Nations at War: Desert Heat Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Support
  • 1.2 How to use this manual
• 2.0 General Concepts
  • 2.1 Dice
  • 2.2 NATO Symbols
  • 2.3 Counters
  • 2.4 Unit Nomenclature Definitions
  • 2.5 Unit Types
    • 2.5.1 Soft Targets
    • 2.5.2 Infantry
    • 2.5.3 Armored Infantry
    • 2.5.4 Gun Batteries
    • 2.5.5 Mortars
      • 2.5.5.1 Firing Mortars
      • 2.5.5.2 Mortars Firing Smoke
    • 2.5.6 Headquarters
• 3.0 Setting up the Game
  • 3.1 Beginning the Game
  • 3.2 Operations Phase
  • 3.3 Marker Removal Phase
    • 3.3.1 If a Formation Doesn’t Activate
  • 3.4 Formation Impulse
    • 3.4.1 Unit Formation Marker Removal
    • 3.4.2 Check Command Status
      • 3.4.2.1 Check Command Status Summary
    • 3.4.3 Perform Rallies
      • 3.4.3.1 Perform-Rally Summary
    • 3.4.4 Perform Fire Missions
• 4.0 Movement
  • • 4.0.1 Movement Summary
  • 4.1 Move and Fire
    • 4.1.1 Move-and-Fire Summary
  • 4.2 Stacked Units
  • 4.3 Transporting Units
    • 4.3.1 Loading
    • 4.3.2 Unloading
    • 4.3.3 Special Loading and Unloading Units
• 5.0 Combat
  • 5.1 Ranged Combat
    • 5.1.1 Conducting a Ranged Attack
    • 5.1.2 Defensive Bonuses
      • 5.1.2.1 Concealed
      • 5.1.2.2 Maximum Defensive Bonus
    • 5.1.3 Combat Results
    • 5.1.4 Extended Range
    • 5.1.5 Reduced Range
      • 5.1.5.1 Limited Range
    • 5.1.6 Conducting an Attack with Mortars
    • 5.1.7 Augmented Ability (+)
• 6.0 Line of Sight
  • 6.1 LOS Determination
    • 6.1.1 Ground-Level LOS
    • 6.1.2 Hill-Level LOS
• 7.0 Defensive Measures
  • 7.1 Improved Positions
  • 7.2 Mines
    • 7.2.1 Mine Placement and Attack
    • 7.2.2 Mine Placement and Attack Summary
    • 7.2.3 Mine Removal
    • 7.2.4 Mines Removal Summary
  • 7.3 Wire
  • 7.4 Anti-Tank Ditches (AT Ditches)
  • 7.5 Unit-Placed Smoke
    • 7.5.1 Placing Smoke
    • 7.5.2 Placing Smoke from a Unit
• 8.0 Battlefield Chaos
  • 8.1 Battlefield Chaos Summary
• 9.0 Fate Points
• 10.0 Additional Rules
  • 10.1 Anti-Aircraft Units (AA Units)
  • 10.2 Artillery
    • 10.2.1 High-Explosive Fire Missions
    • 10.2.2 Smoke Fire Mission
    • 10.2.3 Artillery Barrage Summary
  • 10.3 Close Air Support
    • 10.3.1 Designate a Target
    • 10.3.2 Perform Anti-Aircraft Fire
    • 10.3.3 Attacking the Target
    • 10.3.4 Aircraft Combat Summary
  • 10.4 Optional Support Weapon Placement
• 11.0 Overwatch
• 12.0 Map Updates
• 13.0 Scenarios Details
  • 13.1 Scenario Layout
  • 13.2 General Scenario Rules
  • 13.3 Tutorial Scenarios & Walkthroughs
• 14.0 Battle Generator
  • 14.1 Meeting Engagement
  • 14.2 Defender vs. Attacker
  • 14.3 To the Next Line
• Desert Heat TEC
• Counter TEC
• Glossary

1.0 Introduction

Nations at War is a game system based on conflicts between the brave soldiers that fought in World War 2. The pieces in the game represent platoons. Platoons are made up of groups of infantry, tanks and gun teams (approximately 40-60 men, 3 to 5 tanks and 3-5 gun teams). Scenarios depict a historical battle or part of a battle. Each scenario briefly describes the situation and leaves it up to the players to fight the battle and determine the victor. When you play Nations at War you will command several platoons (units) on a map board to achieve victory conditions (objectives) stated within the parameters of each scenario. Each map board is divided into hexagons (hexes) to regulate distance, with each hex representing approximately 150 meters in width. Scenarios have a finite amount of game turns in which to achieve your objectives. Each turn in a game represents approximately 5 to 15 minutes of real time. Each scenario provides the player with a list of units that take part in the battle and a list of victory conditions that must be achieved in order to win the scenario. You can play any of the scenarios within Nations at War in any order unless otherwise specified, such as a campaign scenario. Nations at War, at its core, is a game, and in no way is it an accurate simulation of platoon warfare. The game is centered on fun but provides enough depth to model combat between the forces of World War 2.

1.1 Support

If you have any game questions or if you are just looking for other gamers to chat with you can post comments on our forums at: http://forums.lnlpublishing.com. If any parts of this game are damaged or you have any other support needs please open a support ticket on our Support Tickets section at: http://support.lnlpublishing.com. You can also find additional game resources such as scenarios, counters, special rules and other community design resources in our Resource section: http://forums.lnlpublishing.com/resources. Keep in mind that module-specific and scenario rules always supersede the core rules.

1.2 How to use this manual

This is the second edition of the Nations at War Series. As such we have added rules and clarifications not included in the original manual but that have been created between that release and this one. Any rules that have been added or updated are highlighted in Blue Font.

• Notable content changes from the v2.0 rules are presented in BLUE text.

• New section or subsection headers are also in Blue text, Existing rules content that has been re-organized remains in BLACK text.

Examples, new ones or those from previous editions, are in Green Boxes

• Summaries are in Yellow Boxes

2.0 General Concepts

2.1 Dice

Each Nations at War series game includes several six-sided dice (d6) used to determine the results of the events that take place within a game scenario. The dice are used to determine everything from combat to random events.

2.2 NATO Symbols

NATO symbols are graphical designs that designate the types of military units. In Nations at War, NATO symbols are printed on the upper right hand corner of counters that are soft targets. See (2.5). Each game includes a chart on a Player-Aid Card to help you match the type of unit to the symbol on a counter located on the upper right hand side of the counter. Armored units, however, do not use NATO symbols. Units without a NATO symbol located on the upper right hand corner are classified as hard targets. Instead of the NATO symbols, an armor factor is in its place.

2.3 Counters

The pieces in the game are known as counters and/or markers and are described as such throughout these rules. For those folks who are new to wargaming, the term counter is widely used to describe the pieces in games of this nature. There are two types of counters in Nations at War: unit counters and administrative counters.

Unit counters represent the combat platoons of men and equipment that fight the battles. Examples shown are tank, infantry, and aircraft counters.

Administrative counters represent conditions or the status of units or areas on the Board and pulled from within the cup (3.1). Examples are Ops Complete, Formation, and Disrupted counters.

2.4 Unit Nomenclature Definitions

Term	Definition
Full Strength	Full-strength counters are at their full capacity of men and equipment. They are indicated by a horizontal colored band behind the unit icon.
Reduced Strength	Reduced-strength counters have a reduced amount of men and equipment. They are indicated by a horizontal white band behind the unit icon.
AP Firepower	Armor-Piercing Firepower: this represents the number of d6 the unit rolls when attacking hard (armored vehicles) targets.
HE Firepower	High-Explosive Firepower: this represents the number of d6 the unit rolls when attacking soft targets (infantry and guns).
GA Firepower	Ground-Attack Firepower: this red number represents the number of d6 an aircraft rolls when attacking ground targets (hard or soft).
AA Firepower	Anti-Aircraft Firepower: this blue number represents the number of d6 the unit rolls when attacking aircraft targets.
To-Hit

2.5 Unit Types

Within Nations at War you will read references to three different target types. They are: Soft Target: Units and transports that display a NATO symbol on the upper right hand corner of their counter and do not contain an Armor Factor. Hard Target: Units that contain a vehicle picture and an Armor Factor on their counter. Aircraft: Units that have a picture of an aircraft on their counter.

Note: A target’s status is determined by the side of its counter that is currently displayed. For example, a dismounted Panzer Grenadier platoon is a soft target (it displays the NATO Armored Infantry symbol on the upper right hand corner of the unit.), but the same platoon when mounted (displaying a SdKfz 251 half-track) is a hard target.

2.5.1 Soft Targets

Soft targets do not have an armor factor, instead they have the NATO symbol in the upper right hand corner of the counter. Soft targets are attacked with HE Firepower (see Unit Nomenclature Definitions Table in 2.4). They include Infantry platoons, Mortars, Anti-Tank Gun (ATG) batteries, and non-armored transports.

2.5.2 Infantry

Infantry are the troops who rode transports (trucks) or walked to battle and fought with rifles, sub-machine guns, machine guns, and light anti-tank weapons. They are represented with a graphic of a helmet and by a NATO symbol on their counter.

Infantry and Armored Infantry units are the only units that can operate Support Weapons.

2.5.3 Armored Infantry

Units with a NATO Armored Infantry (Arm Inf) symbol on their counter travel in armored half-tracks. Note that Armored Infantry are soft targets when they have the upper right hand side of the counter NATO symbol (side) displayed, and are hard targets when their transport (half-track) symbol is displayed. Each unit thus has two counters: a full-strength and a reduced-strength counter. Armored Infantry units that are destroyed while traveling in their halftrack are replaced with a Wreck administrative counter within the hex in which they were destroyed.

2.5.4 Gun Batteries

Gun Batteries consist of Anti-Tank Guns (ATGs), such as the German 88mm or the American 57mm. Their primary purpose was to knock out enemy armor units, but they can also attack soft targets. Flak / AA batteries were guns that were used to destroy enemy aircraft (see 10.1)

2.5.5 Mortars

Mortar platoons have the NATO Mortar symbol on their counter. Mortar units are a form of artillery unit that consisted of a smooth bore tube that fire explosive projectiles at low velocities and high-arcing trajectories.

2.5.5.1 Firing Mortars

Mortars can fire (including Opportunity Fire) at units in their Line of Sight (LOS).

Note: The range on a Mortar is underlined, so they cannot fire at Extended Range and do not receive Reduced-Range benefits, See 5.1.4 & 5.1.5. Mortars can also fire indirectly like off-board artillery (Indirect fire using Mortars may not Opportunity Fire, see 5.1.6) at units not within their LOS provided they are being directed by a Headquarters (HQ) or Good Order Reconnaissance (Recon) unit of the same Formation. Headquarters and Recon units follow indirect-firing rules.

2.5.5.2 Mortars Firing Smoke

Mortars that are on the map board may fire level 1 smoke (some scenarios allow a mortar to fire level 2 smoke). They may fire directly or indirectly. If they fire directly, they may fire during their formation’s activation at any hex within their line of sight. If the mortar is to fire indirectly, it may only fire during the fire mission phase of its formation’s activation and counts as one of the fire missions allowed during that formation’s activation. To fire smoke from a mortar directly select the target hex within LOS of the mortar and conduct the attack using the HE firepower. Roll the number of dice equal to the mortars HE firepower and compare them to the “to-hit” number. Any successful hits allows one level 1 smoke counter placed into the target hex.

If they are all misses, the attack is unsuccessful. To fire smoke indirectly an eligible HQ or Recon unit may spot for a mortar that is part of the activated formation (see 5.1.6). A mortar unit must have range and uses the HE firepower to conduct the smoke round. The smoke round affects only the target hex and not the surrounding hexes. Mortars may fire smoke into their own hex. Mortars may not fire smoke during Opportunity Fire.

