Port Stanley: Battle for the Falklands
Port Stanley: Battle for the Falklands Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Objectives
Recapture the capitol of Stanley, or force an Argentine surrender.
Prevent the British faction from capturing Stanley while not surrendering.
The exact victory is resolved via victory points (VP). See §11 for more.
§1 Components
The game consists of
- The board showing the northern part of East Falkland.
- 45 and 32 counters representing Argentine and British ground combat and support units, respectively.
- 17 and 6 counters representing Argentine and British aerial units, respectively.
- 12 counters representing British naval units.
- 48 Argentine and 36 British auxiliary markers.
- 57 general markers.
- One Argentine and one British Order of Battle chart.
- 4 pages of charts and tables.
In addition a single 6-sided dice is needed.
§1.1 The board
The stylised map of East Falkland and surrounding waters is segmented into hexes, identified by grid coordinates. Each hex is roughly 2.8 kilometres across. The map shows important features of the landscape as well as some man-made structures.
§1.1.1 Terrain
The terrain elements are summarised in Table 1.
High seas. These hexes represent sea areas which are subject to the full impact of the Antarctic weather conditions with high swells and fierce winds. Only naval and aerial units may negotiate these areas. Note, a hex which is partial land, partial sea can be occupied by both land as well as sea and aerial units.
Shallow seas. These hexes represent sea areas that are protected from impact of the Antarctic weather conditions. These are more calm waters and less subject to wind. Note, a hex which is partial land, partial sea can be occupied by both land as well as sea and aerial units.
Landing beach. These hexes are possible locations for the UK troops to land. The hexes are indicated by beach terrain and a line along the coast. These hexes come in groups, as identified by the number next to the beach line. For example hexes 0711, 0712, 0812, 0714, 0715, and 0613 are considered one landing zone (zone 1), as are the hexes 0608, 0709, 1108, and 1107 (zone 2). During the British amphibious assault phase, amphibious warfare ships (types L and A naval units) can move into sea hex adjacent to a landing hex and unload ground troops onto the beach hex.
Clear terrain. These hexes represent open terrain. The landscape of the Falkland Islands is generally very rugged, and so open terrain is not easily traversed on foot or in vehicles.
Rough terrain. Hilly and rocky areas. These are harder for troops to traverse.
Summit. A high point (upward 700 metres above sea level) on the islands. From these vantage points, troops have a clear view of the surrounding area and thus provide a defensive advantage.
River. Rivers run along hex sides. They form a natural barrier to advances. A bridge that spans over a river provides a road over the river, thus nullifying the barrier. There are three bridges on the map initially.
Possible airfield. A primitive airfield. These installations are not usable by either faction for aerial units. However, these can be improved to airfields. The possible airfield capacity is printed in parenthesis next to the airfield.
Permanent airfield. The permanent airfield near Stanley. This airfield has a better tarmac and can be used by military aerial units. This airfield has a capacity of 4. Other airfields may be built by the British engineering unit, captured by either faction, or destroyed in British special forces raids.
Roads. There are not many roads on the Falklands. These connect hexes and allow fast movement of troops over otherwise difficult terrain. Moving along a road greatly increases the range of troops.
Tracks. More common than roads are tracks. These are unpaved roads, which are easier to traverse than the open terrain. The British 33rd Engineer Regiment may build new tracks for other units to use (British and Argentine).
Settlement. These are essentially small hamlets scattered over the islands. While they do provide opportunities for Argentine faction to hide their numbers, they are not dense enough to provide any kind of cover. The settlements are not strategically important to either faction, but the capture of a settlement does hurt the overall Argentine morale.
Stanley. This is the prime objective of the game for the British faction. The roads in Stanley are generally paved and so units may move more freely through the town.
Bridge. Bridges allow easier passage over rivers. At the start of the game there are three bridges: between 2325 and 2425, 3223 and 3323, and 3016 and 3117. Both factions may blow up these bridges, but only the British 33rd Engineer Regiment may repair them.
Improved position. Technically not a terrain, but rather a mixture of trenches, land mines, and barbwire fences put up by a faction to improve a defensive stance. These can be constructed by both sides and are specific to the faction that constructed them.
Table 1: Terrain Effects Chart (TEC).
| Terrain | MF Cost | Combat DRM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High seas | n/a | Only air & naval units | |
| Shallow waters | n/a | Only air & naval units | |
| Landing beach | +2* | * Amphibious assault | |
| Clear | 3 | ||
| Rough | 4 | +1 | |
| Summit | 4 | +1 | Blocks line of sight |
| River |
§1.1.2 Record keeping
In the bottom right corner of the board are a number of tracks to keep record of the turn number, the number of off-map air factors (AF) for each type of aircraft, and the weather.
Above this area, to the north east, are an Argentine record keeping track and slots. The track records the overall morale of the Argentine forces (§3). There is a box for a West Falkland airfield (assumed to be on Lafonia or West Falkland), as well as boxes for assigning air missions (§7).
In the south west corner are boxes for British record keeping. There are three slots where the British faction declares the possible first landing zones (§4). The three slots "A", "B", and "C" are to prevent over-stacking of counters with naval ships. Move all units travelling with one or more naval units, as well as the naval units, in one of these boxes and use the corresponding counter on the map to record movements of this naval group.
§1.2 The counters — units & markers
The counters in the game are divided as
- Units. Counters that represent military units. This group is further divided into land, air, sea, and transport units.
- Markers. Counters that are used for game mechanics and non-unit equipment or installations.
All counters use NATO APP-6(d) symbology as far as possible. This symbology is summarised in Table 2.
Table 2 (NATO APP-6(d) symbology used) is a symbol key. Its entries are: infantry types (infantry, motorised infantry, mechanised infantry, marines, airborne, mountaineer (Gurka), SF special forces, armoured reconnaissance); support types (engineers, artillery, self-propelled artillery, air defence, headquarters, armoured personnel carrier (APC), supply); other land (decoy, missile launcher, improved position, air strip, track); air (fixed wing, rotary wing); sea (surface combatant, amphibious warfare); and echelons (section (≈ 10), platoon (≈ 30), company (≈ 150), battalion (≈ 600), regiment (≈ 1500), brigade (≈ 3000)).
§1.2.1 Land units
Examples of land unit counters are shown in Figure 1. Generally the land units have a front and a back side, with each side representing a step. Thus, when the unit is face-up, it represents a unit at full-strength, while a unit face-down represents the same unit at reduced-strength.
The land units contain information about the units as indicated in Figure 1.
Type. The type of the unit as per NATO APP-6(d) (see Table 2). Units of different types have different capabilities as will be explained in the text. For example, mountaineer (or Gurka) units do not suffer adverse effects when attacking into rough or summit hexes.
Infantry-type. The term infantry covers all kinds of infantry units, including normal, airborne, motorised, and mechanised infantry, as well as marines and mountaineer units.
Echelon. The place of the unit in the military hierarchy, and an indication of its size. Most units are battalions, or roughly 600 men, with their reduced size being companies (roughly 150 men). Note, however, that British infantry battalion units are really half-battalions or two companies. Thus, a real-life British battalion is represented by two battalion counters, for example, real-life 3 Para battalion is represented by the counters "uk a&b/2/3 abi" and "uk c&d/2/3 abi". A full British battalion, i.e., two counters, will be termed an administrative battalion in the following, while battalion refers to a single counter. Also note, that the brigade echelon of the Argentine headquarter units does not mean that those units represent a full brigade. Rather, these indicate the administrative placement within the military hierarchy (see also Table 3).
Identifier and Parent. These two fields identify the unit and its parent unit. For example, the top left unit in Figure 1 is the Argentine 1st Battalion, 4th Regiment, 3rd Mechanised Infantry Brigade (or shorter "ag 1/4/3 aicoy"), while the bottom left unit is 3 and 6 Squads of the Special Boat Squadron.
CF — Combat Factor. This number represents the fighting strength of a unit. The higher the number, the stronger the unit. Some units, notably support units, have a • for this factor. That means that such units cannot attack or defend against other units on their own. That is, • CF is not the same as 0 CF. Other units, notably special forces units, have a parenthesised number for CF (see e.g. the bottom unit in Figure 1), which indicates that such a unit cannot attack other units on its own, but does defend against attacks like other units.
MF — Movement Factor. This number indicates the unit's autonomous mobility. A • indicates that the unit cannot move on its own volition but must be transported by helicopter, APC, or sea. The higher the number, the more mobile is the unit.
EF — Efficient Factor. This number indicates how efficient, or well disciplined, a unit is. A high number indicates that the unit is very disciplined and can operate in difficult situations. A lower number means that the unit will easily become disorganised and therefore less operational. The EF is used when a unit is asked to do a morale check (MC, §2.8). Note that Argentine headquarter units do not have an EF rating, and thus are never subject to MCs.
Range (only artillery units). This indicates the remote fire range of artillery units. This counts the number of hexes away from the artillery unit that the unit may fire, not including the hex occupied by the artillery unit. Thus, a range of five means that the unit can fire at a unit up to five hexes away (four intervening hexes). However, the range can be smaller based on weather conditions and line-of-sight (§2.7).
Table 3 shows the battalion-equivalence of different kinds of units. For example, if a hex contains
- One infantry company and any number of support units or platoon-sized units, then the result is "< 0".
- Either 2 infantry companies, or one infantry battalion but no other support units (except supply), then the result is "1".
- Either 2 infantry companies and one or more support units, or 3 infantry companies, and any number of support units, or 1 infantry battalion and at least one support unit, then the result is "1+". That is, there is one battalion and some change.
- Any number of support units and either 4 infantry companies or 2 infantry battalions, then the result is "2+". That is, there are two battalions plus change.
Table 3: Infantry battalion equivalence. Columns are Other (support units, with ≥0 / ≥1 thresholds), and the infantry company and infantry battalion counts. Rows as printed:
| Equivalent | Other | Infantry company | Infantry battalion |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 1 | ≥ 0 | ||
| < 1 | ≥ 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 1+ | ≥ 1 | 2 | |
| 1+ | ≥ 0 | 3 | |
| 1+ | ≥ 1 |
Editor's note on Table 3: the printed table row label is "< 1", while the prose above gives the same result as "< 0". The table is transcribed as printed; the prose is transcribed as printed.
§1.2.2 Air units
Examples of air unit counters are shown in Figure 2. Generally the air units have a front and a back side, each with its own number of air factors (AF). Air factors can be freely combined by the controlling faction. For example, a faction may place an air unit counter with 4 AF together with another air unit with 2 AF for a combined 6 AF, or may split the same two units into two units each with 3 AF.
The air units contain information about the units as indicated in Figure 2. Air units do not have any movement factor (MF). Air units can move any number of hexes in a given turn over any kind of terrain (including sea hexes).
Type. The type of aircraft. The UK faction only has Harriers, while the Argentine faction has FMA IA 58 Pucarás (twin-propeller counter-insurgency, or COIN, tactical airstrike aircraft), A-4 Skyhawks (assault jet fighter), and Mirage IIIs (interceptor jet fighter). The number of AFs available is tracked separately for each type of aircraft, and Argentine Pucará are dealt with separately from the Skyhawk and Mirage III units.
AF — Air Factor. The combat strength of air units. This is used both for tactical airstrikes and close combat support, as well as for naval airstrikes. AFs may freely be combined or split up by the controlling faction. One AF corresponds roughly to 2½ planes of a given type.
§1.2.3 Sea units
Examples of sea unit counters are shown in Figure 3. Generally the sea units have a front and a back side, with the front side representing a full-strength ship or two ships, while the back side represents a reduced-strength ship or a single ship in a group.
The sea units contain information about the units as indicated in Figure 3. Sea units do not have any movement factor (MF). Sea units can move any number of hexes in a given turn over any kind of sea hex, including sea hexes that are partial land hexes.
Name. A sea unit counter may have one or two names on it, one to the left and possibly one to the right, of the main symbol. If the unit has two names, then it represents two distinct ships.
Type — Surface combatant or amphibious warfare. This field indicates the kind of ship(s) the unit represents. Combat ships, which can provide remote fire support and oppose air attacks, are indicated by the letters C (destroyers) or E (frigates), and a surface combatant symbol. Transport ships are denoted by an L (general landing ship) or A (amphibious transport dock) and an amphibious warfare symbol. The remainder of the symbols on the units depend on the type of ship(s).
CF — Combat Factor (C and E). The unit's remote fire combat factor, used when the ships perform shore bombardments.
Range (C and E). The unit's remote fire range.
DF — Defensive Factor (C and E). The unit's anti-air defensive strength. This factor is used when defending the unit, other sea units in the same hex, or other sea or land units in adjacent hexes, against Argentine naval or tactical airstrikes (§10.8.2 and §10.8.1).
Capacity (L and A). The troop capability of a transport unit. During a turn's amphibious assault phase (§9) an amphibious warfare unit can only land units up to its capacity (see also §2.9.4).
When adjusting the Argentine overall morale (§3) what counts is the number of individual ships sunk. Thus, the Argentine faction will gain 1 MP if an E or L sea unit is flipped from its front face to its back face. The Argentine faction will only gain 1 MP when a C or A unit is entirely eliminated (requires two hits for C type ships).
§1.2.4 Transport units
Examples of transport unit counters are shown in Figure 4. Only Argentine helicopter units have a back side, which is used to indicate a broken state of those units (§8.4.3).
Transport units fall in two categories: helicopters, and for the Argentine faction, armoured personnel carriers (APCs). The transport units contain information about the units as indicated in Figure 4. The information on the Argentine APCs is the same as for land units (§1.2.1).
For helicopter units, on the front side, is the unit's movement factor (MF). This indicates how many hexes a helicopter can move in a single phase, and how many other units or supplies it can pick up. Helicopter units spend 1 MF for each hex moved, including sea hexes, irrespective of the terrain. The back side of Argentine helicopter units is used to indicate that the unit is broken down, indicated by B. The presence of a broken-down Argentine helicopter unit indicates that no Argentine helicopter units may operate during that turn.
§1.2.5 Markers
The markers used in the game are shown in Figure 5.
Supply. These represent supply equipment used by a faction. The number indicates the number of supply points (SP) that the supply marker contains. These can be freely combined by the controlling faction. Supply markers of the opposing faction cannot be used, but supply markers can be captured (§8.3.6) or destroyed in special forces raids (§10.9.11).
Airfield. These markers can only be placed on possible airfield hexes on the board. These represent improvements to the airstrips that allow military air units to operate from these. The Argentine faction starts the game with three such markers placed on the board, possibly one placed in the West Falkland box. New airfields can be constructed by the British engineering... New airfields can be constructed by the British engineering unit, may be destroyed in aerial attacks or special forces raids (§10.8.4 and §10.9.11).
Improved position. These indicate defensive improvements to a hex. These consist of trenches, mine fields, and barbed wire put in place by land units. Either side may build improved positions in any land hex. Improved positions of the opposing faction cannot be used, but are destroyed when overrun. The number indicates the capacity of an improved position (§10.9.3).
Morale. A marker used by the Argentine faction to keep track of the overall Argentine morale (§3).
Game Turn. Marker used to keep track of the current turn. This is used with the turn track on the board.
Destroyed Bridge. These represent bridges that have been blown by either faction. Blown bridges can be repaired by the British 33rd Engineer Regiment.
Track. The British 33rd Engineer Regiment may build new tracks to facilitate easier movement by other land troops. Placing a track marker in a hex connects to any track or road in any adjacent hex (though not over sea borders).
Demoralised. A marker to indicate that a unit or stack of units has become demoralised as a consequence of artillery barrages or coastal bombardments (§10.9.9). A unit that is demoralised suffers a −1 EF modifier. Demoralisation lasts until the start of the next opposing faction's combat phase.
Isolated. A marker used to indicate that a unit or stack of units has become isolated (§2.4). Isolated units consume supply points (SP) at a higher rate than usual.
Weather. There are two such counters. One is used to keep track of the current turn's primary weather, and the other is used for the secondary weather (§6).
Figure 5 (Markers) is a counter illustration; the marker types are described above.
§1.3 Order of Battle
The Argentine and British factions each have their own Order of Battle chart (OOB). This shows the units available to the factions and when the units become available.
§1.3.1 Argentine OOB
The block Face up shows the units and installations that the Argentine faction must place on the board before the start of turn 1, visible to all (§4).
The three air unit slots show the number of air factors (AF) available to the Argentine faction. See §1.3.3 for more on this. The three airfield units should be placed on potential airfield hexes.
The block below, At-start (hidden), contains other units that the Argentine faction must place on the map secretly. The counters in the Cover units section should be used to hide the exact deployment of these units.
The Argentine faction has six decoy counters which it can use to deceive the British faction. These must be stacked with real units when deployed. The 10 improved position markers may be stacked with deployed company or battalion units.
If the optional rule of Argentine reinforcements is used (§12.1), then two infantry or decoys are not deployed initially but may arrive as reinforcements at a later turn.
§1.3.2 British OOB
At the top of the British OOB are 11 markers representing the 11 possible first invasion beaches. The British faction must, secretively, select three of these and place them on the board in the designated slots. The remaining 8 markers should be discarded.
The section Turn 1 contains the units available to the British faction starting on the first turn. The land units are considered to be stationed with the task force off-map until they can be brought ashore in the British invasion phase (§9).
The British faction may not be able to land all units in the first turn. In that case, the remaining units are kept on the OOB until they can be brought onto East Falkland, either via an amphibious assault or transported by helicopter.
