Rampage: The Allied Drive on Germany, August - September, 1944 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 INTRODUCTION
• 2.0 COMPONENTS
• 3.0 SET-UP, THE GERMAN FRONT, HEX CONTROL
• 4.0 HOW TO WIN
• 5.0 TURN SEQUENCE
• 6.0 STACKING
• 7.0 REPLACEMENT & REINFORCEMENTS
• 8.0 GERMAN DEFENDING FORCE GENERATION
• 9.0 SUPPLY & ALLIED MOVEMENT
• 10.0 COMBAT
• 11.0 ARGENTAN-FALAISE POCKET (AFP)
• 12.0 GERMAN SUPPLY, OTHER POCKETS & ATLANTIC WALL HEXES
• 13.0 FIRST ALLIED AIRBORNE ARMY (1AAA)
• 14.0 OPTIONAL RULES

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Game Premise Rampage (Rp) is a purpose-designed solitaire wargame that covers the fighting in northwest Europe from the time of the Argentan-Falaise encirclement in mid-August 1944 through the end of September. You actively command the Allied forces, while the rules system directs you in the handling of German forces. You win by accumulating victory points via seizure of key areas on the map.

1.2 Rampage vis-à-vis Stalingrad Cauldron Note that, though the two games in this issue share the same general system, there are differences in their details of play. That’s due mainly to the difference in the time and space scales used in the two games, as well as the fact I’m still developing my views in regard to purpose-designed solitaire systems. Please play each game according to the specific rules set presented for it. Also note the two games’ rules are presented in such a way that you may choose to learn and play them in either order; each is fully self-contained.

1.3 Scale Each game turn equals one-third of a month. Each hexagon represents 16 miles (24 km) from side to opposite side.

1.4 Nationality & Other Terminology A rule said to apply to “Allied” units applies to all units—US, British, Canadian, French and Polish—of that side. A rule said to apply to armor units applies to every unit of both sides that has the armor/panzer symbol (see 2.8) printed on its counter. All Canadian and Polish units are considered British, and all French units are considered US, for all purposes.

1.5 Die Roll Modifiers In all situations, all applicable die roll modifiers are cumulative in their effect.

1.6 Compass Directions & Map Edges For all rules purposes, consider the south edge of the map to run from 1001 to 1923, inclusive. The east edge runs from 1923 to 3018, inclusive. The north edge runs from 3018 to 1900, inclusive. The west edge runs from 1900 to 1001, inclusive. Note the four “corner” hexes are therefore each simultaneously part of two map edges. (Don’t be irritated; operatively it won’t really matter.)

2.0 COMPONENTS

2.1 Inventory of Components The components to a complete game of Rp include these rules, the map-sheet and 116 die-cut counters (also called “units” and “unit counters”). Players must provide themselves with one or more standard (six-sided) dice to resolve combat and other probabilistic events that occur during play. You will also need a large-mouth opaque container—such as a coffee mug or cereal bowl—to serve as the German “force pool” (see 3.3). Also note the unit-count given above doesn’t include the marker counters you’ll need to borrow from the counter-mix of the other game in this issue.

2.2 The Game Map The game map represents the militarily significant terrain found across northwest Europe in 1944 when portrayed at this scale. A hexagonal (“hex”) grid is printed over it to regulate unit placement and movement similar to the way squares are used in Chess and Checkers. A unit is always in only one hex at any one instant. Each hex contains natural and/or manmade terrain features that may affect movement and combat. The map’s terrain representations have been altered slightly from their exact real-world configurations in order to make them conform to the hex-grid. The terrain relationships from hex to hex are, however, accurate to the degree necessary to present you with the same space/time dilemmas faced by your real-world counterparts in the actual campaign. Each hex on the map has a unique four-digit number printed in it. They’re provided to help you find specific locations referred to in the rules (for example, Paris is in hex 1507), and to allow you to record unit positions if a match has to be interrupted and taken down before it can be completed.

2.3 Counters Most of the counters represent combat units; others are provided as memory aids and informational markers. Carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the “dog ears” from their corners with a fingernail clipper greatly facilitates handling and stacking during play and enhances their appearance. Each Allied combat unit-counter displays several types of information: nationality and organizational affiliation, type, combat dice rolled, step strength and specific historic identifications. German units display their data in a different way, which is described below in rule 2.11.

