Opération Commando 2: Sainte-Mère-Eglise Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Rules
  • Overview
  • Card Presentation
  • Setup
  • Turn Sequence
  • Components
• Mission: Sainte-Mère-Église
  • Historical context
  • Mission: Initiation
  • Mission: Historical
  • Mission: Utah Beach - Protégez les plages
    • Historical context
  • Mission: Graignes - Alamo en Normandie
    • Historical context
  • Variants
  • Replacement cards for the "Pegasus Bridge" game

Rules

Overview

Each Assault takes place on a Terrain, as a succession of one to six Combats, depending on the size of the Terrain. Before each Assault, the American and the German may play Event cards (blue cards), which give them advantages.

During an Assault, the German may decide to play ONE Unit (red card), then the American does the same. Each then tries to beat the other using Combat Action cards (yellow cards) and Combat tokens.

If the American wins a Combat, he destroys the German Unit engaged in that Combat. But in the next Combat a new German Unit may continue to defend the Terrain, depending on its Size. The American must destroy ALL the German Units played on a Terrain to win the Assault, whereas the German wins the Assault as soon as he has destroyed ONE American Unit in any Combat.

The player who wins the Assault takes possession of the Terrain, either by placing a Control token of his side or by taking the Terrain card, and scores Victory Points (VP). The first player to fulfil the victory conditions of the mission wins the game.

Card Presentation

Unit, Event and Combat Action cards

• Army (name of the army)
• Name
• Card type: red for a Unit, blue for an Event, yellow for a Combat Action
• Combat value (for Units)
• Support (for Units with the Support ability)
• Effect
• Quick-sort badges, used to prepare the missions
• Unit type (where applicable)

Under the illustration of each Unit, Event and Combat Action card, as well as in the top left corner of each Terrain card, is the badge of the matching mission colour. This is a quick-sort procedure that lets you prepare the cards for your mission in about a minute.

Terrain cards

• Name
• Number of cards drawn by the American in his phase
• Number of cards drawn by the German in his phase
• Objective / Building
• Effect
• Number of Combats that the German can initiate on this Terrain
• Quick-sort badges for preparing the missions

Setup

1. The players decide which mission they will play, and which side each takes: the American or the German.

2. Depending on the mission chosen (the "Utah Beach" mission has a blue badge, "Sainte-Mère" a red badge, "Graignes" a yellow badge), the players sort all the cards of their side, the green camouflaged back for the American and the grey camouflaged back for the German, together with the large Terrain cards, camouflaged back, on which the Assaults will take place.

Remark: the type and number of cards vary from mission to mission. Simply take ALL the cards bearing the badge colour of your mission to prepare your hand and the Terrains in play.

Each player shuffles his cards face down and places them beside him to form his draw pile.

3. Each player places beside him, face down, the Heroic cards available to him for this mission, EXCEPT in the Initiation mission. ALL Heroic cards bear a gold star on both the front and the back, so they can be recognised immediately (except the special card "Luftlande Falley", which has a star only on its front). Heroic cards are available during the game as indicated in the specific rules of each mission, and as a reminder on the Victory Point Scale.

4. 24 standard light grey "0/+1" tokens are placed on the "Réserve" card, within reach of both players. Each player takes TWO of them and places them in front of him. These form his OWN starting reserve.

5. 8 dark grey "0/+1" tokens to be activated are also placed on the "Réserve" card, in a separate pile.

6. For each mission, a number of Special tokens are put into play. Place them on the "Réserve Spéciale" card. They are never considered part of the "Réserve".

7. For each mission, the players assemble their additional equipment and take the tokens and markers listed in the specific rules. Some items are common to both players, such as the "Barricade" or "Building" markers, while others belong to one of the two sides, such as the "PIR" markers and the "Combat" tokens "5/5" etc.

The setup of the Terrains and the composition of their draw pile depend on the mission chosen. Each mission is played in a different way. However, the Terrains are always cards, or several piles of Terrain cards, that will be revealed before or during the game. The Assaults take place on these Terrains. Some Terrains carry the words "Building", which give different advantages to both the American and the German.

Starting hand

Each player takes the FIRST SIX cards of his draw pile. If he is not satisfied with his starting hand, he MUST announce it to his opponent by declaring a "Mulligan". He shuffles all his cards again, including those he drew, and takes SIX new ones. ONLY ONE Mulligan may be made, at the very start of the game.

Cards in hand

The number of cards a player may hold in hand is unlimited. At any time during the game, each player may ask his opponent how many cards he has in hand.

Discard pile

Cards that have been played and whose effect on the game is finished, either because they have an immediate effect (such as an Event or a Combat Action card), or because they are Unit cards at the end of the Assault, are placed FACE UP in two separate piles called "Discard" (Défausse). Each player places his discard pile near him. Only the top card is visible. Each player may consult the cards in his own discard pile at any time, but NOT those of his opponent.

The Terrains put into play at the START of the game (not those set aside during setup, and not those not chosen during play) are placed face up in the Terrain discard pile, placed near the Terrain draw pile. The Terrain discard pile may be consulted by both players at any time.

Some cards force a player to discard one or more of his cards. These are then placed in the discard pile of their owner WITHOUT having any effect on the game.

Some cards allow a player to take back one or more cards from his discard pile. This effect is applied as far as possible. This means that if an effect can only be applied in part, it still takes effect. However, an Event or Combat Action card whose effect would be DELIBERATELY and TOTALLY inapplicable CANNOT be played.

Heroic cards

During the game, the players will choose some of their Heroic cards. These special and powerful cards are added to the player's hand.

They can be neither discarded nor cancelled by the effect of another card, not even another Heroic card! Pay close attention to this rule, which prevents, for example, playing a "Tir parfait" against a German Heroic Unit, or a "Sabotage" against a German Heroic Event. Likewise, the two "Counter" cards, "Échec" and "Tireur embusqué", have no effect against an enemy Heroic Combat Action.

Heroic cards are played like normal cards, according to their type: Event, Unit or Combat Action.

Warning! Heroic Units played in a Combat can be destroyed normally by non-Heroic or Heroic Units, with the support of non-Heroic or Heroic Combat Action cards and Combat tokens.

When a Heroic card must be discarded (after having been played), it is removed PERMANENTLY from the game. NO Heroic card may be played TWICE in the same game.

Combat tokens

• Round Combat tokens have a numerical value shown on both faces.

When a player takes one or more Combat tokens, he takes them from the "Réserve" or the "Réserve Spéciale" and places them in front of him. At any time during the game, each player must be able to see the number and quality of his opponent's Combat tokens.

If during the game a player has to take a token from one of the Reserves but that Reserve is empty, he loses that opportunity permanently. Players must wait until tokens return to their respective Reserve after having been played, before they can again take them and place them in their own reserve.

• Large square markers and round tokens without a numerical value are used as markers or as aids to play. They are brought into play as needed, either during the initial setup or during the game. Players use them to show an action in progress, a temporary state linked to the ability of a Terrain or to the effect of a card, the position and state of the PIR, and so on.

Turn Sequence

A game consists of successive Turns, each divided into 4 distinct Phases. The order of these Phases is always the same:

1. Progression Phase
2. American Phase
3. German Phase
4. Assault Phase

1. PROGRESSION PHASE

This phase is specific to each mission, since the players may choose on which Terrain to lead the Assault: the German at "Graignes", the American at "Utah Beach". At "Sainte-Mère-Église", the German will always reveal the FIRST card of the "Sainte-Mère-Église" draw pile to start the game; then the loser will be able to choose between two Terrain cards.

The red "Assault" marker (white American star or German cross) will always be placed by the player concerned on the Terrain card chosen to be in play this Turn.

Read carefully the text in the boxes of the Terrain cards: some must apply DURING this phase only, as indicated; others apply at the end of the "Assault".

