on already-Disrupted units).
• Loss: The owning player removes one step loss from a unit of his choice in the hex.

11.0 Fortifications

There are two types of fortifications: Strongpoints and Minefields.

11.1 Strongpoints

Strongpoints represent field fortifications prepared for defense from all directions. Strongpoints must be built; they are not printed on the map. The countermix limits the maximum number of Strongpoints each player may have on the map.

11.11 An enemy Strongpoint blocks tracing a friendly Supply Route through the hex it occupies. It must be destroyed before a friendly Supply Route can be traced through that hex.

11.12 It costs one MP to enter a non-destroyed unoccupied enemy Strongpoint in addition to other terrain costs; units may then continue moving to the limit of their MA.

11.13 Combat Effects.

a. The Assault CRT must be used when the defending force is on a Strongpoint, regardless of other terrain.

b. Units defending on a hex containing a Strongpoint cause a +1 DRM to the combat die roll.

c. A Strongpoint in a Defender Hex allows the defender to attempt No Retreat.

11.14 A Strongpoint continues to function for units friendly to it until it is destroyed.

11.15 Removal. Strongpoints may be removed during the Reorganization Segment:

a. Any friendly Strongpoint in a hex occupied by an enemy ground unit is automatically removed.

b. Any unoccupied Strongpoint may be voluntarily removed by the owning player during the Engineering Phase.

c. Removed Strongpoints may be immediately re-used.

11.2 How to Build a Strongpoint

11.21 Both players build only their own Strongpoints. A Strongpoint can be built on any hex in supply at the conclusion of the building procedure. The hex cannot contain another Strongpoint, but it can be in an enemy ZOC.

11.22 Strongpoints can be built only by the following undisrupted unit types:

• infantry
• motorcycle
• motorized infantry
• armored infantry/panzergrenadier
• mountain infantry.

11.23 Construction procedure:

a. During the Engineering Phase place Strongpoints with their Strongpoint Under Construction sides showing under Axis and Allied units qualified to build them.

b. Each unit "building" the Strongpoint must remain in place (cannot move, advance or retreat) until the next GT Engineering Phase. If a building unit leaves the hex or becomes Disrupted, immediately remove the Strongpoint Under Construction marker from the map.

c. At the start of the Engineering Phase, turn each remaining Strongpoint Under Construction to its completed Strongpoint side. The building unit is now free to move during the next GT.

Example: An Allied infantry unit moves onto the desired hex on turn 18 AM. During the 18 AM Engineering Phase, place a Strongpoint marker on that hex with its "under construction" side showing. If the Allied infantry unit has remained on that hex, turn the marker to the Strongpoint side at the start of the Engineering Phase of turn 18 PM. The infantry unit is free to move anytime during turn 19 AM. A qualified unit can build one Strongpoint per day.

11.3 Minefields

Minefields are prepared defensive positions that benefit the owning player. In some scenarios one or both players may build Minefields in addition to those placed on the map for use at start of play.

Design Note: Minefields were an important feature of warfare in North Africa but Allied command had not yet deployed more than a few mines in central Tunisia. At the opening of the Axis offensive, Allied command realized the deficiency and ordered 20,000 mines to be brought from Algeria and Morocco to be used to block the passes. About 3000 of these were laid at Kasserine Pass— most in a very hasty manner. Axis resources were similarly limited.

11.31 An enemy Minefield blocks tracing a friendly Supply Route through the hex it occupies. A friendly Supply Route cannot be traced through that hex until the Minefield is destroyed.

11.32 All units spend two (+2) MP to enter a non-destroyed enemy Minefield hex (regardless of Minefield value). Non-motorized units can continue moving to the limit of their movement allowance. Red-box and Orange-circle MA units must stop in the Minefield hex (they may exit during their next allowable movement phase).

11.33 Combat Effects:

a. The Assault CRT is required when the Defender Hex includes a Minefield, regardless of other terrain.

b. A Minefield causes a combat die roll DRM equal to the number on the Minefield counter (+1 DRM for a +1 Minefield; or +2 DRM for a +2 Minefield).

c. Reduce by half (drop fraction) the Attack Strength of all armored units attacking a Minefield hex.

d. If a Shaded Box result occurs on either CRT when the Defender Hex contains a Minefield with a +1 or +2 DRM, the first step loss of any printed attacker step loss must be an armor step, regardless of which unit was the Lead unit for that combat [Exception to 8.75]. If there is no printed attacker step loss, one armor step must still be lost.

Note: Zero-strength mines do not cause additional armor loss.

e. A Defender Hex containing a friendly Minefield allows the defender to attempt No Retreat.

f. An enemy Minefield in a Defender Hex has no effect.

11.34 A Minefield continues to function for units friendly to it until it is destroyed [11.46].

11.4 How to Build a Minefield

11.41 During the Engineering Phase of each game turn, each player may place one or two Minefields [See 11.45 for Allied Minefield placement procedure].

Note: Only one Minefield is allowed per hex.

11.42 Limits. Both players use only their own Minefield markers. No more can be emplaced than allowed by the countermix and scenario instructions. Neither player can voluntarily destroy his own Minefields in order to build them elsewhere. When a Minefield is destroyed, the marker is permanently removed from the game.

11.43 A Minefield can be built on any hex in supply at the conclusion of the Engineering Phase.

a. No friendly unit is required to occupy any placement hex not in an enemy ZOC.

b. To build a Minefield in an enemy ZOC, a friendly ground unit must occupy the hex.

11.44 Axis Minefields all contain known, uniform DRMs of +1.

11.45 Allied Minefields have an unknown DRM value.

• Before Set Up, place all Allied Minefield markers Untried side up on the game table as a Draw Pile.
• When emplacing an Allied Minefield, randomly draw an Allied Minefield marker from the Draw Pile, and place it on its Untried side on the map, unknown to both players.
• The Untried Minefield is turned to its Tried side the first time one or more Axis units moves into or attacks (during DRM determination) a Minefield hex. (Untried Minefields still add a +1 DRM to the Ground Coordination die roll.)
• If the newly revealed Allied Minefield has a +1 or +2 DRM, it remains until removed [11.46].
• If the Minefield is a "0, Remove," immediately remove it from play.

11.46 Minefields are only destroyed during the Engineering Phase. At that time, any enemy Minefield in a hex occupied by one or more friendly combat units is removed.

12.0 HQ and Leader Units

12.1 HQ Characteristics

12.11 HQ units represent formation staff and control units, along with various non-combat support units. The primary HQ command function is to affect ER checks through the expenditure of their Command Points.

12.12 HQs in Declared Combats and Overruns.

a. HQs cannot be Lead units in Declared Attacks because they have no printed ERs. They can occupy hexes adjacent to Defender Hexes, but have zero Attack Strength. HQs with red box MAs can participate in Overrun attempts.

b. HQs contribute their Defense Strength if they occupy a Defender or Target Hex.

c. All HQs alone (or with only HQ units) in a Defender or Target Hex, have an assumed ER of 5. Otherwise, HQs cannot be lead units in Defender or Target Hexes.

12.13 Formation Color.

a. Every HQ has a distinctive color band. All ground combat units with the same color in their unit type or unit size boxes belong to the same formation as the HQ.

b. All ground combat units with white unit type or unit size boxes are Army units, and have no controlling HQ. Thus, these units, if chosen as the "Lead Unit" in a combat, may never receive Command Points from any HQ.

c. In order for a HQ to contribute its Command Points as DRMs to ER checks, the lead unit conducting the ER check must have the same formation color as the HQ.

Exception: CAS Coordination die rolls.

12.14 Command Range.

a. Every HQ has a Command range of four hexes. The range is traced without regard to terrain, enemy units, or their ZOCs. When counting the four hex range, do not count the hex occupied by the HQ, but do include the hex occupied by the lead unit.

b. HQs in Defender Hexes can apply Command Points to other hexes within Command range.

Example: Units of both the 10th Pz and 21st Panzer regiments are attacking in a single Declared Combat. Both a 10th Pz HQ and a 21st Pz HQ are within four hexes of the Defender Hex, so either (but not both – see 12.23.b.1) is eligible to provide Command Points in the combat.

The Lead ground unit chosen is a unit from the 21st Pz. The Lead artillery unit is a unit from the 10th Pz. Being able to affect only one of the Coordination die rolls despite having two HQs in range of the combat, the Axis player decides to allocate Command Points to the Artillery Coordination attempt. Thus, the HQ used must be the 10th Pz HQ, because the 21st Pz HQ is not the same color as the Lead artillery unit.

12.2 Command Point Expenditure

12.21 Each HQ possesses either one or two Command Points (the white number in the black oval to the right of the HQ formation sign).

12.22 When a HQ expends Command Points, it always expends the printed number of points (no partial commitment for HQs with two Command Points). Whenever a HQ expends its Command Points, it is turned to its reverse "spent" side where the Command Point number is zero.