The naval units are all available and can enter the board via any high seas hex along the edge of the map. Since naval units can move anywhere on the map, these can later on be anywhere at sea. The amphibious warfare ships, however, can be placed on a beach hex during the British amphibious assault phase.
The block also shows that the British faction initially receives 8 AF worth of Harriers. Initially these are based on the carriers of the task force off-map, but can, at a later point, be based in airfields on East Falkland. See also §1.3.3 below.
The units in the block Turn 6 are not available until turn 6. From that turn on, units in this block may be brought onto the map. The "E" helicopter is only used if the random event (§12.2) optional rule is in effect.
§1.3.3 Air units
Air units can either be based off-map or on-map. On-map air units return to a friendly airfield at the end of the controlling faction's combat phase (§10), while off-map air counters are stored on the faction's OOB. The number of off-map AFs available is tracked on the board, in the south east corner, by the corresponding Available marker. The number of on-map AFs is tracked by air unit markers present on the map.
The Argentine Skyhawk and Mirage III are based on mainland Argentina and are therefore solely off-map units. The Argentine faction has a maximum of 12 AF of Skyhawks and 14 AF of Mirage IIIs, as indicated on the Argentine OOB.
The British Harrier air units may be based either on the off-map task force carriers, or in a captured or constructed airfield on East Falkland. The Harrier units that are based on the task force carriers are therefore considered off-map units. The British initially have 8 AF, as shown on the OOB, which start off-map. In turn 6, the British receive another 6 AF worth of Harrier units, as shown on the OOB.
When off-map type AFs are lost, or, in the case of British Harrier AFs, are moved to an airfield on East Falkland, then the markers on these tracks are adjusted down accordingly. A faction may never deploy more off-map AFs of a given aircraft type than what is currently available.
British Harrier AFs that started off-map may return off-map, i.e., to the carriers in the task force, or land on an airfield under British control on East Falkland. The British AF track must be adjusted accordingly. However, at no point may the British faction have more than 8 AF off-map, or more than 8 AF based on East Falkland.
From turn 6 on, the British faction can have up to 14 AF. However, at most 8 AF can be on East Falkland airfields.
If the British faction has captured or constructed enough airfields on East Falkland to hold 8 AF worth of Harrier units, and has based them there, then up to 6 AF could be off-map, notwithstanding losses.
Likewise, if the British faction had 6 AF stationed on East Falkland airfields, it could have up to 8 AF off-map, again notwithstanding losses.
The Argentine Pucará AFs must be based on-map, either on a friendly airfield on East Falkland, or on the West Falkland airfield. There is therefore no Pucará AF track on the board.
Air units, such as the Argentine Pucará or possibly British Harrier, based on airfields on East or West Falkland, are more vulnerable than those off-map. The British faction may conduct special forces raids (§10.9.11) against an airfield, or perform airfield bombardments (§10.8.4). Both factions may also capture the opponent's airfields. The loss of airfield capacity implies loss of AFs.
For the British faction, it therefore seems prudent to keep all Harriers off-map. However, if the optional rule of random events (§12.2) is used, the British faction may be forced to ensure airfields have air capabilities.
§2 Definitions and concepts
§2.1 Die rolls and modifiers
All die rolls are resolved using a single 6-sided die. A die roll modifier (DRM) is a number, positive or negative, that is added to a die roll. DRMs are cumulative, meaning that they add up. A die roll with DRMs added is called a modified die roll (DRM).
Smaller die rolls are generally considered "better" than larger die rolls. Thus, positive DRMs represent adverse effects, while negative DRMs represent beneficial effects.
Example. A unit defending from an improved position against units attacking over river hex sides has a +1 DRM from the improved position and a +1 DRM from being attacked behind a river. Thus, when resolving the combat the DRM is +2.
Example. A Gurka attacking into a rough hex has +1 DRM for attacking into a rough hex, but a −1 DRM exactly because it is a mountaineer unit attacking into a rough hex, for a total 0 DRM.
§2.2 Zone of control
Infantry, of any variety (§1.2.1), reconnaissance, engineer, or artillery units of company, battalion, or regiment size exert a zone of control (ZOC) into the six hexes adjacent to the hex the unit occupies. ZOC does not extend over shorelines nor over inland lakes.
Units that do not exert ZOC are headquarters, air defence, missile launcher, special forces (SF), armoured personnel carrier, or helicopter units, any unit of platoon or section size, or brigade size, as well as any naval or air unit. Temporary installations, such as airfields, supply, improved positions, tracks, and Argentine decoys, do not represent any fighting capability, and thus do not exert ZOC either.
Note on the figures on pages 12–13 (Figures 6–8, illustrating communication lines, isolation and sustaining an attack): these are board diagrams whose captions are transcribed below.
Initially, most Argentine units are hidden. If the Argentine faction wishes for hidden units to exert ZOC, it can simply declare, truthfully or not, that a unit is of at least company size.
ZOC exerted by enemy units, sometimes called EZOC, limits a unit's movement and supply lines. Land units, except headquarters, must come to a stop when moving into enemy ZOC. Headquarter units may move from one enemy ZOC to another enemy ZOC by expending 16 MF. These are the only units that can do this.
Normally a unit may freely move into an EZOC, but must pass an MC (§2.8) to leave an EZOC. Argentine units, however, when the overall morale of the Argentine faction is medium or low (MP between 11 and 1), must also pass an MC to enter EZOC.
Helicopter units cannot pass through enemy ZOC, nor directly over enemy units, while air and naval units can freely move through them.
Units cannot trace a line of supply (§2.5) through EZOC, except if the hex occupied by friendly units.
§2.3 Communication line
A communication line is a contiguous sequence of land hexes from a source unit to its target. Communication lines may be limited in range, or of any length. A communication line may not pass
- through enemy ZOC (§2.2),
- The presence of friendly units in EZOC cancels the effect of the enemy unit(s), and the communication line can be traced through such a hex.
- over shorelines, nor
- across inland lakes.
If a communication line is limited, then the range can be given either
- as a fixed number of hexes, or
- in terms of MF.
In the latter case, the communication line must be traced as if a unit was moving along the path. That is, the terrain over which the communication line is traced factors in, including the extra cost of crossing river hex sides. More on the expenditure of MF is given in §8.
In both cases, the hex occupied by the source unit is not included, but the target hex is. See also Figure 6 for an example.
Figure 6 caption: Example of line of communication. A communication line is required to be no longer than 9 MF. This means that three clear hexes is within range, while two clear and one rough is not. Thus UK A&B/40/3 MARIBTN is in communication with the British supply unit, while UK C&D/40/3 MARIBTN is not.
§2.4 Isolation
A unit, or group of units, that can not trace a communication line (§2.3) to the main supply for its faction, is isolated. The main supplies are
- Stanley (4419).
- Any landing beach where the British faction has performed a successful landing.
Isolated units, or groups of such units, consume supplies (SP) at a faster rate than normally. An isolated group of units must spend 1 SP per turn, at the beginning of the faction's movement phase (§8). A group of isolated units is the largest set of units, all isolated, with internal communication lines between them.
Example. A group of three units are isolated. However, one of the units is cut off from the other two units by EZOC. Thus the three units constitute two groups, each of which must spend 1 SP.
The owning faction need only spend 1 SP per group, not 1 SP per isolated unit. If it is not possible for a group of units to spend 1 SP, because a supply unit is not within defensive range (§2.5.3), they all suffer a −1 EF penalty. See also Figure 7 for an example.
Figure 7 caption: Example of isolation. The 2nd Scottish Guard has isolated the AG 1/12/3 AIBTN in Fitzroy with a single SP, which will quickly be exhausted. Since helicopter units may fly over sea hexes, it is possible for the Argentine faction to transport supply into range of isolated units, unless totally surrounded by enemy units, so that the isolated unit could cover its SP requirement. This, however, will not bring the unit out of isolation.
§2.5 Supply
Both factions have supply units that can be transported to anywhere on the board using helicopters, or, for the Argentine faction, by APCs.
The sources of unlimited supply points are
- The airfield near Stanley (4618). The Argentine faction places the supply counters at the airfield and can transport them from there.
- The off-map task force ships. The British faction must use helicopters to bring supplies from the task force ships, or land them from amphibious warfare vessels at landing beaches. Note that Teal Inlet (2814) can be used as a landing beach once the British has occupied or passed through that hex.
A single SP represents the supplies needed by an infantry battalion to sustain operations for a turn (2 days). Supply counters can freely be combined or split by the controlling faction.
§2.5.1 Supply lines
A supply line is a communication line (§2.3) of finite length, from unit in question to a supply.
§2.5.2 Sustaining attacks
An infantry or artillery company or battalion unit must be sustained to perform an attack. To be sustained a unit must be able to trace a supply line (§2.5.1) no longer than range given in the Attack column of Table 4.
- Company or battalion infantry unit must be able to trace a supply line of 9 MF.
- Reconnaissance units must be able to trace a supply line of half its MF.
- Artillery units must be in the hex or an adjacent hex to the supply.
Platoon units need not be sustained to perform an attack.
Example. For example an infantry battalion can at most be three (two intervening) clear hexes away from a supply.
Furthermore, a number of SPs must be expended to perform an attack. To sustain an attack by an infantry or reconnaissance battalion, or artillery company, 1 SP must be spent. Two infantry or reconnaissance companies, or one artillery platoon, may be sustained by the expenditure of ½ SP. That is, ½ SP per infantry or reconnaissance company, or artillery platoon, attacking, rounded up to a whole number of SPs.
Figure 8 caption: Example of sustaining an attack. Three infantry and one artillery company attack, meaning 3 × ½ + 1 = 3½ + 1 = 2½ → 3 SPs must be spent. If only 1 SP is available, then the controlling faction could choose to attack with either 2 infantry companies or one artillery company.
If an attack by a unit, or units, cannot be sustained, either due to range of lack of SPs, then that unit, or units, may not attack. See also Figure 8 for an example.
Table 4: Supply ranges and consumption.
| Unit | Range: Defence | Range: Attack | SP per attack: Regiment (|||) | Battalion (||) | Company (|) | Platoon (•••) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Infantry | MF | 9 MF | | 1 | ½ | | | Reconnaissance | MF | ½ of MF | | 1 | ½ | | | Engineers | | n/a | 1 | | | | | Artillery | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | ½ | | Headquarters | | ½ of MF | | | | | | Special forces | 1 SP/group | | 1/group/turn | | | |
Editor's note on Table 4: the table's SP columns are reproduced as printed, with the infantry/reconnaissance and artillery entries read from the table image; the Defence "MF" entry is printed across the infantry and reconnaissance rows.
§2.5.3 Sustaining defence
Infantry and reconnaissance companies and battalions, and engineering regiments must be able to trace a supply line no longer than the units' MF to sustain its defence. An artillery unit must either occupy the same hex as the supply or a hex adjacent, to sustain its defence.
Platoon and brigade units do not need to be sustained for defence.
If a unit cannot trace a valid defensive supply line, then it suffers a −1 EF penalty while defending. No SP are expended for defence.
§2.6 Argentine control and command
A command and control line is a communication line (§2.3) from a unit to a headquarter unit no longer than half the unit's MF.
An Argentine unit must be able to trace a command and control line to an Argentine headquarter unit to be able to attack. If such a line cannot be drawn, then the Argentine unit may not attack.
Argentine command and control lines are not needed for defence.
§2.7 Line of sight
Line-of-Sight (LOS) is a straight line from a source hex's centre to the target hex's centre. Certain terrain fea-
Certain terrain features limit LOS, as summarised in Table 5.
- An LOS from a clear or sea hex to another clear or sea hex, which only passed through clear or sea hexes, is limited to three hexes.
- An LOS from a clear or sea hex, passing through clear or sea hexes, ends at the first rough hex no further than 5 hexes away.
- An LOS from a rough hex to a clear or sea hex, which only passed through clear or sea hexes, is limited to 5 hexes or the first rough hex not in the same cluster of rough hexes as the source hex, whichever is shortest.
- An LOS starting at a summit to any hex, which does not pass through another summit hex, is limited to 7 hexes or the first rough hex not in the same cluster of rough hexes as the source hex, whichever is shortest.
- The LOS from a summit to another summit is infinite, as long as it does not pass through a third summit hex.
Points 1 and 2 above say that an LOS can be drawn over 4 clear hexes to a fifth rough hex, but one cannot form an LOS over 4 clear hexes alone. The fifth rough hex is assumed to be higher ground and the fourth clear hex at the foot of the rough cannot be seen.
Points 2 and 3 are asymmetric, in so far as the LOS from a rough hex extends can end in an adjacent clear or sea hex, or extend further out. Note that a line of sight from a rough hex to another rough hex is limited to one hex, even if the target rough hex is in the same cluster as the source hex.
LOS is traced from the source hex's centre to the target hex's centre. It can, therefore, pass between two hexes. The LOS is considered blocked, in this case, only if both hexes are blocking (e.g., both summits or rough). See also Figure 9 and Table 6 for examples of line of sight.
The primary and secondary weather may affect LOS. If primary weather is stormy, then the maximum LOS range is 2 hexes (one intervening hex). If the secondary weather is foggy, then LOS range is 1 hex (only adjacent hexes), irrespective of the primary weather.
Table 5: Line of Sight (LOS). (Rows read from the printed table, with terrain icons identified as clear or sea, rough, and summit.)
| From | Via | To | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| clear or sea | clear or sea | clear or sea | 3 |
| clear or sea | clear or sea | first rough or summit | 5 |
| rough | clear or sea | clear or sea | 5 or first rough or summit, whichever is first |
| summit | not summit | not summit | 7 or first rough or summit, whichever is first |
| summit | not summit | summit | ∞ |
Table 6: Examples of line of sight. See Figure 9 for illustration. Rows as printed; terrain icons in the Notes column are described from the page image.
| From | To | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | 7 | summit to clear |
| C | D | 5 | rough to clear, via clear and sea |
| E | F | 3 | clear to clear, via clear |
| G | (summit) | ∞ | summit to summit (Mt. Wickham) |
| H | I | ∞ | summit to summit |
| K | L | Blocked by first other rough | |
| H |
Table 6 and Figure 9 are a worked illustration of Table 5; the printed page should be consulted for the exact hex icons.
§2.8 Morale check
At certain points, for example as a result of combat or when leaving EZOC, a unit must perform a morale check (MC).
- Any current EF modifiers, for example from being out of supply (§2.5.3) or the overall Argentine morale, are added to the unit's EF.
- Any MC die roll modifiers (§2.1) are totalled and added to a single die roll.
- The DRM modified die roll is compared to the unit's modified EF.
- If the modified die roll is less than the unit's modified EF, then the unit passes the morale check.
- If the modified die roll is greater than or equal to the unit's modified EF, then the unit fails the morale check.
Morale checks are performed for each affected unit individually.
Example. An out-of-supply (§2.5.3) unit is defending against an attack, and an "R1" result (§10.9.1) is obtained. The unit suffers a −1 EF penalty for being out-of-supply, and a +1 DRM due to the combat result. Thus, the unit passes its MC on raw die roll which is less than its EF minus 2.
§2.9 Stacking
A single land hex may contain more than one unit. Such a set of units all occupying a single hex is called a stack. The number of land units that can occupy a single land hex or be stacked with amphibious warfare ships is limited as explained below.
§2.9.1 On land hexes
There are limitations on the number of units that can stack in a single hex.
Stacking limitations only apply to infantry, of any variety, and reconnaissance units of company or battalion sizes.
Other kinds of units, installations, or markers do not count toward stacking limitations, including platoons, headquarters, engineers, artillery, air defence, APC, helicopter, naval, air, or decoy units, as well as the Exocet missile launcher, airfield, and improved position installations, and finally supply markers. At most 4 stacking points may be stacked in a single hex. The stacking points of units are summarised in Table 7.
- Infantry and reconnaissance company units are worth 1 stacking point.
- Infantry and reconnaissance battalion units are worth 2 stacking points.
Table 7: Stacking points on land hexes. At most 4 stacking points may be present in a hex at the end of a movement or combat phase.
| Unit | Company | Battalion | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry and reconnaissance | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
The stacking limitation of 4 stacking points must be observed at the end of a movement (§8) or combat (§10) phases, but not during any of those phases.
This means that units may move through other friendly units, and thus temporarily violate stacking limitations.
If stacking limitations are violated at the end of the movement or combat phases, then the controlling faction must eliminate units so that the limitations are observed. The controlling faction decides which units to eliminate.
Figure 9 (Examples of line of sight) is a board illustration; see Table 6 for the keys.
§2.9.2 Partial land and sea hexes
A hex which is part land, part sea, counts as a land hex for stacking land units, but as a sea hex for stacking sea units, including their embarked land units.
§2.9.3 On sea hexes
There are no stacking limitations on sea hexes. That is, as many naval, air, or helicopter units may be placed in a single sea hex. There are no stacking limitations for naval, air, or helicopter units; however, there are limitations as to how many land units and supplies that can be stacked on an amphibious warfare ship, which is dealt with in §2.9.4.
§2.9.4 On amphibious warfare ships
Each of the British amphibious warfare vessel units has a capacity. The capacities are individual to each unit, and land units embarked on an amphibious warfare unit are tied to that unit for the remainder of the voyage.