2. AMERICAN PHASE

• The American ALWAYS BEGINS his phase by drawing the number of cards shown on the Terrain where the Assault takes place: the figure at the bottom LEFT, next to the American paratroopers' badge. He does NOT reveal the cards drawn to the German (unless a specific case is required by the effect of a Terrain or by the effect of a card in play).
• He may then play from his hand ONE or SEVERAL Event cards (blue cards), one after the other, after each effect has been applied. The effect of each Event is applied immediately, then the card is placed in the American's discard pile, unless the Event has an effect for the whole Turn. In that case it is kept beside the Terrain card in play, to remind the player.
• When the American no longer wishes, or can no longer, play Events, he announces it to the German and his phase ends.

3. GERMAN PHASE

• The German ALWAYS BEGINS his phase by drawing the number of cards shown on the Terrain where the Assault takes place: the figure at the bottom RIGHT, next to the German Iron Cross. He does NOT reveal the cards drawn to the American (unless a specific case is required by the text of a Terrain or by the effect of a card in play).
• He may then play from his hand ONE or SEVERAL Event cards (blue cards), one after the other, after each effect has been applied. The effect of each Event is applied immediately, then the card is placed in the German's discard pile, unless the Event has an effect for the whole Turn. In that case it is kept beside the Terrain card in play, to remind the player.
• When the German no longer wishes, or can no longer, play Events, he announces it to the American and his phase ends.

At THIS point in the Turn, the German MUST decide whether or not to play ONE Unit card from his hand to defend the Terrain. He may quite well decide to play NONE and thus abandon the Terrain to the American.

• If he plays a Unit, an "ASSAULT" takes place: go to 4 - Assault Phase, to determine who wins.
• If he does not play a Unit, the American is considered to have won the Assault. He takes control of the Terrain and its reward as specified in the Missions booklet. A new Turn begins. Go to 1 - Progression Phase.

4. ASSAULT PHASE

On each Turn, the red "Assault" token is placed on a Terrain. The American attacks the German Units there (those just played by the German to defend it during the inter-phase) in an "Assault" which generates at most the number of "Combats" indicated by the Size of the Terrain (red tab at the top right).

Two cases can arise:

1. If the American destroys ALL the German Units put into play during the successive Combats, he takes the Terrain, places a "Control" token of his side, gains VP by marking them on the Victory Point Scale and progresses towards his victory conditions.

If the German refuses to place a new Unit to start a new Combat, although he is able to, he is considered to have abandoned the Terrain and the American wins automatically.

2. If, on the other hand, the American loses ONE SINGLE COMBAT (that is, one or several of his Units at once), whichever Combat it is (the first as well as the last of the Assault), he IMMEDIATELY LOSES this Assault, which then ends. The German takes the Terrain, places a "Control" token of his side, gains VP by marking them on the Victory Point Scale and progresses towards his victory conditions.

If the American refuses to place a new Unit to fight the German Unit facing him, although he is able to, he is considered to have abandoned the Terrain and the German wins automatically.

In both cases, the winner of the Assault receives a reward for his victory, as indicated in the Missions booklet. He may also benefit from the advantages linked to the effects of the Terrain as indicated in the text box. In some cases, the effect shown in the text box concerns the loser.

Combat sequence

Each German and American Unit has a Combat value (CV), which corresponds to its strength. To destroy a German Unit, the American must reach a CV EQUAL OR HIGHER, using his Unit(s), possibly supported by Combat Action cards and Combat tokens.

• If the German decides to fight, he places one of his Units beside the Terrain, facing his opponent (so that the opponent can read the effects of the card), and applies its effects immediately. He may in addition decide to play one or more Combat Action cards, or to play Combat tokens, to improve his initial CV as described below, before his opponent plays one or more Units. (This technique can serve to intimidate, but it is costly.)
• If the American decides to fight, he MUST play from his hand ONE single Unit, or several Units ONLY if they have the "SUPPORT" ability, facing the enemy Unit.

The American may play the two Units one after the other in the same sequence, or play one and wait for the German's reaction, to see whether the German matches or exceeds his CV level.

Then, like the German, the American MAY also, in the order of his choice:

• Play ONE or SEVERAL Combat Action cards.

WARNING: a player may play a Combat Action card only if he has ALREADY put a Unit into play (unless the card specifies otherwise).

He places the card beside his Unit. The effect of the Combat Action is applied. If the effect is immediate (taking tokens, etc.), the card is discarded. If the effect lasts (a "Grenade", for example, gives +2 and a token to CV), the card stays beside the Unit to make the strength comparison easier.

• Use ONE or SEVERAL Combat tokens from HIS Reserve, if he has ALREADY put a Unit into play. He takes one of the tokens from his Reserve and places it on his Unit. He then takes the Combat die and rolls it. If the result shows a "Success" face, THIS token gives the bonus shown in CV to the Unit on which it was placed, against THAT German Unit. If the result shows a "Neutral" face, nothing happens and the token is placed back in its dedicated Reserve. A Combat token that shows the same number on each of its faces, such as "+1/+1", does not require rolling the die! The American may use as many tokens as he has, one after the other.

• If the American DOES NOT REACH a CV greater than or equal to that of the German Unit, he LOSES the Assault. → See Result of the Combat, case 2.

• If the American REACHES a CV greater than or equal to that of the German Unit, the German has the choice between two possibilities:

  • Do nothing. His Unit is then destroyed. → See Result of the Combat, case 1.
  • Increase the CV of his Unit.

  To do so, the German may, in the order of his choice, repeat the American's actions detailed above:

  • Play ONE or SEVERAL Combat Action cards.
  • Use ONE or SEVERAL Combat tokens from HIS Reserve. He proceeds in the same way as the American in these two cases.

• If the CV of the German Unit is now strictly greater than that of the American Unit(s), the American may then play ONE other Unit if both have the "Support" ability (up to a maximum of TWO Units), other Combat Action cards and/or use other tokens from HIS Reserve, to increase again the CV of his Unit(s). EACH in turn, the American and the German may continue to outbid each other to increase the CV of their Unit(s), until one of them gives up: either does not want to or can no longer do so. Remark: this means that the American always wins ties!

Result of the Combat

Case 1: the American Unit is destroyed. If the CV of the German Unit is strictly greater than that of the American Unit, the German wins the Assault. If at that moment the German reaches his victory conditions, he ends the game! If the German has not reached his victory conditions, the Assault phase ends on this Terrain. → "End of the Assault"

Case 2: the German Unit is destroyed. If the CV of the American Unit(s) is greater than or equal to that of the German Unit, the latter is destroyed but stays in the play area, as does the American Unit. Both players then turn their Unit card 90 degrees to show that they are no longer active.

• If the German has played on this Terrain a number of Units strictly less than the Size of the Terrain, he MAY play ONE other Unit from his hand, but is not obliged to. If he does, the Assault continues. → "Course of a Combat" Otherwise, the American wins the Assault. → "End of the Assault"
• If the German has already played on this Terrain a number of Units EQUAL to the Size of the Terrain, the American wins the Assault. → "End of the Assault"

END OF THE ASSAULT

The Terrain card is controlled by one of the players. The Unit and Combat Action cards are placed in the discard piles of their owners. Combat tokens used are returned to the dedicated Reserves. Heroic cards played are removed from the game permanently.

• The player who won the Assault places one of his Control tokens on the Terrain. In some cases he will place it on his own side. He acquires the bonus determined by the mission played and the possible advantage shown on the controlled Terrain card. In some cases the advantage of the Terrain benefits the loser!

• The player who lost the Assault chooses the next Terrain during the following Progression phase, but this may change depending on the mission played. More generally he suffers harmful consequences for the rest of the game.

• If the Terrain is a "Building" (Bâtiment): Terrains bearing this mention offer the American player the possibility of recovering ONE Unit with a CV of 3 or less of HIS choice, PLAYED ON THIS TERRAIN, at the end of the Assault, whether he won it or NOT. The American MUST roll the die and obtain a "Success". If he obtains a "Success", he may take the chosen Unit back into his hand, after showing it to the German. This rule applies AUTOMATICALLY to the American player, with special cases depending on the Mission.