2.5.6 Headquarters

Headquarters (HQ) represent 3-10 individuals and/or— depending on the type of platoon—1–2 AFVs that were entrusted with leading infantry or armored platoons. Headquarter units are not independent units; they must remain in a hex with a unit—or units—of its own Formation. Headquarters can only move when accompanied by a unit or units of its own Formation. When a unit stacked with the HQ is eliminated, the HQ is eliminated along with it (see HQs in Combat Rules). HQs do not count against stacking limitations, but no more than one HQ—or sub-HQ—can be in a hex. The Command Range of an HQ represents the HQ’s range (in hexes) in which it can direct the operations of its platoons. To fight efficiently, a platoon that is a member of the HQ’s Formation must be within the Command Range of its HQ.

Units outside of the Command Range can operate but must perform a Command Status Check to see if it can operate as if it was In Command. HQs cannot be directly targeted by an opponent.

2.5.6.1 Sub Headquarters

Sub-headquarters (sHQ) represent a Headquarters section, perhaps the Formation’s executive officer or second in command. A unit of the sHQ’s Formation that is within the Command Range of the sHQ is In Command as long as the sHQ is In Command. Sub-headquarters function like HQs in all respects except for the following: A sHQ must be In Command to command other units. A sHQ is considered In Command at up to twice their HQ’s printed Command Range. A sHQ is a single-step unit and cannot be replaced when destroyed.

2.5.6.2 HQs in Combat

HQs Attacking

A Headquarters CANNOT attack an enemy directly in any type of combat see Combat (5.0) but it can improve the effectiveness of a unit it is accompanying in combat. HQs add their Leadership Modifier to the AP or HE Firepower (or Assault Factor, if assaulting) of any ONE friendly platoon of its Formation with which it is stacked against any enemy unit that is in range of the Firepower being used. This ability can only be used once per Formation activation.

Example: The 11th Panzer’s HQ has a Leadership Modifier of 2 (2 pips on the die icon). It is stacked with two Pz IV tank platoons. The stack of Pz IVs fires at a platoon of T-34s that is five hexes away. The HQ can add its Leadership Modifier to only one of the attacking Pz IV tank platoons. This elevates an attack from one of the Pz IV platoons from an AP of 35 attack to an AP 55 attack. It fires first at the T-34 achieving 3 hits of a 5, 5 and 6. The T-34 saves 1 of the hits, thus disrupting it and reducing it. The remaining Pz IV then fires its normal salvo of AP 35 in an attempt to finish it off. Headquarters (HQ) may not be directly targeted by an attack. However a HQ can be affected by an attack on a unit in which it is stacked with. If an attack is made on a unit and a HQ exists in the hex and the result is a disruption or reduction to the unit, a check is conducted to see if the HQ is impacted. Roll a d6 on a roll of 2–6, the HQ is unaffected. If the result is 1, flip the HQ to its Reduced side. If the HQ is already reduced eliminate the HQ from the game. If two units of the same formation are stacked with an HQ, and one unit is eliminated, make the same check as a Disruption/Reduction test but subtract 2 from the die roll. On a roll of 1 or less, the HQ is flipped to its Reduced side. If already Reduced, the HQ is eliminated. If all units stacked with an HQ are eliminated during the current attack, the HQ is also eliminated.

If a Wreck marker is not present in the hex, replace a destroyed vehicle HQ (an HQ with a vehicle silhouette) with a Wreck marker. HQs cannot be Disrupted.

2.5.6.3 HQ Replacement

Replace eliminated HQs, Reduced-side up, during the subsequent Marker Removal Phase, in any hex that contains a friendly unit(s) of the HQ’s type and Formation. If no units of the HQ’s type remain, the HQ cannot be replaced. In that case, each unit in the eliminated HQ’s Formation will subsequently need to roll for activation during the Check Command Status Phase (see 3.4.2).

Example: If the CCB HQ is eliminated, it is replaced, Reduced-side up, in the subsequent Marker Removal Phase, in any hex containing a M3 Lee CCB platoon. If no M3 Lee platoons are in play, the CCB HQ cannot be replaced.

2.5.6.4 Armored Infantry HQ Replacement

If the HQ from an Armored Infantry platoon is eliminated, it can be replaced with either a mounted or dismounted platoon in its Formation.

2.5.6.5 HQ Leadership Modifiers

Headquarters subtract their Leadership Rating from the rally die roll of all Disrupted units attempting to rally in its hex.

2.6 Hard Targets

Hard targets are targets that have an Armor Factor and are attacked with AP Firepower. Hard Targets may not be attacked by a unit using HE Firepower. They include Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). Hard targets have a picture of a vehicle on their counter. A unit that has both a NATO symbol and a picture—a Truck platoon, for example—is a soft target.

2.6.1 Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs)

Armored Fighting Vehicles are engine-propelled armored machines that ride on tracks or wheels. Any counter with a picture of a vehicle on it and an Armor Factor on its upper-right corner is considered an armored vehicle. AFVs are considered hard targets.

2.6.2 Reconnaissance Units

Reconnaissance (Recon) units are special AFVs marked with an “R” next to the vehicle image. They have three special characteristics that separate them from other units:

• Independent: Recon platoons are trained to act independently. Accordingly, Recon units are considered In Command at up to twice their HQ’s printed Command Range.

• Highly Trained: Good Order Recon platoons that are In Command can call Artillery or Mortar fire from units within the same Formation as if they were a HQ. Mortars must be within range of target.

• Observant: Enemy units within both the LOS and four hexes of a Good Order Recon unit are NOT concealed.

2.7 Support Weapons (SWs)

Heavy Machine Guns and Bazookas/ Piats/Anti-Tank Rifles are considered Support Weapons (SWs). Support Weapons provide additional capabilities to Infantry and Armored Infantry platoons. Support Weapons display a graphic of the weapon and the “Support Weapon” is written on the counter.

2.7.1 Support Weapons Assignment

Support Weapons are assigned to an Infantry or Armored Infantry platoon before a scenario begins and placed underneath the owning platoon’s counter. Support Weapons cannot change possession during a scenario.

2.7.2 Support Weapons Destruction

Support Weapons cannot be targeted in combat. If the owning platoon is eliminated, remove the SW from the Board with the platoon. Infantry platoons fire their SW when they use their inherent Firepower (the FP listed on their counter).

Note: Support Weapons do not represent an actual SW, but rather an additional capability of that unit.

Example: A HMG crew or skilled Bazooka team.

2.7.3 Support Weapons in Combat

Add the Firepower and range of the SW to the platoon that possesses it when the platoon fires. For example, a platoon adds 1 to both its range and HE Firepower when it possesses a Heavy Machine Gun (HMG). Both the Bazooka and Piat only have a “+” in lieu of Firepower and range enhancements such as those found on the HMG or ATR counters. As described in the rules for Augmented Firepower (5.1.7), this “+” allows the possessing unit to roll an extra die when making an attack with its AP (red) Firepower but only counting a number of hits equal to the firepower of the unit. (See 5.1.7)

2.8 Unit Color

Each country’s units have a distinct color that is unique to them. See the module notes for further details on unit color.

2.9 Stacking

Up to two combat units can stack in a hex. Stacking limitations are in play and apply at all times during the turns. Markers, Wrecks, Support Weapons and HQ units do not count against stacking. Only one Wreck marker is allowed per hex.

Example: Two Infantry platoons are stacked on a Road hex. As you move your tank platoon forward, it must go off Road to go around the stack. It cannot go through the two units as this would violate the stacking rule.

2.10 Formations

Each Formation consists of its HQ and its attached units. All units of the same Formation have the same title and colored stripe.

All units of a Formation activate when its Formation marker/chit is drawn. This includes units attached in the scenario’s Order of Battle (OOB).

2.11 Morale

Morale is a measure of a unit’s psychological state and training. A Formation’s Morale is printed on its HQ unit. The Formation’s Morale remains the same even if the HQ is eliminated from the game.

2.11.1 Good Order

A unit may either be in Good Order or Disrupted. Good Order units are ready to fight. Disrupted units are disorganized by enemy fire, and their ability to wage war is severely restricted.

2.11.2 Morale Check Procedure

When the game calls for a Morale Check (MC), roll 2d6: if the result is equal to or less than the Formation’s Morale, the unit passes the MC.

Example: All units of the British 14th Infantry have a Morale Factor of 7. Each unit will need to roll a 7 or less on 2d6 to pass their MC.

2.12 Marker Types

There are five types of markers: Formation, End Turn, Administrative Defensive Measures, Chaos and Fate.

2.12.1 Formation Markers

Formation markers are placed in an opaque container as per scenario instructions. A coffee cup works well. When a player draws a Formation’s marker, he MUST activate the Formation.

2.12.2 End Turn Markers

These are placed in the same opaque container as the Formation markers as per scenario instructions. When the second and / or third End Turn marker is drawn, the turn ends.

2.12.3 Administrative Markers

These are markers such as Ops Complete, Disrupted, Out of Command, and others. They are used to track game-related functions as delineated in the rules.

2.12.4 Defensive Measures Markers

These markers represent obstacles found on the battlefield that impede attacking units from reaching their objectives. Defending units benefit greatly from these obstacles such as Wire, Anti-Tank Ditches, Improved Positions and Mines (See 7.0).

2.12.5 Chaos and Fate Markers

These markers help to change the outcomes of situations on the battlefield. Chaos markers (8.0) used in a scenario are pulled from a cup to generate random events. Fate Markers (9.0) are used to help change an outcome of an attack or situation for one side or the other. They are assigned to players within the scenario.

3.0 Setting up the Game

To play Nations at War, you and your opponent will pick a scenario, from the scenario section of your game, and determine which side each of you will play. Each scenario will describe the situation, list each side’s order of battle, show the map (or maps) used, and state the victory conditions and any special scenario rules for the battle. Consult the scenario and set aside the forces allocated. Set them up according to the scenario guidelines. Drop the Formation and End Turn markers (and in some scenarios Chaos and Dust markers) into an opaque container as directed by the scenario guidelines. Additionally you can use the Design Your Own scenario rules to initiate a game located in the module rule book.

3.1 Beginning the Game

To begin a game, draw a marker from the opaque container (let’s say cup) and the marker pulled determines what action is to be performed. Markers pulled from the cup may be a Formation marker or an Administration marker, such as Chaos or End Turn markers. The drawn markers remain out of the cup until all of them are drawn or all End Turn markers have been drawn. When the turn is over, all markers are placed back into the cup to begin a new turn (see Marker Removal rule section)

3.2 Operations Phase

Players alternate pulling a marker from the opaque container. It doesn’t matter who pulls out a marker first.

If an End Turn (ET) marker is pulled from the cup, place it aside. If the last ET marker is pulled from the cup, or if there are only ET markers left in the cup, the Operations Phase ends and the Marker Removal Phase begins.

Note: Some scenarios may call for three End Turn markers. When a player’s Formation is pulled from the cup, he MUST activate the Formation for movement and combat. This activation is called the Formation’s impulse, and the Formation is called the active Formation. A player can choose not to perform any actions with the units of that Formation, but the Formation is considered activated until the player has completed all operations with that Formation or he declares that the Formation’s activation is finished.

3.3 Marker Removal Phase

Remove all Ops Complete markers from the Board and adjust any Smoke markers, replace any eliminated HQ units and return all Formation and End Turn markers to the cup, except as noted in 3.3.1.

3.3.1 If a Formation Doesn’t Activate

If a Formation doesn’t activate during a turn, its owner keeps all but one End Turn (ET) marker in his possession when the Formation and ET markers are returned to the cup. He returns any ET markers he possesses to the cup on the following turn immediately after the Formation is activated. This means that if you have two, or even three, Formations that didn’t activate, you hold the ET marker(s) until all three have activated.

If both sides have Formations that didn’t activate, both sides will hold ET markers out of the cup on the following turn.

Example: The Italian player has the 2nd Bersaglieri and the 7th Armored; the British player has the 14th Infantry; there are two End Turn (ET) markers in the scenario. On Turn 4 the 14th Infantry activates, and then two ET markers are pulled. On Turn 5, the Italian player keeps one ET marker in his possession until both the 7th Armored and 2nd Bersaglieri have activated, then he returns the ET marker to the cup.