12.23 When Command Points Can Be Expended

a. Friendly Reaction Phase. Each HQ can expend its Command Points as DRMs for one of the following:

1. One Combat Refusal attempt, or
2. One Reaction Movement attempt, or
3. One No Retreat Attempt

b. Friendly Combat Phase

1. No more than one HQ can expend Command Points on a given Declared Attack.

Example: The German 10th Panzer Division has its two HQs within Command range of the Lead Unit of a Declared Attack. Only one of the two HQs can allocate its Command Points to that Declared Attack.

2. When expending Command Points to the Declared Attack, the HQ can only expend those Command Points for:

a. Artillery Coordination, or b. Ground Combat Coordination, or c. CAS Coordination

3. At the conclusion of the Friendly Combat Phase, turn all "spent" HQs on their zero Command Point sides back to their "full" Command Point Sides.

c. Enemy Combat Phase

1. No more than one HQ can expend Command Points on a given Declared Attack.

Example: The US 1st Division has two HQs within Command range of the Defender Hex in a Declared Attack. Only one of the two HQs can allocate its Command Point to that Declared Attack.

2. When expending Command Points to the Declared Attack, the HQ can only expend those Command Points for:

a. Artillery Coordination, or b. CAS Coordination

3. At the conclusion of the Enemy Combat Phase, turn all "spent" HQs on their zero Command Point sides back to their "full" Command Point Sides.

12.3 American Artillery Fire Nets

12.31 At a sacrifice in mobility, certain American HQs can be exchanged for Fire Net HQs. A Fire Net HQ supplies a -2 DRM to the Artillery Coordination die roll of any combat where the Defender Hex is within range of the HQ.

Note: The Artillery Fire Net HQ can provide the -2 DRM for Artillery Coordination in the same combat in which another Allied HQ of a different formation expends CPs on a lead unit for the Ground Unit Coordination die roll.

12.32 To be eligible, the lead artillery unit must be:

• In general supply
• In the same formation as the HQ Unit (same unit type box color)

12.33 Fire Net HQs bearing Disrupted markers provide no DRM.

Design Note: One of the few bright spots for the Allies was the performance of the American artillery. When given time to set up wire communications and survey in the firing sites, the artillery brought down both timely and heavy barrages, much to the Germans' discomfort. At Thala, it was largely due to Harmon's leadership and the concentration of the 9th Division's artillery that the Germans were stopped cold.

12.34 Switching between mobile HQs and Fire Net HQs (either direction, once per turn) is allowed and is done during the Allied Movement Phase. Prior to moving a US Division HQ unit, the Allied player must declare he is changing units; then he exchanges the HQ. There is no MP cost to change HQs. An HQ is not obligated to expend any MPs once it has been exchanged.

12.4 Leader Units

12.41 Characteristics

a. These are noncombat units with special capabilities. Each represents just the individual man. A leader unit is not a headquarters unit.

b. A leader unit has no stacking value, no combat value, and cannot be taken as a step loss. If an enemy unit enters its hex, it is automatically removed from play immediately [Exception: see 12.42.c].

c. A leader unit can advance after combat if it is stacked with advancing units; it retreats when units it is stacked with retreat. It need not be in the lead hex to apply its effects. Leaders cannot be disrupted.

12.42 Rommel

a. During each Axis Movement Phase, Rommel can shift the final odds level one level to the right for any one Overrun attempt made adjacent to the Rommel counter.

b. During any Axis Combat Phase, Rommel can shift the final attacker odds one column to the right for any one friendly Declared Attack to which it is adjacent.

c. Rommel cannot be eliminated. If an enemy unit enters its hex, just pick up the Rommel counter and place it with the nearest Axis unit still in play (Axis choice if more than one Axis unit is at same distance).

12.43 Patton and Harmon

a. Harmon can shift the attacker odds one column to the left on any one Axis Declared Attack on a Defender Hex including or adjacent to it. Harmon also negates the +1 DRM for differing attacking nationalities [13.3].

b. Patton. Beginning during the Allied Combat Phase of the turn Patton enters the map, raise the ER of all American units by one point. This continues through the end of the campaign scenario or as long as Patton is on the game map. Patton does not cause any column shifts.

13.0 Special Situations

13.1 Mountain Units

There are only six mountain units in the game: the three French units with mountain infantry unit type boxes, plus the French "RACL," the US "1 Rngr," and the German "5+6/22" artillery.

13.11 Increase the efficiency rating by two (+2) for all mountain units (except artillery) that attack enemy units defending on a mountain hex.

13.12 Mountain units need not stop when they enter a mountain hex; they can continue moving to the limit of their MA.

13.2 German Heavy Tanks

13.21 When one or more German Tiger tank units occupies a Defender Hex, the first step loss of any printed attacker step loss must be an armor step, regardless of which unit was the Lead unit for that combat [Exception to 8.75]. If there is no printed attacker step loss, one armor step must still be lost.

13.22 Once Rain weather occurs, all Tiger units can never leave main road or minor road terrain for the rest of the game; all other terrain is prohibited to them. They are eliminated if forced to retreat through a hexside not containing a main or minor road. If they are not on a main or minor road hex at the start of a Rain turn, they are eliminated.

Design Note: During 1943 Tiger tanks were notorious for their inability to operate in mud.

13.3 Allied National Restrictions

Many Allied nationalities participated in the Tunisian campaign and many fought at Kasserine. All were integrated into either American, British, or French commands.

13.31 For combat purposes there are three Allied nationalities: American (US), British (Br), and French (Fr).

Note: Units are color coded for nationality.

13.32 Whenever mixed Allied nationalities are attacking the same defender, add one (+1) to the combat die roll result, cumulative with all other combat effects.

Exception: Harmon leader effects [12.43a].

14.0 Reinforcements

Both players receive reinforcements. Reinforcements are new units arriving from areas outside the game area. The scenario Set Up Cards provide specific information on turn and entry location of scheduled reinforcements.

14.1 Reinforcement Arrival

14.11 Each group of reinforcements has a designated turn it can enter. If Axis, the designated turn is the earliest possible turn of arrival. Allied units, however, can be delayed to be able to enter at other locations. Refer to Scenario Set Up Cards.

14.12 Either player can, at his option, delay arrival of any reinforcement group (or unit) of his to any later turn to arrive at the same location. A player must delay entry of a group if enemy ground units occupy all of its possible entry hexes. It can enter later once the entry hex is clear of enemy units.

14.13 Certain Allied reinforcement groups can enter at a larger number of locations if entry is delayed, usually one turn [See Allied Set Up Cards 1 and 2 Front].

14.2 Reinforcement Entry

14.21 Reinforcements are deemed in supply during the turn of entry.

14.22 A ground combat or leader reinforcement unit enters the mapsheet during its Movement Phase but motorized units can alternatively enter during their Motorized Movement Phase; units cannot enter at any other time.

14.23 Place reinforcement air units in the Ready Air Box at the beginning of the turn.

14.24 The Set Up Card designates how each reinforcement group enters, either through a map edge or at a specific hex. When several locations (or hexes) are listed, the group can be split to arrive at more than one. When a unit enters through a mapedge, it pays the terrain entry cost for that hex. Units entering at a road can use the road movement rate. When placed at a specific on-map hex, it pays no MPs for placement; it begins movement from that hex. Reinforcements cannot overstack at time of placement.

14.25 An artillery reinforcement unit cannot provide Fire Support if it is not on the mapsheet.

14.26 An HQ unit does not function in any manner if it is not on the mapsheet. It must enter the mapsheet in order to function.

14.27 If the designated entry hex is occupied by an enemy unit, the Reinforcing unit(s) may enter on either hex adjacent to the Entry hex. If those hexes are also occupied, they are allowed to enter at the first unoccupied mapedge hex closest to the original entry hex.

14.28 Reinforcements cannot enter at a location (or adjacent locations; this rule supercedes 14.27) from which any number of enemy units have previously exited the mapsheet [see 14.3]. Allied reinforcements cannot enter the mapsheet at any hex between the two roads on the same mapedge that have both been used as exit hexes by Axis units.

14.29 Certain Allied reinforcements enter the mapsheet through the south edge, hexes 1133 through 2733. These units must move out of those entry area hexes on their turn of arrival and are prohibited from re-entering these prior to Axis reinforcement entry in the same area.

14.3 Exiting the Mapsheet

14.31 Units of both sides can leave the mapsheet area during any friendly Movement or Motorized Movement Phase. Units exiting expend one (1) MP in order to move off the mapsheet.

14.32 Axis units exit only at any of the four Allied mapedge supply points. Axis units exited at a particular point draw supply as though they were on the corresponding supply hex on the mapsheet.

14.33 Allied units can exit the mapsheet only at the Axis supply source at hexes 7004 and 7005. Allied units that exit draw supply as though they were on hexes 7004 or 7005.

14.34 Units of either side that leave the mapsheet cannot return.

14.4 Withdrawals

A scenario Set Up Card may indicate that units are withdrawn from play.

14.41 On the designated turn the units to be withdrawn are picked up from the mapsheet during the Reinforcement Phase and are placed out of play.