Example. The British faction has placed HMS Intrepid (capacity 3), HMS Lancelot and HMS Geraint (capacity 2) in a single sea hex. The total capacity is 5.
The British faction may place land units and supplies on a stack of amphibious warfare ships up to the capacity of each amphibious warfare unit. The capacity required by each kind of unit is summarised in Table 8.
- Battalions, no matter the kind of unit, consume a landing capacity of 2.
- Non-battalion units, including regiments and platoons, consume a single capacity point.
- A supply (§2.5) consumes a landing capacity of 1 per SP.
- Special Forces units (SAS and SBS detachments) have their own landing vessels and helicopters and do not consume landing capacity.
- Helicopter and air units do not land from amphibious warfare ships. Rather, they arrive from the off-map task force ships.
- Airfield, improved positions, and tracks are constructed in-place and are not brought on map via landings.
Note that artillery and engineer units consume one landing capacity.
Table 8: Stacking on amphibious warfare ships. The capacity of all amphibious warfare ships in a hex are combined for a total capacity. The sum of capacity needed may not exceed the total capacity of the landing vessels.
| Unit | Capacity used |
|---|---|
| Battalion | 2 |
| Non-battalion (regiment, company, platoon) | 1 |
| Supply | 1/SP |
| Special forces | 0 |
These stacking limitations apply at all times. That is, at no point may amphibious warfare ship stacking limitations be violated.
Continuing the example above, with a total capacity of 5. The British faction may place:
- 2 battalions and one company (one battalion alone on HMS Lancelot and HMS Geraint),
- 1 battalion, 2 companies, 1 SP (the battalion and supply together on HMS Intrepid, for example),
- 1 battalion, 1 company, 2 SP (the battalion and 1 SP together on HMS Intrepid, for example),
- 1 battalion, 1 company, 1 air defence platoon, 1 regiment, 1 supply
on these ships.
§3 Argentine general morale
The overall morale of the Argentine troops is tracked by the number of Argentine morale points (MP). Initially, the Argentine faction has 12 MP, but may gain or lose MPs as summarised in Table 9.
In- or decreases of the Argentine MP happen according to certain events in the game.
- +1 MP for each settlement occupied during the initial setup (§4) up to maximum of 5 MP.
- +1 MP for each British step loss on land units as a result of combat (but not including volatile step losses, §10.9.5). Direct elimination (§10.9.6) also counts, i.e., a 2-step full-strength unit eliminated accounts for +2 MP, while the same unit eliminated in its reduced state only accounts for +1 MP (the other step has probably already been reflected in the Argentine MP).
- +1 MP for each British ship, not naval unit, sunk, for example as result of naval airstrikes or barrages (§10.8.2 and §10.9.9).
- +1 MP if a British special forces raid fails (§10.9.11).
- +1 MP if reinforcements arrive (optional rule §12.1).
- +1 MP if the British faction retreats from Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019), one MP per summit, and only once per game. By retreat is meant either a forced or voluntary retreat as a result of combat (§10.9.4), or if the British faction moves troops away from these summits in a direction away from Stanley.
- +1 MP if the Argentine faction reoccupies Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019), one MP per summit, and only once per game. To reoccupy, the summit must first have been lost to the British faction.
- −1 MP for every settlement occupied (at one point or another) by the British faction, and only once per settlement.
- −1 MP if a two-step Argentine unit is eliminated.
- −1 MP if an Argentine headquarter unit is eliminated, though only if not as a consequence of a special forces raid.
- −1 MP if a British special forces raid was successful, i.e., destroyed the target of the raid (§10.9.11).
- −1 MP the first time the British faction successfully lands troops on East Falkland (§9).
Table 9: Argentine overall morale modifiers and effects. The modifiers are printed in two columns, +1 and −1, as follows.
+1 MP:
- Settlement occupied, turn 1, max 5 (§3, above).
- British step loss.
- Ship (or naval unit) eliminated.
- Special forces raid failed.
- Unsuccessful British attack.
- Reinforcements (optional).
- British retreat from Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019).
- Argentine reoccupy of Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019).
−1 MP:
- British occupy settlement.
- Two-step Argentine unit eliminated.
- Argentine headquarter unit eliminated (not raid).
- Special forces raid success.
- 1st successful British landing.
- Cold weather.
- British occupy Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019).
The printed table also gives the morale level effects:
| Level | High | Medium | Low | Break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP | 17–11 | 10–6 | 5–1 | 0 |
| MC enter | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| MC build | ✔ | |||
| Attack DRM (Argentine land units attacking) | +1 | +1 | ||
| Attack DRM (British attacking Argentine land units) | −1 | −1 |
Note on Table 9: the printed table shows "MC build" as a Low-level effect only, while §3.1 below lists the improved-position MC under medium morale. Both are transcribed as printed.
Other printed modifiers:
- −1 MP on any cold weather turn (§6).
- −1 MP if the British faction occupies Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019), one MP per summit, and only once per game.
- −1 MP at end of turns 4, 8, and 12.
§3.1 Effects of Argentine morale levels
When the Argentine morale is high (between 11 and 17 MP), there are no effects.
When the Argentine morale is medium (between 6 and 10 MP) it has the following consequences:
- An Argentine unit must perform a successful MC (§2.8) to enter enemy ZOC.
- An Argentine unit must perform a successful MC (§2.8) to build an improved position.
- Attacks by Argentine land units suffer a +1 DRM.
- British attacks made against Argentine land units gain a −1 DRM.
At low morale (between 5 and 1 MP), all the effect of medium morale listed above are in effect, and
- All Argentine units suffer a −1 EF modifier.
- Argentine Infantry and reconnaissance units suffer a −4 MF penalty. Note that this also effects command and control, and supply ranges.
- All Argentine APCs suffer a −8 MF penalty.
If the morale breaks (0 or less MP), then the Argentine faction surrenders and the game ends immediately. The victory points of both factions are tallied and the winner of the game is determined.
§4 Setting up
To set up the game follow the steps below, in order.
- The factions place all their units on their respective Order of Battle (OOB) chart.
- Various markers are set up.
- The turn marker is placed on the first slot on the turn track on the board.
- Place the primary Weather marker on Clear, but leave the secondary Weather off the board. On the first turn, the primary weather is always clear, but the secondary weather will be determined later (§6).
- The 2 Skyhawk and Mirage III Available air markers are placed on the off-map AF track at the 12 and 14 slots, respectively.
- The Harrier Available air marker is placed on the off-map AF at the 8 slot.
- Place the Morale marker in the 12 slot on the Argentine Morale track.
- The British faction selects three landing zones, in secret, and places the corresponding landing zone markers in the three slots on the board, face-down. The remaining landing zone markers are removed from the OOB.
- The Argentine faction places 3 airfield markers, face-up, on the board.
- One airfield marker may be placed in the off-map box on the board.
- Other airfield markers must be placed in airfield hexes.
- The airfield near Stanley (4618) need not have an airfield marker.
- The Argentine faction places 12 AF worth of Pucará units, in airfield on the board (including the off-map airfield). No more than 3 AF may be placed in a given airfield, except for the airfield near Stanley (4618) and off-map airfield, which may contain up to 4 AF worth of Pucará units.
- The Argentine faction places its two helicopter and APC units anywhere on the map.
- The Argentine faction may decide to destroy any bridge on the map. If it chooses to do so, a destroyed bridge marker is placed on the bridge. The faction may choose to blow all, some or none of the bridges.
If the optional rule of Argentine reinforcements is used (§12.1), then two infantry or decoys are not deployed initially but may arrive as reinforcements at a later turn.
- Land units may be placed anywhere on the map in any land hex. Land units are infantry, reconnaissance, artillery, air defence units, or the Exocet missile launcher installations.
- If an airfield marker was placed in the off-map airstrip, then land units may also be placed there. These serve to garrison the airfield against British raids (§10.9.11). Units placed on the off-map airfield may be transported by helicopter, in to the map at some later point (§8.4.3).
- Decoy units must be placed with at least one real unit.
- Supplies must be placed in Stanley, a settlement, an airfield, on a road or track hex, or in a hex adjacent to a road or track hex.
- Up to 8 improved position markers may be placed with any Argentine land unit, but may not be hidden. The improved positions may be placed with capacity 2, even if it only contains 1 infantry battalion or the equivalent. An improved position must be placed with at least one infantry company, and cannot be placed solely with supplies, platoon, or brigade units.
If the Argentine faction sets up any of its land units to occupy a settlement, then 1 MP is gained immediately. No more than 5 MP can be gained by this initial setup.
Once the Argentine faction has set up the units, a "hide" marker should be placed on top of each stack so that the British faction cannot see which units are deployed where.
Note that Argentine Pucará, helicopter and APC units may not be hidden. They can be stacked with hidden units, in which case they unit counter should be placed on top of the stack, so that it is visible to the British faction.
- The British faction starts with no units, land, air, or sea, on the map. These will be brought in during the first and subsequent turns. The units available to be brought in are those in the "Turn 1" section of the British OOB.
The game is now ready to start. For 15 turns, follow the turn sequence outlined in §5.
§5 Turn sequence
All 15 turns of the game follow the same sequence, as illustrated in Table 10.
Each of the phases will be expanded upon in the following sections. Here is a brief overview of the phases.
Table 10: Turn sequence. (The table below is a phase-by-phase summary of the printed turn-sequence diagram.)
| Phase | Faction | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | Both | Roll for weather, transport, auto recon. |
| Air allocation | Both factions, simultaneously | Allocate air units to air missions. |
| Movement | Argentine | Land units, air units, and transports. |
| Amphibious assault | British | Roll landing, adjacent to beach. |
| Combat | Argentine | Move non-attack, air and land combat. |
| Movement | British | Land units, air units, and transports. |
| Combat | British | Move non-attack, air and land combat. |
Weather. In this phase the factions determine the weather for the rest of the turn, and Argentine faction rolls for available transport units (§6).
Air unit allocation. Both faction in secret allocate air units to air missions. At the end of the phase, both factions must reveal their allocations (§7).
Movement. The Argentine faction moves any of its units, including air units and transports (§8).
Amphibious assault. The British faction declares landings, rolls for their possibility and moves amphibious warfare vessels adjacent to the landing beach hexes. If an amphibious assault is unopposed, then the land units may be moved ashore in this phase (§9).
Combat. The Argentine faction executes its combat phase (§10), which includes non-attack movement, air and land combat resolutions.
Movement. The British faction moves any of its units, including air and sea units, as well as helicopter transports (§8). The British engineering regiment may also build tracks or repair bridges during this phase.
Combat. The British faction executes its combat phase (§10), which includes non-attack movement, including construction of tracks or repair bridges, reconnaissance, raids, as well as air and land combat resolutions.
§6 Weather determination
On every start of turn, the factions determine the primary and secondary weather of the turn. The weather of the turn has certain effects on units' capabilities as summarised in Table 12.
On turn 1 the primary weather is clear.
§6.1 Primary weather
One of the factions rolls a single die, and cross-indexes the weather of the previous turn with the die roll in the Primary weather determination table (Table 11). Note that the row depends on the current turn number. The result is the primary weather for the remainder of this turn. Move the primary weather marker on the board to the corresponding slot on the weather track.
§6.2 Secondary weather
The other faction then rolls a single die and cross-indexes the current primary weather with the die roll in the Secondary portion of the table. The result is the secondary weather of this turn. Move the secondary marker to the corresponding slot on the board.
Table 11: Weather determination table.
Primary weather (die roll, Turns 1–6 / Turns 7–15; columns give the weather of the last turn):
| Die roll (Turns 1–6) | Die roll (Turns 7–15) | Last turn Clear | Last turn Cloudy | Last turn Stormy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear | Clear | Clear | |
| 2 | 1 | Clear | Clear | Clear |
| 3 | 2 | Cloudy | Cloudy | Clear |
| 4 | 3 | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy |
| 5 | 4 | Stormy | Cloudy | Cloudy |
Secondary weather (die roll, All; columns give the current primary weather of this turn):
| Die roll | This turn Clear | This turn Cloudy | This turn Stormy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cold | Cold | Cold |
| 2 | None | Cold | Cold |
| 3 | None | None | Cold |
| 4 | None | Foggy | Foggy |
| 5 | None | Rough | Rough |
| 6 | Calm | Calm | Rough |
Table 11 is transcribed from the printed table image; the column headers are the three primary weather types (Clear, Cloudy, Stormy) as the last-turn and this-turn weather.
§6.3 Effects of weather
The effects of the primary weather are:
- Clear. On clear weather two hidden Argentine units are reconnoitred (revealed). On odd turns (3, …, 15) the two units are chosen by the Argentine faction, while the British faction chooses on even turns (2, 4, …, 14) (see also §6.5). Clear weather has no other effects.
- Cloudy. On cloudy weather one hidden Argentine unit is reconnoitred (revealed). The unit is chosen by the same faction as for clear weather (see also §6.5). No Skyhawk operations are possible.
- Stormy. No air operations at all, including helicopter transports, combat die rolls get a +1 DRM, and special forces raids and off-map withdrawals are not possible. Line of sight is limited to two hexes. Note, if the secondary weather is foggy, then the line of sight is only one hex.
The effects of the secondary weather, in addition to the primary weather effects, are:
- None. No additional effects.
- Cold. The Argentine faction suffers −1 MP. The Argentine faction must immediately adjust the morale marker on the Argentine morale track on the board.
- Calm. Rolls on the British amphibious assault table (§9) receive a −1 DRM.
- Foggy. No air operations are possible, including helicopter transports. Combat rolls receive a −1 DRM, line of sight is reduced to one hex (also during stormy weather), special forces raids and withdrawals are not possible, and rolls on the British reconnaissance table (Table 24) receive a +2 DRM.
- Rough. Rolls on the British amphibious assault table (§9) receive a +1 DRM.
Table 12: Weather effects table.
| Weather | Auto recon units | Air operations | Skyhawk operations | Combat DRM | Line of sight (hexes) | Raids, transport | Morale | Amphibious assault DRM | Reconnaissance DRM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear | 2 | ||||||||
| Cloudy | 1 | ✘ | |||||||
| Stormy |
§6.4 Availability of Argentine transports
After determining the weather, the Argentine faction must determine which, and how many, of its transport units (APCs and helicopters) are available for this turn.
- If the Argentine faction did not use any transport on the previous turn, then the die roll for transport availability receives +1 DRM.
- If the Argentine faction used a particular transport on the previous turn, then the die roll for that type of transport receives a −1 DRM.
If the Argentine faction used only its helicopters on the previous turn, then the die roll for availability of helicopters gets a +1 DRM, while the die roll for APCs is unaffected.
The Argentine faction rolls a die twice — one for each type of transport — and the modified result is looked up in the Argentine available transports table (Table 13) in the appropriate column. The result indicates how many units of the given type the Argentine faction may operate this turn.
For helicopters, the result 'B' means that
- No helicopter transports may be used this turn.
- One helicopter unit, of the Argentine faction's choice, is broken down. The counter of that unit is flipped to its face-down side.
- If any helicopter unit was already flipped to its face-down side, then it is destroyed and the removed from the board. Note that this means that the Argentine faction can only have one helicopter unit on its flip side.
On other results for the helicopter availability, any helicopter unit that is face-down (marked as broken down) is flipped to its face-up side — even if only one helicopter unit is available. That is, the broken-down status of helicopter units is reset.
Table 13: Argentine available transports.
| Die roll | # Helicopter units | # APC units |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | B | 0 |
| 6 | B | 0 |
| 7 | B | 0 |
| DRM | Used last turn: helicopter | Used last turn: APC |
|---|---|---|
| +1 | ✘ | ✘ |
| −1 | ✔ | ✔ |
§6.5 Automatic reconnaissance
On the first turn of the game both factions choose two hidden Argentine units and reconnoitre (reveal) them for all to see. The factions should take turns, starting with the Argentine faction.
From the second turn and onward, some hidden Argentine units may be revealed automatically, depending on the primary weather conditions.
- Clear. Two hidden Argentine units are reconnoitred (revealed).
- Cloudy. One hidden Argentine unit is reconnoitred (revealed).
- Stormy. No hidden Argentine units are reconnoitred (revealed).
On odd turns (3, …, 15) the units to be revealed are chosen by the Argentine faction, while the British faction chooses on even turns (2, 4, …, 14).
To reveal a unit,
- Remove the hide marker if the unit is the only counter in the hex.
- If more than one unit is hidden in the stack, move the revealed unit to the top of the stack, above the hide marker.
When all units in a stack have been revealed, remove the hide marker.
§6.6 Reinforcements
The Argentine faction receives no reinforcements during the game, except if the optional rule on Argentine reinforcements is used (§12.1).
The British faction receives the 5th Infantry Brigade as reinforcements on turn 6, as shown on the British OOB. These reinforcements, including AFs, do not come into play until the following British amphibious assault and movement phases.
Among the reinforcements are 6 AF worth of Harriers. These can only be used to replenish the British Harrier pool up to a maximum of 8 AF, counting both on- and off-map Harrier units. These replacement AFs can be used at any point from turn 6 and onward.
Suppose the British faction has captured the airfield at Goose Green, which has a capacity of 3 AF, and has placed 2 AF Harrier there. Suppose also that the British faction has lost 2 AF, which means it has 4 AF off-map with the task force carriers. On turn 6, the British faction may stock up its off-map AFs to 8, using 4 AF replacements, meaning the total British is 10 AF.