3.4 Formation Impulse

When a Formation is activated the following phases are completed in order. They are:

• Unit Formation Marker Removal

• Check Command Status

• Perform Rallies

• Perform Fire Missions

• Perform Operations

3.4.1 Unit Formation Marker Removal

Remove all Ops Complete and Out of Command markers from the units of the activated Formation.

Note: Units may have markers on them from reactions to enemy movement (see Opportunity Fire).

3.4.2 Check Command Status

Check to determine the command status of all units in a Formation. Platoons with an assigned leader stacked with them are always in command (see 10.5). Units

within the Command Range of their Formation’s HQ or sHQ are considered In Command. Units not In Command (this includes units whose HQ has been permanently eliminated) must take a normal Morale Check (follow Morale Check procedure, 2.11.2). Check Morale for each hex, not for individual units in the hex. If the Morale Check (MC) is passed (see 2.11.2) all units in the hex are In Command. If the MC is failed, the hex is considered Out of Command and marked with an Out of Command (OOC) marker. OOC units cannot move or fire during the Formation’s impulse, but can Opportunity Fire during an enemy Formation’s impulse. All units of a Formation entering from off-board are considered In Command in their first activation.

Example: A (dismounted) Armored-Infantry platoon and a M3 Lee platoon from CCB are in the same hex. The player rolls an 8 and fails the Morale Check; he then places an OOC marker on the stack.

3.4.2.1 Check Command Status Summary

• Identify any units that are outside of the activated Formation HQ’s Command Range.

• Conduct a Morale Check (MC) and compare to the HQ’s Morale.

• The result affects all units (of same formation) in the hex.

• If the MC is passed, unit(s) can conduct actions normally.

• If the MC is failed, mark unit(s) with an Out of Command marker.

• Out of Command units not marked Ops Complete can only perform Opportunity Fire.

3.4.3 Perform Rallies

Attempt to rally Disrupted units within the Formation. Each unit that is In Command rallies by passing a Morale Check (MC) with 2d6 (less than or equal to the Formation HQ’s Morale). Units that are Out of Command add 1 to their MC dice roll. All units in the same hex as the Formation HQ subtract the HQ’s Leadership from the dice roll. Remove the Disrupted marker from any unit passing a MC.

3.4.3.1 Perform-Rally Summary

• Select eligible unit to be rallied.

• Determine Morale number located on HQ.

• Determine any modifiers (3.4.3).

• Roll 2d6, applying any modifiers.

• If result is < or = to Morale number the unit rallies.

• Any other result and the unit fails its MC and stays Disrupted.

3.4.4 Perform Fire Missions

The active Formation’s HQ, sHQ or Recon units may call in up to two artillery / mortar fire missions per Formation activation. To clarify, a Formation can only conduct two artillery and or mortar (5.1.6) fire missions in its activation. The fire mission can be called in by an HQ, sHQ, or Recon unit (see Artillery fire mission 10.2 and firing Mortars indirectly 5.1.6).

3.4.5 Perform Operations

During this phase, the activated Formation can conduct operations (move, fire, assault, and other actions as defined by the rules).

4.0 Movement

A unit’s Movement Factor (MF) is a representation of its speed, and depicts the number of Movement Points (MPs) a unit can spend per activation. In each Formation impulse, units can move up to, but not exceed, their MF. Movement is voluntary. Once a unit has moved mark that unit with an Ops Complete marker. Units move to adjacent hexes, paying the MP cost to enter the hex as shown on the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC). Units can enter an enemy-occupied hex (a hex with enemy units in it), but in doing so they initiate Assault or Overrun combat. Moving units might trigger Opportunity Fire.

4.0.1 Movement Summary

• Select eligible unit to move.

• Unit may move an amount of hexes equal to its MF. Observe TEC costs per hex.

• When unit finishes moving mark it Ops Complete.

4.1 Move and Fire

Units in Nations at War with a MF greater than 1 have the ability to move and fire, or fire and move, within their activation. A unit can only perform a move-and-fire action within its Formation’s activation. Units in transports that unload or units with a MF of 1 cannot perform a move-and-fire action. A unit that wishes to move and fire can move up to half of its MF (rounded down) and then fire, observing reductions in effectiveness stated below.

Alternatively, a unit can fire first and then move, but cannot spend more than half of its MF to do so.

Example: A Tiger 1 platoon wishes to move and fire. The Tiger 1 has a MF of 3. It first divides its MF in half, which equals 1.5, and rounds down to 1. The unit is allowed to move one hex. The unit cannot enter a hex that would cost that unit more than one MP. Units must complete their move-andfire action in the same activation. You cannot move or fire in one part of the activation and then decide to move or fire at a later time after another platoon’s actions. A unit that Opportunity Fires on a unit that is performing a move-and-fire can do so in the following way. The Op-Firing unit attacks the moving unit after it enters a new hex. Ranged Combat by the Op-Firing unit occurs before the unit performing a move-and-fire action can fire.

Example: A Sherman M4A4 Opportunity Fires on a Panzer III that has moved within range and LOS of the Sherman. The Panzer III has moved one hex when the Sherman Op Fires on it with a Ranged attack. If the Panzer III is not Disrupted by the attack it can finish its activation by completing its move and then firing. Units that are Disrupted by Op Fire while performing a move-and-fire action cannot fire or move any further. Units preforming a move and shoot or shoot and move action MAY NOT enter into an enemy occupied hex.

A unit that performs a move and shoot action that moves first may move up to half (round down) of its MF before shooting and then to fire, reduces its AP or HE Firepower by one and increases its To-Hit number by one. For a unit that plans to perform a move and shoot action where it wishes to shoot before moving must declare this before the action takes place. While firing, reduce its AP or HE Firepower by one and increase its To-Hit number by one, resolve the attack, and then move the unit up to half of its MF. Place an Ops Complete marker on a unit that has moved and fired or fired and then moved.

Example: A Soviet T-34 platoon moves 2 hexes (half its MF of 5, rounded down) and fires its AP Firepower at a Panzer IV platoon. The T-34’s AP Firepower is 3 and its To-Hit is 5, but its FP is reduced to 2 and its To-Hit is increased to 6 because it has moved.

Example: A Panzer IV platoon wishes to fire and move. It has an AP Firepower of 3 and a To-Hit number of 5, but its FP is reduced to 2 and its To-Hit number is increased to 6. The attack is resolved and then the unit can move up to 2 hexes (half its MF of 4). Mortars may not perform a move and shoot action of any type. Units that are stacked together may move and shoot as a stack following the same procedure as if it was a single unit. When moving stacked units they may move up to half of their printed value (MP) on their counter. Once movement is complete, each unit conducts one attack at a time applying the appropriate firing penalties.

Resolve each attack before firing the next. If they are to fire first then move, simply reverse the procedure. Units conducting OF on stacked units moving and firing together may only target one unit in the stack per hex moved.

4.1.1 Move-and-Fire Summary

• Select eligible unit to move and fire or fire and move. (If firing first reverse steps 2 and 3 in the summary.)

• Unit can move up to half its MF (round down).

• Unit can conduct a modified Ranged Combat attack.

• Decrease AP or HE Firepower by 1.

• Increase To-Hit number by 1.

• Defender conducts a Defensive Roll, if eligible.

• Apply appropriate hits.

• Mark moving-and-firing unit with an Ops Complete marker; or:

• Move just-fired unit up to half its MF (rounded down) and then mark it with an Ops Complete marker.

4.2 Stacked Units

Units that begin a Formation’s impulse stacked together can move together or split off units (both units moving into different hexes) at any time. Stacked units can enter an enemy-occupied hex together to initiate an Assault or Overrun attack. Opportunity Fire (OF) conducted against stacked units cannot target both stacked units. The unit conducting the OF must pick one of the stacked units to target.

4.3 Transporting Units

Armored-Infantry units and Anti-Tank Gun (ATG) batteries can be in one of two modes: mounted in (or towed behind) their vehicles or dismounted. Units are shown as mounted when the vehicle side of their counter is face up and shown as dismounted when the NATO symbol is displayed. Transported units, either loaded or unloaded, that are destroyed, are replaced with a Wreck marker.

4.3.1 Loading

To mount an Arm-Inf platoon into its transport, announce its intention and flip the counter to its side with the vehicle art, paying 3 MPs. If such units are carrying a SW it remains with the unit. Movement Points are subtracted from the side of the counter to which the unit flips. Disrupted Armored Infantry and ATG batteries cannot load into their transport.

4.3.2 Unloading

To dismount an Arm-Inf unit or ATG battery from its transport, announce its intention and flip its counter to the side with the helmet art, paying 3 MPs. Movement Points are subtracted from the side of the counter to which the unit flips. Disrupted Armored Infantry and AA, ATG batteries CAN unload. AT Guns may unload for free but that must be their only action.

Note: When mounting or dismounted, the 3 MPs are subtracted from the unit’s final state. In other words, if a unit mounts its transport, 3 MPs are subtracted from the transport side of the counter. If there are MPs left over after subtracting the 3 MPs, it can move up to the remaining number of MPs.

Example: If an American Arm-Inf platoon mounts, 3 MPs are subtracted from the M3 Halftrack which is on the reverse side of the Arm-Inf counter, leaving it with 2 MPs that can be used to move. If the same M3 Halftrack dismounts its Arm-Inf platoon, 3 MPs are subtracted from the dismounted platoon, leaving it with no MPs.

4.3.3 Special Loading and Unloading Units

Units with an *(asterisks) by their movement factor indicates that the unit may dismount or mount their vehicles using only 1 MP for the action. This represents the ease to mount vehicles such as motorcycles or bicycles. This mount/dismount capability is only relevant for the side of the counter in which the unit pays the movement cost.

Example: A German Motorcycle has a movement of 6* on the mounted side. If the unmounted motorcycle infantry mounts their vehicle, flip the counter over to the mounted side, spend 1 MP to mount and then the unit may move up to 5 more MPs. If that same unit is mounted and it decides to dismount the unit may move its full MPs but when it dismounts the unmounted infantry pays the 3 MPs if there is not an * next to their Movement factor.

5.0 Combat

There are five types of combat in Nations at War: Ranged, Opportunity Fire (a form of Ranged combat), Assault, Overrun and Overwatch (see 11.0).

5.1 Ranged Combat

During the activated Formation’s impulse, all Good Order units that are not marked with an Ops Complete marker, that have a Line of Sight (LOS) to an enemy unit, and that are within range of the targeted enemy unit can individually attack it (except as noted in rules below). During an enemy Formation’s impulse, hostile units that move within the LOS and range of a Good Order friendly unit that is NOT marked with an Ops Complete marker can be fired on by the unit; this is called Opportunity Fire, which is covered in detail in the Opportunity Fire section. Units can only attack once per Formation impulse with either their AP Firepower vs. hard targets or their HE Firepower vs. soft targets, but an enemy unit can be attacked by different units any number of times. Once a unit’s combat has been completed mark that unit making a Ranged attack with an Ops Complete marker. Units attack individually with the exception of Support Weapons (SWs). Support Weapons stacked with (possessed by) a unit factor their capability into the Infantry platoon’s attack thus creating a single attack.

Note: A SW does not fire by itself. It adds its ability to the Infantry unit possessing it.

Units are never required to fire. Combat is voluntary. You can always fire at adjacent units (no LOS hindrance), but cannot fire at enemy units if the LOS is blocked as described in the LOS section. There are two target types:

• Hard: Any unit whose counter displaying both a vehicle silhouette and an armor factor.

Note: Some vehicles, like trucks, do not have an armor factor and thus are considered soft targets. Hard targets have an Armor Factor (Saving Number) printed on their counter. Attackers use their ArmorPiercing (AP) Firepower to attack hard targets.

• Soft: (Infantry, ATGs and their transports, and Mortars—any unit that displays a NATO symbol or any unit lacking an Armor Factor). Soft targets do not have an Armor Factor and can only be attacked by other units that use their HighExplosive (HE) Firepower.