• The players determine who will have the initiative to choose the next Terrain in the next Turn. They show it by placing the dedicated token in front of the player who has the initiative: US paratrooper badge or German Iron Cross.

• A new Turn begins → "Progression Phase"

Tactical retreat

Players are never obliged to play their Unit and Combat Action cards, or to use their tokens. On large Terrains in particular (Road, WXYZ Complex, and so on), if the American judges that he will face too strong an opponent, he may decide at any time to end the Assault, in order to keep more cards in hand and perhaps benefit from choosing the next Terrain. But beware! This strategy is risky: it gives VP to the German and the bonus linked to conquering the Terrain. For the same reasons, the German may also end the Assault by not playing as many Units as the number shown on the Terrain. He bears the same risks as the American in applying this tactic.

Example of a card combination (condensed from the worked example, pp. 10-13). This example shows, over a complete Assault, how to combine cards to obtain the maximum effect in one Turn. You may have a large hand with weak or unsuitable cards, such as certain Event or Combat Action cards. You may also need to keep certain cards for strong combinations or for specific Terrains: an "Officier" without tokens is of little use immediately, and an "M7 Mine" is ineffective against strong German Units. The German "Logistique" may bring you nothing as long as you hold more cards than your opponent, and so on. Do not judge by the size of the hand: its efficiency lies more in the quality of what it contains and in its ability to meet the situations offered. Planning and game sense are key here. The player who anticipates and optimises has far more reason to win than the one who acts only turn by turn.

In the example, the Terrain "Sainte-Mère-Église" is worth 2 VP in the historical "Sainte-Mère-Église" mission, and is therefore a stake for each player. The American starts the Turn with three "0/+1" tokens and one "+1/+1" token. The German has four "0/+1" tokens. The American plays his "Parachutages" Event, which gives him TWO cards and TWO additional "0/+1" tokens. The German plays his "Barbelés" Event, which forces the American to return THREE tokens of his choice to the Reserve. The American then plays a Combat Action "Planeurs Waco" to recover TWO "+1/+1" tokens, and the German does not counter it with his "Tireur embusqué". The Assault proceeds through several Combats in which the German plays "Sturmgeschütz III", "Grenade M24", "Grenadiers", "Canon Flak de 88", "Wespe" and "Tranchée", and the American plays "Parachutistes US", "Escouade de Démolition", "Planeurs Waco", "QG du Gal Ridgway" (which lets him take a "Canon anti-char M1" back from his discard pile and combine it with his Units), "Équipe Radio" and "Équipe de reconnaissance". Each Combat is resolved using the rules above. In the final Combats the German plays "Luftlande", "Munitions" and "Ennemi repéré" and wins the Combat by one point, so the German wins the Assault and the Objective, and the American's "Équipe Radio" Building effect allows him to take back that Unit, which he does.

Exhausted draw pile: if there are no cards left in a player's draw pile, that player continues to play but can NO LONGER draw! He must then manage the rest of the game with the cards he has in hand. His discard pile is NOT shuffled to form a new draw pile. This situation concerns the American in particular, who must manage his hand in long games.

Cancellation cards: certain cards (for example "Sabotage", "Échec", "Tireur embusqué", "Schrapnellmine", etc.) must be played IMMEDIATELY after the card they cancel has been put into play. If other cards are played in the meantime, or tokens are put into play, it is too late! Players must therefore play their cards one after the other, leaving their opponent time to play a cancellation card.

Changes to the number of Units the German may play on a Terrain: two Combat Action cards modify this number: "Grenade fumigène" and "Tranchée". These modifications are cumulative. For example, if the German plays a "Tranchée" (number of Units +1) on a Terrain where he may normally play TWO Units, and the American plays a "Grenade fumigène" (number of Units -1), the number of Units the German may play remains unchanged.

These cards may be played each time a German Unit is destroyed (when the German turns it over sideways).

Game tips: see "Tactical retreat" above.

Components

The rulebook's own component list reads as follows:

• Cards for the American player and cards for the German player: Unit, Event and Combat Action cards, plus large "Terrain" cards.
• Large "Réserve" card (wooden crate) for all the grey "0/+1" Combat tokens (light grey and dark grey).
• Large "Réserve Spéciale" card (metal crate) for the Combat tokens with a numerical value other than "0/+1".
• Large "Tour de jeu" reminder cards, one for each player.
• Large "Production Américaine" card on the front and "Contre-attaque Allemande" on the back.
• Large "Événements Permanents" cards for the American and the German.
• Reference cards: "Nombre de Combats" and "Nombre de cartes piochées" on this Terrain.
• "Sainte-Mère-Église" Variant cards.
• "Pegasus" Variant cards.
• "Pegasus" cards updated (replacement cards for the Pegasus Bridge game).
• A six-sided Combat die: three faces neutral (Échec / failure) and three faces with an explosion (Réussite / success).
• Sheets of printed counters: 62 small round Combat tokens (those with a numerical value), 2 small Victory tokens, 28 large Control tokens, 16 square counters for the PIR and Action markers, plus "Graignes" and other markers.
• Victory Point scoring track, usable for each mission.
• Two "Army lists" for the "Sainte-Mère-Église" and "Pegasus" games, one for the Allied player and one for the German player.
• Four "Quick setup" sheets: two for the "Sainte-Mère-Église" game and two for the "Pegasus" game.
• A folded game board, 50 cm square, for setting up and playing the two missions "Pegasus" and "Sainte-Mère-Église", for the Initiation and Historical missions.

The rulebook's own breakdown of the counters is as follows:

• 24 light grey counters, each with a "0/+1" value: standard Combat tokens.
• 8 dark grey counters, each with a dark grey "0/+1" face: Combat tokens used only when required by the play of a Unit or another card (for example "Grenade US", "Mitrailleuse Browning", "Mortiers M2"), so as not to tie up the standard Combat tokens.
• 28 "Special" tokens (with values "+1/+1", "+1/+2" and "0/+3"), brought into play when certain Combat Action cards and Units appear, when the effects of some Terrains apply, and when the Heroic cards are used in each mission.
• 2 counters, each with a black "+1" face and a black "+1" back: "SS" tokens, used only in the "Graignes" mission when a German "SD.KFZ-222" Unit appears.
• Large square markers and large tokens represent PIR, actions or Control markers. They are detailed in these rules or in the Missions booklet.
• 19 counters, each with an olive-green "Étoile US" face and a grey "Croix allemande" back: the "Control" tokens used by each side when a Terrain is won, to indicate it.
• 2 counters with an olive-green "Badge para US" face and a grey "Croix de Fer allemande" back: the "Initiative" tokens, which determine which side has the initiative in each Turn.
• 1 counter with a green "Médaille/Réussite" face and a red "Impacts de balles/Échec" back: the "Destiny" token (Destin). It serves as a reminder when you must roll the die to activate certain effects linked to cards or rules. You may also use the one from "Pegasus Bridge" if you prefer to roll it.
• 2 small tokens bearing the American paratrooper badge and a German cross: the two victory point tracking markers to place on the Victory Point scale.
• 2 counters with a red "Étoile US" face and a red "Croix Allemande" back: the "Assault" marker, showing which Terrain is in play this Turn and which side has chosen it.
• 3 counters, each with a bright green "Caisses/Utilisable" face and a crimson red "Caisses/Inutilisable" back: the "Production" markers used by the American player in the "Graignes" mission only.
• 1 counter with a barricade illustration on both sides: the "Barricade" marker, used only by the American player in the "Graignes" mission.

Note: the rulebook gives two additional green/yellow counters for each of the 502nd and 506th PIR, added in case one is lost. They have no other function.

Mission: Sainte-Mère-Église

Historical context

The mission given to the 82nd American Airborne Division (the "All-Americans", a name carried as the unit's emblem) and its three regiments (505th, 506th and 507th PIR) was split into two distinct actions. First, it had to seize the main road axis, the RN 13, linking Carentan in the south to the port of Cherbourg at the very north of the Cotentin peninsula. The village of Sainte-Mère-Église was the key to it.