14.42 If a withdrawing unit has been removed already as a combat loss, no other unit is withdrawn in its place; ignore the withdrawal.

Note: If the French "I/7 Alg" unit has been eliminated, it still returns to play on the 22PM turn; most personnel would have survived to be reequipped.

14.43 Some air units are also required to be withdrawn; just remove the required units.

Design Note: The few withdrawals in this game represent very specific circumstances. The French units leave for refitting, even if "destroyed." German air units actually are changing their mission to strategic air defense and would no longer be available for battlefield support.

15.0 Scenarios

Kasserine has six scenarios. We recommend that if you are not familiar with this game and system that you try Scenario #1 first.

15.1 Scenario #1: Faid Pass

In December 1942, French forces garrisoned the Faid Pass area as part of a general move to secure the whole of the eastern mountain range, known as the eastern "Dorsale," in central Tunisia, preparatory to a move to the coast, Operation Satin. Recognizing the danger to their Supply Lines Axis forces worked methodically to recapture each pass. On 30 January 1943 they turned against Faid Pass. This operation turned out to be a dress rehearsal of the Kasserine offensive.

15.11 Scenario Length. There are six turns: (Jan.) 30AM to (Feb.) 1 PM. Use the Turn Record Track on the Set Up Card.

15.12 Scenario Area. Use only the map area east of hexrow 4000 and south of all hexes ending in digits xx17.

15.13 Allied and Axis Placement. See Set Up cards.

15.14 Special Restrictions.

a. Inexperienced Americans. For the duration of this scenario, reduce the Support Strengths of the 33rd, 68th, and 91st US artillery units by half (drop fraction).

b. The Allied air unit is automatically available on the first turn.

c. Neither player can build Minefields.

15.15 Supply Sources

a. Allied hexes 4119 and 4318

b. Axis hexes 7023 and 6034 (until the 31 AM turn)

15.16 Victory Conditions

a. Axis Marginal Victory: the Axis player wins by capturing and holding hex 6324 through the last turn of the scenario.

b. Axis Operational Victory: in addition to a. above, the Axis player wins by capturing or being the last to pass through hexes 5823 and 5726.

c. The Axis victory level is reduced one level if Axis armor and artillery step losses total five steps or more.

d. The Allied player wins if the German player cannot achieve at least a Marginal Victory.

Historically the Axis won. They captured hex 6324 (Dj. Faid and Faid Pass), and held it against the American counterattack.

Play Notes: If the Axis player enters his reinforcements from the south, the Faid Pass positions will likely be surrounded by the end of the first turn of play. At this point, the Axis "walkover" ends. The isolated French units occupy mountain hexes with Strongpoints and Minefields, making coordination problematic and attacking difficult. By the time Out of Supply status makes taking the pass hexes a formality, there are two American Combat Commands on the scene making life very difficult for the Axis. While the Allied player is stronger, the Axis player has better air units, and more command points. The outcome of the scenario will hinge on which player can best mass while protecting the victory hexes he holds.

15.2 Scenario #2: The Campaign

This is the campaign which begins with Axis Operation Fruehlingswind, the operation against Sidi bou Zid, and joins with Rommel's Operation Morgenluft, the attack on Gafsa (south of game area) and advance to Thelepte, and continued with the drive on the Allied rear area as decided historically on 19 February.

15.21 Scenario Length. There are twenty turns: 14 AM to 23 PM.

15.22 Scenario Area. Use the entire map.

15.23 Weather. Roll each turn for weather on the Player Aid Card 3 Turn Record Track.

15.24 Placement.

a. Allied: See Allied Set Up Cards 1 and 2 Front.

b. Axis: See Axis Set Up Cards 1 and 2 Front. Note that the 10th Pz and 21 Pz Assault Groups have entry restrictions [See Axis Set Up Card 1 Front].

15.25 Allied Special situations

a. Allied Release.

1. The Allied Fondouk, Sidi Bou Zid and 14AM reserve Groups are released according to the conditions listed on Allied Set-up Card 1 front.
2. Release refers only to movement. Prior to release, the units in all groups defend normally, and artillery units can contribute support strengths.
3. If any unit of a group is attacked, all units of that group are automatically released on the game turn of the attack.

b. Allied Air Unit Emergency Transfer. During the battle, loss of the Thelepte airfield threw Allied air operations into disorder as aircraft and ground personnel hurriedly relocated. To reflect the confusion:

1. On the turn Thelepte (hex 2730) becomes Axis controlled, immediately remove (at the moment of capture) two A20 and two P39 air units. Place these units in the Flown Box (if not already there).
2. On the first turn after Thelepte is Axis controlled, all four of the above air units remain in the Flown Box.
3. On the second turn after Thelepte is Axis controlled, one A20 and one P39 unit remain in the Flown Box, while the other A20 and P39 go to the Ready Box.
4. On the third turn after Thelepte is Axis controlled, all four A20s and P39s go to the Ready Box.

c. The French XIX Corps Reserve. See Allied Set-up Card 2 Front.

d. Allied 20 AM Armored Replacements represent 32 tanks meant for the British 6th Armored Division, but diverted back to the Americans to replace tank losses.

e. Allied Breakthrough. If the Allied player can exit units from hexes 7004 or 7005 (the Allies have broken through at Fondouk Pass, a move feared by the Axis high command), the Axis player must immediately remove from play Axis motorized units of his choice whose stacking point value equals that of the Allied units exited. Because of historical supply considerations, the Allied player is limited to exiting no more than five units.

15.26 Supply Sources

a. Use all four Allied on-map Supply Source hexes.

b. Use all five Axis on-map Supply Source hexes, but hex 2533 does not become active until the 17 AM turn.

15.27 Minefields

a. Axis. Use only the three Minefield markers on-map at start. No Minefields may be constructed.

b. Allied. The Allied player places all Allied Minefield markers Untried side up on the game table as a Draw Pile. For each at-start Allied Minefield on the Set Up Card, the Allied players draws a Minefield marker at random from the Draw Pile and places it on its Untried side on the map. The remaining Minefield markers in the Draw Pile are available for use throughout the game, subject to the two Minefield marker per turn build limit [11.41].

15.28 Victory Conditions

a. The Axis player can achieve a Sudden Death Victory on either the 16 AM or 19 PM turns if he has sufficient Victory Points.

b. Computing Victory Points

1. Set VP markers on the VP Track to zero at the start of the scenario.
2. VPs for Steps Eliminated and Actions are added to the VP Track as they occur.
3. VPs for Locations and Exiting Axis Units are tallied during the 16AM and 19PM Sudden Death Victory determinations, and added to the VP total on the VP Track [See Player Aid Card 4]. If the total equals or exceeds the Sudden Death VP level, the scenario ends. If the total is less than the Sudden Death VP level, play resumes.

Note: Because Location and Axis Exit VP levels fluctuate between the 16AM, 19PM, and 23 PM dates, if these VPs have been physically added to the VPs maintained on the VP Track, they must be removed.

4. 23 PM Final Victory Determination. The 23 PM Location and Axis Exit VPs are added to the VPs on the VP Track, and compared to the 23 PM Levels of Victory [See Player Aid Card 4].

Play Notes:

Allied player. Initially, your mantra should be "Delay, Delay, Delay." Against competent Axis play, your forces at Sidi bou Zid will be shredded within the first two turns. Don't worry about that; just salvage what you can and use those units to help block the Axis advance toward Sbeitla (4420). Place and occupy Minefields along the road to Sbeitla, with at least one preferably east of the road junction leading north in 5423.

While you delay his advance toward Sbeitla, build as many fortifications (don't use Minfields here – they are more useful and quicker to build on the road east of Sbeitla) as you can in and to the east of the town. Note that the Wadi offers an excellent defensive position behind which to build your Strongpoints, and that mountain hexes in 4518 and 4424 give you strong flank locations on which to hinge your defense. Get those tank destroyers that start in Tebessa to Sbeitla as quickly as possible to help with flank defense, and use a few units from the north and whatever remnants you can pull out of Sidi bou Zid to man your defenses. Then hang on!

Don't forget, in the meantime, that the Afrika Corps arrives on the southwest map edge on 17AM, so you have to start forming defense lines to block the Thelepte/Kasserine road (2533-3523), or you're going to be toast when Rommel arrives.

Tactically, make the Axis player earn his advances. Back your lines up with artillery and HQ units to give him some odds-level surprises. Stack your anti-tank units in Strongpoints and use Minefield defenses to make Overrun impossible and to take full advantage of the Shaded box results to attrit his armor. Remember, potentially it's a long game. If you can avoid Sudden-Death defeat and save enough forces for the mid-end game, you have a fighting chance, because the reinforcement flow favors you for the rest of the game.

Axis player. Speed is your ally, and the key to your victory. Stack your red-MA units together and use Overruns wherever possible to multiply your attack opportunities and avoid Coordination problems. Let the infantry and orange-MA units clean up bypassed strongpoints. Push early for the road junction at 5423; then you can multiply the Allied player's problems by sending a force north to threaten Sbiba (4109) while another force attacks Sbeitla.