Suppose that the Argentine faction in turn 8 recaptures the airfield at Goose Green, destroying the 2 AF worth of Harriers stationed there. Since the British faction only spent 4 AF replacements in turn 6, it still has 2 AF replacements left. However, since it has no where to place these AFs, they cannot be brought into play until the British construct or capture an airfield on East Falkland.
The E helicopter is only received if the random event (§12.2) optional rule is in effect.
§7 Air unit allocation
In this phase, both factions, simultaneously, must declare how many AFs of each type of aircraft are allocated to which type of missions.
There are 4 kinds of missions to which AFs must be allocated.
- Combat Area Patrol (CAP) — British only. British AFs allocated to this kind of mission will try to fly intercept on Argentine off-map aerial units destined for tactical or naval airstrikes. If any Argentine off-map units wish to fly such missions, they must first get past the British CAP. This is resolved during the Argentine combat phase (§10.5).
- Airfield suppression — British only. The British faction may allocate AFs to try to destroy Argentine airfields, and thus prevent the Argentine faction from using its Pucará units. This is resolved during the British combat phase (§10.8.4).
- Tactical airstrike (TAS) or close air support (CAS). Aerial units assigned to these kinds of mission will either attack or defend ground forces, or, for the British faction, fly aerial reconnaissance. TAS (§10.8.1) and AR (§10.8.5) are resolved in the factions' combat phase, while CAP (§10.5) and CAS (§10.7) missions are resolved during the opponent's combat phase. Argentine Skyhawk and Mirage III can not fly CAS missions.
- Naval airstrike (NAS) — Argentine only. These are Argentine attacks on British naval units. NAS is resolved during the Argentine combat phase (§10.8.2).
Which kind of mission (column) can be flown by which kind of aircraft (row), and what the target of each kind of mission is, is summarised in Table 14.
Table 14: Possible air operations, their target, by aircraft (rows). Columns are CAP, TAS, CAS, NAS, AR and Airfield suppression. ✔ = may fly; ✘ = may not.
| Aircraft | CAP | TAS | CAS | NAS | AR | Airfield suppression | Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrier | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | Off-map |
| Pucará | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | On-map (airfield) |
| Skyhawk | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | Off-map |
Each faction decides how many AFs of each aircraft type will fly which kind of missions, and places appropriate air units of the particular kind in the corresponding mission boxes on the map.
The British faction only has one kind of aircraft, the Harrier, and thus must choose from that pool alone. The Argentine faction has three kinds of aircraft: Pucará, Skyhawk, and Mirage III. Of these only Pucará may fly CAS missions, but all may fly TAS and NAS.
Note that NAS by Argentine Skyhawk and Mirage III are resolved separately from Pucará NAS attacks.
Allocation of missions involves removing the on-map units and placing them in the mission boxes. It is important for the factions to keep track of how many AFs are available, so as to not allocate too many AFs of a given type.
Once the allocation of AFs has been done, it must be revealed to both factions simultaneously.
§8 Movement
During a faction's movement phase the faction may move as many or as few of its units as desired. Movement includes land unit movement, transport of land units and supply, movement of naval units, engineers building tracks or repairing bridges, as well as Argentine land units or British engineer and special forces units demolishing bridges.
§8.1 Immobile units
Units with no MF (•) and supplies cannot be moved by their own volition but must be transported by transport units. Installations such as improved positions, airfields, and tracks are fixed to the hex they are in, but can in some circumstances be destroyed.
§8.2 Isolated units
Groups of units that are isolated (§2.4) must expend 1 SP per group, or all units of the group will suffer a −1 EF.
Editor's note: the printed cross-reference here reads "§??"; it is transcribed as §2.4, the isolation rule.
§8.3 Regular land movement
Every regular land unit (◻) has a movement factor (MF, §1.2.1). This factor reflects the unit's mobility over a 2 day period. MFs are "refreshed" on every movement and combat phase. MFs cannot be saved for later phases (except if the optional rule §12.3 is in use, and in that case only in a limited fashion) or turns, nor be transferred between units.
Movement progresses from one hex to another adjacent hex. For a land unit to move from one hex to an adjacent hex, it must spend a number of MFs. If a unit cannot allocate enough MF to move into a hex, then it may not enter that hex.
The MF cost of moving into a hex depends upon the terrain of the hex, and is summarised in Table 1.
- It costs 3 MF to move into a clear hex.
- It costs 4 MF to move into a rough or summit hex.
- It costs an additional 3 MF to cross over a river hex side. That is, to move into a clear hex beyond a river hex side will cost 3 MF (clear) + 3 MF (river) = 6 MF. Bridges nullify this cost, and the cost of entering the hex beyond the river is the cost of following the track (2 MF).
- The cost of moving into an airstrip or airfield hex is the same as the terrain of the airstrip or airfield it occupies (3 MF).
- A unit moving along a road pays 1 MF per hex. A unit moving along a road if it moves over a hex side bisected by a road. A unit that moves over a hex side with no road crossing and into a hex with a road in it, does not travel along the road. A unit that moves over a hex side with a track into a hex with a road connected to the same track performs road movement. Conversely a unit that moves over a hex side with a road into a hex with a track connected to the same road performs track movement.
- Just as for road movement, as explained above, except 2 MF is paid per hex.
- The MF cost of moving into a settlement hex is the same as the cost of the terrain the settlement is in.
- (Stanley) Moving into a city (Stanley) costs 1 MF.
- Bridges connect tracks over river hex sides. The cost of moving over a bridge hex side is the same as travelling along the track.
Initially, all settlements are controlled by the Argentine faction. If a British land unit (not sea, air, or helicopter unit) occupies or moves through a settlement, including as a consequence of advance after combat, then that settlement comes under British control. When a settlement is first captured by the British faction, the Argentine faction immediately loses one general morale point (−1 MP, §3).
If the British faction occupies Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019), then the Argentine faction loses 1 MP per summit, but only the first time this happens.
If the British assume control of Stanley, the game ends immediately, and victory points are tallied to find the victorious faction.
Land units may not cross shore lines or internal lakes, but may move into or through partial land hexes.
§8.3.1 Capture airfields
A unit that moves into a hex containing an opponent's airfield marker captures that airfield after an entire turn. First, the previous owning airfield marker is removed from the hex, and the capturing faction places one of its own airfield markers, face-down in the hex. After an entire turn has passed, then the conquering faction may place an airfield marker of its own faction in the hex.
In the British movement phase a British unit moves into the airstrip at Goose Green with an Argentine airfield marker in it. The Argentine airfield marker is removed immediately, and replaced with a British face-down airfield marker. At the end of the next British movement phase, the British faction may flip the airstrip marker to its face-up side.
Airfields that are replaced by the capturing faction's airfield marker before the end of the combat phase can be used to base the conquering faction's air units in. Airfield markers that are placed at the end of the combat phase cannot be used to base air units in.
§8.3.2 Capture improved position
A unit that moves into an enemy improved position, including as a consequence of advance after combat (§10.9.7), will destroy that enemy improved position. The marker is returned to the owning faction for later use.
§8.3.3 Argentine decoys
Argentine decoy units must move with the real units with which it is stacked. If the stack is broken up, then the decoy must stay with a real unit. That is, a decoy can never move on its own, nor can it be left behind.
§8.3.4 Enemy ZOC
A land unit must stop when entering an enemy ZOC (§2.2). Not all units exert a ZOC, as described in §2.2.
A unit can leave an enemy ZOC if
- the unit starts its movement phase in enemy ZOC,
- it passes an MC (§2.8), and
- it does not move directly to another enemy.
Headquarter units do not need to pass an MC to leave enemy ZOC. If these conditions are not met, then the unit cannot leave the enemy ZOC.
Since a unit must stop upon entering enemy ZOC, it does not make sense that it should be able to leave the ZOC in the same movement.
A unit in enemy ZOC is said to be engaged with the enemy, and must therefore overcome the problem of withdrawing, or disengaging from the enemy. To leave the enemy ZOC, a unit must first completely disengage before it can engage another enemy unit, the same enemy unit, but from a different hex, or move.
§8.3.5 Hidden Argentine units
If a British unit moves next to an Argentine hidden unit, or stack of units all hidden, then it is up to the Argentine faction whether it wants to assert ZOC.
If a British unit moves into a possible ZOC of a hidden stack of Argentine units, then the Argentine faction may assert that there is a unit that exerts ZOC (§2.2) in
the stack, at which point the British unit must stop its movement. The Argentine faction need not assert ZOC on the first ZOC entered by the British unit, but can assert ZOC at any point during the British unit's movement.
Upon assertion of ZOC, the Argentine faction does not need to reveal the unit for which the ZOC is asserted.
If the Argentine faction does not assert ZOC, then the British unit is free to move directly past the hidden Argentine unit or units.
Clearly, if the stack contains revealed Argentine units, and these revealed units exert ZOC, then the British unit must stop, and the Argentine faction does not need, nor should, declare ZOC. See also Figure 10 for an example.
Figure 10 caption: Example ZOC and hidden Argentine units. UK A&B/3/3 ABIBTN moves into a possible Argentine ZOC in 2715. The Argentine faction decides not to claim ZOC, and so the British unit moves to 2815, at which point the Argentine faction does assert ZOC, and the British unit must stop. Had the Argentine faction not claimed ZOC at any point, then the British unit could have continued to 2915, and beyond, MF allowing.
§8.3.6 Non-ZOC units and supply
If a hex contains only units that do not exert ZOC (§2.2) then opposing units may move directly past them freely.
Units that have no CF (i.e., CF is •), except the Exocet missile launcher unit, can be captured by the opposing faction moving a unit into the hex occupied by the non-CF unit. Units captured this way are removed from the map.
Supplies are likewise captured by an enemy unit moving into the hex occupied by the supply.
An enemy unit that captures units by these means is free to continue movement after the capture.
Note that if any of these kinds of units are stacked with combat units (i.e., units that have a CF which is not •) then the enemy unit must first conduct combat against the stack. If the enemy unit is victorious, then these kinds of units may be captured as consequence if the enemy units advance after combat (§10.9.7).
The British can only capture the Exocet missile launcher by attacking the hex it occupies. If the Exocet missile launcher is alone in the hex, then the British faction automatically wins the combat, the Exocet unit is captured, and the British units may advance after combat.
§8.3.7 Reembarkment
A British land unit may move from a beach hex, previously used for a successful amphibious assault (§9) on to an amphibious warfare unit await in a hex adjacent to the beach hex.
If the land units started the movement or combat phase in the beach hex, then the amphibious warfare unit may move during the same phase. If the land units moved before embarking the amphibious warfare unit then the vessel may not move until the following amphibious assault, movement, or combat phase.
Once reembarked, the amphibious warfare vessel may either perform an amphibious assault (on the next turn), or transport the units off-map (to the OOB) to be used as reinforcements in some later turn.
§8.4 Transports
Both factions have means to transport units and equipment over large distances. The Argentine faction has two armoured personnel carriers (APC) and two helicopters, while the British faction initially has three helicopters and later on receives one or two more. British special forces in addition have their own means of transportation which allows them to conduct raids and insertions from off-map.
A land unit or supply may only be transported once per movement or combat phase.
§8.4.1 Argentine availability
If only one Argentine transport unit of a given type is available during a turn (§6.4), then the same unit must be used for transports during both the movement and combat phase.
If the Argentine faction decides not to use any transports during a given turn, then the chances of available transports increases on the following turn. Conversely, if the Argentine faction decides to use any transports during a turn, then the chances of that kind of transport to available on the next turn decreases.
§8.4.2 Capacity
Both types of transports, APC and helicopter units, have a capacity per transport unit as summarised in Table 15.
One transport unit may transport
- 1 SP,
- one infantry company, or
Table 15: Number of transport units needed to transport a land unit.
| Transporter | Transported: Infantry battalion | Transported: Infantry company | Transported: Other (non-infantry land unit) | Transported: Per SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helicopter | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| APC | 2 | 1 | ✘ | 1 |
- for helicopter units, one non-infantry land unit, including platoons, artillery, or air defence.
To transport an infantry battalion two transport units, of the same kind, must be used. If the optional rule on two-phase helicopter transports (§12.4) is in use, then a single helicopter transport may transport one infantry battalion over the course of two phases.
Argentine decoys cannot be transported.
The Argentine faction may transport hidden units, and these will stay hidden upon reaching their destination.
Aerial or sea units, and markers, such as airfields, tracks, and improved positions, cannot be transported by APC or helicopter units.
§8.4.3 Helicopter transports
Helicopter units have 50 MF, and spend 1 MF per hex moved, irrespective of the terrain, including high seas and shallow waters. Helicopter units may not enter enemy ZOC, nor pass over enemy units or supplies, even if these do not exert ZOC (§2.2).
Helicopter units may not operate during stormy or foggy weather conditions.
Argentine helicopters may break down, in which case no helicopters may be used by the Argentine faction for that turn (§6.4).
Helicopter units need not start their movement turn with the units to transport. To pick up units, 10 MF must be spent by the helicopter unit. To drop off units no MF are spent. The helicopter units may do as many transports as its 50 MF allows.
A single helicopter unit can transport 1 SP, an infantry company, or any non-battalion infantry land unit, including platoons. Two helicopter units are needed to transport a single infantry battalion.
Units to be transported via helicopter may not have moved prior to transport during the phase. Transported units with an MF of their own (i.e., not •) may move one hex, irrespective of terrain, after drop off, including moving into enemy ZOC or capture non-ZOC units or supply (§8.3.6).
Helicopter transports must be completed within a single phase (either the movement phase or the movement portion of the combat phase), unless the optional rule on 2-phase helicopter transports (§12.4) is in effect.
Helicopter units must return to a valid base at the end of a faction's combat phase (§10.2.1). Valid bases are
- Stanley; an Argentine airfield; or a settlement occupied by an Argentine land unit.
- Off-map; beach (at which the British faction successfully invaded); and Teal Inlet once under British control (a British unit was the last to pass through or occupy it).
If a helicopter unit cannot return to a valid base by the end of the movement portion of the combat phase, it is eliminated immediately.
A British helicopter unit must spend 5 MF to leave the map.
British helicopter units may transport land units from East Falkland off-map (to the OOB), from where these may be used as reinforcements in a later turn. British helicopter units may also transport land units and supplies from off-map to East Falkland. Note that units transported from the OOB to East Falkland are not automatically considered supplied (§2.5).
The optional rule on intensive Argentine helicopter use (§12.5) may double the capacity of Argentine helicopter transports at the cost of MP and no transports the following turn.
If the Argentine faction placed garrison units in the West Falkland airfield, then these may be brought on to the map using helicopter transport units. An Argentine helicopter unit spends 20 MF when leaving and entering the map.
Argentine helicopter units must leave the map along the west edge (0105 to 0127) or Lafonia (0127 to 1534), and must enter the map along the same edge as it left.
§8.4.4 Argentine APC transports
The Argentine APC units have 32 MF and move as regular land units. APCs may transport only infantry and headquarter units, and supplies. APCs may not transport artillery nor air defence units.
Infantry and headquarter units can be picked up or dropped off at any point during the APC's movement. The infantry and headquarter units may not have moved prior to pick up in the phase, nor can they move after drop off. Infantry and headquarter units can be transported into enemy ZOC by APCs.
To transport an infantry company a single APC unit is required. To transport an infantry battalion two APC units are required. Headquarters can be transported freely with any infantry company or battalion.
To transport supplies, the APC unit must start its movement in the hex occupied by the supply. Supplies cannot be transported into enemy ZOC. One APC unit is required per SP transported. Thus, the Argentine faction can at most transport 2 SP by APCs during a phase.
An APC unit must pass an MC (§2.8) to leave enemy ZOC, under the same rules, and modifiers, as any other land unit.
§8.4.5 Special forces extractions and insertions
British special forces units may be extracted from the map as regular movement. This withdrawal of special forces may not be done during stormy or foggy weather conditions. The special forces unit may be extracted even if in enemy ZOC, though it must pass an MC (§2.8) first. The special forces unit is placed back on the British OOB at its designated slot.
Once withdrawn, a special forces unit must wait an entire turn before it can reenter the map or perform any other operations (including raids §10.9.11).
Example. If the D and G squads of the 22nd platoon of the Special Air Service Regiment was extracted from East Falkland during the British movement or combat phases of turn 2, the earliest time it can reenter is in the British amphibious assault phase of turn 4.
From off-map, a British special forces unit may be reinserted anywhere on East Falkland as a regular movement, including in the British amphibious assault phase, but can perform no further movement that phase. If inserted during the combat phase, it cannot perform combat that phase. The unit can be inserted into enemy ZOC. Special forces units cannot be inserted on East Falkland during stormy or foggy weather conditions.
§8.5 Naval movement
British naval units may either move during the British amphibious assault (§9), movement, or combat (§10) phases. Naval units may move an unlimited number of hexes during these phases. Naval units may move off-map (returned to the OOB) or on-map, but not both during the same turn.
§8.5.1 Exocet attacks during naval movement
At any point during any British naval movement, the Argentine Exocet missile launcher unit may attack British naval units that are within range. See also §10.8.3 for more.
Essentially the Argentine Exocet missile launcher has "opportunity fire" against British naval units. If a naval unit passes through the launcher's line of sight, the Argentine faction may declare an Exocet attack. However, the launcher unit is a one-use unit, and is removed from the map after its use.