The second objective was to seize two bridges crossing a river, the Merderet, in order to push on to the town of Pont-l'Abbé, whose road runs due west, and so cut the Cotentin peninsula in two and isolate it from any reinforcements. These were the bridges of La Fière and Chef-du-Pont, located near St Mère-Église to the west of the village.

Many drops were scattered, which dispersed the units and prevented their rapid regrouping once on the ground. At Sainte-Mère-Église, bad luck had it that a barn a few dozen metres from the church burned that night, lighting up the village at the moment of the drops. Fortunately for the Americans, the small number of German defenders allowed them to drive them out quickly.

The attack on the two bridges over the Merderet had very different outcomes. The approach to Chef-du-Pont was made easier by the absence of any organised defence, and its capture was rapid. Control of the La Fière bridge, on the other hand, turned into a war of position: after the Americans had taken the east bank and the large manor house next to it, they were pinned down by German firepower and suffered a counter-attack, repelled at the last minute with the help of an anti-tank gun.

Although the failure of the assault on the west bank of the Merderet was inevitable given how badly the drops had gone, the capture of Sainte-Mère-Église and its surroundings, and the holding of the two east banks of the two bridges, prevented any serious enemy counter-attack, and meant the success of the 82nd's airborne operation.

Mission: Initiation

The "Initiation" mission OFFERS a quick game of around thirty minutes. The Heroic cards and other special rules are covered in the "Historical" mission.

Objective of the mission:

Each player must seize two types of Terrain that score Victory Points (VP): the Objectives, worth 2 VP, and the other Terrains, worth 1 VP. THREE Objective Terrains and six standard Terrains are in play in each game, for a total of TWELVE VP. The German player starts the game with the large white marker: +1 VP. The first player to reach SEVEN VP wins. There can be no draw in this mission, as the total number of VP is THIRTEEN.

The side that wins an Assault takes possession of the Terrain card won and places it face up in front of him, so that his opponent knows which Terrain(s) he controls. The player moves his Victory Point marker on the Victory Point Scale by the number of points won.

Duration of the game: 30 minutes if one of the two sides is able to control the Objective Terrains quickly.

Terrain setup (Initiation):

Take all the Terrain cards with a RED badge. You will form THREE separate draw piles by setting aside certain Terrains offered.

Main draw pile of the "Sainte-Mère-Église" Sector: take the following SIX Terrain cards:

1. "Sainte-Mère-Église",
2. "Carrefour",
3. ONE "Route",
4. "Maisons",
5. "Neuville-au-Plain",
6. "Zone de parachutage".

Set the Objective card "Sainte-Mère-Église" aside, and at random, WITHOUT looking at it, remove one of the five remaining cards. Put it face down in the box.

• Choose TWO Terrain cards at random from the four remaining. Add the "Sainte-Mère-Église" card and shuffle them.
• Then place these THREE cards on the right-hand side of the Battlefield. Then place on top the TWO remaining Terrain cards at random, to obtain a total of FIVE cards.

You thus obtain a single Terrain draw pile with ONE Objective.

• The particularity of the "Sainte-Mère-Église" Sector draw pile is that the Terrains are revealed one after the other, without the players having to choose the Terrain on which to fight. They must necessarily fight on the one put into play.

The TWO other, so-called Secondary, piles are those of the Bridges Sector over the Merderet: "La Fière" and "Chef du Pont". Each consists of one Objective bridge and TWO Terrains that precede it. These two piles are placed on the left-hand side of the game board.

Bridge piles (Initiation and Historical):

• Secondary pile of "Pont de la Fière": take the "Pont de la Fière" card and place it at the head of the column. Take the three Terrain cards: 1. the "Marais", 2. ONE "Champs inondés", 3. ONE "Route". Remove one of these three cards at random, WITHOUT looking at it, and put it face down in the box. Place the other two face down in front of the bridge, at the head of the column.

• Secondary pile of "Pont de Chef du Pont": take the "Pont de Chef du Pont" card and place it at the head of the column, below that of the La Fière bridge. Take the three Terrain cards: 1. ONE "Route", 2. ONE "Champs inondés", 3. the "Gare de Chef du Pont". Remove one of these cards at random, WITHOUT looking at it, and put it face down in the box. Place the other two face down in front of the bridge, at the head of the column.

Playing the Initiation mission:

The game ALWAYS begins by revealing the Terrain on top of the "Sainte-Mère-Église" draw pile. This is the first "Progression Phase", which is compulsory in this mission. The players MUST fight on this Terrain and will place the "Assault" marker on it.

At the end of this first Turn, the LOSER chooses towards which of the two piles of the Bridges Sector he wants to fight: "La Fière" or "Chef du Pont". He then reveals the two Terrain cards in front of the chosen bridge and chooses the one on which the second Turn will be played by placing the "Assault" marker on it. The other Terrain is removed from the game. At the end of this Assault, whoever wins, the players return to the "Sainte-Mère-Église" Sector and reveal the top Terrain of its draw pile. The next Assault takes place there compulsorily. Then the players go back to the Bridges Sector, and so on, until the last Terrain is put into play or one of the two players has reached his victory conditions.

When a Terrain has been won it can NO LONGER be attacked by your opponent. When one of the Objective Bridges has been conquered, it is no longer possible to go back and play in its direction, as its pile is empty! The players must play towards the remaining bridge, which alone will represent the Bridges Sector!

Cards in play (Initiation):

Take in hand ALL the cards of each side with a RED badge EXCEPT the Heroic cards (with a gold star, including the "Luftlande Falley" card) and the Event cards "Choix tactique" and "Américains désorientés" (these cards will be put into play in the "Historical" mission).

Each player shuffles his cards and draws the FIRST SIX. ONLY the German player may decide to make a "Mulligan" in this mission.

Remark: this rule simulates the wide dispersal of the American airborne troops in this sector.

Tokens (Initiation):

Take the "Réserve" card and place it beside the Sainte-Mère-Église Sector with twenty-four light grey "0/+1" Combat tokens. Each player takes TWO "0/+1" tokens and places them beside his draw pile. Also place in this Reserve, in a separate pile, the EIGHT dark grey "0/+1" Combat tokens. They are used only when playing certain cards that require rolling a token of this value.

Take the "Réserve Spéciale" card and place it beside the "Réserve" card with SIX "+1/+1" Combat tokens, FIVE "+1/+2" tokens and SIX "0/+3" tokens. They form a separate reserve. They are also in limited number and follow the same rule as the light grey "0/+1" tokens.

Bonus when winning a Terrain (Initiation):

• When the German wins an Assault, he draws ONE card and takes TWO light grey "0/+1" Combat tokens from the Reserve, if enough remain.

• When the American wins an Assault, he takes ONE light grey "0/+1" token from the Reserve, if enough remain. If it is a "Building" Terrain, he applies its effect. If it is ANOTHER Terrain, he draws ONE card. He does not do BOTH (unless the card's effect says so).

Mission: Historical

Objective of the historical mission:

The objective does not change from the "Initiation" mission. However, the German player does NOT receive the large "+1 VP" marker. This one is used on its reverse with the "Croix de Fer" (Iron Cross), as the "Contre-attaque" marker.

The players therefore share the TWELVE VP in play, which allows the possibility of a DRAWN game if each player obtains SIX VP.

Tactical elements are added which bring more finesse to the way each side plays: the Heroic cards and the American Event card "Choix tactique". In addition, the German player is allowed to mount ONE "Counter-attack" (Contre-attaque) in order to try to retake a Terrain controlled by the American. This action is brought about by putting into play the "Contre-attaque" marker, shown by the Iron Cross on the back of the "+1 VP" marker.

Duration of the game: 45 to 60 minutes.