5.1.1 Conducting a Ranged Attack

To attack an enemy unit, the attacker must have a valid LOS (6.0) and be within range of the target unit. Determine the target. Announce which of your units will attack and which enemy unit will be the target. If there are two defending units in a hex, the attacker chooses which target will be fired on. You may not attack two separate units with one unit’s attack. Determine the range to the target by counting the hexes between the attacker and the target. Do not count the attacker’s hex; do count the target’s hex.

If the amount of hexes between the attacker and target is less than or equal to the attacker’s Firepower (FP) range (FP range is located slightly above and to the left of the AP or HE FP printed on the counter), then conduct a normal attack. If it exceeds the range, an attack might still be possible (see extended range 5.1.4). If the range is less than half of the unit’s range then it may count as a reduced attack (see 5.1.5) Determine the number of dice needed to conduct the attack by locating the appropriate FP printed on the counter (AP if attacking a hard target, HE if attacking a soft target). Determine the result needed to score a hit on the target. Locate the To-Hit number printed slightly above and to the right of the FP number that is to be used for the attack. Determine any modifiers that will change the FP or To-Hit number (e.g., Move-and-Fire modifiers, Leadership modifiers, Reduced Range or Extended Range, etc.). The attacker rolls the number of dice (d6) equal to the appropriate FP (AP if attacking a hard target, HE if attacking a soft target) of the attacking unit. Each die rolled that is equal to or greater than the attacker’s To-Hit number hits the target. If a hard target is hit, its owner rolls a number of dice (d6) equal to the target’s Armor Factor plus the Defensive Bonus of the terrain the target occupies (see the TEC). For each die rolled that is equal to or greater than the target’s Save Number, one of the attacker’s hits is ignored.

Example: A British Crusader platoon attacks a platoon of German PzIVGs. Since the PzIVGs are hard targets, the Crusaders use their AP Firepower, which is 3, and their To-Hit number, which is 5. The British player rolls 3d6 and gets a 6, 5, and 3, or two hits. The PzIVGs are in a Palms hex, which has a Defensive Bonus of one die, and the PzIVGs have an Armor Factor of 2 and a Save Number of 6. So the German player rolls 3d6. He rolls 3, 2, and 6. Hence, one of the British hits is ignored, giving the British Crusader platoon a total of one hit on the PzIVG platoon, which Disrupts the platoon. If a soft target is hit, its owner rolls a number of dice (d6) equal to the Defensive Bonus of the terrain. For each die that is equal to or greater than 5, one of the attacker’s hits is ignored.

Example: A Soviet Infantry platoon with a Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) SW fires at a German Infantry platoon that is 3 hexes away, in a Woods hex. The German Infantry is 1 hex outside of the Soviet Infantry’s normal HE range, which is 2. However, the Soviet Infantry platoon is equipped with an HMG and this adds a + to the range, which adds 1 to the Soviet Infantry’s range. The Soviet Infantry can now fire without penalty. Additionally the HMG adds 1 to the HE FP, raising it from 2 to 3. The Soviet player attacks and rolls a 3, 5, 5, scoring 2 hits on to the German Infantry.

The German player rolls 1 defensive die for occupying Woods. He needs a 5 to ignore a hit. The German player rolls a 3, and thus must take the 2 hits. The first hit Disrupts the Infantry (place a Disrupted marker on the platoon) and the second hit Reduces it to a halfstrength platoon. Flip the unit over to reveal its reduced side, or, if it has a transport, replace the unit with its halfstrength counter.

5.1.2 Defensive Bonuses

The Defensive Bonus for each type of terrain is listed on the TEC. Other factors may influence a unit’s Defensive Bonus.

5.1.2.1 Concealed

If the enemy target unit occupies a hex that can act as concealing terrain it gains a plus one (+1) Defensive Bonus under the following conditions. The unit is:

• NOT under an Ops Complete marker

• NOT Moving

• NOT Adjacent to a Good Order Enemy unit

• NOT within the LOS and within four hexes of a Good Order enemy Recon unit Once a unit has been determined to be concealed place a concealment counter on top of the unit that is concealed. Select a concealment counter that matches the units color. Concealment counters are included in WSR 2nd edition. If you do not have concealment counters simply note which units are concealed.

Example: An Infantry unit in a City hex normally receives a Defensive Bonus of two dice. If the unit is Concealed its Defensive Bonus is three (p.14) dice.

5.1.2.2 Maximum Defensive Bonus

Hard targets receive a maximum Defensive Bonus of two dice, regardless of the terrain they are in or their Concealment status. There is no limit to the number of defensive dice a soft target can receive.

Example: A German Panther tank platoon is in a City hex (+1 Defensive Bonus), concealed (+1 Defensive Bonus) and the hex contains a Wreck counter (+1 Defensive Bonus). The Panther platoon only receives 2 of the 3 available Defensive Bonuses to add to its Armor Factor. The Panther has an Armor Factor of 3, and with the available Defensive Bonus this value increases to 5.

5.1.3 Combat Results

Disrupted: The first hit on a unit Disrupts the unit (exception: HQ). If a unit is already Disrupted and suffers a hit then it loses a step. If a good order unit suffers two hits the first hit would be a disruption and the second hit would be a step loss (See Reduction). Disrupted units cannot fire, but can move.

Disrupted units cannot move closer to (or adjacent to) an enemy unit in their LOS. If already adjacent, they can retreat from an enemy unit as long as it does not bring them closer to an enemy unit in their LOS. They can unload Armored Infantry. Disrupted units can counterattack in Assault Combat, but have their Assault Factor To-Hit number increased to 6. Disrupted units can return to Good Order by passing a Morale Check at the beginning of their Formation’s impulse.

Reduction: Each hit on a Disrupted unit Reduces the unit one step (it also remains Disrupted). A Full-strength unit is flipped to its Reducedstrength side; a Reduced unit that is further reduced is eliminated; remove it from the Board. Full strength units are represented with a colored band behind the units graphic picture of vehicle or helmet and a reduced strength unit has a white band behind its graphic. If the eliminated unit is a hard target remove the unit and replace with a Wreck marker. Multiple hard-target losses never yield more than one Wreck marker per hex. There can only be one Wreck counter per hex. Wrecks in a hex impede movement for vehicles moving through the hex and provides concealment. See the TEC.

Note: Some small (one-step) units have a Wreck marker on the back of their counter.

5.1.4 Extended Range

All weapons without an underlined range factor can fire up to two times the range printed on their counter. Any range greater than the printed range is considered Extended Range. When firing at Extended Range the unit’s ToHit number is increased by one. If the unmodified To-Hit number is 6, reduce the Firepower (FP) by 1 instead. If the unit’s unmodified FP is 1 and To-Hit is 6, no Extended-Range fire is possible.

Example: When using its AP FP, a British Crusader has a To-Hit number of 5 and a range of 5. When firing AP FP at a target located 6–10 hexes distant, it fires at Extended Range. The Crusader’s To-Hit number rises from a 5 to 6. If the target was 11 or more hexes away, the British tank would not be able to fire.

5.1.5 Reduced Range

All weapons without an underlined range factor are more accurate when firing at Reduced Range. To indicate this, these units’ To-Hit number is reduced by one when firing at half range (round down if not a whole number) or less.

Example: When using its AP FP, a German PzIVG has a To-Hit number of 5 and a range of 6. Its To-Hit number is reduced from 5 to 4 when firing at 3 or fewer hexes.

5.1.5.1 Limited Range

Units with an underlined range factor cannot fire at greater than their listed range may not use any reduced range modifiers.

5.1.6 Conducting an Attack with Mortars

Mortars, with their ability to bombard soft as well as hard targets, operate in the following manner. Mortars fire at a HEX, not a unit and can affect both infantry and armor. Mortars can fire at hexes in their Line of Sight (LOS): Roll the number of dice (d6) equal to the Mortar’s FP (Mortar’s only have an HE FP); each die equal to or greater than the FP To-Hit number hits. The defender rolls a number of dice (d6) equal to the Infantry Defensive Bonus of the terrain (see TEC). For each die that is ≥ 5, one of the Mortar’s hits is ignored. The target’s owner rolls once per impacted hex, not per unit in the hex. Mortar hits are evenly distributed. Hard Targets can only be Disrupted by a Mortar, regardless of the number of hits received. Mortars may also fire indirectly during the Fire Mission phase (but not Opportunity Fire) at hexes NOT within their LOS as long as a HQ or Good Order Recon unit of the same Formation has a LOS to the hex. Conduct such fire during the activated unit’s fire mission phase where the mortar belongs or is attached to the activated unit. This will count as one of the formation’s alloted fire missions using the Mortar’s FP. To fire a mortar during a fire mission, designate a hex that is in the LOS of that formation’s HQ or Good Order Recon unit. Conduct a fire attack using the HE fire factor on the mortar.

You do not range in the attack with a barrage marker as in an artillery attack. After firing, mark the Mortar with an Ops Complete marker. The calling unit can continue to perform operations normally. Mortars only affect the target hex and not the six adjacent hexes, as Artillery does. If at least one of the units in a hex is a hard target, the Hex gains a +1 Defensive Terrain bonus. Roll one additional die (d6).

Example: An American 81mm Mortar platoon attacks a Clear hex, 10 hexes distant, containing a German PzIVG and a dismounted Arm-Inf platoon. The Mortar rolls a 4 and a 6, scoring one hit. The defender rolls one defensive die (1d6) because there is armor in the hex. If there had been only two dismounted Armored Infantry platoons in the hex, they would not have received any defensive dice. The German (defending) player rolls a 4, which doesn’t negate a hit, so one hit is randomly assessed against the hex. The German player rolls 1d6, claiming: “even hits the Arm Inf; odd hits the PzIVG platoon.” He rolls a 3, thus the PzIVG platoon receives the hit, and is Disrupted.

5.1.7 Augmented Ability (+)

Some units can have one or more Augmented Abilities. An Augmented Ability can be a unit’s HE Firepower, AP Firepower, Armor Save Factor, and/or Assault Factor. Such units are designated by a “+” following any of those abilities. Units with an Augmented Ability may re-roll any one die rolled as a result of the owning player using that ability.

NOTE: Some units may have the “+” next to the To-Hit Value in a group rather than the Firepower or Armor Save, Assault Factor. There is no difference due to the placement of the + symbol.

Example: An American Engineer platoon is conducting a Assault combat and the unit has a 3 Assault Rating and a 4 to Hit rating. The American player rolls three 1d6, the American player needs to roll 4 or higher with each 1d6 to cause a hit. The American player rolls 1, 3, and a 4 causing one hit. Since the American Engineer has a + symbol with the units Assault Factor, the American player can re-roll any one of the missed 1d6 rolls attempting to convert that miss into a hit.

5.1.8 Ranged Combat Summary

• Select eligible unit to fire.

• Select eligible target.

• Determine LOS.

• Determine if attack is AP or HE.

• Determine range.

• Apply modifiers:

• Leadership.

• Augmented Fire.

• Extended Range.

• Reduced Range.

• Unit conducts attack.

• Defender performs any defensive rolls.

• Determine if HQ survives (if HQ is stacked in target hex).

• Apply appropriate hits.

• Mark attacker as Ops Complete.

5.2 Acquisition

Units that fire on stationary hard targets and fail to achieve a hit, or fails to cause damage to its target have an increased chance of hitting their target the next time they fire providing the target unit does not leave their position. An activated unit which fires at an Armored Fighting Vehicle (Unit with an Armor Factor) and does NOT cause a disruption or reduction to the target, place an acquisition counter on the target and on the firing unit. The acquisition markers are keyed (with letters) so as to distinguish which unit has acquired which target. Units that Move and Fire may NOT acquire. Once a unit has acquired the target, the next time it fires it may reduce the “tohit” number by one.