Take advantage of the efficiency advantage you have early to gamble on even lower odds attacks and overruns. The negative DRMs you get for efficiency will keep you out of trouble most of the time.

When Rommel and DAK arrive, if you're eastern forces have done their job, you'll have the Allies squeezed between two superior forces. Don't hesitate; be aggressive! Remember that the main road through Thelepte is your supply lifeline; don't get so spread out initially that you can't keep that road open. Unless the Allied player makes a major deployment gaffe, don't worry too much about the Bou Chebka/Tebessa road (2123-1016) until later. First get through Thelepte and send a force on to Kasserine to squeeze the remaining Allied forces, then you can think about hitting Bou Chebka and Tebessa.

Finally, use the Luftwaffe; it's one of your greatest tools. Use strike missions to Disrupt Allied artillery units that could otherwise make Allied defenses much tougher. And always save a few Stukas for CAS and the occasional Overrun assist. And when you notice that the Allied total of red-box MA and artillery units on the map is getting low, think about some Supply Interdiction missions to cut down his maneuvability and give yourself an even bigger combat efficiency advantage. Saving an interdiction unit is often a good idea as well; you never know when they'll come in handy to keep the Allies from a key reaction or combat refusal.

Keep the Victory Conditions in mind. Essentially, if you take Sbeitla early, you can hit Sbiba before the Allies can regroup and push all the way to exiting units at 3801. Although the game might not technically be over at that point, it does put a huge nail in the Allied player's coffin. Any gains you make after that are just icing on the victory cake.

15.3 Scenario #3: The Axis Decide

After capturing Thelepte without a fight, Rommel hoped to combine all available Axis armor to push the Allies out of Tunisia. He requested the 10th Panzer from von Arnim, but von Arnim refused. Rommel appealed to Comando Supremo in Rome, and at midnight on 18 February, he received orders to move against Le Kef (north of the map area). To get there, Rommel chose to go through Kasserine Pass and Thala.

15.31 Scenario Length. There are ten turns: 19AM through 23PM.

15.32 Scenario Area. Use the entire map.

15.33 Allied and Axis Placement. See Axis Set-Up card 1 Back and Allied Set-Up Card 3. Use only the units listed (Yes, the Allies have lost a lot of units).

15.34 Special Restrictions.

a. Reinforcements. All scenario #2 Axis and Allied reinforcements scheduled for 19AM or later are available (See Allied and Axis Set-Up Cards 2 Front).

b. Withdrawals. Axis 22AM air unit withdrawal must occur. The 19AM French RACL withdrawal does not occur - the unit is not on-map at start.

c. Minefields. See Axis Set-Up card 1 Back and Allied Set-Up Card 3.

d. Strongpoints. Each player is limited to placing a maximum of two Strongpoint Under Construction markers (if available) per GT.

e. Roll for weather each turn on the Player Aid Card 3 Turn Record Track.

15.35 Rules Reminders. Much of this scenario will be played during turns when either Rain or Lingering Mud conditions are likely.

a. During Rain turns:

1. Most terrain costs increase (see TEC)
2. Trails no longer aid movement [6.42], and Supply Lines traced to roads are reduced to 5 hexes [3.73c].
3. Wadis become serious obstacles, and can impact play at the Kasserine Pass and Sbiba
   • Red Box and Orange MA units cannot move, advance, or retreat across unbridged Wadi hexsides. [3.73b]
   • Supply Lines can only be traced across wadi hexsides containing bridges (main and minor roads) [5.23 and 6.35a]
4. Allied air units add +1, and Axis air units add +2 to air coordination die rolls [3.73e].

b. Lingering Mud turns occur on any Cloudy weather turn that follows a Rain turn [3.74] Retain all Rain effects in para a above except:

1. Apply dry weather movement rates on all roads (including trails) [3.74]
2. Trails can now be used to cross wadi hexsides for movement, advances, retreats, and tracing supply [6.35a].

15.36 Victory Conditions.

a. Use the Victory Point Schedule, Levels of Victory, and Victory Point Track on Player Aid Card 4.

b. Set the Axis Victory Point Markers on +11.

• Net VP level for steps lost is +11. Continue to post VPs to the VP track for Allied and Axis steps lost as they occur during the remainder of the scenario.
• No Allied or Axis reinforcements with VP costs have been taken.
• No Axis Exit has occurred.
• No Allied Breakthrough has occurred.

c. Disregard 19PM Sudden Death Victory for this scenario.

• Total VPs for Locations and Exiting Units according to the 19PM column.
• Add to this total the current VPs on the VP Track. If the combined total is 58 or more, play ends with an Axis Sudden death victory.
• If the combined VP total is less than 58, play continues until the 23PM turn, when a combined VP total is again recomputed using the 23PM column for Locations and Exiting Units. Levels of victory will range from Axis Decisive to Allied Decisive.

d. 23PM Levels of Victory

1. Add 23 PM VPs for Locations and Axis Units Exited to the VPs on the VP Track.
2. Compare the total to the Levels of Victory [Player Aid Card 4].
3. Determine the final level of victory.

Play Notes

Axis. You need to decide on the first turn how you plan to win the scenario. Once you commit the bulk of your mobile forces, you will not be easily able to change direction. You have enough strength to make two powerful advances, but you have four possible avenues:

• Thelepte (2730) to Bou Chebka (2123) to Tebessa (1016)
• Kasserine Pass (3221) to Dj Hamra (2216) to Tebessa (1016)
• Kasserine Pass (3221) to Thala (2809) to 2401
• Sbiba (4109) to 3801

Kasserine Pass should probably always be one of the two areas. In relative terms, it is lightly defended. Also, once through the pass, you can compliment either the Bou Chebka or Sbiba advance. Screening Kasserine to attack in the north and south would probably result in disaster because the Allies will have sufficient strength to attack weak points in your line. Once you decide, attack all-out. Allied strength is not inexhaustable, but they can often afford to trade steps for time, and they will use the time to construct Strongpoints and man them in strength.

Allies. To win, you will have to take chances. If you mass exclusively in front of the major Axis drives, you may prevent an Axis Strategic Victory, only to have the Axis player come away with a Tactical or Operational Victory. You will have to find a way to mass and strike in force at the weak points in the Axis line while leaving enough in the path of the Axis advance to deny Tebessa or the northern map edge exits. The Achilles Heel for the Axis is lack of units. Destroy units anywhere, and the Axis player will have to redeploy other units he cannot spare from his main drives. If the Axis player is careless, he will find the Allies have recaptured enough map locations in the "quiet" sectors to win the scenario.

15.4 Scenario #4: Thala

With the breakthrough at Kasserine Pass completed by the 20th, Rommel's forces pursued without pause and made the greatest effort along the road leading to Thala. There British Brigadier Nicolson declared Allied forces would no longer retreat. This final battle marks the high point of the Axis Kasserine Offensive and probably marks their last real chance for victory in Tunisia.

15.41 Scenario Length. There are six turns: 21 AM through 23 PM.

15.42 Scenario Area. Use all the map west of hexrow 3700.

15.43 Allied and Axis Placement. See Allied Set-Up Card 1 Back and Axis Set-Up Card 2 Back. Allied player sets up first.

15.44 Special Restrictions

a. Neither player may place minefield markers.

b. Both players are limited to placing no more than two Strongpoint Under Construction markers (if available) per game turn.

c. Reinforcements.

1. There are no Axis reinforcements in this scenario.
2. Allied reinforcements - refer to Allied Set-Up Card 1 back.

d. Supply Sources

1. Allied - 1016 and 2401
2. Axis - 2533 or 3622

e. Weather. Roll for weather each game turn on the Player Aid Card 3 Turn Record Track.

15.45 Victory Conditions

a. There are four possible victory locations for the Axis player:

1. Tebessa (1016)
2. Bou Chebka (2123)
3. Kalaa Djerda (2506)
4. Thala (2809)

b. The Axis player wins a Tactical Victory if he captures and holds one of these four locations at the end of the scenario.

c. The Axis player wins an Operational Victory if he captures and holds two of these four locations at the end of the scenario.

d. The Allied player wins a Tactical Victory if the Axis fail to capture and hold any of their Victory locations, and one or more Allied units exits hex 3622.

e. If neither side wins a victory, the scenario ends in a draw.

Aftermath

Historically, the Allies won by defeating Rommel's diversionary attacks at Bou Chebka Pass and Dj. Hamra and concentrated to thwart the main attack at Thala. Timely arrival of American artillery at Thala decided the issue on the 22nd.

Play Notes

Axis player. You face a difficult situation. Your units are dispersed far too widely to effecively mass at the start of the scenario. You must concentrate you strength at one or two points to have a chance for victory, but in doing so, you will be leaving other sectors very thinly defended. Thala (2809) is probably the most vulnerable point in the Allied line, but Bou Chebka (2123) can be threatened from the south and west. You must attack vigorously to keep the Allied defenders off balance enough to prevent Strongpoint construction. Make good use of your Luftwaffe to provide CAS DRMs and to disrupt defending artillery.