§8.6 Aerial movement
Air units, of both factions, do not really move on the map. Instead, they are allocated to missions (§7) by placing them in the appropriate boxes on the map. When it is time to resolve a mission, the air units are moved to the place where the mission is executed. The resolution of missions happens during the combat phase and are described in §10.8.
At the end of a faction's combat phase (§10) the air units are returned to their bases as outlined in §1.3.3 (Pucará to Argentine airfields, Skyhawk and Mirage III to mainland Argentina, Harrier either to the task force carriers or British airfields East Falkland).
§8.7 Installations
A number of installations may be built or destroyed by both factions' ground units, though only the British engineering unit may do certain constructions.
§8.7.1 Improved positions
Improved positions reflect minefields and entrenchments built by a faction for a better defensive stance. The number of improved positions that a faction may build is limited to the number of improved position markers available (Argentine: 10, British: 6).
Improved positions may be removed at the owning faction's discretion at any time during a turn.
A battalion-sized unit, or two company-sized units, may construct an improved position by
- not moving during an entire turn,
- not perform any kind of combat during that turn, including air defence, artillery support, or land defence.
If the unit or units constructing an improved position are attacked before the installation has been completed, then all work on the improved position is lost.
A faction declares at the start of a movement phase that a unit or stack of units are building an improved position. At the start of the following movement phase, in the next turn, the faction may place an improved position marker in the hex.
The capacity of an improved position (§1.2.5) dictates how many units an improved position can protect (§10.9.3).
If a single battalion or two companies are building an improved position, then the improved position will have a capacity of 1. If two battalions, or 4 companies are doing the construction, then the improved position will have a capacity of 2.
A battalion or 2 companies may move into an improved position of capacity 1, and on the next turn start extending the improved position at the start of the next movement phase, following the same criteria as above. Alternatively, the original battalion or 2 companies may stay in the hex for an additional turn to extend the improved position. At the completion of the extension, the improved position will have a capacity of 2.
Units can freely vacate an improved position. Vacated improved position can later be reoccupied by friendly units.
Hostile units can never occupy a friendly position. Instead, the improved position is removed from the map and returned to the owning faction.
§8.7.2 Demolish bridges
To blow up a bridge, a unit must be adjacent to the bridge, and spend 8 MF. If the unit blew up the bridge in the faction's combat phase, then the unit cannot conduct combat that phase.
Any Argentine land unit, including infantry, reconnaissance, or artillery units, may blow up a bridge it is adjacent to. To blow up a bridge, the Argentine unit must pass an MC (§2.8) with a −1 DRM, after it has spent 8 MF.
Any British special forces or engineer unit may likewise blow up a bridge it is adjacent to. To blow up a bridge, the British unit must roll 5 or less on a single die, after it has spent 8 MF.
A "destroyed bridge" marker is placed on the bridge when blown.
§8.7.3 Repair bridges
The British engineer unit may repair destroyed bridges. To do so, it must spend its entire movement or combat phase adjacent to the blown bridge. The unit cannot engage in combat nor move during its repair work. The "destroyed bridge" marker is removed from the bridge once repaired, at the end of the phase. Any faction may use the repaired bridge to nullify the additional cost of crossing a river hex side.
§8.7.4 Construct airfields
The British engineer unit may construct an airfield in an airstrip hex. To construct an airfield, the British engineer unit must
- start its turn in an airstrip hex, and
- not move or conduct combat, including defence, during the entire turn.
At the start of the following movement phase, the British faction may place an airfield marker in the airstrip hex. If the engineering unit is forced to defend during the turn, then all progress on the airfield construction is lost.
The airfield cannot be used as a base for British Harrier units in the turn it is constructed.
§8.7.5 Construct tracks
The British engineer unit may construct tracks, at a rate of one hex per movement or combat phase. To construct a track, the engineer unit
- may only move one hex during the phase, and
- not conduct combat during the phase.
The track is constructed in the hex occupied by the engineer unit, and a track marker may be placed by the British faction at the end of the phase. Constructed tracks connect to any or all tracks bordering on the marker. Constructed tracks may be used by both factions, and cannot be destroyed.
Since the engineer unit does not become available until turn 6, and track construction can be at most 2 hexes per turn, starting on turn 7 the earliest, it is not possible to construct more than 16 tracks. Given that the MF cost difference of moving over clear terrain and via tracks is 1 MF, it may not be very beneficial for the British to allocate the engineering unit to build tracks.
§9 British amphibious assault
On the first turn of the game, the British faction must decide to land on one of the beach areas that it picked during the setup of game (§4). If the British faction chooses any other beach for its initial amphibious assault, it automatically forfeits and loses the game.
From turn 2 and onward, the British faction may decide to land on any beach and may make amphibious assault on multiple beaches.
If the Teal Inlet optional rule (§12.9) is in effect, and once the British faction has asserted control of that settlement, then it may be used as a single hex landing beach.
To perform an amphibious assault on East Falkland, the British faction must
- have land units available on its OOB (§1.3.2), or have reembarked land units on amphibious warfare vessels (§8.3.7),
- have amphibious warfare vessels (§1.2.3) off-map on its OOB, or on a sea hex on the map,
- declare whether the amphibious assault will be done from high seas or shallow waters, but need not declare the exact beach, and
- roll a die on the British amphibious assault table (Table 16), cross-indexing the type of sea hex and current weather with the modified die roll. If the result is ✔, then the landing is permitted. If the result is ✘, then the amphibious assault is not possible.
Table 16: British amphibious assault table.
| Die roll | High seas: Clear | High seas: Cloudy | High seas: Stormy | Shallow waters: Clear | Shallow waters: Cloudy | Shallow waters: Stormy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| 4 | ✔ | ✔ |
DRMs: Calm −1; Rough +1 (both as printed; these modify the die roll on the table above).
If the amphibious assault is possible, then the British player must declare which beach it wishes to invade on. The British faction then
-
places land units and supplies from the OOB on its amphibious warfare vessels, also on the OOB, up to the capacity of the amphibious warfare vessels (§2.9.4). Amphibious warfare vessels may be stacked on the OOB, but such a stack, including embarked land units and supplies, must be placed in the same sea hex on the map.
-
The stacks of amphibious warfare vessels, including the embarked units, are then placed in a sea hex adjacent to a beach hex of the selected beach. The British units excerpt ZOC on the beach hex (the only time ZOC extends across shorelines).
Note that some beach areas have more than one hex, as identified by a common beach number. Any or all such beach hexes may be used for an amphibious assault.
-
Any other naval units on- or off-map may also move at this point. If they do, they cannot be moved in the subsequent movement or combat phases.
During this movement, the Argentine faction may declare an Exocet attack on a single naval unit that passes through its field of vision, as for other naval movement (§8.5.1). The Exocet attack is resolved as a regular NAS attack (§10.8.3), meaning embarked units may suffer losses too.
Helicopter units do not take part in an amphibious assault, but may move to a landing hex in the following movement phase.
Once the amphibious warfare vessels arrive at their destination, they may start to unload their embarked units. How this is handled depends on whether there are Argentine units in the landing hex or not. If there are Argentine units in the hex, then the amphibious assault is opposed, otherwise it is unopposed.
§9.1 Unopposed amphibious assault
If there are no Argentine units in the landing hex, then all embarked land units and supplies may move directly unto the beach hex, even if the hex is in enemy ZOC. They may not, however, move or conduct combat for the rest of the turn. The amphibious assault is considered a success.
§9.2 Opposed amphibious assault
If there are Argentine units in the landing hex, then embarked infantry and special forces units must attack the opposing force during the following combat phase (§10.9).
Reconnaissance and artillery units may not participate in the amphibious assault during an opposed landing. Naval gunfire and TAS, as per normal rules, may however be used to support the assault on the beach hex. Land units already ashore may also participate in the assault, as per normal rules.
Amphibious assaults against Argentine units suffer a +2 DRM if all attacking units attack from sea. If any British infantry units attack over land, then there is no DRM for the amphibious assault.
The amphibious assault is resolved as a regular land combat (§10.9). Units performing an amphibious assault are considered supply (§2.5).
If the amphibious assault units manage to displace or eliminate the defending Argentine units, then all embarked units may advance into the beach hex, including supply units, also if the beach hex is in enemy ZOC. They may not, however, move or conduct combat for the rest of the turn. The amphibious assault is considered a success.
If the assault units do not manage to displace or eliminate the defending Argentine units, then all embarked units stay onboard the amphibious warfare vessels. Furthermore, if the assault results in that the attacker must retreat, then all assaulting infantry or special forces unit suffer an step loss in addition to possible other step losses from the combat.
§9.3 Successful amphibious assaults
If the amphibious assault was the first successful landing, meaning any British units managed to move into a beach hex, then the Argentine faction loses 1 MP immediately (§3).
On successful amphibious assaults, supplies may be moved ashore even without the help of transport helicopters. This is the only time a supply may move on its own volition.
Beach hexes may never be over-stacked at the end of the British movement or combat phases (§2.9.1). The British faction may decide to leave units or supplies on the amphibious warfare ships so as not to overstack the beach hex.
The British faction may, once any of the initial embarked assault units or supplies have moved ashore, stack follow-up land units and supplies from the OOB with the amphibious warfare vessels, up to the capacity of the units (§2.9.4). This replenishing of the amphibious warfare units must be done at the end of the amphibious assault phase. If the British faction chooses to replenish the amphibious warfare vessels with land units and supplies from the OOB, then amphibious warfare vessels cannot move from their current hex.
In the amphibious assault phase of the following turn, the new land units and supplies can then be put ashore, and the previously assault units can move inland in the movement phase (§8). Note that stacking limitations
On the first turn, the British faction has put HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless in San Carlos Waters in 0713 and landed 40th Marine Battalion of the 3rd Commando Brigade and 2 SP in 0714. The British faction then places the 2 Para, and the 1st and 2nd platoon of T battery, 12th regiment on the landing vessels.
HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless now have to stay put in 0713 until the second turn where it may try to unload 2 Para and the air defence units. 40 marine may move inland in the second turns movement phase, so as to avoid overstacking, but the amphibious warfare vessels cannot move until turn 3 at the earliest.
Since HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless is anchored in San Carlos Waters throughout turns 1 and 2, they are, together with their embarked units, vulnerable to Argentine NAS.
§10 Combat
Each combat phase follows a specific sequence exactly as shown in Table 17.
- The defending faction removes demoralised markers from its units.
- Attacker performs non-attack movement (§10.2).
- The attacker assigns air units to TAS or NAS (Argentine only) attacks, as well as AR (British only) and airstrip suppression (British only) sorties (§10.3).
- The attacker declares land combats, including remote fire support (artillery and coastal support) and barrages, reconnaissance, and raids (British only, §10.4).
- Resolve CAP missions (British defender only, §10.5).
- The defender allocates air defence against air attacks (§10.6).
- The defender allocates remote fire support for defence, and resolves CAS (§10.7).
- The attacker resolves NAS (Argentine only, §10.8.2) and TAS (§10.8.1), as well as AR (British only, §10.8.5) and airstrip suppression (British only, §10.8.4).
- For each land combat, (a) Resolve the combat (§10.9.1). (b) Attacker retreats if needed (§10.9.4). (c) Defender retreats if needed (§10.9.4). (d) Attacker advances if allowed (§10.9.7).
The attacker is the faction which combat phase the game is in, while the defender is the opposing faction.
Table 17: Combat phase sequence. "A" marks the attacker's (faction in turn) steps; "D" marks the defender's (faction out-of-turn) steps.
| Step | Who | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Remove demoralised markers |
| 2 | A | Move non-attacking |
| 3 | A | Assign NAS & TAS |
| 4 | A | Declare land attacks, including artillery and remote fire |
| 5 | D | Resolve CAP |
| 6 | D | Allocate air defence |
| 7 | D | Allocate artillery & coastal support and resolve CAS |
| 8 | A | Resolve air missions |
§10.1 Remove demoralised marker
The defending faction must remove all demoralised markers from its units.
§10.2 Non-attack movement
Any attacker's unit that will not attack during this combat phase may perform movement as described in §8, with a few exceptions.
In the combat phase,
- Naval units that moved during the preceding amphibious assault or movement phase cannot move again in the following combat phase (§8.5).
- Land units cannot start construction of improved positions (§8.7.1).
- The British engineer unit cannot initiate building an airfield (§8.7.4).
Units have the same MF available as they had in the movement phase, but unused MFs from the movement phase cannot be transferred to movement in the combat phase, unless the optional rule of MF transfers (§12.3) is in effect.
Units may move into enemy ZOC, if otherwise allowed, but cannot attack the opposing units during this phase.
§10.2.1 Helicopter transports
Helicopter units must return to a valid base (§8.4.3) at the end of the movement portion of the combat phase. If a helicopter unit cannot return to a base, for example because it ran out of MF, it is eliminated immediately.
Helicopter transports may start in the movement phase and end in the following combat phase only if the optional rule on two-phase transports (§12.4) is in effect.
§10.3 Assign air units
No air operations are possible during stormy or foggy weather. In addition, no Skyhawk operations are possible during cloudy weather.
The attacking faction, the faction in turn, assigns AFs to
- Tactical airstrikes (TAS),
- Naval airstrikes (NAS, Argentine only),
- Aerial reconnaissance (AR, British only), or
- airfield suppression (British only).
Only AFs, for each particular kind of aircraft, assigned during the air unit allocation phase (§7) may be assigned to any of these sorties. AFs assigned to these missions cannot later in this turn be assigned to other kinds of mission.
§10.3.1 Argentine coordination
If the Argentine faction has assigned both Pucará and Skyhawk or Mirage III AFs to attack a single hex (TAS or NAS), then the Pucará attack is resolved first, followed by the Skyhawk and Mirage III attack.
However, British air defence assigned to defending the attacked hex applies to both the Pucará and Skyhawk and Mirage III attack.
§10.3.2 Tactical airstrike
For TAS, the attacker picks up the desired AFs from its TAS/CAS box on the board and places these on top of the enemy stack of land units it wishes to attack.
§10.3.3 NAS
For naval airstrikes (NAS), the attacking Argentine faction picks up the desired number of AFs from the NAS box and places them on British naval units it wish to attack.
§10.3.4 AR
For aerial reconnaissance (AR) missions, the attacking British faction picks up the desired number of AFs from TAS/CAS box on the board and places these on top of an Argentine stack that contains one or more hidden units.
§10.3.5 Airfield suppression
For airfield suppression, the attacking British faction picks up the desired number of AFs from Airfield suppression box on the board and places these on top of an Argentine airfield.
§10.4 Declare land combat
The attacking faction must declare all land combats it wishes to conduct. Land combats include
- Combat between land units,
- Remote fire support by artillery units or surface combatants,
- Barrages by artillery units or surface combatants,
- (British only) Reconnaissance by land units, and
- (British only) Special forces raids.
A unit may only perform one attack, irrespective of type, during a combat phase. Units that were transported (§8.4) during the combat phase may not attack in the same combat phase.
Any Argentine unit that wants to take part in an attack cannot be hidden. The Argentine faction may reveal units voluntarily for this purpose.
For an Argentine land unit to attack enemy units it must be within command and control (§2.6) range of an Argentine headquarter unit. That is, the Argentine land unit must be able to trace a communication line to an Argentine headquarter no longer than ½ of the unit's MF.
§10.4.1 Land combats
Land combat takes place between adjacent units of opposite factions. Attacks are always voluntary, while defence is obligatory. More than one unit may attack from more than one hex, as long as all attackers are adjacent to all defenders. Attacking units do not need to attack into all adjacent hexes containing enemy units, but may do so at the attacking faction's discretion.
If one or more hexes are being attacked, then all defending units must be attacked. A hex can only be attacked once per combat phase by either adjacent land units (including remote fire support) or barrages (§10.4.3), but may be attacked by TAS and land units or barrages. See also Figure 11 for an example.
Attacks must be supplied (§2.5) and the appropriate number of SP must be spent. If not possible, then an attack is not possible.
The attacking faction may split a stack of attacking units to perform multiple attacks from the same hex, as long as each defending hex is only attacked once, and all attacking units are adjacent to all defending units.
The attacking faction must, during this sub-phase, declare which of its units attack which of the defending factions units. If a combat has not been declared during this sub-phase, it cannot take place in this turn.
The optional rule on unit integrity (§12.6) may limit which British units may attack.
§10.4.2 Artillery fire or coastal support
To provide artillery or coastal support to a land combat,
- all defending units must be within range of the artillery (§1.2.1) or surface combatant (with a range of 5 hexes) unit, and
- some friendly unit must have line-of-sight (§2.7) to
Figure 11 caption: Example land combat. UK 3/3 ABIBTN and UK 42/3 MARIBTN may decide to combine their forces and attack AG 1/3/4 AIBTN and AG 2/3/4 AIBTN for a 14 versus 9 attack, which would leave UK A&B/BR/3 RECBTN unable to participate (not adjacent to both defenders). Or, the British faction could decide to attack AG 2/3/4 AIBTN with UK 3/3 ABIBTN and UK A&B/BR/3 RECBTN (at 10 versus 4), and have UK 42/3 MARIBTN attack AG 2/3/4 AIBTN alone (at 6 versus 5). The British faction could also split the marine and airborne battalions and distribute the attacks over the two Argentine units.
The attacking faction must declare which artillery or surface combatant units provide support for which combat. Support may, if possible, be supplied by both artillery and surface combatant units in any combination.