Target acquisition is not cumulative and may only reduce the to-hit number by a maximum of one. If a unit acquires at extended range that unit would add one for firing at extended range but then reduce by one because the unit is acquired. Reduced range would reduce the to-hit by 2. One for the reduced range bonus and one for the acquisition. If the acquiring unit moves, fires, is disrupted or becomes engaged in close assault it loses its acquisition of its intended target. If the acquiring unit moves or fires at a different unit or if the target unit moves out of its hex or becomes disrupted or reduced remove its acquisition marker along with the acquiring unit’s acquisition marker. Units that are acquired may not become concealed. Units in a smoke hex may not be acquired. Attacks from Aircraft or Indirect fire may not acquire. Units may not be acquired if they are disrupted. A Target Unit may be acquired by more than one attacker.

Example: A M4 Sherman fires at a German Panzer Mk IV in a town hex. The M4 fires and scores a hit. The Mk IV rolls its Armor Factor save dice and deflects both hits. No reduction or disruption has been caused to the German unit. Place an Acquisition Marker onto the German MkIV. Place an acquisition marker onto the Sherman M4 whose letter matches the acquisition marker letter on the MkIV.

The Sherman M4 on its next turn may now reduce its to-hit number at the MkIV for the next turn providing the Sherman does not move does not fire at another unit or the Mk IV unit does not move out of the hex.

5.3 Opportunity Fire

Opportunity Fire (OF) is a form of Ranged combat occurring during an enemy unit’s movement. If an enemy unit enters a new hex within the LOS and range of a Good Order unit that is not marked with an Ops Complete marker, that unit can attack the moving unit after it enters the new hex by following the rules for Ranged-fire combat (see 5.1). The moving unit(s) may only be attacked once per hex that it enters. Units receiving a Disrupted or Reduced result must stop moving and end any further action with that unit. Mark units that OF with an Ops Complete marker. You cannot use OF against enemy units entering a hex containing friendly units such as in an Assault or an Overrun. Units conducting OF on stacked units moving together may only target one unit in the stack. Units in two separate hexes cannot collectively conduct a combined OF on moving enemy units. Opportunity Fire occurs with one unit per one hex moved.

5.3.1 Opportunity Fire Combat

Summary

• Select eligible unit to fire at moving enemy unit.

• Determine LOS.

• Determine if attack is AP or HE.

• Determine range.

• Apply modifiers:

• Leadership.

• Augmented Fire.

• Extended Range.

• Reduced Range.

• Unit conducts attack.

• Defender performs any defensive rolls.

• Determine if HQ survives (if HQ is stacked in target hex).

• Apply appropriate hits.

• Mark attacker as Ops Complete.

5.4 Assault Combat

Units Assault enemy units by moving into their hex and the Assault combat is resolved the instant the attacking unit(s) enters the defender’s hex. Infantry Only: Planning an assault with 30 to 50 men takes some planning and extra time to launch an assault. Each infantry that enters an enemy unit’s hex to perform an assault must pay +1 MF to enter the enemy’s hex. A maximum of two stacked units can enter an Assault. The units entering the hex are considered the attacking units; the units occupying the hex are considered the defending units. The attacking units each roll a number of dice (d6) equal to their Assault Factor.

Each die rolled that is equal to or greater than the attacker’s Assault ToHit number hits the target. Keep track of the hits but do not apply the hits yet. The defender now counterattacks the Assaulting unit(s) by rolling the number of dice (d6) equal to their Assault Factor. Each die rolled that is equal to or greater than the defender’s Assault ToHit number hits the target. If the defenders are Disrupted prior to when the attackers entered the hex, their Assault To-Hit number for the counterattack is 6. Resolve the hits incurred by the attacker and defender. All of a player’s units in the hex must receive one hit before any receive two, and all must receive two before any are eliminated. If a player’s units receive an odd number of hits (for example, one or three), randomly determine which unit takes the extra hit. Otherwise, hits have the same effect as if scored in Ranged Combat. If the defender is eliminated, the attacker remains in the hex. If the defender receives more hits than the attacker, the defender retreats a number of hexes equal to its movement factor away from the attacker. If the defender is not eliminated, and receives LESS (or the same number of) hits than the attacker, the attacker must retreat to the hex from which he entered. If either side includes an HQ, resolve possible HQ hits as described in HQ Combat.

Example: If an HQ is stacked with a unit that receives a hit, roll 1d6: on a result of 1 the HQ is Reduced, or, if already Reduced, it is eliminated. If forced to retreat, the defender must attempt to retreat through one of the three hexes opposite the hexside from which the attacker entered the defender’s hex. The defender cannot retreat into:

• (a) An enemy-occupied hex.

• (b) A hex adjacent to an enemy unit (other than the stack that just Assaulted the defender).

• (c) A hex that violates stacking limitations.

• (d) An impassible hex, e.g., a River. If a defender cannot retreat, it is eliminated. When Assaulting units (whether attacking or defending) include a HQ, the HQ’s Leadership increases a single unit’s Assault Factor. The HQ itself does not attack.

Example: An Italian M13/40 platoon from 7th Armor with a Full-strength 7th Armor M13/40 HQ would roll three die (1d6 for its Assault Factor + 2d6 for 7th Armor HQ Leadership) in an Assault. Once the Assault is resolved, both the attacker and defender are marked Ops Complete. Units whose Assault Factor To-Hit number is followed by an asterisk cannot initiate Assault (enter an enemy unit’s hex) but can counterattack. Units without an Assault Factor cannot attack or counterattack during Assault combat; they receive damage and, if they survive, retreat from the hex. If they receive no Assault hits, the attacker retreats.

5.4.1 Infantry Bonuses against AFVs

If Infantry (or Arm Inf) are attacking a hex where all defending units are AFVs or defending against an Assault where ALL attacking units are AFVs, reduce the Infantry’s Assault To-Hit number by one (for example, from 5 to 4). Disrupted Infantry do not receive the Infantry vs. AFV bonus.

5.4.2 Infantry Bonuses in Cities/Towns

Infantry Assaulting (or defending against) any amount of AFVs in a City/ Town hex increases their Assault Factor by one and decrease their Assault Factor To-Hit number by one. Disrupted Infantry do not receive the bonus.

5.4.3 Assault Combat Summary

• Select eligible units with enough MPs to reach the target hex.

• Move unit(s) into target hex.

• Unit conducts an Assault attack against the defending unit(s).

• Defender conducts their Assault (counter-)attack.

• Apply appropriate hits simultaneously.

• If the Attacker loses, retreat unit back to hex from which the Assault was launched. If Defender loses, retreat a number of hexes equal to its movement allowance.

• Mark attacker Ops Complete.

5.5 Overrun Combat

An Overrun occurs when a Good Order AFV enters a hex containing enemy soft targets (e.g., Infantry) with enough Movement Points (MPs) leftover for it to move into another hex after the Overrun. If the armored unit does not have enough MPs to exit the enemy occupied hex into a new hex then it is an Assault (see 5.4) AFVs can attempt to Overrun soft targets in Clear or Clear-Hill terrain during the AFV’s movement. Overruns may not be conducted in hexes that contain a wire, improved position, or Anti Tank ditch marker. To do so, the player declares his intentions and moves his AFV through the hex, paying one extra MP—in addition to the normal MP cost of the terrain. After paying for an Overrun, an AFV must retain enough MPs to exit into an adjacent hex. This hex cannot contain any enemy units. Each Overrunning AFV (or stack of AFVs) triples its Assault Factor and rolls the number of dice (d6) equal to the trebled factor. Each die rolled that is equal to or greater than the attacker’s Assault Factor To-Hit number hits the target. Do not apply the hits yet. Any defending Good Order units in the hex can now attack the Overrunning AFVs with their Assault Factor or modified Assault Factor (as in the case of a HQ stacked with the unit). (No AFV Bonus for Infantry during an Overrun.) Defending units that were Disrupted BEFORE the Overrunning AFVs entered the hex have their Assault Factor To-Hit number increased to 6.

Apply hits to both sides. All defending units in the Overrun hex must receive one hit before any receive two. Hits are applied in the same manner as they were under Ranged Combat. If the attacking AFVs are not Disrupted or Reduced they must move into their final hex. Should they become Disrupted or Reduced they are not allowed to exit the hex and must retreat into the hex from which they entered the Overrun hex. A Good Order AFV can conduct as many Overruns as its MF allows.

5.5.1 Overrun Combat Summary

• Select eligible AFV with enough MPs to reach one hex beyond the target hex.

• AFV enters target hex.

• AFV conducts an Overrun attack, tripling the AFV’s Assault Factor.

• Defender conducts an Assault Combat roll

• Apply appropriate hits.

• Retreat the losing unit a number of hexes equal to its movement number or attacking unit back to hex from which Overrun was launched.

• Mark attacking unit as Ops Complete.

6.0 Line of Sight

To attack a unit in Ranged Combat the attacker must have a clear Line of Sight (LOS) to the target unit. LOS is always reciprocal: If A can see B, B can see A. LOS is blocked by terrain printed on the Board and smoke counters in place on the map. An attacker can always attack an adjacent unit.

6.1 LOS Determination

Terrain in the Nations at War system is whole hex. In other words, if a hex has terrain in it, the entire hex is considered to contain that terrain. To determine if a hex blocks LOS obtain a rubber band or thick strand of thread and stretch it from the center of the attacker’s hex to the center of the defender’s hex. If the thread passes through a blocking hex or hexes, the LOS is blocked and the attacking unit cannot fire. Remember that the thread does NOT need to touch the blocking terrain, only the hex in which the terrain is located. If the thread passes exactly down the hexside of a blocking hex, such as a Woods or City/Town hex, the fire is not blocked. If the thread passes down the hexside of two blocking hexes (e.g., splitting them), the LOS is blocked.

6.1.1 Ground-Level LOS

If the attacker is on Ground Level, it cannot fire at an enemy unit if blocking terrain is between the attacker and the target’s hex. Blocking terrain is any Woods or City/Town hex or a Crest Line to which neither the attacker nor the target is adjacent.

Level 1 Smoke and Level 2 Smoke block LOS through the hex containing the smoke. Units on a hill may not trace a LOS to a unit if it were to cross a hex containing smoke. Units on hills that are tracing a LOS to a target located on a different hill hex which crosses a smoke hex on ground level is blocked. Any LOS traced through two degrading terrain hexes or combination of degrading terrain hexes blocks LOS. Terrain in the attacker or defender’s hex never affects LOS. A single Wreck marker DOES NOT block LOS.

6.1.2 Hill-Level LOS

If the attacker is on Hill Level, it cannot fire at an enemy unit if its LOS crosses a Crest Line unless the target is also on a Hill hex or either the attacker or the target is adjacent to the Crest Line. Additionally, even if both the attacker and target are on a Hill, LOS is blocked if blocking terrain such as a Woods hex is between the attacker and the target’s hex. If the attacker is on Hill Level, it cannot fire at a Ground-Level enemy unit that is behind and adjacent to a hex that blocks LOS. The target is considered behind LOS blocking terrain if the LOS from the attacker to the defender crosses a LOS blocking-terrain hex adjacent to the target before it reaches the target’s hex. If the attacker is on a Hill Level, it cannot fire at an enemy unit on Ground Level if a Hill hex is between the attacker’s hex and target’s hex.

7.0 Defensive Measures

In many Nations at War scenarios, a side will have defensive elements to protect their units and hinder the movement of enemy units. These include Improved Positions, Mines, Wire and Anti-Tank Ditches.

7.1 Improved Positions

Improved Positions are assigned in the scenario. An Improved Position can be placed in any hex and nullifies the first hit of any attack, including an Assault. Improved Positions remain on the map for the duration of the scenario.

Example: A British M3 Grant platoon rolls two hits against an Italian Infantry platoon in an Improved Position in a Palms hex. The Improved Position negates the first hit and then the Infantry rolls 1d6 as delineated on the TEC for Palms to negate the second hit. In another example, an Infantry platoon in an Improved Position is Assaulted by an enemy platoon. The enemy rolls two hits. The first is negated.

7.2 Mines

Players receive Mines as assigned in the scenario. For each number of Mines received, a player receives a Mines marker.