2.4 Sample Allied Unit A US armored division unit is pictured below. It has a combat dice roll strength (“CDR”) of “2.” On one side the unit is printed showing its full two-step strength, while on the other side of the counter it’s shown at its “reduced” one-step strength and a CDR of only “1.” 2.5 Step Strengths All Allied units in the game contain one or two “strength steps” (also referred to as “step strength” or simply “steps”). That’s an arbitrary term used to express the ability of a unit to absorb a certain amount of combat losses before ceasing to be an effective formation (a measure of its “robustness” in current US Army jargon). If a full-strength (two-step) unit suffers a step loss, it’s flipped so its “reduced” (one-step) side shows. If a one-step unit (an Allied two-stepper that had already been reduced) takes a step loss, it’s removed from the map and placed into the permanent “dead pile.” No unit may ever give, loan or otherwise transfer a step to another. See section 7.0 for more details.

2.6 Recognizing Step Strengths The way to tell an Allied unit’s step strength, is to note its CDR number. The higher number—always “2”—is its two-step side; the lower number—always “1”—on its other side, is its one-step strength. All German units have only one strength step, which is automatically always “1,” and which therefore isn’t printed on the counters.

2.7 Sides Each unit’s nationality and, if German, its status as “elite” or “non-elite,” is shown by its color scheme. Remember: you, as the “player,” actively command—decide the details of their movement, combat and replacement—all Allied units in the game. The activities of the opposing German units will be determined by the strictures set out below. Of course, you will still also take some part in that process by moving the Allied units about, rolling dice for their various activities, as and when dictated by the rules.

GERMAN UNITS

Elite Divisions: white on black Non-Elite Units: black on gray Front Line Markers: black on white

ALLIED UNITS

British Armor: white on crimson British Infantry: black on crimson US Armor: white on olive drab US Infantry: black on olive drab First Allied Airborne Army: black on blue

Designer’s Note: Unlike most wargames, there are no “movement factors” or “movement points” (“MF” or “MP”) printed on any of the counters. German units don’t actually move across the map in the usual sense of that term, so no such factors are needed for them (see section 8.0 for more details). Allied units all have MF of “6.” See section 9.0 for more details on that. 2.8 Unit Types In the explanations below, the German terminology appears to the left of the slash while differing Allied terminology appears to the right (except when there is no change in terms for the two sides).

2.9 Unit Organizational Sizes Unit organizational sizes are provided for historical interest; they have no direct bearing on play. All units in the game except one are divisions.

XX = division or ad hoc divisional-equivalent battle group (KG) if bracketed II = battalion

2.10 Abbreviations The abbreviations on the counters are defined as follows.

AFP = Argentan-Falaise Pocket Br = British C = Canadian F = French KGA = Kampfgruppe Aulock KGB = Kampfgruppe Bauer KGC = Kampfgruppe Chill KGM = Kampfgruppe Mueller KGS = Kampfgruppe Schwerin KGT = Kampfgruppe Tettau L = Luftwaffe P = Polish PDE = Parachute Division Erdmann PzLr = Panzer Lehr SS = Schutzstaffel (elite Nazi Party units)

Designer’s Note: The only ethnic-British unit in the game to actually have the “Br” abbreviation on its counter is that nation’s 1st Airborne Division, which is part of the dual-nationality First Allied Airborne Army (along with two US divisions). See section 13.0 for more details on that. All other British units are identified simply by their color scheme as given above in rule 2.7.

2.11 German Units: Elite & Non-Elite All the German units printed in the white-on-black color scheme are elite. That means when engaging in combat they always have “first fire” (see 10.1). No Allied units are considered elite for game purposes. All German units printed black-on-gray are non-elite; all those printed white-on-black are elite. Also note German units don’t have the same data presentation as Allied units. That’s because German units have only one strength step, along with a corresponding CDR of “1.” So, on German units the large number printed on their center-bottoms are their historic unit identifications.

2.12 Other Counters The following counters (“markers”) are also included in the game as informational and memory aids. Their functions are explained in the relevant portions of the rules that follow.

German Front Line (see 3.6 & 3.7) Game Turn (see section 5.0) Movement Points Left (see section 9.0) Argentan-Falaise Pocket (see section 11.0) US & British Replacement (see section 7.0)

3.0 SET-UP, THE GERMAN FRONT, HEX CONTROL

3.1 German Set Up When preparing to play, you should first deploy the German units. To do that, put all German units with “AFP” printed in their upper-left corners into the AFP holding box on the map sheet. Then put the AFP marker into hex 1602 on the map. Next put German Front Line markers in the irregular row of hexes immediately on the (generally) eastern side of the initial front line as printed on the map from 1003 to 1902, inclusive. There will be markers left over; simply set them temporarily off to the side within easy reach.