Heroic cards (Historical):

Each player has FOUR Heroic cards available. At the start of the game each player chooses at random ONE Heroic card from among those of his opponent, WITHOUT looking at it, and removes it from the game. It will not be put into play. This rule brings an element of surprise to the game. These cards are placed face down in front of each player so that the opponent does not know which ones were chosen. Take care to remove the "Luftlande Falley" card from the German's cards at the start of the game, as this card can only come into play with the German Heroic card "QG du Gal Falley".

At the start of the 3rd, 5th and 7th Turns, EACH player simultaneously and secretly chooses ONE of his Heroic cards and adds it to his hand without showing it to his opponent.

Terrain setup (Historical):

The rulebook gives no separate Terrain piles for the Historical mission, so the Initiation piles are used, with the following changes. The American adds the "Choix tactique" card to his draw pile. This card is an Event. It allows him, during the Progression Phase, to force the player choosing a Terrain, INCLUDING himself, to remain on the SECTOR currently occupied by the "Assault" marker. There will then be no switch between the Bridges Sector and the "Sainte-Mère-Église" Sector. It is the only way for the American player to force a player to play twice in a row on the same Sector. The switch to the other Sector will take place in the following Turn. This card has no impact on the Turn when the Heroic cards are brought into play.

• If this card is played while the "Assault" marker was on the Bridges Sector, the player who LOST the previous Assault must choose which Terrain to head for in one of the two Bridges Sector piles: "La Fière" or "Chef du Pont". If only ONE Bridge or ONE Bridge pile remains in play, the player MUST place the "Assault" marker on this last one.

• If only ONE Terrain pile remains: "Sainte-Mère-Église", this card can only be played for its SECOND effect.

The German "Counter-attack" (Contre-attaque) marker:

At the start of the game the German player takes the C.A. marker and places it on his side. He will also place to his left the large "Contre-attaque allemande" card, on which to place his Units when he wishes. The use of this marker will OBLIGE the American to put back into play a Terrain he ALREADY CONTROLS, whichever it is, at the CHOICE of the German. The next Assault will then HAVE to take place on THAT Terrain.

The sequence of play then continues normally from where it stopped: Sainte-Mère-Église Sector or Bridges Sector. The German player may only mount ONE C.A. per game. He MUST trigger it BEFORE the LAST Terrain of the game is put into play, otherwise it is lost.

Remark: this means that the German player cannot wait for the last Turn of the game to trigger this option. Moreover, he is in no way required to trigger a C.A., even one he has prepared, during a game.

In order to trigger a C.A., the German must prepare it in a visible way, which gives his opponent the opportunity to prepare for it.

Preparation of the German C.A.:

• At the END of EACH Turn, when the Assault is finished and the effects of the winner have been applied, the German player MAY decide to place face down, to his left, ONLY from among his UNIT cards played on that Terrain, ONE card of his choice, to form a column of cards.
• When the THIRD Unit card is placed in this way (so after at least three Turns), the C.A. MUST be launched. It must then be triggered COMPULSORILY on the NEXT Turn.

The German player is not required to place a card each turn. The cards placed in the C.A. preparation are considered to be neither in the Discard pile nor in the Draw pile for the purposes of certain game effects or effects described on certain cards.

Triggering the C.A.:

During the German Phase, after he has drawn the number of cards shown on the Terrain REPLACED in play, he follows this procedure:

• He shows the American player the THREE cards of his C.A. face down. The American discards one of them at random and looks at it. Then the German player adds the TWO remaining cards to his hand.
• To complete the preparation of his C.A., the German player MUST discard TWO cards of his choice from his hand, which he shows to the American.
• The German then continues the normal course of the Turn and plays his Events first if he wishes, and then which Unit will fight, if he wishes.

He may quite well abandon the Terrain without fighting despite triggering the C.A. In this case the American wins the Assault automatically and keeps the Terrain. If the American wins the Assault he does NOT GAIN any additional VP! He has avoided losing some to the German.

Mission: Utah Beach - Protégez les plages

Historical context

The mission given to the 101st Airborne Division (the "Screaming Eagles") consisted mainly of protecting the exits from the beaches targeted by the regiments of the 4th Infantry Division: "Utah Beach", near the locality of "La Madeleine". Four main routes of penetration inland had been identified, the "Exits" 1, 2, 3 and 4. These were to let the infantry quickly open a way through the flooded areas and the bocage to the division's mechanised units. The three parachute regiments of the 101st, the 501st, 502nd and 506th, were in charge of protecting the other end, in order to block any German counter-attack attempts on the morning of 6 June. Some secondary objectives also appeared, such as the occupation of the town of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and the destruction of batteries behind the front.

Moreover, the 501st PIR had been given the mission of controlling a lock on the Douve, in the middle of easily flooded fields, known as "La Barquette". Control of this lock was to prevent the Germans from flooding the whole sector north of the town of Carentan, to ease the movement of troops during the 6th and in particular the attack on this pivot town, located between the two American beaches of the landings, Utah and Omaha.

Despite imprecise drops, the paratroopers of the division succeeded in their mission, controlling the beach exits and the villages in their sector. They took control of the north bank of the Douve, to little effect, as all the surrounding ground was already flooded...

Objective of the mission:

To be the first player to place SEVEN of his Control tokens on the Terrains in play. As soon as a player reaches this number at the end of an Assault, he wins. Certain Terrains allow the American to place TWO Control tokens, but most only ONE, as for the German. At the end of each Turn, a Terrain will therefore be occupied by one of the two sides, which will place one or two Control tokens on it. No controlled Terrain may be reconquered.

Duration of the game: between 45 and 60 minutes.

Terrain setup (Utah Beach):

Take in hand ALL the Terrain cards with a BLUE badge. You will thus have SIXTEEN cards to place, in order to form a 4 x 4 board of "Terrain" spaces to create the Battlefield.

The Terrains:

• You will have in hand: FOUR "Sorties de plage" (Beach exits, No. 1, 2, 3 and 4) and FOUR "Terrains Spéciaux": "Pouppeville", "Sainte-Marie-du-Mont", "Le Complexe WXYZ" and "La Batterie de Saint-Martin de Varreville", which are each associated with an exit.
• The EIGHT other Terrains are considered standard.

The German player ALWAYS sets up the Battlefield by placing the Terrain cards face down (on their back) WITHOUT revealing them to the American player (who goes off for a walk...). This preparation of the play area simulates the imprecision of many of the drops.

Example, column 1: beach exit 1, "Pouppeville" and two other Terrains.

There are two variants of setup for this mission: HISTORICAL or RECREATIONAL (Ludique).

HISTORICAL Battlefield: the German MUST place, starting from the right or the left of the play area, the four columns of cards in the following order: Columns No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, which must follow in ascending order.

Each column is associated with: a "Sortie de plage" of its number, a "Terrain Spécial" also defined by its number, associated with that "Sortie de plage", and two standard Terrains, chosen by the German player from among the eight at his disposal. So he creates FOUR columns of FOUR Terrains to form a square.

Only one "Sortie de plage" will therefore be present per column, but at the place chosen by the German (not necessarily at the head of the column!). To each "Sortie de plage" is associated ONE "Terrain Spécial" card: No. 1 / Pouppeville, No. 2 / Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, No. 3 / Le Complexe WXYZ, No. 4 / La Batterie de Saint-Martin de Varreville. The German chooses where in the column to place this "Terrain Spécial" among the three free spaces available.

The EIGHT remaining Terrains complete the board at the choice of the German player. No specific Terrain placement is to be respected beyond that described above.

RECREATIONAL Battlefield: the German must always match the number of the "Sortie de Plage" with that of its associated "Terrain Spécial" (as described in the "Historical" setup), BUT he is free to place the columns as he likes, without any imposed ascending order. Thus he may place, for example, a series such as 1-4-2-3 or 4-3-1-2 etc. This variant allows the German to set more elaborate traps for American Units, using certain Terrains that are particularly harmful to them. It also allows him to mislead the American for longer about the overall layout, since the American cannot easily deduce the position of the Terrains after discovering some of them.

When the board is complete, the German player turns ALL the Terrains over to their back (the camouflage side) in order to hide their nature from the American. He tells the American which variant he has used and the reading direction of the game, so that his opponent does not take the columns for rows, and vice versa.