7.2.1 Mine Placement and Attack

An opponent who has been assigned a number of Mines markers can place a Mines marker in any previously unoccupied hex immediately after his opponent moves a unit into the hex.

Example: An American M3 Halftrack enters a clear hex that up until this point has not been entered by any of forces of his side. The German player interrupts the M3 Half-track’s movement by placing a mines counter on to the hex where the M3 just moved into. The attack is now resolved The Mines attack with 2d6 and hit on five or greater (25). The target does not roll defensive dice. Apply hits in accordance with the Combat Results section. If more than one unit triggered the Mines attack, all triggering units must receive one hit before any receive two, and so on. If a hex with two units receives an odd number of hits, randomly determine which unit takes the odd hit. Although HQs CANNOT be directly attacked by Mines, if any other unit in the hex receives a hit, the HQ rolls for reduction. No more than one Mines marker can be placed in a hex. Mines attack any additional units that enter the hex. A Mines’ attack occurs before Opportunity Fire. When infantry encountered mines it took sometime for them to cautiously navigate a mine field. Infantry units that enter a mine hex may not exit that hex during the remainder of their formation’s activation. AFVs may continue on with their movement if they are not disrupted. Mines do not attack units when they exit a hex. Mines may not be placed in a water hex that does not contain a road or bridge within it.

7.2.2 Mine Placement and Attack Summary

• Place a Mines marker after an enemy unit enters a hex.

• Hex must not have been previously occupied or previously moved through by an enemy unit.

• Attack units with the Mines attack value (25).

• Apply hits to unit(s) (no defensive roll).The Mines marker remains in the hex.

7.2.3 Mine Removal

An Infantry, Arm Inf or Engineer/ Pioneer/Sapper unit that begins a Formation impulse in a hex adjacent to an already-emplaced Mines marker may clear the Mines marker. Clearing mines counts as movement Dismounted Infantry and Armored Infantry may attempt to clear the mine hex as its sole action during its formation’s activation. Roll 1d6. If the result is an even number the mines have been removed. Remove the mines marker from the game. The unit cannot perform any other action. Engineer/Pioneer/Sapper units may clear mines automatically as its sole action during its units formation activation. Place an Ops Complete marker on any unit attempting to remove a Mines marker. Units that are disrupted may NOT remove mines. A unit can perform OF against a unit attempting to clear Mines from a hex. The unit uses the Defensive Bonus in which it is situated when attempting to clear the Mines. It cannot claim the Defensive Bonus of the Mines hex.

7.2.4 Mines Removal Summary

• Designate an eligible unit adjacent to a Mines marker.

• Non-engineer/sapper/pioneer Infantry units roll 1d6. If the result is even the Mines marker is removed.

• Engineer/sapper/pioneer Infantry units remove Mines markers automatically.

• Place an Ops Complete on the unit.

7.3 Wire

Players receive Wire markers as assigned in the scenario. For each number of Wire markers received, the player receives a Wire marker. Wire markers are placed on to the map board following any restrictions noted in the scenario and in the following paragraph. Wire may be placed in any Clear hex, Hill Hex, or any terrain containing a road. Wire cannot be placed in a hex containing an Improved Position or Anti-Tank Ditch marker. Soft units (any unit without an Armor Factor) such as Infantry and Trucks must stop upon entering a hex containing a Wire marker. They cannot move any farther that impulse. Hard units (any unit with an Armor Factor) pay an additional 2 MPs to enter the hex; Once the AFV leaves the hex the wire marker is automatically removed.

Example: An American M4A1 Sherman enters a hex containing a Wire marker. It pays 1 MP to enter the Clear hex and an additional 2 MPs for the Wire marker. A German Panzer III decides to perform Opportunity Fire against the Sherman in the Wire hex. The Panzer III rolls to hit and misses. (Had the Sherman not survived or become Disrupted the Wire marker would remain.) It has 1 MP left and moves out of the hex with the Wire and into another Clear hex. Once the Sherman exits the hex the Wire marker is removed. An Infantry unit wishing to remove a Wire marker from a hex must pay 3 MPs to remove the Wire marker. Trucks may not clear a wire hex. AT Guns may not clear a wire hex. AA units that have a NATO symbol instead of an armor factor may not clear a wire hex. Disrupted Units may not clear wire from a hex. Engineer/Pioneer/Sapper units must stop and can move no farther upon entering a Wire hex, but can then clear the Wire marker in the same impulse provided they survive any OF that may target them. If they are disrupted in the wire hex they may not clear the wire marker from the hex.

7.4 Anti-Tank Ditches (AT Ditches)

Anti Tank ditches were constructed obstacles and or ditches filled with debris to halt the movement of an armored unit.

They are assigned to a player within a scenario and are usually placed during the scenario setup. AT-Ditches can only be placed in Clear, Clear/Road, and Clear/Hill hexes, and cannot be placed in a hex containing a Wire or Improved Position marker. AT Ditches cost vehicles 3 MPs plus the cost of terrain to enter. If the vehicle’s MF is less than the MP cost to enter the hex with the AT-Ditch marker, it must start adjacent to the AT Ditch and spend its entire MF to enter the AT-Ditch hex. AT Ditches cost Infantry units 1 MP plus the cost of terrain to enter. Infantry units can move out of an AT-Ditch hex into any adjacent hex by paying the MP cost of the new hex entered. Vehicles can exit the AT Ditch into hexes on the same side of the AT Ditch from which they entered by paying the appropriate MP cost to enter the new hex. A vehicle platoon can exit an AT-Ditch hex into one of the three hexes opposite the entry hexside by spending its entire activation to exit the AT Ditch. Vehicles exiting an AT-Ditch cannot perform an Overrun but can enter an Assault. Units that exit an AT-Ditch hex ARE subject to Opportunity Fire. Overruns cannot occur in AT-Ditch hexes, but Assaults can occur in an AT-Ditch hex. A Vehicle can retreat into an AT-Ditch hex.

7.5 Unit-Placed Smoke

Smoke was used to help cover movement during battle. Smoke is assigned to units by scenario. Scenarios that do not provide Smoke, model the fact that some units did not have Smoke capabilities or the weather during the scenario was not conducive to Smoke being effective (e.g., strong winds).

7.5.1 Placing Smoke

A unit with Smoke capabilities can place Smoke by spending one MP to place a Smoke level 1 marker in its own hex or an adjacent hex. Smoke may not be placed into a water hex that does not contain a road or bridge. Units may place additional smoke or continue to move after smoke placement, providing they have remaining movement points. Disrupted units may not place smoke. Smoke blocks LOS through the hex but not into it. A unit can fire at a unit in a Smoke hex but the Smoke hex blocks LOS to other hexes through the Smoke hex (see LOS rules). The Smoke marker acts like blocking terrain for that hex (see LOS rules). To shoot at units in smoke, add a +1 to the firing unit’s to-hit number when conducting an attack on unit(s) within the smoke hex. Indirect fire on to units in smoke is not affected. Units in a hex with smoke may fire out of that hex with no hindrance to LOS, however they must raise their “to-Hit” number by 1. Units with a to hit number of 6 cannot be raised to a 7 and therefore may not fire out of a smoke hex.

Units firing from within a smoke hex may not acquire. Units in smoke hexes may not be acquired by enemy units. The Smoke lasts for one full turn and is removed during the next Marker Removal Phase.

7.5.2 Placing Smoke from a Unit

Summary

• Designate an eligible unit that can place Smoke.

• Spend 1 MP.

• Select the target hex.

• Place a Smoke 1 marker in the target hex.

8.0 Battlefield Chaos

World War 2 battlefields were full of chaotic events that sometimes gave one side or the other an edge. Sometimes chaotic events negatively affected both sides. To bring some of these chaotic effects to the game, a Chaos marker may be placed with the Formation and End Turn markers in the chit-draw cup, to be drawn. When specified in a scenario, a Chaos marker is added to the chit-draw cup. When a Chaos marker is drawn, roll 2d6 (doesn’t matter who tosses the dice) and consult the Battlefield Chaos Table on the Players-Aid Card. Some results are beneficial, while others are not. Some apply to the allies, while other apply to the Axis. Unless directed otherwise in the scenario instructions, remove the Chaos marker from play after it has been drawn, rolled for, and the effects implemented. In some cases, the effect will befall the player whose Formation marker is drawn next (if the turn ends before another Formation marker is drawn, ignore the effect and return the marker to the cup).

8.1 Battlefield Chaos Summary

• Roll 2d6.

• Reference the Battlefield Chaos Table.

• Apply the results.

9.0 Fate Points

Despite generals, sergeants, riflemen, spreadsheets, tables, and game designer’s best efforts, battles are often won not by the side with the best weapons, most men, or better morale, but by the unforeseen actions of men and women and inexplicable twists of fate. Fate Points (FPts) in the Nations at War system represent those twists. Fate Points are points that can be used to sway the turn of events and change an unfavorable situation into a favorable one. Fate Points are assigned within each scenario to a side and can be used anytime within the game. They cannot be carried over to other scenarios. Fate Points can be thought of as currency and can be used to purchase an event that can change the game. They can be used by the active player or their opponent at anytime. The defending player ALWAYS has the last chance to use FPts to adjust a unit’s outcome. Fate points that are used to adjust die results may only be used on that players own die results. You may not adjust your enemy’s die results. Just your own. Use Fate Point markers to track the number of FPts each side has on the Fate-Point Track on the Player-Aid Card. FPts can be spent as follows:

Fate Point Table

FPts	Abilities
1	FPt to re-roll one of your own dice any time.
1	FPt to move one friendly unit by one hex ignoring terrain costs.
1	FPt to raise or lower the number showing on one of your own die by one.
1	FPt to place any hex In Command. Can be paid after rolling for Command status.
2	FPts to remove an Ops Complete marker from a friendly unit.
2	FPts to return any just-drawn marker, before use, to the opaque cup.

Fate Points cannot be re-used. Once used, they are lost and no longer available to be used in the game.

10.0 Additional Rules

These additional rules bring a number of new mechanics into the game and add a greater level of detail.

10.1 Anti-Aircraft Units (AA Units)

Nations at War Anti-Aircraft (AA) units have a Blue AA Firepower located in the upper-left corner of the counter. The blue number is the AA Firepower, and it’s used to target attacking aircraft (see 10.3.2).

The blue FP can also attack hard targets at or less than normal range (no extended range) with a To-Hit number of 6. Keep in mind that AA units also have HE Firepower and an Assault Factor, as indicated by their counter.

10.2 Artillery

Artillery in World War 2 was quite devastating and is represented in the game as a fire mission. HQ and Recon units can call in Artillery or Smoke fire missions during the Perform Fire Mission Phase. Artillery fire missions are assigned in the scenario briefing in the form of “1 x 45 HE Strike” where 1 is the number of fire missions per scenario, 4 is the fire mission’s FP, and 5 is the fire mission’s To-Hit number. There are two types of Artillery: High Explosive (HE) and Smoke. Up to two fire missions can be called as the FIRST action of the HQ, sHQ or Recon unit of the active Formation on any hex or hexes within its LOS. To conduct a fire mission designate the

target hex and check for LOS. Determine if the Artillery fire mission is on target by rolling a 1d6. On a roll of 2–6, the fire mission hits the target hex. On a roll of 1, the fire mission is ineffective and does not impact the Board. Artillery fire missions affect ALL units in the hex and the six hexes adjacent to the hex. Roll individually for each hex, not unit. Resolution of the fire missions depends on the fire-mission type (e.g., 45). HQs that call Artillery are not marked with an Ops Complete marker. Artillery fire missions for Artillery or Mortars can only be performed during the Perform Fire Mission Phase.