The optional rule on intensive artillery (§12.7) allows a faction to increase the intensity of support by an artillery unit at the cost of an extra SP (§2.5).
Artillery and surface combatant units may, as all other units, only participate in one combat during a combat phase, and can thus not provide support to multiple battles.
§10.4.3 Remote fire barrages
Attacking artillery or surface combatant units may attack ground or naval units that are not otherwise being attacked by other attacking units in the form of barrages. A barrage may be performed
- on a single hex occupied by enemy units,
- against amphibious warfare ships if they partook in an amphibious assault (§9) in this turn,
- never against surface combatants,
- the attacked hex is within range of the attacking units, and
- some friendly unit has line-of-sight (§2.7) to the attacked hex.
The attacking faction must declare which artillery or surface combatant units perform barrages against which defending units. Barrages may, if possible, be performed by both artillery and surface combatant units in any combination.
§10.4.4 Reconnaissance
British units may perform reconnaissance against hidden Argentine units in all adjacent hexes, in lieu of other combat. The attacking British faction must declare which units perform reconnaissance against which Argentine stack(s) of units that contain one or more hidden units.
Reconnaissance can be conducted against all six hexes adjacent to a British unit or stack of units, but only one reconnaissance mission may be made against a single hex in a combat phase. Reconnaissance cannot be made over shorelines or internal lakes.
Reconnaissance can be performed by land units or special forces units separately or in combination.
§10.4.5 Raids
Raids can be performed only by full-strength British special forces units. The special forces unit must
- be at full-strength (face-up), and
- be adjacent to its target in a land hex or sea hex.
Raids are performed against a hex that either
- contains an Argentine airfield,
- contains at least 4 SP worth of Argentine supplies, or
- contains the Argentine Exocet missile launcher unit.
Raids may also be performed against headquarter units alone in a hex if the optional rule on headquarter raids (§12.8) is used.
The raid can only be performed from a sea hex adjacent to the target hex if the special forces unit was off-map (on the British OOB) at the start of the combat phase (see also §8.4.5). In this case, the special forces unit is picked up from the OOB and moved to the sea hex from which the raid is performed. Both the Special Air Service and Special Boat Squadron units may perform raids from sea hexes.
In all cases, raids must be declared in this sub-phase by the British faction.
§10.5 Resolve CAP
This is only relevant during the Argentine combat phase. If the attacking Argentine faction has assigned any Skyhawk or Mirage III AFs to TAS or NAS, and the British faction has assigned, in the air unit allocation phase (§7), Harrier AFs to CAP, then CAP must be resolved.
The British faction rolls a die and cross-indexes the die roll result with the number of AFs allocated to CAP in the British CAP table (Table 18). The result is the number of Argentine Skyhawk or Mirage III AF eliminated.
If a 6 is rolled on the CAP table, then the British faction rolls the die again. On die rolls of 5 or 6, one AF of Harrier is eliminated.
Table 18: British CAP table. Columns are the number of Harrier AFs allocated to CAP (1–14); the entries are the number of Argentine Skyhawk or Mirage III AFs eliminated. Rows are die rolls.
| Die roll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 2 |
* Roll again: 5 or 6 → 1 AF Harrier lost.
Table 18 is transcribed from the printed grid; each row's entries are placed under the AF columns where the printed table shows them.
The Argentine faction must immediately remove the required number of AFs of those assigned (placed on hexes) to TAS or NAS, and adjust the available off-map Skyhawk or Mirage III AFs on the board by the same number of AFs. The Argentine AF losses must be assigned as explained in §10.8.6.
If the British faction suffers a loss, the 1 AF is removed from the CAP poll. The British faction can adjust the off-map track of available AFs or wait until all British air missions have been flown, and Harrier AFs are returned to bases (off-map). Of course, the British faction must take care to record the loss.
Table 19: Air defence factors (DF). The DF of combat ships is printed on the counters.
| Unit | DF | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Surface combatant | DF (printed on counter) | 1 |
| Air defence unit | 1 | 1 |
| Other land unit or amphibious warfare unit | 0 | 0 |
| Airstrip installation | 0 | 0 |
For the table's range entries, a surface combatant or air defence unit's range is the hex it occupies or an adjacent sea or land hex; an "other" unit's range is limited to the hex occupied; an airstrip (airfield suppression only) is limited to the hex where the airfield is installed.
§10.6 Allocate air defence
If, after possibly British CAP (§10.5), there are TAS, NAS, AR, or airfield suppression missions instigated by the attacking faction, then the defending faction may allocate air defence against these attacks.
In case the defender is British, it is worth noting that Pucará and Skyhawk or Mirage III attacks are defended against separately but with the full air defence both times (§10.3.1).
Units capable of contributing to anti-aircraft fire are air defence land units and combat ships, as well as regular ground troops and amphibious warfare vessels. Airstrip installations can only defend against airfield suppression.
However, the unit types defend with different strengths, and with different ranges, as summarised in Table 19.
- Surface combatant units: DF printed on the counter (§1.2.3). The range is the hex occupied or an adjacent sea or land hex.
- Air defence units: 1 DF per air defence unit. The range is the hex occupied or an adjacent sea or land hex.
In this sub-phase, the defending faction must declare which units provide air defence against which TAS, NAS, AR, or airfield suppression.
Any Argentine unit that wants to take part in an air defence, including regular land units, cannot be hidden. The Argentine faction may reveal units voluntarily for this purpose.
Air defence units may provide defence against air attacks in the land hex they occupy, including air defence against naval airstrikes if the naval unit(s) is in a partial land hex. Air defence units can likewise provide air defence against air attacks in one adjacent hex, including sea hexes in case of NAS, but then lose the ability to defend against air attacks in the hex they occupy.
Likewise, surface combatant units may provide air defence against air attacks in the sea (or partial sea) hex they occupy, or against air attacks in one adjacent sea, partial sea, or land hex. In the latter case, providing air defence to an adjacent hex precludes the surface combatant unit from providing air defence in the hex it occupies.
Both air defence and surface combatant units may provide air defence against airstrip suppression if they are in or adjacent to the airstrip. Of course, this precludes these units from providing air defence elsewhere.
Other land units or amphibious warfare units, as well as airstrip installations, can only provide air defence against air attacks in the hex they occupy, and not against AR. Land units embarked on amphibious warfare vessels cannot provide air defence, though the amphibious warfare vessel does.
In the case of aerial reconnaissance (AR), the Argentine faction may only allocate air defence units if they are not hidden. The Argentine faction may decide to reveal any air defence units in the hex reconnoitred to assign air defence against the reconnaissance mission.
If the effect of the Argentine faction revealing air defence units in the reconnoitred hex is that there are no hidden units in the hex, then the reconnaissance mission is moot but still resolved, so as to allow the Argentine faction the possibility of eliminating British AFs by the assigned air defence.
Air defence units revealed by the Argentine faction to counter an AR mission do not count toward the units to be revealed.
§10.7 CAS and remote fire defensive support
Aerial and remote fire units, such as artillery or surface combatant units, can provide support to defending units. This defence must be declared by the defending faction. Aerial units provide close air support (CAS), while remote fire units provide artillery or coastal bombardment support.
The optional rule on intensive artillery (§12.7) allows a faction to increase the intensity of a defensive artillery unit at the cost of an extra SP (§2.5).
After this defensive support has been declared, the defending faction will need to resolve its air defence for any TAS, NAS, or airstrip suppression.
§10.7.1 Artillery or coastal support
If the defending faction has artillery or surface combatant units
- within range of all land hexes being attacked in a single combat (§1.2.1), and,
- some defending unit has line-of-sight (§2.7) to all defending units, but
- is not itself in a hex being attacked,
then those artillery and surface combatant units may be assigned to provide support fire to the defending units. Support may, if possible, be supplied by both artillery and surface combatant units in any combination.
Artillery or surface combatant units may only participate in one combat per combat phase. Thus, a defending artillery or surface combatant unit cannot both defend the hex it occupies and provide support to defending units in another hex, nor can it provide to support to multiple battles. Surface combatant units may provide both air defence and coastal support.
§10.7.2 CAS
If the defending faction has any remaining AFs allocated in the TAS/CAS box on the board, then these may be assigned close air support (CAS) missions. AFs assigned to a CAS mission cannot later, in the same turn, be assigned to other kinds of aerial missions.
For the Argentine faction only Pucará units may fly CAS missions.
The defender picks up any number of AFs, of the appropriate kind (Harrier for the British faction, Pucará for the Argentine faction) from the TAS/CAS box on the board and places them in a land (or partial land) hex which is attacked by the opposing faction.
§10.7.3 Resolution of CAS
For each combat to which the defender assigned CAS AFs, the procedure to resolve the effect of the ground support is as follows.
-
For each hex from which the defending units is being attacked from, determine how many battalion-equivalent units are attacking. This is done by consulting the infantry battalion equivalence table (Table 3). The "largest" result for each of the hexes the defender is attacked from is then used.
A unit is being attacked from one hex containing an infantry company (< 0) and another hex containing a infantry battalion and an artillery battery (1+). In this case, the battalion-equivalent is 1+ (which is larger than < 0).
-
The battalion-equivalent gives which top row to consult for the number of AFs assigned to the CAS by the defender in the ground TAS/CAS/Barrage table (Table 20). Cross-index the battalion-equivalent with the AF determines the column to use.
The battalion-equivalent is 1+, and the defender has assigned 4 AF to ground support. Cross indexing the battalion-equivalent and ground support AF dictates that the sixth column must be used.
-
The defending faction then rolls a die, adding +2 DRM if the attacker, with the highest battalion-equivalent, is in an improved position with enough capacity (if the improved position does not have enough capacity, then the DRM is not added, §10.9.3).
-
The modified die roll result is then cross indexed with the column determined above in the TAS/CAS/Barrage table (Table 20).
-
The number (if any) on the right of the slash "/" is the additional CF to add to the defending unit's CFs.
§10.8 Resolve air missions
The four kinds of attacker air missions must be resolved in any order chosen by the attacking faction, including mixing mission types. The four types of missions to resolve are
- Tactical airstrikes (TAS),
- Naval airstrikes (NAS, Argentine only),
- Airfield suppression (British only), and
- Aerial reconnaissance (AR, British only).
If the attacker is the Argentine faction, and both Pucará and Skyhawk or Mirage III units have been assigned to do a TAS or NAS against the same target, then the Pucará attack is resolved first, with only Pucará AFs, followed by the Skyhawk and Mirage III attack, summing the AF of these units. The defending British units do their air defence against both attacks with the full available air defence strength for that battle.
Argentine air losses involving Skyhawk and Mirage III units must be distributed as described in §10.8.6.
§10.8.1 TAS
Tactical airstrikes (TAS) by the attacker's AF and the defender's air defence is resolved simultaneously.
Table 20: TAS/CAS/Barrage table. This table is used to resolve both TAS, CAS, and remote fire barrages. The result on the left of the slash is for TAS and barrages, while the one on the right is for CAS.
The columns are numbered 1 to 12 (≥12 in the last column). The first four rows give the AF or CF number that corresponds to each column for each battalion-equivalent top row (2+, 1+, 1, <1). The remaining rows are die rolls; each cell gives the TAS/barrage result (left of the slash) and the CAS result (right of the slash).
| Row | c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 | c5 | c6 | c7 | c8 | c9 | c10 | c11 | c12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battalion-equivalent 2+ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ≥9 | |||
| Battalion-equivalent 1+ | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| DRMs | +2 if the defending units is in an improved position with enough capacity (§10.9.3) |
|---|
Keys (as printed): Dx = MC + x, demoralised on failure. x = step losses (TAS side). x on the CAS side = defensive CF bonus.
Table 20 is transcribed from the printed grid. The cell "D0/" in die roll 6, column 7 is printed without a CAS value and is transcribed as printed.
Table 21: Air defence table. Columns are attacking AFs; rows are the die roll plus DF.
| Die roll + DF | AF 1–2 | AF 3–4 | AF 5–6 | AF 7–9 | AF 10–12 | AF 13–16 | AF ≥17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||||
| 2 | ½ | ||||||
| 3 | ½ | 1 | 1 |
½ = 50% of additional AF loss; re-roll: ≥4 → +1 AF loss.
Table 21 is transcribed from the printed grid. The DRM row is printed as "+1" under the first column and "against Pucará" across the remaining columns.
The defender's portion of the resolution of the TAS is resolved by the following procedure.
- The defending faction rolls a die and adds the number of DFs allocated to the air defence (see also §10.6). If the defence is against Pucará units, then a +1 DRM is applied.
- The modified die roll is cross-indexed with the number of AFs attacking in the air defence table (Table 21).
- The result is the number of attacking AFs lost.
- A result containing "+½" means that there is a 50% chance of an additional 1 AF loss. The defending faction rolls the die again, without any DRM. On a roll of 4, 5, or 6, the attacking faction loses one more AF.
The attacker's portion is resolved by the following procedure.
- First determine the battalion-equivalent of defending units in the hex attacked by consulting the infantry battalion equivalence table (Table 3; see also explanation in §10.7.3).
- Then determine the column to use by cross-indexing the defender's battalion-equivalent top row with the number of AFs assigned to the TAS in the TAS/CAS/Barrage table (Table 20 and explanation in §10.7.3).
- The attacking faction then rolls a die and adds +2 DRM if the defending units is in an improved position with enough capacity.
- The modified die roll is then cross-indexed with the column determined above. The result of the TAS is on the left of the slash "/".
- A result of "Dx" means that each defending unit must perform a morale check (§2.8) with a x DRM. That is, if the result is "D1", then it is +1 DRM. If a unit fails the MC, then the unit is demoralised and will suffer a −1 EF until the attacking faction's next combat phase. Place a demoralised marker on the units that become demoralised.
- A result of "x" means that the defending units must suffer x step losses in total. For example, a result of "2" means that the defending units suffer 2 step losses. The defending faction decides how to distribute step losses among the defending units.
If the attacking faction suffered AF losses, then those
Table 22: Naval airstrike (NAS) table. Exocet attacks are resolved in the 7–8 column, and no air defence is possible. Columns are attacking AFs; each cell lists the hit priority (ship types C, E, A, L) for that die roll.
| Die roll | 1–2 | 3–4 | 5–6 | 7–8 | 9–11 | 12–14 | 15–17 | ≥18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ½C | ½L | ||||||
| 1 | ½A | C | ||||||
| 2 |
| DRMs | −1 (attacked naval units in a high seas hex) | +1 (more than eight British ships in hex) |
|---|
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ½ | 50% of hit; re-roll: ≥4 → hit on ship |
| ½* | Re-roll the dice to determine the unit type impacted. On an unmodified 5 or 6, no units are hit. If there is no unit of the given type, substitute another unit type according to the priorities given above. Printed re-roll outcomes: 1 → E; 2 → A; 3 → C. |
Priority row (as printed beneath the grid): 1–2: A, then L, C, E; 5–6: C, then E, A, L; 9–11: E, then C, L, A; 15–17: L, then A, E, C. These are transcribed as the printed leading letter followed by the printed order; the printed table, not this summary, is the authority.
§10.8.2 NAS
This is only relevant in the Argentine combat phase.
Similar to TAS, this is resolved in two parts. First, the defenders portion is resolved. This follows the same procedure as defenders portion of a TAS, as described in §10.8.1.
If the defending British naval units are
- in a shallow waters hex,
- a partial sea hex, or
- adjacent to a land hex,
then the number of attacking AFs the number originally assigned to the NAS (§7). If not, then the Argentine AF losses from the defenders air defence must be applied immediately, and the number of attacking AFs is the number of AFs that survived the defenders air defence.
The attackers portion of the NAS is resolved by the following procedure.
- The attacking Argentine rolls a die, and add possible DRMs.
- −1 DRM if the attacked British naval units are in a high seas hex.
- +1 DRM if there are more than eight British ships in the attacked hex. For this purpose, the attacker should count the total number of ship names, not the number of counters. For example, HMS Arrow and HMS Antelope are two ships when face up.
- The modified die roll is cross indexed with the number of attacking AFs in the NAS table (Table 22).
- The result is the hits endured by which kind of British naval unit.
- A C type unit is hit. If no such unit is present in the hex, then an E, A, or L type unit, in that order of priority, is hit instead.
- An E type unit is hit. If no such unit is present in the hex, then an C, L, or A type unit, in that order of priority, is hit instead.
- An A type unit is hit. If no such unit is present in the hex, then an L, C, or E type unit, in that order of priority, is hit instead.
- An L type unit is hit. If no such unit is present in the hex, then an A, E, or C type unit, in that order of priority, is hit instead.
- ½ If the result is preceded by "½" then the hit only has a 50% chance of causing damage. The Argentine faction rolls a die again. On an unmodified 4, 5, 6 the hit causes damage. Otherwise, the hit has not effect.
- ½* On this result, re-roll the dice to determine the unit type impacted. On an unmodified 5 or 6, no units are hit. If there is no unit of the given type, substitute another unit type according to the priorities given above.
If there is any ambiguity in the result, e.g., more than one C in a hex, then the British faction decides which unit takes a hit.
Note that some results, like "L+½E", means that one unit is definitely hit, and there is a 50% chance of another hit on another unit. This means, that a single unit may end up suffering two hits in one attack, for example if the unit is alone in the hex.
- A naval unit that is hit losses one "step", i.e., is flipped to the face-down side. If the naval unit is already face-down, it is eliminated.