Allied player. This scenario requires careful balancing. The Allied player has to forward enough reinforcements to threatened sectors to keep the Axis from getting any Victory hexes, but (more importantly) mass his own armor and artillery to strike at the sectors where the Axis is weak in order to have a chance to exit units and gain a victory. Your strongest forces are in the Dj Hamra (2216) defense line. Do not let them sit idle if they are not directly attacked. Your air units using Supply Interdiction can cause the Axis player severe problems by placing key Axis units Out of Supply in those sectors you are attacking.

15.5 Scenario #5: Red Bull at Fondouk Pass

As part of a general Allied offensive against the whole of southern Tunisia, the US 34th (Red Bull) Infantry Division was assigned the task of capturing Fondouk Pass. Control of the pass was the initial objective so that Kairouan, a Muslim holy city (and more importantly to both sides, a vital road junction) could be captured to cut off Axis forces in the south before they could retreat north.

15.51 Set-up Cards Used: Allied 1 Back and Axis 2 Back

15.52 Scenario Information. Refer to Allied Set Up Card 1 Back for:

a. Scenario area b. Scenario Turn Record Track (there are five turns) c. Scenario weather (use printed historical weather on Turn Record Track)

15.53 Allied and Axis Placement. See set up cards. The Axis player sets up first.

15.54 Scenario Rules.

a. For each turn reverse the roles of Axis and Allied in the Sequence of Play so that the Allied Operations Segment precedes the Axis Operations Segment.

b. Neither player can construct Minefields or Fortifications.

c. Scenario Supply Sources:

• Allied: 5101, 5109, 5713
• Axis: 7004, 7005, 6713

d. Reminders:

1. Supply Routes cannot be traced through mountain hexes (except along road or trails) [5.23].
2. For the Allied Player, only the 34 Rcn (+) and US or French non-motorized units may voluntarily enter a hex where they can no longer trace a supply route [6.15].

15.55 Victory Conditions

a. The Allied player wins a tactical victory if he controls hexes 6307 and 6409 at the end of the scenario. The Allied player wins an Operational victory if he also controls hex 6305 in addition to 6307 and 6409.

b. The Axis player wins if he avoids Allied victory conditions.

Aftermath

The 34th Division, reinforced with armor and artillery, was still not strong enough to accomplish its assigned mission of clearing the pass. Attacking the Axis positions head-on, it was stopped cold.

Play Notes:

Allied player. The best way to tackle the Axis position is from the flanks. The 34th Division should attack hex 6410 as well as 6307. In the north, use the French units (including the superb Morrocan Goum unit) to attack the weaker Italian units. Attacking with the French units will force the Axis player to keep units up north to screen the rear of victory hex 6305 instead of sending them to reinforce against the 34th Division assault. Your one Recon unit should not be used for combat. It is far too valuable as a deep penetration unit to slow or block Axis reinforcements.

Axis player. Your best single weapon is your air force. Use both units each turn for Air Strikes against the stacked Allied hexes most dangerous to you. Distribute your forces to defend strongly north of the wadi. South of the wadi, employ a hex by hex delaying defense to delay an attack against strongly garrisoned victory hex 6409 for as many turns as possible.

15.6 Scenario #6: Second Battle of Fondouk

15.61 Set-up Cards Used: Allied 2 Back and Axis 2 Back

15.62 Scenario Information. Refer to Allied Set-p Card 2 back for:

a. Scenario area b. Scenario length c. Scenario weather (use printed historical weather on the Turn Record Track) d. Scenario Supply Sources

15.63 Allied and Axis Placement. See set up cards. The Axis player sets up first.

15.64 Special Restrictions.

a. For each turn reverse the roles of Axis and Allied in the Sequence of Play so that the Allied Operations Segment precedes the Axis Operations Segment.

b. Neither player can construct minefields or fortifications.

c. Reminders:

1. Supply Routes cannot be traced through mountain hexes (except along road or trails) [5.23].
2. For the Allied Player, only the 34 Rcn (+) and US or French non-motorized units may voluntarily enter a hex where they can no longer trace a supply route [6.15].

15.65 Victory Conditions

a. The Allied player wins the game if his units capture and hold by the end of the scenario hexes 6305, 6307, and 6409 and if he exits 12 or more supplied stacking points [see 14.33 and 15.25e, but Axis player need not match Allied exiting by withdrawal of his units].

b. The Axis player wins if he avoids Allied victory conditions.

Aftermath

Although the recently-strengthened Allied forces took the pass, they failed to break through to cut off Axis forces retreating from British 8th Army's advance from Mareth and Akarit far to the south. Axis commanders were to write later that had the Allies succeeded in gaining control of Fondouk pass at this time, they could have shortened the war in Africa by a month.

Play Notes:

Allied player. You get some measure of revenge after defending against superior Axis forces in the earlier scenarios. You not only outnumber the Axis, but your forces are far more mobile. Another Allied advantage: six Allied Command Points versus only two for the Axis.

Time is your true enemy. You have only four turns to overcome the defenses at the pass, and then push ahead fast enough to exit the east map edge. Attack head-on with the British up north. Use the Guards (with their high ERs) against the toughest of the positions. Your three armored battalions are crucial to your ultimate success (they will be the majority of SPs exited), so if they must attack Defender Hexes with Minefields, try to have one of the RTR units attack with them. If a dreaded shaded box result occurs, the slower tanks will be there to absorb the loss. The 34th Division is weaker, but still strong enough to break through in the south.

Hex 6307 should be attacked, but a significant amount of strength should be shifted south to attack hex 6410 so that the Axis forces can be rolled up from the flank. Another opportunity for the Americans: The Axis forces are so thin in the south that the armored cavalry unit can run loose in the Axis rear, blocking crucial reinforcement entry hexes. Regardless of the sector, use the Motorized Movement Phase to aggressively advance your Red-Box MA units to surround the slower Axis formations, or to seize critical defensive hexes before they can be occupied.

Once beyond the pass, the powerful Allied armor can Overrun with devastating effect. Allied airpower can (surprisingly) be effective. Interdiction on the first turn can help by placing scarce Axis Red Box MA units out of supply, rendering them incapable of using Reaction Movement. The single Axis HQ is vulnerable to disruption through Air Strikes.

Axis Player. You have a tough assignment. You have a largely Non-Motorized force, few reserves, and reinforcements are agonizingly slow to arrive. You will have to sacrifice almost every unit you have to delay the Allied player. The key is to lose your steps judiciously. Things not to do:

a. Reinforcing defender hexes. The Allies will almost always generate high odds. Do not allow them to kill three or more steps in a single combat, when sacrificing a one or two step unit will cause the same amount of delay. It is far better to backstop your frontline units to limit Allied advances in the Motorized Movement Phase rather than placing everything forward to be destroyed or surrounded.

b. Attempting No Retreat. Again, the objective is to conserve steps – not lose them. The +1 DRM to the Combat Die Roll almost never offsets the loss of the extra step in this scenario.

c. Ignoring the open south flank. Contain the Americans. If reinforcements do not arrive, or arrive late, you will lose.

The Axis Air is weak, but can hurt the Allies primarily through Air Strikes. Disrupting the Guards Brigade, the British armor, or the US artillery will seriously hamper Allied attack plans.

16.0 Designer's Section

16.1 Unit Abbreviations

Special Note: Found on some units is a (+) sign which means the unit is reinforced; other units have a (-) sign which means the unit has sent detachments elsewhere and is not full strength.

Germans

A Afrika Marsch. The quality of these field replacements units could vary. They were to be absorbed by front line units but expediency caused them to be committed to the front line well before the intended front line unit could be found.

AA Aufklarungs Abteilung (recon battalion). In the German army these units were well equipped, highly mobile, and staffed with many of a division's best personnel. For game purposes the armored car portion is shown separately.

Algerien Algerian. A special Arab volunteer unit; most personnel were on camels. The Axis raised about 12000 Arab volunteers during the Tunisian campaign but had difficulties in training and arming these troops resulting in such spotty battlefield performance that most officers and NCOs were Germans. It was symptomatic of later infantry shortages that such troops had to be included in front line battles such as that at Fondouk.

Afr Afrika. This unit was created from the former Sonderverband (Special Purposes Unit) 288, an excellent unit, one of the few that was not burned out at El Alamein.

B Bis. A second formation bearing the same number. The 104-B Regiment was originally intended as a training formation but at Kasserine was used as a "covering force" because of the overall shortage of infantry. In late April it formed the basis for a second Panzer Grenadier Rgt. for the 21st Pz. Division.

Buhse Unit commander, Col. Buhse. Normally, he was the commander of 47th Grenadier Rgt., but emergency conditions required the formation of battle groups over most of the front line so one of his battalions went south to join Rommel at Mareth and his force got some Italians as a substitute.

DAK Deutsches Afrika Korps (German Africa Corps). Headquarters unit.