10.2.1 High-Explosive Fire Missions

To resolve an HE fire mission, place the Barrage marker on the targeted hex and then roll for each hex struck by the mission; roll the number of dice (d6) equal to the fire mission’s FP. Each die rolled that is equal to or greater than the fire mission’s To-Hit number hits the target(s). For each hex that contains a target(s), the target’s owner rolls a number of dice (d6) equal to the Infantry Defensive Bonus of the terrain (see TEC). If at least one of the units in a hex is a hard target, roll one additional die. For each die that is equal to or greater than five (5), one of the attacker’s hits is ignored. There is no modifier for Concealment or Smoke. The target’s owner rolls once per impacted hex, not once per unit.

Once the number of hits has been calculated apply the hits. If a hex with two units receives an odd number of hits, randomly determine which unit takes the odd hit. All target units must receive one hit before any receive two, and so on. Resolve damage against HQs as you would a Ranged attack. After damage has been resolved remove the Barrage marker.

10.2.2 Smoke Fire Mission

To resolve a Smoke fire mission, place a Smoke 2 marker in the impact hex. This marker blocks LOS through the hex, and the six adjacent hexes, from any elevation, for all units. All Smoke 2 markers are flipped to their Smoke 1 marker in the subsequent Marker Removal Phase. Any Smoke 1 markers that are on the Board at the beginning of the Marker Removal Phase are removed.

10.2.3 Artillery Barrage Summary

• Select a target hex.

• Determine if the Barrage is on target.

• Conduct the Artillery Barrage attack.

• Defender rolls to prevent damage.

• Resolve hits to the target.

10.3 Close Air Support

Close Air Support (CAS) in Nations at War is represented by airstrike counters with art depicting a specific aircraft. When a scenario calls for Close Air Support (CAS) the player selects the appropriate airstrike counter from the counter mix.

At the beginning of a turn designated in the scenario, the owning player places the airstrike counter in the opaque cup. When the airstrike is pulled by either player it must be played by the owning player. If the airstrike is not pulled before the end of the turn, it is returned to the cup.

10.3.1 Designate a Target

When the airstrike is pulled by either player it must be played by the owning player. The owning player places the aircraft in the target hex. The selected target can be any enemy unit on the Board. There are no LOS restrictions when selecting a target.

10.3.2 Perform Anti-Aircraft Fire

The opposing player can attack an aircraft with any eligible Good Order Anti-Aircraft (AA) that is not Ops Complete. The AA unit uses its AA Firepower (blue FP) as per the rules for Ranged combat. AA units always have a clear LOS to attacking aircraft. Each air unit has an Armor Factor in the upper right corner of the counter and can roll to negate any hits the AA units achieve. One non-negated hit Disrupts the aircraft, forcing it to abort. If an aircraft aborts, the owning player rolls 1d6: if the result is 1–3, the plane returns to base (remove the air strike from play); if the result is 4–6, it goes back in the cup during the Marker Removal Phase of this turn. If the aircraft receives two hits, the aircraft is destroyed. Remove the air-strike counter.

10.3.3 Attacking the Target

After the Anti-Aircraft Opportunity Fire is complete, and if the aircraft is neither aborted nor destroyed, the attacker rolls 1d6 for strike accuracy. On a 1, the target hex is missed and the defending player picks a location within one hex for the strike to hit. On a roll of 2, the attack partially hits the target and the ground-attack (red FP) rating is reduced by one die. On a 3–6, the strike hits the target hex with the red-FP rating marked on the air-strike counter. Roll the number of dice (d6) equal to airstrike’s FP. Each die rolled that is equal to or greater than the airstrike’s To-Hit number hits the target(s). The target’s owner rolls a number of dice (d6) equal to the Infantry Defensive Bonus of the terrain (see TEC). Roll an additional die if the unit is Concealed. For each die that is equal to or greater than five (5), one of the attacker’s hits is ignored. Roll once for the hex, not once per unit. Apply the hits. If a hex with two units receives one hit, randomly determine which unit takes the hit. All target units must receive one hit before any receive two, and so on. Resolve damage against HQs as you would a Ranged attack. Check for the status of the aircraft. The attacker now rolls 1d6 to determine the aircraft’s status: if the result is > the number of hits rolled (before the defender rolled his defensive dice) its counter goes back into the cup at the start of the next turn, to attack again; if the result is ≤ the number of hits rolled,

it is removed from play (out of ammo).

10.3.4 Aircraft Combat Summary

• Designate a target.

• Perform Anti Aircraft fire.

• Perform attacks against the target.

• Defender rolls to prevent damage.

• Resolve hits to the target.

• Check for return status of the aircraft.

10.4 Optional Support Weapon Placement

Utilize this rule in lieu of assigning Support Weapons (SWs) as described in 2.7.1. Some gamers view the fact that a SW is initially visible at the start of the game skews the balance of the game. Use this rule if you want to keep SWs hidden until first used. Support Weapons are placed when first fired and remain with the platoon for the duration of the scenario. If, however, any friendly Infantry or Arm Inf platoon is eliminated BEFORE all SWs are placed, the owner of the eliminated unit rolls 1d6. If the result is 1, the opposing player can eliminate any one unplaced SW. Subtract 1 from this die roll for each additional (after the first) Infantry or Arm-Inf platoon eliminated.

Example: The German player has one unplaced HMG. The American player eliminates his second German Arm-Inf platoon of the scenario. The German player rolls 1d6, subtracting 1 for the additional (after the first unit) eliminated Arm-Inf platoon. The German player rolls a 2, and the American player eliminates the unplaced German HMG.

10.5 Leaders

Leaders in the Nations at War system are unique counters. They represent men of action, men who lead from the front. Leaders appear through results on the chaos table or assigned through a scenario. The following rules simulate these Leaders: Leaders are assigned to, and remain with, one platoon. Leaders add their Leadership to all attack rolls by that platoon and the platoon uses the Leader’s Morale to resolve Morale Checks. A Leader is always In Command, as is the platoon to which he is assigned. If the platoon is eliminated, the Leader dies. If the platoon is Reduced, roll 1d6: if the result is a 1, the Leader dies.

10.6 Engineers, Pioneers and Sappers

Engineers, Pioneers, and Sappers are trained in various operations such as clearing obstacles and demolition actions. For the sake of simplicity Engineers, Pioneers and Sappers are all referred to as engineers. Aside from clearing Mines and Wire, Engineers can attempt to destroy bridges.

10.6.1 Bridge Demolition by Engineers

To destroy a Bridge an Engineer must be in a Bridge hex (the one they intend to destroy) and pay 2 Movement Points.

Place 3 Ops Complete markers on top of the engineer attempting to destroy the Bridge. During each Marker Removal Phase, remove one Ops Complete marker from the Engineer unit. (See 3.3 and 3.4.1.) Continue to remove 1 Ops Complete marker during each forthcoming Marker Removal Phase and/or Formation activation (3.4.1). When the last marker has been removed, roll 1d6: On a result of 3+, the Bridge is destroyed. If the Bridge is destroyed, place a Bridge Out marker on the Bridge hex. The Engineer unit and any other unit stacked with the Engineers are Ops Complete and must move into an adjacent hex that they can legally enter once the Bridge Out marker is placed. No unit can enter a Bridge hex that contains a Bridge Out marker. If the Bridge was not destroyed, the Engineer unit is Ops Complete. The Engineer can make another attempt using the same process on its Formation’s next activation. Leaders (not HQs) stacked with the Engineer unit can add their Leader Bonus to the Bridge demolition die-roll. If the Engineer unit is Disrupted for any reason during the demolition of the Bridge, the demolition is interrupted and cannot continue. Remove all Ops Complete markers and place a Disrupted marker on the Engineer unit. The demolition process must be restarted when the Engineer is returned to Good Order.

10.6.1.1 Bridge Demolition Summary

• An Engineer unit must be in a Bridge hex.

• The Engineer unit must declare their intent to destroy the Bridge and spend 2 MPs.

• Place 3 Ops Complete Markers on the Engineer unit.

• a. An Engineer may opt to remove all Ops Complete markers to conduct a different action during its activation or during marker removal but must cancel all bridge demolition

• Remove one Ops Complete marker during each Marker Removal Phase or Formation Activation in which the Engineer is attached.

• Once the last Ops Complete marker on the Engineer is removed, roll 1d6:

• On a Result of a 3+, the Bridge is destroyed; place a Bridge Out marker on the destroyed Bridge. ◊ After the Bridge is destroyed, move the Engineer along with any stacked units one hex.

• Units cannot enter an enemy hex.

• If there are no legal hexes to enter, all units stacked with the Engineer, including the Engineer, are destroyed.

• On a result of a 1 or 2, the Bridge demolition fails. ◊ Place an Ops Complete marker on the Engineer.

10.7 Nationality Special Abilities

Each country that fought in World War 2 had unique abilities. These abilities are derived through their training or through doctrines developed by their military. You can find the game’s National Special Abilities in the game’s Module Rules booklet.

11.0 Overwatch

Armor and infantry can advance towards the enemy by cautiously moving up towards the enemy and preparing for unexpected close assaults or targets of opportunity. Units may execute an Overwatch action by expending 2 movement points if Armor and 1 Movement Point for Infantry. It does not matter when the unit spends these movement points within its activation. Disrupted units may not go into Overwatch. Once a unit has paid for the Overwatch and has completed its activation place an Overwatch marker on the unit. Overwatch is very similar to Opportunity Fire with the following difference. A unit that is in Overwatch may Opportunity fire at an enemy in normal or reduced range only (no extended range) and the Units that fire must increase their to hit number by one.

Example: A T34 wishes to conduct an overwatch action. It moves its movement allowance and saves two movement points for the overwatch action. Once in overwatch the T34 may fire at an enemy unit that is conducting a movement action within normal range and LOS of the T34. A Panzer IV is conducting its movement action and is in normal range and LOS of the T34. The T34 will fire at the Panzer IV. The T34’s fires. Its “To Hit” number is increased from a 5 to a 6. Units that conduct a Move and Fire action may not conduct an Overwatch action. Units that are disrupted may not be placed into overwatch.

If a unit is disrupted while in overwatch it loses the ability to conduct an overwatch. Units in a smoke hex may not be in overwatch. Once a unit in Overwatch fires at a target, replace the Overwatch marker with an Ops Complete Marker.

12.0 Map Updates

The maps in White Star Rising and Desert Heat First Edition have been updated in the Second Edition. We have changed the map lettering to numbers and the town names to names of actual towns found in the regions in which the battles were fought. The enclosed key below show the changes for your convenience.

White Star Rising Map City Name Change Key

Previous Map Name	Current Map Name
Map A	Map 1
Chatereux	Bérismenil
Ste Jeanne	Hubermont
Celles	Nadrin
Map B	Map 2
Ville Sur Le Fleuve	Saint-Pierre-la-Rivière
Bucolique	Roiville
Kleinestad	Survie
Map C	Map 3
Aldeia Bota	Bütgenbach
Gerwassen	Wirtzfeld
Kruispunten	Büllingen

Desert Heat Map City Name Change Key

Previous Map Name	Current Map Name
Map A	Map 11
Al Hawary	Blida
Map B	Map 12
Map C	Map 13
Map D	Map 14
Al Adm	Tebessa

13.0 Scenarios Details

In NaW all scenarios are laid out in a similar format, with specific sections. (The manual illustrates this with a sample scenario page, "The Bridge at Berezovyy Logg", with numbered callouts 1 to 7 matching the list in 13.1 below; the sample page is not transcribed here.)

Keep in mind that module-specific rules always super-cede the NaW core rules and Special Scenario Rules supercede any module-specific and or Core Rules. The module and scenario booklet contain tutorial scenarios which are best suited to new players.

13.1 Scenario Layout

1 Title: The name or a description of the battle depicted in the scenarios.

2 Background: A brief lead-in for the impending battle that sets the stage for the combatants. 3 Forces and Setups: Each scenario lists a number of Formations, and the units that are either part of the Formation or attached to the Formation. Unless stated otherwise, place the Formation marker for each listed Formation in the opaque cup. Also listed are Support resources that can help forces archive their Objective. These resources may consist of HE Fire Missions, Close Air Support and even Fate Points. 4 Map Layout: An explanation of which Maps and what areas the battle takes place in. 5 Turns and Markers Used: This is how long the battle will last and the number of End Turn markers to use. Additional markers, such as Chaos markers, might be listed. 6 Victory Conditions: These are the Objectives each player must achieve in order to win the battle. Some scenarios define victory with control of a location or locations or Victory Points (VP’s). To control a hex, a side must either be the only side with a unit in the hex or the last side to move a unit through a currently unoccupied hex. Other conditions may be to exit units off of a Map edge.