- If the Argentine faction manages to sink a ship, i.e., a unit took a hit, and when flipped over, there is one less name on the counter, then the Argentine immediately gain one general morale point (+1 MP, §3). A single ship sunk also accounts for one victory point (VP) to the Argentine faction.
If an amphibious warfare stack has embarked British land units, and that stack loses a ship (a step), then all embarked battalions units must lose one step too (§10.9.5). If the amphibious warfare unit is fully eliminated, then all embarked land units are also eliminated.
If Argentine AF losses were not applied before the attackers part of the attack, then those losses must be applied after the resolution of the attack.
§10.8.3 Exocet missile attacks
The Argentine faction may attack during
- the Argentine combat phase, or
- the British amphibious (§9), movement (§8), or combat (§10) phases, but only against naval units moving during those phases.
When attacking during these phases, the Argentine faction may call the Exocet attack at any point during a naval unit's movement.
The Exocet missile launcher may attack
- one British naval unit,
- to which it has line-of-sight (§2.7) at any range, and only over sea hexes (not including the hex the Exocet unit occupies), and
- only once per game. After the Exocet unit has attacked, successful or not, it is immediately removed from the game.
Since the Exocet unit cannot attack over land hexes, it only makes sense to deploy the unit in a coastal hex.
Exocet attacks are resolved as a NAS at 8 AF (§10.8.2) with no DRMs, and no air defence is possible.
If the Exocet unit is destroyed in a British special forces raid (§10.9.11) or captured by British units, including as a consequence of advance-after-combat, then the Argentine faction cannot utilise the unit.
Table 23: Airfield suppression table.
| Die roll + AF | Hits sustained by airfield |
|---|---|
| ≤ 8 | 0 |
| 9–13 | 1 |
| ≥ 14 | 2 |
Permanent airfield: 2 hits to destroy. Primitive airfield: 1 hit to destroy.
§10.8.4 Airfield suppression
This only applies during the British combat phase.
If the British faction has declared airfield suppression missions, then these are resolved by the following procedure (see also Table 23).
- First, the defending Argentine faction resolves air defence assigned against the airfield suppression mission, as described in §10.8.1. Note that the airfield always defends with 1 DF.
- If any British AF has survived the air defence, then the British faction rolls a die and adds the number of Harrier AFs assigned to the airfield suppression mission.
- If the result is 9 or greater, then the airfield suppression mission was a success, and the airfield takes a hit.
- If the result is 14 or greater, then the airfield takes two hits.
- The permanent airfield near Stanley (4618) must suffer two hits before it is inoperable. This can happen if the modified British die roll is 14 or greater, or as a consequence of two airfield suppression missions (in two different combat phases). Place the "destroyed airfield" marker in the hex once two hits are achieved.
- Other airfields need only suffer one hit to be rendered useless. Remove the airfield marker from the board.
Table 24: Reconnaissance table. The "# units revealed" column is the number of hidden Argentine units revealed; the "Choosing faction" column is the faction that picks the units.
| Die roll | # units revealed | Choosing faction |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 3 | 0 | |
| 4 | 1 | Argentine |
| 5 | 1 | British |
| 6 | 2 | Argentine |
| 7 | 2 | British |
| ≥ 8 | All |
| DRMs | Condition |
|---|---|
| +1 | Special forces present |
| +1 | Against a settlement or city hex |
| +1 | In a rough hex against a clear hex |
| −2 | (icon as printed: dome with a cross; not identified in the text) |
| −2 | Foggy weather (as printed) |
Editor's note on Table 24: the printed DRM for foggy weather is −2, whereas §6.3 (Foggy) and Table 12 give a +2 DRM to British reconnaissance rolls in foggy weather. Both are transcribed as printed; the conflict is flagged here rather than resolved. The icon for the first −2 entry is not identified in the printed text.
§10.8.5 AR
This only applies during the British combat phase.
If the British faction has allocated Harrier AFs to perform aerial reconnaissance (AR), then these must be resolved as per the procedure below.
-
First, the defending Argentine faction resolves any air defence assigned against the reconnaissance mission, as described in §10.8.1.
-
If any British AF has survived the air defence, then the British faction rolls a die and adds −2 DRM for AR, and +1 DRM if the reconnaissance is against a settlement or city hex. Other DRMs listed in Table 24 do not apply to AR.
-
The number of revealed Argentine units, which faction must be given by the modified die roll (Table 24).
The number of assigned Harrier AFs does not affect how many Argentine units are revealed by a successful reconnaissance, only whether they survive the possible Argentine air defence. At most one Argentine unit can be revealed by AR, on a roll of 5 or 6, and it is purely a question of which faction gets to pick the unit revealed.
-
Air defence units revealed by the Argentine faction to counter the AR mission do not count toward the units to be revealed.
If the result of the Argentine faction assigning air defence against the reconnaissance mission (§10.6) is that in the target hex all units are revealed, then the air defence part of the resolution is still executed.
§10.8.6 Argentine AF losses
When a force of Argentine Skyhawk or Mirage III air units suffers losses, for example as a consequence of British CAP
or air defence, then loses must be distributed among the two kinds of air craft.
- If one type of aircraft, either Skyhawk or Mirage III, suffers losses, then all losses are assigned to that kind of air unit.
- If both Skyhawk and Mirage III units were involved in a loss of AF, then the losses must be distributed evenly among the two types, starting with a Skyhawk AF.
Example. An Argentine force of 4 AF Mirage III and 3 AF Skyhawk takes a 3 AF loss. In this case, 2 AF Skyhawk and 1 AF Mirage III are lost. The off-map AF track on the map is adjusted down accordingly, and the relevant number of AFs are removed from the map.
§10.9 Land combat
Land attacks are
- Combat between adjacent land units,
- Barrages by artillery units or surface combatants,
- (British only) Reconnaissance by land units, and
- (British only) Special forces raids.
Units which have a CF in a parenthesis (British special forces and some Argentine units) may not attack on their own or as part of a stack. However, they do defend with the printed CF, like any other unit.
The attacking faction decides in which order to execute these attacks.
§10.9.1 Land combats resolution
Land combat must be supplied (§2.5) and the appropriate number of SP must be spent for an attack to be possible.
To resolve a land combat between adjacent units of opposite sides, and possible remote fire (•⊙) support, the following procedure applies.
-
Sum all defending units' CF, including CFs from remote fire supporting units (§10.7.1), and any CF bonus from ground support missions (§10.7.3). This is the total defensive CF (DCF).
- If the defender is the Argentine faction, and any of the defending units are hidden, they must be revealed to calculate the total DCF.
-
Sum all attacking units' CF, including CFs from remote fire support units (§10.4.2). This is the total offensive CF (OCF).
-
If the DCF is larger than 12, then divide both DCF and OCF by two, dropping any fractions. If the DCF is still larger than 12, continue this process until DCF ≤ 12.
-
Cross-index the DCF with the OCF in the top part of the combat resolution table (CRT, Table 25) to find the attack column for the combat resolution.
For example, if the DCF is 8 and the OCF is 16, then the ninth column is used.
-
If there is no column corresponding to the DCF and OCF pair, then the combat is not possible, and the resolution ends.
The DCF is 12 and the OCF is 1. There is no column corresponding to this pair, and there is no combat.
- If the defender is the Argentine faction, and any of the defending units were hidden prior to the combat, then the British attacking units must perform an MC (§2.8). Any unit that fails the MC must retreat (§10.9.4), or, if not possible, take a step loss (§10.9.5).
-
The attacking faction rolls a die and adds all possible DRMs (§10.9.2), as summarised in Table 25.
-
The modified die roll is cross-indexed in the attack column determined above, and the result is read off.
§10.9.2 Land combat DRMs
- −1 DRM if all attackers are mountaineer units, and all attacked hexes are either rough or summit.
- −1 DRM if a special forces unit is among the attackers.
- −1 DRM if the weather is foggy.
- −1 DRM to Argentine attacks if all attackers are in the ZOC or same hex as a headquarter unit.
- −1 DRM to British attacks if the Argentine morale is medium or low (10 AF 10 or less).
- +1 DRM if the weather is stormy.
- +1 DRM if any defender is in a rough or summit hex.
- +1 DRM if all attackers are attacking across a river hex side, including river hex sides crossed by a bridge.
- +1 DRM if the defending units are in an improved position with enough capacity for the defenders (§10.9.3).
- +1 DRM to British attacks if some Argentine defenders are in the ZOC or same hex as an Argentine headquarter unit.
- +1 DRM to Argentine attacks if the Argentine morale is medium or low (10 AF 10 or less).
- +2 DRM if the attack is an amphibious assault.
Editor's note: the printed morale threshold in §10.9.2 reads "10 AF 10 or less"; it is transcribed as printed (the Argentine morale track is in MP).
All DRMs are cumulative.
§10.9.3 Improved position
Improved positions have a capacity of 1 or 2 infantry battalions (or the equivalent in infantry companies, see also Table 3). The capacity is determined when an improved position is constructed or later extended (§8.7.1).
If the capacity of an improved position is
- 1: then it may support 1 infantry battalion, or up to 2 infantry companies, and any number of other units (platoons or regiments).
- 2: then it may support 2 infantry battalions, 1 infantry battalion and up to 2 infantry companies, or up to 4 infantry companies, and any number of other units (platoons or regiments).
If an improved position does not have enough capacity to defend the units in it, then no +1 DRM is applied.
Example. One infantry battalion and one infantry company are in an improved position with capacity 1, and are attacked. Since the improved position does not have enough capacity, no +1 DRM is applied to the combat resolution roll.
If Argentine hidden units in an improved position of capacity 2 are revealed, as a consequence of reconnaissance or combat, and before any possible expansions of the improved position, then the capacity of the improved position is adjusted to match the actual units contained.
Example. The Argentine faction has set up one hidden infantry company near San Carlos in 0814 and placed a capacity 2 (not hidden) improved position on it. In the second turn, after an amphibious assault in turn 1, the British faction attacks that position, thus revealing the Argentine units. Since the improved position has excess capacity, it is adjusted to capacity 1.
Example. If the Argentine faction had managed to reinforce the position at 0814 with a hidden infantry battalion, then only the original deployment of 1 infantry company determines the capacity of the improved position. In that case, the improved position would not have enough capacity to support both units on defence.
§10.9.4 Retreats
A unit that suffers a retreat result must move one hex away from the enemy units. The retreat cannot be into enemy ZOC, though friendly units in enemy ZOC nullify this requirement. Retreats cannot cross shorelines nor inland lakes.
If the retreating unit cannot retreat because of enemy ZOC or terrain, then it suffers a step loss (§10.9.5) instead.
Stacking limitations (§2.9.1) must be observed at the end of the combat phase. If a unit is retreated into a hex which would then violate stacking limitations, then units already in the retreated-to hex must likewise retreat one hex. This cascading retreat is subject to the same constraints as the initial retreat (cannot be into enemy ZOC unless nullified by friendly units, and may further cascade).
The retreating unit's faction may choose, if a retreating unit has the option of losing a step, possibly eliminating the unit, or to force a cascade of retreats.
Retreats should, as far as possible, be in the general direction of the faction's main supply points (§2.4).
The main supplies are
- Stanley (4419).
- Any landing beach where the British faction has performed a successful landing.
If there is any dispute about the retreat route, then the non-retreating faction has the final say. However, illegal retreats may not be mandated.
Any unit with 1 CF (even if in a parenthesis) may suffer a step loss instead of retreating. This step loss may eliminate the unit. If a defending unit chooses to eliminate units in lieu of retreating, then it prevents the attacking units from an advance after combat (§10.9.7).
A faction may always decide to retreat its units involved in a combat, whether attacking or defending.
A faction may decide to retreat units that were not otherwise forced to retreat so as to maintain enough mass for counter attacks or second line defences.
Immobile units, those with an MF of • or supplies, cannot retreat, even voluntarily. Instead, if the unit has any CF, such immobile units take a step loss. If the unit has no CF, i.e., • or a supply, then there is no effect on the immobile unit, but it can be captured in an advance after combat (§10.9.7).
Example. A full-strength British artillery unit fails its MC on a retreat result. Since the unit cannot move on its own volition (MF is •), it stays put but suffers a step loss.
Example. The Argentine Exocet missile launcher is forced to retreat. Since the unit cannot move on its own (MF is •) nor has any CF (•), it stays put unscathed.
Installations, such as airfields or improved positions, do not retreat, but may be captured in a subsequent advance after combat.
If the British faction is forced or voluntarily retreats from Mt. Willam (4120), Mt. Longdon (4016), or Tumbledown (4019), then the Argentine faction gains 1 MP, but only the first time this happens.
§10.9.5 Step loss
A unit that suffers a step loss is flipped over to show its face-down, reduced, side.
- If the reduced side is empty, then the unit is eliminated (§10.9.6).
- If the unit is already reduced (face-down), then it is eliminated.
- If a unit suffers a step loss and must retreat, but cannot retreat (e.g., because of enemy ZOC), then that unit suffers two step losses and is therefore eliminated.
Step loss results in the CRT (Table 25) apply to units individually, not to the defending units as a whole.
Example. Suppose a stack of 3 infantry companies suffers an "S2" result. Each unit must perform its own MC (§2.8) with a +2 DRM. Those units that fail the MC take a step loss and must retreat. Those that succeed in their MC are only retreated.
§10.9.6 Elimination
A unit that suffers an elimination result, or has lost all of its steps, is immediately removed from the game. Eliminated units cannot reenter the game under any circumstances.
There are no replacements in this game.
If all Argentine combat units stacked in a hex with a headquarter unit are eliminated, then the headquarter units are also eliminated.
§10.9.7 Advance
If
- the attacked hex or hexes were vacated by all defending units with a combat strength (units that have a numeric CF, even if in parenthesis),
- no defending unit was voluntarily eliminated instead of retreating, and
- there are attacking units present in the hex or hexes from which the attack was initiated,
then these remaining attacking units may advance after combat.
Immobile units (those with an MF of •) or supplies are not considered when determining whether hex was vacated by the defender.
To advance after combat, the attacking faction move one or more remaining attacking units into the vacated hex or hexes. Advancing units may move into enemy ZOC, even if they start the advance in enemy ZOC. Stacking limitations (§2.9.1) must be observed at the end of the combat phase, and any overstacking in a hex advanced into will result in the elimination of attacking units.
Immobile units may not advance after combat, except British supplies after an opposed amphibious assault (§9.2). Non-attack units (CF in parenthesis) and Argentine headquarters may advance after combat.
If there are any immobile defending units or defender supplies in the hex advanced into, they are immediately captured. Captured supplies and improved positions are returned to the owning faction. Captured airfields are replaced with an attacking faction's airfield, face-down. Other captured units are eliminated (§10.9.6).
§10.9.8 Effects on Argentine morale
The outcome of a battle affects the overall Argentine morale (§3) as summarised in Table 9.
The Argentine faction receives one MP
- per step lost by the British faction,
- per failed British attack, i.e., a British attack that did not result in Argentine retreat, step loss, or elimination.
The Argentine faction loses one MP
- per two-step Argentine unit eliminated,
- per headquarter Argentine unit eliminated.
§10.9.9 Barrages
Barrage attacks are either against land or naval units. The procedure to resolve a barrage attack is as follows.
- Sum the CF of all artillery and surface combatant units that participate in the barrage.
- The rest of the resolution depends on the target of the barrage.
- If the target is a land hex and land units, then the attack is resolved as a TAS (§10.8.1) with total CF substituted for AFs, and with no air defence.
- If the target is a sea hex and naval units, then the attack is resolved as an NAS (§10.8.2) with total CF substituted for AFs, and with no air defence.
If British ships are sunk, then the Argentine faction gains 1 AF per ship sunk. If British land units lose steps, then the Argentine faction gains 1 AF per British step loss. If Argentine two-step units are eliminated, then the Argentine faction loses 1 AF per such unit eliminated.
The optional rule on intensive artillery (§12.7) allows the factions to increase the intensity of an artillery unit at the cost of an extra SP (§2.5).
§10.9.10 Reconnaissance
Any British land unit may conduct reconnaissance against all adjacent stacks of Argentine units with at least one hidden unit.
For each hex reconnoitred the following procedure is applied.
-
The British faction rolls a die and adds any relevant DRMs.
- +1 if a special forces unit is present in the stack, together with other British units, doing the reconnaissance. A sole special forces unit that does reconnaissance does not receive this DRM.
- +1 if the reconnoitred hex is a settlement or city (Stanley).
- +1 if the units doing the reconnaissance are in a rough hex and reconnoitring a clear hex.
- −2 if the weather is foggy.
-
The number of revealed units, and which faction must choose the units, are read off in the reconnaissance table (Table 24), and the result is applied immediately.
The procedure is repeated for each hex against which the reconnaissance is performed.
Editor's note: §10.9.10 and Table 24 give the foggy-weather modifier to British reconnaissance as −2, while §6.3 and Table 12 give a +2 DRM for Foggy reconnaissance. Each is transcribed as printed; the conflict is flagged rather than resolved.
Combat resolution table (CRT)
Table 25: Land Combat Resolution Table (CRT).