The cards in play (Utah Beach):

Take in hand ALL the cards of each side with a BLUE badge, INCLUDING the Heroic cards (with a gold star): FIVE for the American player and SIX for the German player. The German, however, may play only FIVE of them during a game. He will, on the other hand, have greater tactical flexibility. These will be placed face down in front of the players so that the opponent does not know which ones will be chosen, thus creating an element of surprise.

Each player then removes from his deck the THREE "Permanent Event" cards (blue cards) identified by this title, and places them face down on his side's large card: "Evénements Permanents". This is a mini play area that isolates these special cards. When they are put into play, turn them face up on the large card so that your opponent can see them.

Each player shuffles his cards and draws the FIRST SIX. Each player may decide to make ONE "Mulligan" in this mission.

Tokens and markers (Utah Beach):

Place the "Réserve" card of Combat tokens beside the Battlefield with twenty-four light grey "0/+1" tokens. Each player takes TWO and places them beside his draw pile. Also place in this Reserve the EIGHT dark grey "0/+1" tokens. They are used only when playing certain cards that require immediately rolling a token of this value.

Place the "Réserve Spéciale" card of Combat tokens beside the "Réserve" card with FIVE "+1/+1" tokens, FIVE "+1/+2" tokens and TEN "0/+3" tokens. They form a separate reserve. They are also in limited number and follow the same rule as the light grey "0/+1" tokens.

Also place beside the Reserve the large Control markers that each side will use to place on the Terrains won during the game, as well as the "Destin" token and the "Assault" token.

The American player then places in front of him the FIVE markers for the 101st Airborne regiments (PIR): the 501st, 502nd and 506th, which correspond to the different states of fatigue of each of them. Green: "Fit" (En forme); yellow: "Tired" (Fatigué); red: "Exhausted" (Epuisé). The 501st has only one marker, as it will take part in ONLY ONE Turn of play if activated by the American with the Heroic card "501e PIR".

Start of the game (Utah Beach):

The American player must decide to place the two markers of the 502nd and 506th PIR on their GREEN side (fit) on TWO Terrains of HIS choice. (The printed text reads "au hasard sur DEUX Terrains de SON choix", "at random on two Terrains of his choice", which is contradictory; it is transcribed as printed and the Terrains are taken to be chosen by the American.) Two PIR can never be present on the same Terrain.

The German player then rolls the die for each PIR. This determines the drift of each of them, that is, the result of the drops.

• If the result is a "Success", the PIR lands on the Terrain initially chosen by the American, and that Terrain is revealed.
• If the result is a "Failure", the German player MAY decide to drift this PIR to a Terrain of HIS choice adjacent to the one chosen by the American, including diagonally, WITHOUT revealing the initial Terrain to the American player, OR let the PIR drop onto the Terrain initially chosen. The chosen Terrain is then revealed.

A PIR CANNOT leave the Battlefield...

First Turn (Utah Beach):

The American player decides WHICH of his two PIR will be ACTIVATED for the first Turn by placing the Assault marker on one of the two occupied Terrains, to designate THAT Terrain as the place of the Assault for this Turn.

A PIR cannot leave a Terrain without having fought there (whether it has won the Assault or not).

PIR are activated at the choice of the American player, but they can never be activated MORE than TWICE in a row. Thus the PIR will be played alternately, depending on the situations the American player meets.

An activated PIR has its marker turned over to its "Tired" (yellow) side. This means it may be activated ONE second time before having to rest for ONE Turn: place the "Exhausted" (red) marker of this PIR at that moment to show that it may NOT take part in an Assault in the next Turn.

A PIR marker that is inactive (does not take part in an Assault) for ONE Turn is automatically turned back to its "Fit" (green) face, whatever its state of fatigue.

Thus a PIR will be required to fight on the Terrain on which it is at some point in the game.

The Assault (Utah Beach):

Assaults proceed as in the sequence described in the General Rules.

• If the American player wins the Assault: He places ONE of his Control tokens on the Terrain in play, EXCEPT if he wins an Assault on a Terrain: "Sortie de Plage" (Beach exit). He then places TWO of his Control tokens there. This rule shows the importance of these Terrains for both players. He takes ONE "0/+1" Combat token from the Reserve. He may "Light up" (Éclairer) ONE Terrain adjacent to the one occupied by the winning PIR, looking at the one of his choice, including diagonally, before placing it face down again in exactly the same position. He then MUST move the PIR that fought to an adjacent free Terrain: not occupied by the other PIR AND/OR without Control tokens (whichever side), of HIS choice (not necessarily the one just revealed), including diagonally. He stops there, placing his PIR marker on the face corresponding to its fatigue, and reveals the new Terrain by turning the Terrain card face up.

• If the German player wins the Assault: He places ONE of his Control tokens on the Terrain in play, EXCEPT if he has played his Heroic card "En Avant!" and has won the Assault, in which case he places TWO of his Control tokens. He takes ONE "0/+1" Combat token from the Reserve. He then MUST push back the American PIR to the adjacent free Terrain: not occupied by the other PIR AND/OR without Control tokens (whichever side), of HIS choice, including diagonally. He stops there, placing the PIR marker on the face corresponding to its fatigue, and reveals the new Terrain by turning the Terrain card face up.

The winner of the Assault moves his Victory Point marker on the Victory Point Scale by the number of points won.

Following Turns (Utah Beach):

The American player ALWAYS chooses, unless otherwise stated on a Terrain card, on which Terrain he will lead the Assault of the new Turn. He then places the "Assault" token there. A PIR that fights for the SECOND consecutive time is placed on its YELLOW side.

A PIR is considered "Exhausted" at the end of its SECOND CONSECUTIVE Assault. Place this PIR's marker on its RED side, replacing the first marker, on the NEW Terrain to which it moved at the end of the Assault.

It may no longer lead an Assault until it has rested, that is, not fought for at least ONE Turn and returned to the GREEN side of its marker. When one of the two PIR is "Exhausted", the other PIR is then obliged to fight, even if the conditions of play are not favourable to it.

Consequently, a PIR present on a Terrain must sooner or later lead an Assault there, the American player having the advantage of choosing when. The American repeats this sequence each Turn to choose which of his PIR will fight, placing the Assault marker on the Terrain it occupies.

Remark: be sure to move the PIR after each Assault in order to occupy new Terrains, and to indicate their level of fatigue using the right markers.

Special movement rule for the American player:

If he has won the Assault, the American player has the option or the obligation (depending on the game situation) of moving his PIR at the end of the Turn by discarding ONE "Équipe de reconnaissance" Unit from his hand, so that it goes to a free, unoccupied Terrain adjacent to one of the Terrains he controls (where at least one of his Control tokens is placed), if it is able to trace a continuous line of movement through the Terrains he controls. This rule is an exception to the PIR movement rule.

Remark: this is an important tactical opening to exploit, or a movement obligation in the case of a blocked PIR, in order to avoid the disastrous consequences.

Special case of a blocked PIR (rare, or deliberate):

If a PIR found itself unable to move at the end of a Turn, wedged between Terrains already controlled (by either side) and/or by the other PIR, and without an "Équipe de Reconnaissance" Unit in hand, the German player then takes the THREE first cards of the American player's draw pile and removes them permanently from the game WITHOUT revealing them! These are not considered to be in the American player's discard pile. The American player may then place his PIR on a new free, unoccupied Terrain of HIS choice, adjacent to a Terrain he controls. Otherwise, the German player will place this PIR adjacent to a Terrain he controls.

Remark: this is a form of emergency redeployment of the American PIR which has a high logistical cost, represented by the loss of cards.

Permanent Event cards (Utah Beach):

Each player has THREE "Permanent Event" (E.P.) cards. These will be made available AT THE END of an Assault on one of the EIGHT "Sortie de Plage" or "Spécial" Terrains. Each player chooses ONE of his cards and adds it to his hand without revealing it to his opponent. He may choose whether or not to put it into play during HIS Event phase of the following Turn.