7 Special Scenario Rules (SSRs): These are special rules that apply for the scenario being played. Players should take care to read these rules so as not to miss out on things like surprise, reinforcements, withdrawals, etc.

13.2 General Scenario Rules

Hex Control: To control a hex such as a Town, a player must have a unit in the hex or have been the last player to pass a unit through the hex.

13.3 Tutorial Scenarios & Walkthroughs

Each game in the series has a in the Module and Scenario booklet a Tutorial Scenario with a Walkthrough.

14.0 Battle Generator

If you would like to expand the limits of your Nations At War Series games you can design your own scenarios using a point system that has been developed for each unit included in the game. The following sections are guidelines that allow players to set up scenarios to play three different types of situations: The Meeting Engagement is meant for two players to face off with forces of equal sizes; the Defender vs. Attacker Engagement places an attacking force vs. a defensive force with the goal of taking objectives. The To the Next Line scenario pits two forces of equal size that fight for objectives located on their enemy’s side of the Map.

14.1 Meeting Engagement

Designing a battle with an opponent can be determined by assigning a number of points to each opponent, who then purchase units from the available list. In a Meeting Engagement, each side has an equal force; please consider the chart below for your force size. 1 Map 2 Maps 3 Maps 4 Maps

250 – 300 Points Per Side 300 – 500 Points Per Side 500 – 750 Points Per Side 750 – 1000 Points Per Side

2 End Turn Markers 2 End Turn Markers 2 End Turn Markers 3 End Turn Markers

Example: If your Meeting Engagement is on two Maps, you will need to agree on a force-size consisting of 300 to 500 points. To play a Meeting Engagement, do the following: 1. Decide the number of points both sides have and the number of Maps to be used in accordance with the point totals. 2. Both players purchase the units they want to use for the game. 3. Each player rolls 1d6 (re-roll ties); the player with the greater result picks the Maps and their configuration and the (opposite) sides from which both players’ forces will enter. 4. The player with the lower die-roll result picks one of their Formations

to go first and removes that Formation’s chit from the cup for Turn 1; that Formation activates first. 5. Each game is a minimum of seven turns plus two turns for each Map more than one used.

Example: If two Maps are used, the game is nine turns in duration. 6. Roll 1d6 to determine Chaos:

• Both players roll 1d6.

• Whomever has the lowest roll, place the Chaos marker on a number on the Turn Track equal to the lowest d6 roll. On that turn, add the Chaos marker into the cup. After each draw of the Chaos marker, roll 1d6: if the result is 1-2, remove the Chaos marker for the rest of the game. 7. To win the game, total each destroyed unit that has been removed from the Map and determine the number of destroyed-unit points based on the given point totals. The player who has destroyed more points is the winner.

14.2 Defender vs. Attacker

Engagement

In these scenarios the attacker possesses three times as many points as the defender.

Example: If the attacker is playing with 300 points on one Map, the defender has 100 points. To play a Defender vs. Attacker Engagement, do the following: 1. Decide the attacker’s number of points and the number of Maps to be used in accordance with the point totals. 2. Divide the attacker’s points by three (rounding up) to determine the defender’s number of unit points. 3. The defender chooses the Map(s) and their configuration for the game. 4. Each game is a minimum of seven turns plus two turns for each Map more than one used.

Example: If three Maps are used, the game is eleven turns in duration. 5. Roll 1d6 to determine Chaos:

• Both players roll 1d6.

• Whomever has the lowest roll, place the Chaos marker on a number on the Turn Track equal to the lowest d6 roll. On that turn, add the Chaos marker into the cup.

• After each draw of the Chaos marker, roll 1d6: if the result is 1-2, remove the Chaos marker for the rest of the game.

6. The number of Objectives are determined by the number of Maps in play: 1 Map 2 Maps 3 Maps 4 Maps

1 Objective 3 Objectives 4 Objectives 5 Objectives

7. The defender chooses the Objective hexes that the attacker needs control to win the game. 8. The Objective hexes must be of the following types to be a legal Objective hex, and each Map in play must have at least one Objective hex.

• City hex

• Bridge hex

• Hill hex

• Crossroads hex (where two Road hexes intersect) 9. The attacker determines from which edge of the Map his units enter, but all units must enter via one edge of the Map(s). 10. The defender sets up first, in any hex on the Map. 11. The player who holds more objective points and unit points (via unit destruction; no points for reducing a unit) at the end of the game is the winner.

• Objective points are scored differently for the attacker and the defender. Objectives held by the defender are worth 50 points. Objectives held by the attacker are worth 100 points.

• Unit points are based upon the DYO Cost list.

14.3 To the Next Line

To play a To the Next Line Engagement, do the following: 1. Decide the number of points both sides have and the number of Maps to be used in accordance with the point totals. 2. Both players purchase the units they want to use for the game. 3. Each player rolls 1d6 (re-roll ties); the player with the greater result picks the Maps and their configuration and the sides from which both players’ forces will be set up. Opponents must set up opposite from each other. 4. Each Player sets up their forces starting with the player with the lowest die-roll. Each player alternates setting up their forces on the board. A player can set up one, some, or all of his units. The player’s opponent can do the same. The players alternate in this way until all of the troops are set up on the board. All units can only set up within the two hexrows closest to their Map edge.

Example: Player A sets up 3 of his M4 Shermans in hexes within his set-up area. He then yields to his opponent. His Opponent decides to set up all of his Beck formation on his side of the board. He now yields. This back and forth continues till all of the units are set up or staged as reserves). A player can chose to designate units as reserve units. To choose reserves, designate which unit(s) to be in reserve.

These units enter In Command. (In subsequent turns these units are subject to normal Command Range rules). At the beginning of a Turn, roll to see if reserve units enter the game. Roll 1d6 and add to the roll the turn number. If the result is a 6+, the reserve units can enter via any hex along that player’s board edge. 5. Each game is a minimum of seven turns plus two turns for each Map more than one used.

Example: If two Maps are used, the game is nine turns in duration. To determine if a Chaos marker is used in the game, both players roll 1d6. The player with the greater result decides if the Chaos marker is added to the cup. After each draw of the Chaos marker, roll 1d6: if the result is 1-3, remove the Chaos marker for the rest of the game. 6. Each player selects one Objective counter to represent their Objective. Select two Objectives each if more than two Maps are selected for the game. 7. Each opponent places his Objective within the last two hexrows of their opponent’s side of the board. 8. Each player can select one Formation from their forces and keep it out of the cup. When the game begins, the player who set up first activates their selected Formation and conducts operations. The second player then activates their Formation and conducts operations

9. After these initial activations have been completed, continue the game as normal, drawing the next chit form the cup. 10. The game continues for the remaining turns. TO WIN: Capture more of your Objectives than your opponent by the end of the last turn. Capture your Objective and keep your opponent from capturing their Objective. If each side captures their Objective, determine the winner by the number of unit points destroyed. Use the point totals used to purchase the units.

Series Resources If you are interested in expanding your NaW gaming experience these additional resources might to the trick. Many of our NaW Resources can be found on our NaW online store at http:// store.lnlpublishing.com and are sold separately.

Video Bootcamp

We have created a series of videos designed to enhance the learning of the core concepts of NaW. These are not substitute for reading this rule book, but should be consider a video player aid for the manual. You can view these videos at the links below.

Video Tutorial Playlist Short URL: https://goo.gl/wimwmG Long URL: https://www.youtube.com/ playlist?list=PLUdPYZk0bJF0DEoNvP 8cpuQefTmh14vh4

Audio Book Edition

We have created an Audio Book Edition of our rulebook, available in our Resource section: http://forums.lnlpublishing.com/ resources. NaW on Vassal

Another excellent NaW community resource is Vassal, the free, open- source platform for playing online adaptations of board games. Each NaW module has its own accompanying Vassal module. Vassal modules can be found, for free download, through the Resources section on our Web site:

https://forums.lnlpublishing.com/ resources/ Or at http://www.vassalengine.org/ Through Vassal, you can play both sides or you can network through our forums or other social-media outlets to find an opponent to play against. Set up any scenario from any NaW complete game or expansion module, or use the Battle Generations. Vassal supplies the Maps and counters and even rolls the dice! Players still need to own the core rules, player-aid cards and the module specific rules and scenarios booklet.

Compendiums

The NaW Compendiums contain an abundance of articles on game tactics, historically pertinent information, force attributes and scenario strategies, as well as additional Maps and an abundance of scenarios for all of your favorite NaW games.

Battle Gear

The NaW Battle Gear are items to enhance players gaming experience. These additional items are not necessary to play NaW but are available through our strategic partnership with Litko (https://litko.net/).

Formation Cards

The formation cards for the Nations At War series are substitutes for the formation counters included already in the game series. These formation cards are NOT required to play this game. The formation cards are for players who would prefer using the formation playing cards over the formation counters. The formation cards have additional information showing the formation HQ game factors. There are three hexagons on the card. The green hexagon represents the HQ morale rating, the yellow hexagon command radius, and the grey hexagon represents leadership modifier. Some hexagons have one number and some with two to the left and right of the slash. The numbers to the left of the slash are the HQ full strength factors and to the right of the slash are the half strength.

Desert Heat TEC

Terrain	Def. Bonus	Movement Cost	Concealment
Clear Sand	None	1	No
Cultivated	1 for ST, None for HT	1 for ST, 2 for HT	Yes for ST only
Hammada	1	1 for ST, 2 for HT	Yes
Hill	1 if attacked from Ground Level	+1 if entered from Ground Level, otherwise 1	No
Hammada Hill (1)	1, 2 if attacked from Ground Level	1 for ST, 2 for HT. +1 if entered from Ground Level	Yes
Oasis	None	Impassable	No

Blocking Terrain: Hill, Hammada Hill, City, Town, Crest Line (6.1.1/6.1.2)

Degrading Terrain: Hammada, Wreck, Orchards, Palms

Note: Any LOS traced through any combination of two or more degrading terrain hexes blocks Line of Sight. Terrain in the attacker or defender's hex never affects LOS. A single Wreck marker DOES NOT block LOS.

1. Hill bonus is not applicable if attacking unit is a Mortar or Artillery

ST = Soft Target, HT = Hard Target

Counter TEC

Terrain	Def. Bonus	Movement Cost	Concealment
Anti-Tank Ditch (7.4)	1 for ST, None for HT	3 for ST, 4 for HT	Yes for ST only
Wire (7.3)	None	2 + cost of terrain	No
Wrecks (5.1.3)	+1d6	+1 of HT	Yes
Improved Positions (7.1)	Nullifies the first hit of any attack, including an Assault	-	No
Mines (7.2)	None	None	No

Glossary

• 1d6: Roll of one six-sided die
• 2d6: Roll of two six-sided dice
• 3d6: Roll of three six-sided dice
• AA: Anti-Aircraft
• AF: Assault Factor
• AFV: Armored Fighting Vehicle
• AP: Armor Piercing
• ATG: Anti-Tank Gun
• ATR: Anti-Tank Rifle
• CA: Close Assault
• D6: Six-Sided Die
• DRM: Die-Roll Modification
• ET: End Turn
• FPts: Fate Points
• FFE: Fire For Effect
• FP: Firepower
• GA: Ground Attack
• GO: Good Order
• HE: High Explosive
• HMG: Heavy Machine Gun
• HQ: Head Quarters
• HT: Hard Target
• IFP: Inherent Firepower; the FP printed on a counter.
• LM: Leadership Modifier
• LOS: Line of Sight
• MC: Morale Check
• MF: Movement Factor
• MP: Movement Point(s)
• OBA: Off-board Artillery