Part 1: lookup. For each Defend CF row (DCF), the entries across the 14 columns give the Attack CF (OCF) range that selects that column (as printed; blank cells are empty in the printed table).
| DCF | c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 | c5 | c6 | c7 | c8 | c9 | c10 | c11 | c12 | c13 | c14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 8–9 | 10–11 | 12–13 | 14–16 | 17–19 | 20–22 | 23–25 | 26–30 | 31–35 | 36–41 | 42–47 | ≥48 |
| 11 |
Part 2: results. Each die-roll row has an A (attacker) and D (defender) result for each column c1–c14. Blank cells are empty results.
| Die roll | Side | c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 | c5 | c6 | c7 | c8 | c9 | c10 | c11 | c12 | c13 | c14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤1 | A | S0 | R2 | R2 | R1 | R1 | R0 | R0 |
Result codes (as printed in the CRT): each cell gives the A (attacker) and D (defender) result.
- Rx. If the unit fails its MC (with a +x DRM), then that unit must retreat (§10.9.4). If the unit succeeds its MC, then there are no consequences for that unit.
- Sx. The unit must retreat no matter the outcome of the MC. If the unit fails the MC (with a +x DRM), then that unit must suffer a step loss (§10.9.5).
- Ex. If the unit fails the MC (with a +x DRM), then that unit is eliminated (§10.9.6). If it succeeds its MC, then the unit must retreat (§10.9.4) and take a step loss (§10.9.5).
Table 26: Raid table. Columns are the total Argentine CF in the target hex (0, 1–3, 4–7, ≥8); rows are die rolls.
| Die roll | 0 | 1–3 | 4–7 | ≥8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | D | D | D |
| 2 | D | D | D | D |
| 3 | D | D | ||
| 4 | D | |||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 |
D = target destroyed. S = special forces unit loses a step (each); raid failed. DRMs: +1 if any Argentine units in the target are hidden (not known).
§10.9.11 Raids
Raids are made against Argentine airfields, supplies, or the Exocet missile launcher. If the optional rule on headquarter raids is in effect (§12.8), the raids may also be conducted against Argentine headquarter units alone, save for supplies, in a hex.
To resolve a raid by a British special forces unit, the procedure is as follows.
-
The British faction must declare the target of the raid, either
- the airfield,
- at least 4 SP worth of supplies,
- the Argentine Exocet missile launcher, or
- per optional rule (§12.8) a headquarter unit.
Only one target may be selected.
-
If there are any hidden Argentine units in the hex targeted by the raid, then the special forces unit must first conduct reconnaissance (§10.9.10) against the target hex, with no DRM for special forces units.
-
The total CF of Argentine units in the target hex is summed.
- If any Argentine unit wishes to oppose the raid, they must not be hidden. The Argentine faction may voluntarily reveal hidden units. If not, then the CFs of hidden units are considered to be 0.
-
If, after the reconnaissance and step above, there are still hidden Argentine units in the hex, then the raid suffers a +1 DRM.
-
The British faction rolls a die, possibly adding +1 DRM if any Argentine units in the target are hidden, and cross-indexes the modified die roll with the total defensive CF in the raid table (Table 26), to find the result of the raid.
- A result of "S" means that the special forces unit takes a step loss (§10.9.5), and the raid is a failure.
- A result of "D" means that the target of the raid (the airstrip, all supplies in the hex, the Exocet missile launcher, or headquarter, if the optional rule §12.8 is in use) is destroyed, and the raid is a success.
- Any other result means that nothing happens, and the raid is a success a failure.
If the special forces unit conducted the raid from a land hex, then the special forces unit may either stay in the land hex or be extracted off-map (§8.4.5). If the raid was conducted from a sea hex, then the special forces unit must be extracted off-map (§8.4.5).
On a successful raid ("D" result), the Argentine faction loses 1 MP immediately, while if it failed, the Argentine faction gains 1 MP. If the raid was neither a success nor a failure, then there is no adjustment to the Argentine overall morale.
§11 Victory
When the game ends, either
- at the end of the 15th turn,
- because the British faction occupies Stanley, or
- because the Argentine morale dropped to 0, and the Argentine faction surrendered,
the total number of victory points (VP) for each faction is tallied. The faction with the most victory points (irrespective of Argentine surrender or British capture of Stanley) wins the game.
§11.1 Argentine VPs
The Argentine faction scores VPs as summarised in Table 27.
Table 27: Argentine VPs.
| VP | Per eliminated... |
|---|---|
| 2 | C or E (surface combatant) |
| 1 | A or L (amphibious warfare) |
| 1 | AF (British air factor) |
| 1 | British CF (land unit) |
| 1 | Helicopter or air defence unit |
- 2 VP for each surface combatant unit eliminated. This applies to a full counter, not individual ships.
- 1 VP for each amphibious warfare unit eliminated. This applies to a full counter, not individual ships.
- 1 VP for each British AF eliminated.
- 1 VP for each British land unit CF eliminated.
- 1 VP for each British helicopter or air defence unit eliminated.
§11.2 British VPs
The British faction's VPs are solely determined by the turn in which either it captures Stanley, or the Argentine faction surrenders. The number of VPs is printed on the board in the turn track.
If the British capture Stanley, i.e., has a unit that occupies hex 3424 in turn 15, then the British faction receives 11 VP.
If the Argentine faction surrenders on turn 12, then the British receive 17 VP.
Editor's note: the printed text names hex 3424 as Stanley; the same document elsewhere gives Stanley as hex 4419 (§2.4) and 4618 is the airfield near Stanley. The hex is transcribed as printed.
If the British faction never captures Stanley, or the Argentine faction never surrenders, before the end of turn 15, then it receives no VPs and loses the game.
§12 Optional rules
This section describes the possible optional rules that can be employed in the game. Both factions must agree on which optional rules to use. The optional rules aim either at adding more realism to the game, or to introduce some uncertain elements into the game.
§12.1 Argentine reinforcements
Before the Argentine faction deploys its ground units (§4), the British faction chooses two random units out of the Argentine regular land units, except
- Marine units,
- The airborne unit,
- The two ranger infantry units AG 601/R ICOY and AG 602/R ICOY,
- The two headquarters,
- The Exocet missile launcher, and
- The two armoured personnel carriers.
That is, the British faction must choose 2 units among the Argentine decoys, motorised, mechanised, and regular infantry, artillery, air defence units, except marines, airborne, and rangers.
The British faction can, for example, draw two units out of a cup with its eyes closed and hand those to the Argentine faction.
The two selected units are not set up during the initial Argentine deployment, but are kept off-map.
- On turns 2 to 6, in the weather phase (§6), the Argentine faction rolls a die. If the die roll is less than the current turn number, then the two held-back units arrive as reinforcements.
- If the reinforcements have not arrived before turn 7, then they automatically arrive on that turn, subject to weather constraints.
- If the turn on which the reinforcements are to arrive is either stormy or foggy, then the reinforcements are held back until the first non-stormy and non-foggy turn.
- The reinforcements arrive in the airfield (4618) near Stanley. The reinforcements may move and do combat normally in the turn they arrive.
- If the airfield at 4618 has successfully been raided or suppressed by the British before the reinforcements could arrive, then they will never arrive.
- On the turn the reinforcements do arrive, the Argentine faction gains 1 MP immediately.
§12.2 Random events
With this optional rule, some randomness, or what-if, elements are introduced into the game. In the weather phase (§6), the factions take turns rolling another die. If the result is 1, then the same faction rolls one more time and consults the random events table (Table 28) for the result. Table 28: Random events. Die roll (1–6) and the event; the subtable for the events that require a further die roll follows.
| Die roll | Last turn | Event | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrier sunk (British task force carrier) | British off-map Harrier capacity reduced to 4 AF (excess AFs that cannot immediately be placed in a British airfield on East Falkland, within capacity, are eliminated); Argentine faction +2 VP | |
| 2 | 5 | RMS Queen Elisabeth II sunk | Chance of 5th Brigade losses (subtable below); Argentine faction +1 VP |
| 3 | Storms | Subtable below (which unit is lost); Argentine faction +1 VP if a unit is eliminated | |
| 4 | 6 | SS Atlantic Conveyor not sunk | British off-map maximum Harrier capacity increased to 10 AF; British E helicopter arrives in turn 6 |
| 5 | (blank in printed table) | ||
| 6 |
Subtable: RMS Queen Elisabeth II sunk (for each British infantry battalion of the 5th Brigade on the OOB, roll a die):
| Die roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Eliminated |
| 3–4 | Step loss |
| 5–6 | No effect |
Subtable: Storms (die roll):
| Die roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | E in a sea hex sunk |
| 4–6 | L in a sea hex sunk |
- Carrier sunk. One of the British task force carriers was sunk by Argentine Exocet missiles fired from Super Étendard aircraft. The British off-map Harrier capacity is reduced to 4 AF. Any excess AFs that cannot immediately be placed in a British airfield on East Falkland, within capacity, are eliminated. The Argentine faction receives +2 VP.
- RMS Queen Elisabeth II sunk. This commercial liner carrying the 5th Infantry Brigade is sunk by Argentine submarines. For every British infantry battalion of this brigade on the OOB, roll a die and consult the subtable above for the effect. The Argentine faction gains 1 VP in addition to any VPs for step loss by or elimination of units. This event is ignored if it happens after the 5th turn.
- Storms. Storms ragging in the South Atlantic sink one of the British lighter ships. If there are any E or L in high seas hexes, or any E on the OOB, then roll a die and consult the subtable above for which unit is lost. If a unit is eliminated, then the Argentine faction gains 1 VP.
- SS Atlantic Conveyor not sunk. The Argentine air force fails to sink this container ship carrying additional helicopters and Harriers. The maximum off-map British Harrier capacity is increased to 10 AF, and the British E helicopter arrives in turn 6. If this event happens after turn 6, it has no effect.
- Ship sunk. The British navy manages to sink another Argentine ship. The British faction gains 1 VP.
Editor's note: the printed Table 28 "Last turn" column and the subtable wording are transcribed as printed. The printed Harrier capacity for the Atlantic Conveyor event reads "10 AP" in the prose; it is transcribed as "10 AF".
§12.3 Save MF
A mobile land unit (a unit that does not have an MF of •) that did not expend all of its MF during the movement phase (§8) may transfer the remainder to the combat phase (§10) to be used with non-attack movement (§10.2).
The unit must have expended as many MFs during the movement phase as possible. That is, excess MF cannot be transferred if the unit could possibly have moved further away from its starting point than it did.
Units with excess MF to spend during the non-attack portion of the combat phase must be moved before other units that do not have excess MF to spend.
§12.4 Two-phase helicopter transports
A single helicopter unit may transport an infantry battalion or 2 SP over two friendly and consecutive movement (§8) or combat (§10) phases.
- The transport is limited to the number of MFs at the time when the infantry battalion is picked up.
- The controlling faction must declare the target hex. The target hex may be in enemy ZOC.
- If, at any point during the transport, the target hex is occupied by an enemy unit of company size or larger, then the transported infantry brigade takes a step loss (§10.9.5) and the helicopter unit is eliminated. If the helicopter unit is transporting SP, then those are immediately lost.
- On the second phase of the transport, the transport ends.
- If the helicopter is transporting supplies and the target hex is occupied by or in ZOC of an enemy unit, then the supply is immediately lost. Otherwise, the supply is dumped in the target hex.
- If the target hex is free of enemy units, then the infantry battalion or supply is placed there.
- If the hex is occupied by a hostile unit, then the transported infantry brigade is placed in an adjacent hex neither containing enemy units, nor a friendly battalion.
- If no such hex is available, then the transported infantry battalion takes a step loss (§10.9.5) and remains in its original hex, and the helicopter unit is eliminated.
- The two phases over which the transport is done may neither be stormy nor foggy. If the first phase after the initial phase of the transport is under either of these weather conditions, then the second phase of the transport is postponed until the weather allows it.
§12.5 Intensive Argentine helicopter use
The Argentine faction may double the capacity of its helicopter transport for a single turn.
- During that turn, a single helicopter unit may transport an infantry battalion or 2 SP.
- The Argentine faction loses 1 MP.
- If the following turns are stormy or foggy, then the Argentine faction continues to lose 1 MP per turn.
- On the first turn after the double-capacity turn where the weather is neither stormy nor foggy, the Argentine faction may not use its helicopter transports.
§12.6 Unit integrity
When the British faction splits up a real-life, or organisational, battalion (§1.2.1), then command structure may suffer. An organisational British battalion is represented by two battalion units in the game. For example UK A&B/40/3 MARIBTN and UK C&D/40/3 MARIBTN make up the 40th Marine Battalion, 3rd Commando Brigade, and UK LF&F/2SG/5 IBTN and UK G&RF/2SG/5 IBTN make up the 2nd Scottish Guards Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade.
If, in a British attack, there are 2 or more units from different organisational battalions, then the units of least number of organisational battalion representations must be used. If not possible or desired by the British faction, then a +1 DRM is added to the combat resolution roll (§10.9.1).
Example. The units UK A&B/40/3 MARIBTN, UK C&D/40/3 MARIBTN, and UK LF&F/2SG/5 IBTN may attack the same Argentine units, while the reduced UK G&RF/2SG/5 IBTN is elsewhere.
Example. In a possible combat with UK A&B/40/3 MARIBTN, UK C&D/40/3 MARIBTN, and UK LF&F/2SG/5 IBTN, the least number of organisational battalions is one, the UK 40/3 MARIBTN, since UK LF&F/2SG/5 IBTN is not a full organisational battalion. This means that if the British decide to attack with only UK A&B/40/3 MARIBTN and UK C&D/40/3 MARIBTN, there is no penalty, but if UK LF&F/2SG/5 IBTN is included, then there is a penalty of +1 DRM.
If the (demi-)battalion UK G&RF/2SG/5 IBTN had been eliminated, then UK LF&F/2SG/5 IBTN would constitute the whole organisational battalion UK 2SG/5 IBTN, and the minimum would be 2 in that case. Therefore, in the case UK G&RF/2SG/5 IBTN had been eliminated, then all three units could attack with no penalty.
Likewise, had the reduced UK G&RF/2SG/5 IBTN been able to attack the same target as the other three units, then the minimum number of organisational battalions would also be 2, and all four units could attack with no penalty.
This optional rule can be a little tricky to get right. The point of the rule is to discourage the British faction from splitting organisational battalions all over the map. In other words, if two demi-battalions could be on the same objectives, then they should.
§12.7 Intensive barrage
A faction may intensify its artillery by spending an extra SP per artillery unit.
- The faction may add 50% to its total artillery CF, rounded down.
- The faction must spend an extra SP per artillery unit (irrespective of its strength or size).
A faction can increase the CF of artillery when supporting land attack (§10.4.2) and defence (§10.7) in land combat, or when performing remote fire barrages (§10.9.9).
Example. Two British artillery units, one with 1 CF and one with 2 CF, for a total 3 CF, fire at an Argentine stack. They must spend (1 + 1) SP = 2 SP to do the attack. The British faction chooses to intensify the barrage and spends a total of (1 + 1) + (1 + 1) SP = 4 SP on the attack, and can add 50% to the total CF: 1.5 × 3 CF = 4.5 CF → 4 CF.
§12.8 Raids on headquarters
If the special pre-raid reconnaissance (§10.9.11) reveals an Argentine headquarter unit in the raided hex, and the raid is successful (destroys its target), then the British faction may roll a die twice and add them up. On a result of 2 or 3, the headquarter unit is also eliminated.
A raid may target a headquarter unit which is alone in a hex. If the raid is successful, then the headquarter unit is eliminated.
§12.9 Teal inlet
Once a British unit has occupied or passed through the settlement of Teal Inlet (2814), it may be treated as a single hex coast hex. This means that this hex can be used for follow-up amphibious assaults.
Once an amphibious assault has been made at Teal Inlet, it means that
- communication lines may be traced here as a main supply (§2.4).
- helicopter units may end their turn here.
§13 Historical
If the factions decide to play a historical set-up, then the following restrictions should be used.
In or adjacent to Darwin (0925)
- ≥ 8 CF of AG 12/3 AIREGT.
- AG 1/3 ARTCOY.
- AG 1/601 ADCOY.
- 8 SP of supplies.
- Airfield at 0926.
Anywhere
- Rest of AG 12/3 AIREGT.
West Falkland
- Airfield.
Within 7 hexes of Stanley (4419)
- All remaining units, including APC units.
Regular set-up rules
- Regular set-up rules apply to helicopter units, Pucará units, and improved positions (as listed on the printed page).
The British faction must land in San Carlos Waters (landing zone 1). There is no need to select 3 beaches during the set-up of the game.
Glossary
The acronyms and terms printed on the "Optional and Miscellaneous" chart.
| Term | Meaning (as printed) |
|---|---|
| AF — Air factor | Strength of aerial units. |
| DF — Air-defence factor | Defensive strength against aerial attacks (TAS or NAS). |
| CAP — Combat-area patrol | Aerial patrol over the combat area to intercept enemy air units. |
| CAS — Close air support | Defensive support air mission. |
| CF — Combat-factor | Strength of land units. |
| DRM — Die-roll modifier | A positive or negative number added to a die roll. |
| EF — Efficiency factor | How efficient, or well-trained, a given unit is. EF is used when morale checks (MC) are performed; the higher the EF, the more likely the unit is to clear the check. |
| MC — Morale check | Roll a die and add possible DRMs. If the result is less than the unit's, possibly modified, EF, the check is a success. |
| MF — Movement factor | Manoeuvrability of land units and helicopter transports. |
| MP — Morale points |