DALA Deutsch-Arabische Lehr Abteilung (German-Arab Training Battalion). This unit was originally formed as part of Sonderverband 287 and saw some action in Russia. Filled with Arab volunteers and led by German officers and NCOs, it proved to be quite effective. It saw no action at Kasserine but due to later severe shortages of infantry it would be drawn into battles such as that at Fondouk.

Jg Jaeger. This was originally Col. Ramcke's brigade of paratroops, now led by Col. von der Heydte. Numbering over 1500 well-armed men it was a very efficient unit.

K Kradschutzen (motorcycle). A well-equipped unit that even includes a few armored cars.

Kasta Kampfstaffel OB. This headquarters protection unit of all arms followed no particular TOE. For Kasserine the portion with the armor remained in the south.

Koenen Koenen. Special commando style unit of 56 men named for unit commander, Cpt. Fritz von Koenen. He and some of his men managed to escape to Europe during the final collapse in Africa. At Kasserine some of these men were dressed in American uniforms and helped capture US personnel around Sidi bou Zid.

Pz Panzer.

PzJg Panzer Jaeger (anti-tank)

T Tunisian Marsch. Replacement battalions designated for von Arnim's command. In practice, these units were sent where needed most.

Italians

Ber Bersaglieri (sharpshooters). Well regarded as among the better of the Italian troops. They were trained for mobile operations.

CCNN Camicie Nere (Blackshirts). Before the war these units were expected to lead the attack but they proved wholly inadequate in both equipment and training, their political motivation notwithstanding. The 5th CCNN was called a "good unit," presumably to distinguish it, but it won no laurels in Africa. The 570th was a special unit of Tunisian volunteers of Italian descent.

VT Tunisian "volunteers" of dubious combat efficiency.

Americans

Can Cannon. Some US infantry regiments included a "cannon" company which included six half-track mounted 75mm howitzers of French 1918 pattern. While the infantry appreciated the firepower, the equipment was not really suitable, being replaced later by towed weapons.

CCA Combat Command A. For Kasserine the US 1st Armored Division was divided into three Combat Commands (there once were four), whose sub-unit organization could change according to the task. The problem was a tendency to send the commands off on separate missions, which caused the division to lose effectiveness. The division suffered because it never underwent the desert training received by other US armored divisions before shipping to Europe. Kasserine was its first real test in combat as a full division.

CCB Combat Command B.

CCC Combat Command C.

A,B,C,D Company designations.

E,F,G,H Company designations.

I,J,K,L Company designations.

Comp Composite armor company formed from the Sidi Bou Zid survivors.

Engr Engineer. The 19th Engineers were inexperienced and not well equipped for combat in an infantry role but were well equipped with vehicles.

Rcn Reconnaissance.

Repl Replacements.

Rngr Ranger. This was part of the original "Darby's Rangers," perhaps America's finest elite outfit of the war. For the Kasserine period and much of the rest of the Tunisian campaign the unit was reinforced with a 4.2" mortar unit.

TD Tank Destroyer. The US Army had a separate combat branch for its anti-tank units. The TD units at Kasserine were all equipped with low-velocity 75mm guns mounted on halftracks. Because this was not a satisfactory combination, all TD units soon reequipped with towed weapons or guns mounted on tank chassis.

British

A,B,C Squadron designations. "Squadron" is the same as "company" in the American army; the British retained the use of cavalry terminology for former horse units.

DY The Derbyshire Yeomanry. An excellent unit, well led.

Fd Field Artillery Regiment.

Gd Guards. The three battalions in this brigade were regular army and could be counted on to be steadfast in combat. All had suffered heavy casualties in December fighting in front of Tunis, the 1st Hampshires (not really a Guards unit) particularly so, but all had recently been reformed and ranks refilled with replacements. Guards units were traditionally special in every army and the British Army was no exception. The spit and polish tradition was so strong here that they entered battle with clean and freshly pressed uniforms.

CGd Coldstream Guards.

GGd Grenadier Guards.

Hamp The Hampshire Regt.

L Lancers. Pre-war, they were cavalry; these units are each an amalgamation of regiments of long history, including Balaclava and Omdurman.

Lei The Leicestershire Regiment. This unit was new to combat and suffered many losses at Thala.

Loth Lothian and Border Horse. Pre-war this was very much a "gentleman's" cavalry unit. At Kasserine it fought well.

RB The Rifle Brigade. The 10th was a Territorials battalion in this veteran regiment.

RE Royal Engineers. These were organized as "field squadrons," not companies although at about the same strength. One squadron won much distinction at Thala in an infantry role.

RHA Royal Horse Artillery. The 12th was part of the former Honourable Artillery Company; in 1943 there was no difference in organization or equipment between the RHA and regular field artillery regiments.

RTR The Royal Tank Regiment.

WGd Welsh Guards. While this unit had not arrived in Africa in time for action at Kasserine, it later became a component part of the 1st Guards Brigade enjoying a fine reputation there. Fondouk would be its first real battle.

French

Gilbert Unit commander. One "goum" (company sized unit) of a Moroccan Tabor unit.

GTM Groupe de Tabors Marocains. A grouping of "tabors" (battalion sized units) of Moroccan natives under French officers. They were much feared by Axis soldiers because of their habit of slitting the throats of unwary sentries at night and then cutting an ear off of the victim.

RACL Regiment d'artillerie coloniale du Levant. The personnel had been recruited in the Levant and remained in the French army even after fighting the British in Syria/Lebanon in 1941. In November they opposed American landings in Morocco.

RCA Regiment Chasseurs d'Afrique.

Riva Unit commander. Zouaves unit.

RSA Regiment Spahis Algeriens. Native Algerian cavalry.

RST Regiment Spahis Tunisiens. Native Tunisian cavalry.

RTA Regiment Tirailleurs Algeriens.

RTM Regiment Tirailleurs Marocains.

RTS Regiment Tirailleurs Senegalais. The regiment in Kasserine (the 15th) was recruited in Senegal and had white officers; it fought well.

RMZT Regiment Mixte Zouave Tirailleurs. A mixture of Europeans recruited in North Africa plus Tirailleurs Algeriens.

Sau Saulnier. Unit commander.

Scola Unit commander. Zouaves unit.

Extended Example of Play

Campaign Game Turn 1: Joint Air Phase:

Interdiction: Using both air units in the Interdiction box, the Germans get a "1" on the Interdiction result and place the OOS marker on the US 2/17 arty battalion in 5926. The US player doesn't like that, so he resupplies the arty unit at the expense of the French motorized unit at Sbeitla and the US I/13 at Bou Chebka (hex 2123). With no reason to save his one Interdiction unit (because no combat refusal or reaction moves are allowed in the south this turn), the Allied player attacks the supply of the German II/155 arty unit. A "3" gets him a "1" result, and the German arty is placed OOS.

Air Strikes: The German is determined to get that US 2/17 arty unit out of the way, so allocates a Ju-87D (ER 6) against hex 5926. The other strike sends the HS129B to attack the US 168 Rgt. HQ and stack in 5829. (The German saves three J-87Ds for Close Air Support later in the turn.) Coordination rolls of "6" and "5" (Air Strike Coordination die rolls have only weather DRMs and the weather for this turn is Clear), respectively, allow the Air Strikes to get through to their targets. The Ju-87, rolling on the "3-4" column, gets a "2," for "2D" result, disrupting the 2/17 arty. The HS-129B, on the "7-9" column, rolls a ten, and hits nothing but dirt. Striking air units return to the Flown box.

The Allied player doesn't have many good Strike targets because the German spearheads aren't yet on the map, so he saves his lone A-20 air unit for Close Air Support.

Axis Operations Segment:

Axis Movement Phase:

First the Axis player decides that none of his arriving units will enter in the north and that the KG Buhse units in the north will not move this turn (such entry or movement would free the Allied units in the north from their first two turn movement restrictions).

10th Panzer Assault Group Moves:

The Axis player then begins movement by designating the six Red-box MA units of KG Gerhardt (totaling 7 stacking points) and Koenen's motorized infantry company (0 stacking points) as KG1 and placing them in the KG1 off map display. The KG1 marker then enters the map on the main road east of Faid at 7023 and expends 5 of its 7 MPs (including one to enter the ZOC of the US G/1 armor unit blocking the road in 6225) to move along the main road into hex 6324. The German player would dearly love to attempt an overrun, but only two of his units (the ones with 8 MP) would be able to do so, so he declines. Thus the stack ends its move in 6324, and will have to wait until the combat phase to attack the US unit. The artillery and anti-tank units from KG Gerhardt enter on their own at 7023 and move to 6425, where the artillery is in support range of KG1's upcoming attack.

Tiger tank platoon A, along with two of the KG Reimann units (13/90 armor and 1/90 Pzjgr), move west from 7023 and join the KG1 stack in 6324 (bringing the stack to its maximum of 9 stacking points). The remaining KG Reimann (3 units) units, supported by Platoon B of the two slow-moving Tiger tank platoons, are designated KG2, which moves from 7023 to 6424, one hex east of the KG1 spearhead.