3.2 Reinforcement Set Up Take the German units printed with one-digit numbers in their upper-left corners and place them, face up, into the boxes of the Turn Record Track on the map sheet that correspond to those numbers. For example, the 12th Infantry Division goes into the box for Game Turn 4 (II September). Then take the Allied units with similar numbers printed in their upper-left corners and also place them into the corresponding boxes on that same track. For example, all three divisions of First Allied Airborne Army go into the box on the track for Game Turn 2 (III August).

3.3 German Force Pool Set Up The large-mouth opaque container mentioned in 2.1 will be used to hold the German units available for combat deployment. Put into that container all German units left over after following the instructions given in rules 3.1 and 3.2 above.

3.4 Allied Set Up Begin the Allied side’s set up by putting all 16 red-background British (including “C” and “P”) units into the five hexes containing the “Br” abbreviation on the map (1801, 1802, 1900, 1701 & 1902). You may choose how to stack them within normal limits; you may leave some hexes empty of units. When that’s been done, place all remaining US units in any of the non-Br hexes to the west of the initial start line. You may choose how to stack them within normal limits; you may leave some hexes empty of units. Also note all Allied units are set up at two-step strength.

3.5 Other Markers Put the Game Turn marker into the Game Turn 1 box on the Turn Record Track. Temporarily set aside the “MP Left” and the five Allied “REPS” markers, off to the side within easy reach. That completes the set up of the game.

3.6 German Front Line Maintenance Every time a moving Allied unit or stack (a “force,” see 9.1) enters a hex containing a German Front Line marker, temporarily halt that force’s movement and roll a die to generate the defending German force for that hex. After resolving that battle (if any), if the attacking Allied force has defeated the defending German force in that hex, that locale is said to have been taken control of by the Allied side. In such cases immediately place around the battle hex the number of new markers necessary to accurately delineate the new German front line. Alternatively, if the Allied attempt to take control of the battle hex is defeated, replace the control marker back into that hex. There will never be any time when the German front line is broken cleanly open. That is, each territorial acquisition by the Allies simply causes the front line to be immediately redrawn, via the use of as many newly placed markers as are needed to do so. Also note that the reverse sides of the markers are never used in this game, only the sides showing the iron crosses.

3.7 Hex Control At the start of play the German side controls all the hexes on the map that lie in and generally east of the line created by the placement of the AFP and iron cross markers. A hex’s control status switches from the Germans to the Allies as described above. In general, such control switching can’t occur more than once (from German to Allied) for each hex on the map. The exception has to do with German pocket breakout (see sections 11.0 & 12.0). Hex control is important for purposes of determining VP (see section 4.0) and supply (see sections 9.0 & 11.0).

3.8 German Operational Limits Note that—other than actions conducted under the auspices of pocket breakout (see sections 11.0 & 12.0)—there are never any German sorties across the front line, neither the original one printed on the map nor the later ones delineated by the shifting line of markers. Similarly, you’re never required to keep any kind of “solid front” of Allied units from hex to hex along any portion of the map.

Designer’s Note: The Allied units in the counter-mix are all divisions. There are myriads of smaller formations doing the necessary drudge work of maintaining front line security in the quieter sectors.

4.0 HOW TO WIN

4.1 Victory To win, you must control: 1) Paris [1507], Rouen [1904], Troyes [1311] along with all hexes west of Seine River, in supply; and 2) all seven of the V-1 launch site hexes [2105, 2106, 2207, 2307, 2407, 2507] in supply; and 3) any one or more victory cities, also in supply. To draw, you must accomplish any two of those three numbered conditions. The Germans win if you only fulfill one or none of the above conditions.

4.2 British Loss Penalty For each British (including “C” and “P”) division—after the first—which is fully eliminated, lower the Allied victory level by one. For example, say you had fulfilled all three victory conditions given above, but in doing so you also managed to fully eliminate two British divisions. That first loss wouldn’t count, but the second would reduce your accomplishment from a win to a draw, while a third British division eliminated would’ve lost you the game.

Designer’s Note: The historic outcome, in game terms, was a draw for fulfilling conditions 1 and 2. One British division (1st Airborne) was lost, but that was the allowed freebee, so it didn’t count. Had the Market-Garden operation succeeded in capturing the victory city of Arnhem (3017), and had XXX Corps opened a ground supply line to it, the Allies would’ve won.