• Each "E.P." put into play is placed on the large "Evénements Permanents" card of each player and remains in play until the end of the game, unless it is destroyed by the opponent using a specific Event card: "P-51 Mustang - Jabo" or "Barrage d'artillerie". An E.P. thus destroyed is REMOVED permanently from the game and can no longer be chosen later.

• On EACH Turn, including the Turn in which the card is put into play, the active player may decide to use the effect of his card. This then applies if the required conditions are met, even partially. If a player has put into play SEVERAL "E.P." cards, he may activate only ONE of them per Turn. To indicate that a "Permanent Event" card has been activated, turn it sideways (horizontally). It is straightened at the end of the Turn, indicating its availability for the following Turn.

Heroic cards (Utah Beach):

The American player has FIVE Heroic cards, the German player SIX. He may, however, play only FIVE, as may his opponent. These cards become available simultaneously AT THE END of the SECOND Turn for both players, and at the end of the other even-numbered Turns: 4, 6, 8, 10. At the end of the Turn concerned, each player secretly chooses ONE Heroic card and adds it to his hand without revealing it to his opponent. It will therefore be available from the following Turn.

Special case: when the American player decides to play his Heroic card "501e PIR", he must place the corresponding PIR marker on the unoccupied Terrain of HIS choice WITHOUT suffering any Drift. The NEXT Assault will COMPULSORILY take place on this Terrain. Whatever the result, the 501st PIR marker is then removed from the game and the Terrain conquered by one or other player. The course of the game then resumes from where it stopped in the activation cycles of the other two PIR.

Mission: Graignes - Alamo en Normandie

Historical context

The accuracy of the paratroop drops in the night of 5 to 6 June 1944 in the American sector was poor, and many units landed very far from their initial "drop zone". It was in these conditions that some one hundred and fifty men from both American airborne divisions found themselves south of Carentan, more than ten kilometres from their rallying point. After regrouping in the village of Graignes, on the north-south road linking Saint-Lô and Carentan, these paratroopers, lost in the Normandy countryside in enemy territory, decided to wait there for the infantry landed on "D-Day" and, when the occasion arose, to form a roadblock against any enemy reinforcements heading for the landing beaches.

On 9 June, enemy units were recognised as wanting to use the road that was blocked to them. From the 11th, the first engagements took place between the reconnaissance battalion of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen" and the paratroopers entrenched on the heights of the village, including its church, which stood on a small hill overlooking the surroundings.

It took a full day for the Germans to finally force the Americans to withdraw at night. Precious time in those decisive hours was thus lost by the Germans. After the fighting, the SS executed Captain Abraham Sophian, a surgeon, and his two orderlies, the wounded American fighters who could not be transported, the priest Albert Leblastier and Brother Lebarbenchon, and several inhabitants, in reprisal for the help given by the villagers to the paratroopers. A monument commemorates their sacrifice and this heinous crime, inside the remains of the church of Graignes, destroyed during the assault.

This mission is dedicated to them. It also allows us to present one of the many tragic episodes experienced in Normandy by civilians during the fighting that followed the Landings and throughout the Battle of Normandy.

Objective of the mission:

The German is on the offensive! To win, he must have more Victory Points than the American. He must seek to control as many Terrains as possible around or in the village of Graignes. The closer to the village, the more the Terrains are worth in Victory Points. The cards are placed to form a cross, with four roads of three cards long. The first card of each arm of the cross represents the first defensive ring, the Terrains furthest from the village. Then, the next four cards represent the second defensive ring, the middle circle, the Terrains close to the village. Finally, the last four cards represent the village itself: these are the "Objective" Terrains.

The German can also obtain a victory by sudden death at any time if he controls TWO "GRAIGNES" "Objectif" markers. The American will win by repelling the German attacks and taking control of the Terrains around or in the village.

Both players also obtain bonuses in Victory Points if they succeed in taking control of ALL the Terrains of a defensive ring (four Terrains for each of the first two rings).

There can be no draw in this mission.

Victory conditions:

Each Terrain has a value in Victory Points (VP), identical for each side, defined by its location on the Battlefield:

• First defensive ring (FOUR Terrains), the furthest from the village: 1 VP.
• Second defensive ring (FOUR Terrains), the middle circle: 2 VP.
• Village (FOUR Terrains), in the centre, considered as Objectives. A "Graignes" marker is placed on them: 3 VP.

The side that wins an Assault turns over the Terrain card on which it took place, to show that it can no longer be put into play, and places one of its Control tokens on it.

The American wins as soon as he reaches 9 VP. The German wins as soon as he reaches 11 VP.

Special conditions:

• Sudden death: if the German conquers TWO Terrains of the village of "Graignes", revealing each time an "Objectif" marker on its reverse, he wins an automatic victory whatever his number of VP. If he conquers a Terrain and a "Leurre" (decoy) marker is revealed, it does not count!

There are THREE "Objectif" markers and ONE "Leurre" marker in play.

• If one side controls ALL the Terrains of the first defensive ring, it earns a 2 VP bonus. This gives it therefore: 6 VP in total (4+2).
• If one side controls ALL the Terrains of the second defensive ring, it earns a 3 VP bonus. This gives it therefore: 11 VP in total (8+3, and victory whichever side it is!).

Duration of the game: 30 to 60 minutes (depending on whether the automatic victory conditions are met).

Cards in play (Graignes):

The German takes in hand ALL the cards with a YELLOW badge. He will thus have FOURTEEN cards, of which TWELVE are to be placed to create the Battlefield.

Terrains (Graignes):

• The German extracts the FOUR "Objectif" Terrains: "Mairie", "Eglise", "Maison Rouge" and "Grande Ferme", and places them face up, at random, at the centre of the Battlefield, to form a cross, leaving a space in the middle in which to place the large "Production" card.
• He sets aside the two Special Terrains: "Canal" and "Place".
• He shuffles the EIGHT remaining cards face down: three "Maisons", one "Grand Marais", one "Route", one "Carrefour", one "Rue" and one "Haie", and removes two of them at random, revealing them. He places them beside the play area, visible.
• He now adds the two Special Terrains that were set aside and shuffles the EIGHT cards face down again.
• Starting with the "Église" Terrain, he places in front of this Terrain, so as to create a column, the first Terrain card he holds, without revealing it. He repeats the same operation in front of the three other "Objectif" Terrains. The second defensive ring is thus created.
• He repeats the same operation with the last four cards to form the first defensive ring. Each "Objectif" Terrain will thus have in front of it a column of TWO Terrain cards.
• Now reveal the Terrain cards so that the topography of Graignes is known for this game.

The players know the Terrain cards and their effects. This allows the German in particular to plan his Assaults, since he will ALWAYS have the initiative and will decide each Turn which Terrain to attack. The American, for his part, will organise his defence knowing the facts.

"Objectif" markers (Graignes):

The American player now places on each of the FOUR Terrains of the Village an "Objectif" marker with "Graignes" written on the face, revealed to the German, and on the reverse, face down to the German: "Objectif" or "Leurre". The American thus has the possibility of studying the layout of the Terrains in order to mislead the German about the locations of the "Objectives" linked to the sudden death rule.

Remark: when the German WINS an Assault on one of these Terrains, he takes control of it and reveals the nature of the "Graignes" marker there. The marker remains revealed until the end of the game. If the American wins the Assault, he takes control of the Terrain and does NOT reveal the nature of the "Graignes" marker there!

Cards in play (Graignes, continued):

Take in hand ALL the cards of each side with a YELLOW badge, INCLUDING the Heroic cards (with a gold star): THREE for each player. These will be placed face down in front of each player so that the opponent does not know which will be chosen during play, thus creating an element of surprise.

Each player shuffles his cards and draws the FIRST SIX. Each player may decide to make ONE "Mulligan" in this mission.