KG Lang's 1/K10(+) motorcycle infantry veer off the main road and head north to secure Sidi Kralif in 6422, guarding the advancing force's northern flank and creating the threat of encircling the US armor northeast of Sidi bou Zid. The other three units of KG Lang move to 6424, and become part of KG2 (also now 9 stacking points of units).

Declared Attacks: One. KG1 in 6324 will attack the US G/1 Armor unit in Faid (6225) using Mobile Combat.

21st Pz Non-Mobile Screening Group Moves:

IV/104 to 5930 II-104B to 6228 I/104B moves to 6227 II/155 Arty (OoS) move one hex to Ain Rebaou (6326)

Declared Attacks: None.

21st Pz Assault Group Moves:

KG Stenkoff's Armor units, joined by 6/25 AA and I/104 Motor Infantry, along with the 5 Pz HQ, form KG3 and move from their entry hex at Maizilla (6034) north to 5929. They'll avoid the US 168th HQ and other units in the Strongpoint in 5829 and attack the weak A+B/81 behind the Minefield in 5928 during the Combat Phase. The remaining 3 units of KG Stenhoff move north to 6029, from whence they'll add to attack on the A+B/91recon in 5928 to secure the northern flank of KG3 and to help prepare to surround the 168th HQ in 5829 during the Mech Move Phase.

All of KG Schutte (7 units, 9 stacking points) become KG4, and it moves from 6034 to 5730, where it will launch it's attack on the US Rcn/1 in the strongpoint in 5729.

The three units of AA580(+) split up as they enter, with the armored car and recon unit heading west into the desert to 5532 (they're intending to hit the Bir el Hafey-Sidi bou Zid road next move and threaten all kinds of havoc in the Allied rear. The AA unit moves to 5930.

Declared Attacks: Two. The stacks in 5929 and 6029 will attack into 5928, and KG4 in 5730 will attack the recon unit in the Strongpoint in 5729.

Allied Reaction Phase: Reaction and Combat Refusal are prohibited to the Sidi bou Zid group on the first turn, so none occurs. The Allies make no No Retreat attempts.

Axis Combat Phase:

1. KG1 in 6324 vs the US G/1 armor unit (4-3-8, ER 5) in 6225. Mobile Combat. Axis chooses 7+8- II/69 Panzergrenadiers (ER 7) as the Lead unit.

The Axis allocates one Ju-87D (Eff 6) to CAS. The Allies would love to send in their lone remaining A-20, but cannot because they have no HQ unit within 4 hexes of the defender hex.

Axis allocates 1/90 Aty (1-1-8, ER 5) to support the attack. Allies allocate B/91 self-propelled arty (2-1-8 Eff 5) to defensive support. Both sides make Artillery Coordination checks. The Allies allocate CCA/1 Arm HQ's 1 Command Pt (flipping the HQ to it's "0" CP side) to affect their check. Net DRMs are +1 for Axis (Mobile combat) and 0 for Allies (Mobile combat +1 offset by command pt -1). Rolls are "6" for the Axis; "4" for the Allies. Thus the Axis unit fails the Coordination check and contributes no support strength (1/2 of "1", rounded down). The Allies pass their check, adding +2 to the defender's combat strength (total of "5" now). Both artillery units are flipped to the Fired sides.

The Axis stack's Attack Strength is 23, versus 5 defense strength, yielding base odds of 4:1. The Axis makes a coordination check (+1 for Mobile Combat, -1 for One-hex attack) for their Lead Unit (ER 7) and rolls a "6," so the unit passes and the Odds Levels are not shifted. There is no CAB or Leader shift.

CAS Coordination Check. The Axis Air Coordination roll is modified by +1 for Mobile Combat, yielding a result of 5. The Ju-87 D passes, and contributes it's CAS rating of 2 as a -2 DRM to the combat. It then is placed in the Flown Box.

Final DRM is -2 for CAS and -2 for ER differential. The max net DRM is -3, so that is used for the Combat. Final odds: 4-1, with a -3 DRM. The combat die is rolled, with a "3" result. Modified by the DRM to "0" on the 4:1 column of the Mobile CRT, this yields a result of "D3R." The defender must lose 3 steps and retreat. It only has 2 steps, so the G/1 armor unit is destroyed (supporting artillery not in the defender hex is not affected by the result) and removed from the map.

The Axis player scores 2 VPs for destroying two Allied armor steps. He then advances the attacking stack into the defender hex (6225). Because this is a Mobile Combat, he can advance one more hex. But the Allied H/1 armor unit is blocking the road in 6124 (and the Axis player wants to Overrun that unit in the upcoming Motorized Movement Phase), so the Axis player chooses not to advance a second hex, and the stack remains in 6225. The combat is now concluded.

2. KG3 and stack in 6029 vs US A+B/81 (ER 5) in Minefield in 5928. Assault Combat (forced by the Minefield in the defender hex). The Axis player designates 1/104 Motorized Infantry (ER 6) as his Lead Unit. Neither side allocates artillery (the Axis COULD, but chooses not to due to the overwhelming odds in his favor and the lack of any Allied artillery units in range of the combat).

The Axis allocates one Ju-87D (ER 6) to CAS. This time the Allies can send in their remaining A-20, because they have an HQ unit within 4 hexes of the defender hex.

The Axis stack's combined Attack Strength is 19 (remember, armor is halved vs Minefields), versus 1 defense strength, yielding base odds of 7:1. The Axis makes a coordination check (+1 for Hill Terrain in defender hex) for their Lead Unit (Efficiency 6) and rolls a "10," so the unit fails and the Odds level is shifted two left to 5:1. The Axis get the Combined Arms Bonus (because they have both armor and motorized infantry in the attack, and the defender has no armor or anti-tank units), for a one column right shift to 6:1. There is no Leader present, so there is no Leader shift.

CAS Coordination Check. The Axis player allocates the 2 Command Points of the 5/21 Pz HQ to the CAS Coordination roll. The Coordination roll is a "7," modified by -2 for the Command Points, yielding a result of 5. The Ju-87 D passes, and contributes it's CAS rating of 2 as a -2 DRM to the combat. It then is placed in the Flown Box. The Allied Coordination roll is a "7," so the A-20 fails the roll and is returned to the Flown box without affecting the combat.

The Untried Minefield is turned over to reveal a +2 Minefield in the defender hex. The Allies rejoice!

Final combat DRMs are -2 for CAS, -1 for ER differential, +1 for Hill terrain in the defender hex, and +2 for the Minefield, for a net DRM of "0." So final odds are 6-1, with no DRM. The combat die is rolled, with a "7" result. This yields a result of "DRd" in a shaded box. This is bad news for the Axis, because even though the defender retreated and disrupted, the shaded box result dictates a loss of an armor steps to the attacker (because Mines were present in the defender hex, the shaded box result ignores the actual Lead unit and dictates the first step loss comes from an armor unit).

The Allied player retreats A+B/81 two hexes to 5827 (blocking the road in a Woods hex) and places a Disrupted marker atop the unit. The Axis player turns the 5/5 armor unit to its reverse side (he could have chosen any of the four armor units because they all are ER of "6."), then advances KG3 (minus the Orange-Circle MA 6/25 AA unit) into the vacated defender hex. (Note that III/104 in 6029 is also eligible to advance, but his 3 stacking points would bring total stacking in the advance hex to 10– violating stacking limits.) The position has been taken, but the effectiveness of the Allied Minefield has extracted a fearsome cost.

The Axis player subtracts 2 VPs for losing an Axis armor step.

3. KG4 vs US Rcn/1 (ER 6) in the Strongpoint in 5729. Assault Combat (forced by the Strongpoint in the defender hex). The Axis player designates 7/25 Heavy AA (ER 6) as his Lead Unit. Neither side allocates artillery (the Axis could, but chooses not to due to the overwhelming odds in his favor and the lack of any Allied artillery units in range of the combat).

Neither side allocates any units to CAS.

The Axis stack's combined Attack Strength is 13, versus 1 defense strength, yielding base odds of 7:1. The Axis makes a coordination check (+1 for Hill Terrain in defender hex) for their Lead Unit (Efficiency 6) and rolls a "2," so the unit passes and odds remain at 7:1. There is no CAB or Leader shift.

Final combat DRMs are 0 for ER differential, +1 for Hill terrain in the defender hex, and +1 for the Strongpoint, for a net DRM of "+2." So final odds are 7-1, with a +2 DRM. The combat die is rolled, with a "5" result. The +2 DRM makes it a "7," yielding a result of "D2R" on the Assault CRT. The Allied unit has only one step, so it is destroyed. The four Red-Box MA units of KG4 advance atop the Strongpoint in 5729; the three Orange-Circle MA units are prohibited from advancing after combat, so they leave KG4 and remain in 5730.

No VP adjustment is made for losses, because the destroyed Allied unit was not an armored unit.

The Combat Phase is now complete. Both sides flip all "Fired" artillery back to their unfired sides.

Axis Motorized Movement Phase:

KG1 in 6225 will attempt to Overrun the Allied H/1 armor unit in 6124. Because this move is along a road, the cost for the overrun is 2 1/2 MPs (1/2 for the road move, +2 for the overrun, ZOCs ignored because KG1 started the move adjacent). This means that even the Tiger A tank unit in the stack (MP of 5, halved for mech move to 2 1/2) has enough MPs to participate in the Overrun.

The Axis player chooses the Koenen motorized unit (Eff = 8) as his Lead Unit. The defender only has one unit, so H/1 (Eff = 5) is his Lead Unit. The Axis Attack Strength is 23. Allied Defense Strength is 3. Base odds are 7:1. The Axis player already has a big DRM advantage due to efficiency, so he chooses not to allocate his remaining CAS unit, saving it for protection against Allied counterattacks instead. There are no column shifts (No CAB, because the defender is an armor unit), and final DRM (there are none for terrain, as the defender is in a clear hex) is -3 for the Efficiency differential. The Combat die roll is "1," modified to 0 (as low as the table allows) by the DRM. The Result is "DE," so the H/1 armor unit is eliminated, and the Axis stack moves into 6124. The Tiger A unit (MP of 5, halved to 2 1/2 during Mech Movement Phase) is now finished with its movement, but the rest of the stack has enough MPs to continue moving. It continues one more hex along the road to 6024 (costing another 1 1/2 MPs due to the ZOC entered) and stops. The Axis player receives 2 VPs for eliminating 2 Allied armor steps.

KG2 leaves its two Orange-Circle MA units (11/90 and 12/90) in 6424 and moves 3 MPs to 6025.

The 1/K10+ unit (MA =9) in Dj Kralif moves 4 1/2 MPs to 5921, threatening the northern flank of the Allied Defense.

The III/104 motorized unit (MA=8) in 6030 spends all four of its available MA (1 for the clear hex, +2 for the unoccupied enemy Minefield, +1 for enemy ZOC from 6127) to enter the empty Allied Minefield hex in 6029. The Minefield is flipped to it's Tried side, revealing a "0, Remove" Minefield. The Minefield is removed from the game.

The Axis player would love to take KG3 (in 5928) north to overrun the disrupted artillery unit in 5926, but because of the Allied ZOC coming from 5827, he doesn't quite have the MPs to do so. So he moves the stack north one hex to 5927, leaving I/104 motorized behind in 5928 to occupy the minefield (so he can destroy it at the end of the turn) and guard the supply line to KG3.

KG4 remains in place in 5729, keeping the stack in 5829 surrounded and occupying the Allied Strongpoint in the hex.

The recon stack in 5532 moves west across the desert to 5131, pushing hard to reach the main road and begin to surround the Sidi bou Zid force from the southwest.

You take it from here:

As this example of play ends and the Allied Operations Segment begins, the Allied player faces some difficult choices. Should he reinforce the units at Sidi bou Zid as they perform a withdrawal under fire, or deploy his unengaged forces to begin creating a fall-back line of minefields and fortifications near Sbeitla? How much of force deployed in the north should he move southwest, and how quickly? Should the depleted forces around Sidi bou Zid cut their losses and run, or should they try to occupy key terrain and slow the Axis advance, sacrificing themselves in the bargain? Where should he build his Minefields and Fortifications? How does he plug all the holes he has in the west, protect Sbeitla, and still husband enough reserves and resources to guard the southwest approaches against the eventual arrival of Rommel and DAK?

There are no easy answers, to be sure, but here are three suggestions:

1. Save as many units as you can. Even a 1-point defensive unit is valuable later if he mans a Strongpoint or a Minefield. Get the artillery and HQ units off the front line and to safety if at all possible. Their additions and DRMs are force-multipliers.

2. Use the defensive value of the mountain hexes to your advantage. Several are on or adjacent to important transit or supply routes. Man them; fortify them, and you'll have some delay points to allow you time to solidify your defenses.

3. Fortify Sbeitla. Don't wait even one turn to begin building a line of fortifications and minefields east and southeast of Sbeitla. The Wadi and the two mountain hexes give strong places to anchor your defenses. What's in between will need to be fortified/ocupied if you're to have a prayer of holding Sbeitla.

Enjoy the game!

Gene

Expanded Sequence of Play

A. Strategic Segment (both players)

1. Weather Phase. The Allied player rolls one die and consults the Weather Table to determine the turn's weather condition.

2. Reinforcements/Special Events Phase.

a. Reinforcements. Both sides remove available reinforcements and chosen Optional Groups from setup cards. Place arriving air units on the Air Unit Display.

b. Withdraw required units.

3. Supply Determination Phase. Both players trace supply for all on map units:

• Remove Emergency Supply or Out of Supply markers from units now able to trace.
• Flip Emergency Supply markers to Out of Supply side on units still unable to trace.
• Place Emergency Supply markers on units newly unable to trace.

4. Air Readiness Phase. Move all air units from the Flown box to the Ready box.

5. Joint Air Phase.

a. Select air units for Interdiction (Axis first) and make Coordination Checks [10.33].

b. Each side performs Supply Interdiction Missions (Axis first) [10.37].

c. Each side performs Air Strikes (Axis first) [10.5].

B. Axis Operations Segment

1. Axis Movement Phase

a. Conduct ground unit movement for all units; reinforcements enter play.

b. Combat Declaration. Declare attacks against all desired defender hexes. Place Declared Attack markers on all attacker hexes adjacent to defender hexes.

2. Allied Reaction Phase

a. Attempt Allied Combat Refusal [7.2].

b. Attempt Allied Reaction Movement [7.3].

c. Attempt Allied No Retreat [7.4].

3. Axis Combat Phase (One combat at a time, for all Declared Combats)

a. Axis player designates Lead Unit [8.31] and announces which CRT will be used to resolve the combat.

b. Allied player designates lead unit in the Defender Hex.

c. Both sides (Axis first) designate all Supporting artillery units (must be in range of defender hex).

d. Each player selects a lead artillery unit, and makes an ER check. Possible outcomes:

• Lead unit passes – all artillery units contribute full support
• Lead unit fails – all artillery units contribute half support or no support [refer to Coordination Chart on Player Aid Card 1].

Note: One artillery unit in the defender hex is always automatically coordinated.

Regardless of coordination result, turn all artillery units participating in the Declared Attack to their Fired sides.

e. Each side totals its final unit strengths (ground units plus supporting artillery) and players determine final Combat Odds.

f. Ground unit coordination (Attacker only). Make an ER check for the lead attack unit. Possible outcomes:

• Lead unit passes: attack is made at the computed odds level
• Lead unit fails: attack odds are shifted two columns left on the CRT.

g. Apply odds column shifts for:

1. Combined Arms Bonus [8.54]
2. Leader Bonus [8.55]

The attacker now has the final odds level for the Declared Attack

h. Determine all applicable attacker and defender DRMs—turn over Untried Allied Minefield markers [11.45] and resolve CAS missions (attacker first) [10.4]. Net out DRMs.

i. Find the correct column on the designated CRT. Roll one die and apply net DRM to obtain final combat result.

j. Apply the results to affected units.

1. Remove step losses, defender first.
2. Remove No Retreat marker, and apply step loss to the lead defender unit.
3. Conduct retreats, defender first, including Special retreat through enemy ZOC [8.89]. (Maneuver combat mandates 2 hex retreats. Assault combat allows one or two hex retreats (defender choice).

k. If Defender Hex is vacated, surviving Axis units are allowed Advance after Combat [8.9].

4. At the end of the Axis Combat Phase, turn all Fired artillery units and spent HQs back to their unfired/full command point sides.

5. Axis Motorized Movement Phase. All Axis Red-box MA units may move up to one-half MA (retain fractions). No Allied movement allowed.

C. Allied Operations Segment

1. Allied Movement Phase. Same sequence as Axis.

2. Axis Reaction Phase. Same sequence as Allied.

3. Allied Combat Phase. Same sequence as Axis.

4. Turn all Fired artillery units and spent HQs back to their unfired/full command point sides.

5. Allied Motorized Movement Phase. Same sequence as Axis.

D. Reorganization Segment (both players)

1. Engineering Phase

a. Remove enemy minefields if the minefield hex is occupied by a friendly ground combat unit.

b. Remove enemy strongpoints if the strongpoint hex is occupied by a friendly ground combat unit.

c. Voluntarily remove unoccupied friendly Strongpoints.

d. Emplace friendly minefields and strongpoints.

2. Reorganization Phase.

a. Pick up remaining Air Interdiction markers in the Air Interdiction Box and place them on their air unit sides in the appropriate Flown Box of the Air Display.

b. Remove Disrupted markers from units not in an enemy ZOC. Make ER checks for Disrupted units in enemy ZOCs.

3. Victory Determination Phase. Check scenario victory conditions. If the Axis player has achieved his set of victory conditions, the game ends (and ignore step D.4).

4. Turn Record Phase. Move the Turn marker ahead one space on the Turn Record Track and begin play of the next turn.