Tokens and markers (Graignes):

Place the THREE "Production" markers on their "green" (recto) sides on the "Production" card, together with the "Assault" marker, the "Barricade" marker and the "Bâtiment" marker, next to the large card. Place the "Destin" marker next to the Control markers, near the two Terrain cards set aside during setup.

Prepare the "Réserve" card of tokens beside the Battlefield with twenty-four light grey "0/+1" tokens. Each player takes TWO "0/+1" tokens and places them beside his draw pile. Also place in this Reserve the EIGHT dark grey "0/+1" tokens. They are used only when playing certain cards that require using and rolling a token of this value immediately.

Prepare the "Réserve Spéciale" card of tokens and place it beside the "Réserve" card with FIVE "+1/+1" tokens, FIVE "+1/+2" tokens, TWO "0/+3" tokens and TWO "SS +1/+1" tokens. They form a separate reserve. They are also in limited number and follow the same rule as the light grey "0/+1" tokens.

Playing the Graignes mission:

You must follow these different phases each Turn, and their order of application.

Progression Phase:

1. The German ALWAYS has the initiative in this mission. He thus decides which Terrain is subject to an Assault each Turn by placing the "Assault" marker on it.

The German MUST always attack the village by placing his "Assault" token on one of the FOUR Terrains of the FIRST defensive ring during the FIRST Turn. Afterwards, only a Terrain of the first defensive ring, or a Terrain situated in a column whose first Terrain is already under the control of one side or the other, may suffer an Assault, UNLESS a "Barricade" prevents it. Thus, step by step, the German will approach the heart of the village to attack the "Objectif" Terrains.

2. Certain Event cards must be played during this phase to have an effect. These are the cards with the wording "Progression Phase" ("Diversion", "Tir de 88", etc.).

Special case "Diversion": you must play this card when the German has placed the "Assault" marker on a Terrain during the Progression Phase. You MUST move the marker to another eligible Terrain, that is, one that the German COULD have chosen.

Remark: you could well move it to an "Objectif" Terrain if it was eligible and that suited you!

3. Any effects of the chosen Terrain card must also be applied during this phase ("Route", etc.).

Production Phase:

The American MAY now choose to place ONE "Production" marker on its recto side: the green crates, on ONE "Objectif" Terrain still in play of HIS choice, NOT controlled (by either side) and NOT engaged, that is, with a "Production" marker on its verso side: the red crates, inherited from the previous Turn.

In one case only he cannot place a "Production" marker: when the German has played the card "Tir de 88".

If he plays the Heroic card "Aide des villageois" he may place TWO "Production" markers instead of one, on TWO DIFFERENT "Objectif" Terrains of his choice, including on a Terrain already engaged.

When the Terrain's production effect is applied (whatever the result), the American player turns the marker over to its verso side: the red crates, to signify that this Terrain may NOT produce in the NEXT Turn (except by exception linked to the Heroic card "Aide des Villageois").

Thus a Terrain can NEVER be activated TWICE in a row.

The third "Production" marker is used only if the Heroic card "Aide des villageois" is put into play.

An "Objectif" Terrain that is subject to an Assault CAN be chosen during the Production Phase, since the "Assault" itself takes place after this phase.

An "Objectif" Terrain controlled by one of the two sides can NO LONGER produce.

Remark: this means that as soon as an "Objectif" Terrain has suffered an Assault, it cannot be activated again on the following Turn, with the exception of the German Heroic card "Retraite organisée", which automatically puts this Terrain back into play.

The production effects of each Terrain:

• Grande Ferme: roll the die TWICE. If you obtain TWO "Success": the Size of the Terrain subject to the Assault is reduced by 1. If you obtain TWO "Failure": no effect. This result cannot be modified. If you obtain ONE single "Success": if you agree to pay FOUR Combat tokens (whichever they are), which you return to their respective Reserves, convert the "Failure" into a "Success" in order to apply the effect of the "Grande Ferme".
• Église: roll the die ONCE only. If you obtain a "Success", take from your Discard pile a Unit with a CV of 4 or less, show it to the German and add it to your hand.
• Mairie: take from the "Réserve Spéciale" ONE "+1/+2" token and from the "Réserve" ONE "0/+1" token.
• Maison Rouge: roll the die TWICE. For each "Success", the number of cards drawn by the German decreases by ONE on this Terrain. The German will nevertheless draw at least ONE card, whatever the Terrain.

The Assault (Graignes):

Assaults proceed as in the sequence described in the General Rules.

• If the German player wins the Assault:

  • He turns this card over to its reverse to indicate that it can no longer be put into play, and places one of his Control tokens on it.
  • He takes ONE card and ONE "0/+1" token from the Reserve.
  • He MAY decide to continue his progression towards the "Objectif" Terrain of THIS column if he wishes, by attacking either the Terrain of the second defensive ring or the "Objectif" Terrain if he has already reached the second defensive ring.

  Remark: the German can progress along a column only by launching the Assault Terrain after Terrain. He can therefore reach one of the "Objectif" Terrains of a column only after having delivered at least two Assaults.

• If the American player wins the Assault:

  • He turns this card over to its reverse to indicate that it can no longer be put into play, and places one of his Control tokens on it.
  • He takes TWO "0/+1" tokens from the Reserve.
  • He then PLACES the "Barricade" marker on the NEXT Terrain of this column, indicating that the German player CANNOT attack it on the NEXT Turn. This marker is removed at the end of the following Turn, so that it can be placed on another Terrain or returned to the centre of the village for later use.

Remark: a Terrain can NEVER be reconquered, which is why it is turned over. Thus the players will have a clear view of the battlefield at a glance.

Following Turns (Graignes):

The German always chooses WHERE to attack. He may therefore quite well decide to continue an attack along a column where he has just won an Assault, or to attack elsewhere, as long as he respects the rule of progression towards the "Objectif" Terrains. If he lost the previous Assault he MUST nevertheless attack the Terrains of another column, as the "Barricade" will prevent him from continuing his progression.

Heroic cards (Graignes):

Each side has THREE Heroic cards. When a side LOSES for the FIRST time an Assault in a defensive ring (there are three), it chooses ONE of its Heroic cards and adds it to its hand without showing it to its opponent. Thus at the end of the first Turn of play, one of the two sides may choose one of its Heroic cards.

A player takes only ONE Heroic card per defensive ring, even if he loses several Assaults in that ring.

He will therefore have to lose THREE Assaults, one on each defensive ring including of course that of the Village, in order to have all three of his Heroic cards in hand. The choice of Heroic cards is therefore very important, all the more so as some cards have strong play constraints that must be anticipated in order to benefit fully from their effect.

"Support" abilities (Graignes):

In this mission, the players will discover a new way of playing the Germans. Certain "SS" Unit cards with the word "Soutien" (Support) may be linked together, up to a maximum of TWO cards (they are played exactly like the Support ability of the American paratroopers). This is an exception to the standard rule that only ONE Unit may be played per Combat. This rule makes the SS particularly formidable, since the American never knows in advance what the real strength of the German Units attacking him will be.

Variants

There are EIGHT "Variant" cards among the cards of the "Sainte-Mère-Église" game, and TEN for the "Pegasus" game. All these cards are identified by a purple badge placed on the illustration of each card, in the top left corner. These cards are there to let you discover other tactics. Each exists in ONE copy only and may never be present in more than ONE copy in a Mission. To put them into play, you must replace ONE parent card of each type in play in this mission with its "Variant" card. For example: "Escouade de Parachutistes" by "Grenadiers Parachutistes", "Equipe radio" by "Equipe radio chevronnée", "Granatwerfer 42" by "Granatwerfer en appui", and so on. This changes the style of play, since the effects and names of the cards are no longer the same. If you wish to play with "Variant" cards, inform your opponent by revealing the number and type of cards put into play.

Replacement cards for the "Pegasus Bridge" game

ELEVEN cards of the "Pegasus Bridge" game have been added to the game's cards. These are replacement cards for the original game cards. We have added a clarification about the Heroic cards. Players who own "Opération Commando - Pegasus Bridge" may include them in their game for a better understanding of the card effects.