5.0 TURN SEQUENCE

5.1 Phases Every turn of Rampage is divided into “phases,” which are then each subdivided into individual actions within each phase. You should conduct all your various actions, and complete the phases of each turn, as given in the outline below and as described in the rest of the rules that follow.

5.2 Turn Sequence Outline I. Allied Replacement Assignment Phase (Skip on Turn 1) II. Allied Airborne Drop Phase (Skip on Turn 1) III. Allied Movement & Combat Phase IV. Administrative Phase

5.3 Sequence Irregularities Note that Phases I and II are always omitted from the play of Turn 1.

5.4 Ending a Turn After the resolution of the current turn’s Phase IV, move the Turn marker ahead one box on that track on the mapsheet and start a new turn with Phase I. Except for the exceptions described above in 5.3, all turns are identical in their overall structure.

5.5 Ending Play The game ends at the end of Turn 5, or whenever you, in your role as Allied supreme commander, become convinced you can no longer win and you thereby concede defeat to the system, whichever comes first.

5.6 Administrative Phases Use each turn’s Phase IV as a ‘clean up’ phase to reset and make ready all the forces in the game for the next turn’s sequence.

6.0 STACKING

6.1 Stacking Defined Stacking is the term used to describe the piling of more than one unit of the same side in the same hex at the same time. The stacking rules given below are in effect all through play, in every phase of the turn sequence of every turn, from set up through to victory determination.

6.2 Allied Stacking Limit You may never have more than six Allied units in the same hex at the same time. Note that step strength has no bearing on the stacking count. Further note that British and US units (see 1.4) may never stack together, nor may they move through each other’s hexes, nor may they attack into the same hex during the same turn.

6.3 First Allied Airborne Army For the purposes of rules 4.2 and 7.8, 1st British Airborne Division is always considered a British infantry unit. For stacking purposes, however, all three units in the 1AAA may all be considered British or US, based on your decisions, decided by you on an instant-by-instant basis any number of times throughout the game.

6.4 German Stacking The stacking of German units will usually be determined by each force determination die roll (from one through six units), which will be made anew each time an Allied force first enters any given front line hex. At the start of Game Turn 1, however, there are 22 German units in the AFP. For details on that unique stacking situation, see section 11.0.

6.5 Stacking Irrelevancy Both sides’ stacking limits are mutually exclusive. That is, the number of Allied units in a hex in no way effects the stacking limit of German units in that hex, and vice versa.

7.0 REPLACEMENT & REINFORCEMENTS

7.1 Reinforcements Reinforcements are units that enter play after the end of Game Turn 1.

7.2 German Reinforcements During each turn’s Phase IV, look ahead to the next turn’s box on the Turn Record Track. If there are any German units in that box, immediately move them from there into the force pool. Once entered into the pool, German reinforcements function in all ways as if they’d been in play from the start.

7.3 US Reinforcements During each turn’s Phase IV, look ahead to the next turn’s box on the Turn Record Track. If there are any US units in that box, immediately move them from there onto the map. Arriving units may be entered by being placed in any Allied-controlled and in supply city hex(es) on and/or west of the Seine River line. Stacking and nationality restrictions must be taken into account during placement. Once on the map, US reinforcements function in all ways as if they’d been in play from the start. (There are no British reinforcements.)

7.4 Replacements Replacements are increments of new troops and equipment, not represented by their own unit counters, which are used to rebuild reduced Allied units on the map. There are no German replacements as such; that aspect of their play is handled automatically by the strictures of sections 8.0 and 10.0.

7.5 Allied Full-Unit Eliminations Whenever an Allied unit has both its strength steps eliminated in combat, place it permanently off to the side. Such units won’t reenter play during that match.

7.6 Allied Replacement (“Replenishment”) of Reduced Units Beginning with Phase I of Turn 2, you may use a limited number of replacement steps to replenish—build back up to full two-step strength –reduced Allied units on the map. Replacements may not be in any way saved or accumulated from turn to turn; those not used are forfeit at the end of each Phase I.

7.7 Replacement Procedure Units to be replenished should have a “REPS” marker placed atop them; they may not move or engage in combat that turn. During that same turn’s Phase IV, remove the marker and flip the now-replenished unit so its full two-step side is again showing upward.

7.8 Replacement Strictures No British infantry unit, nor any US or British unit belonging to First Allied Airborne Army, may ever receive replenishment. During Turn 2, the British (see 1.4) may replenish no more than two eligible armor divisions, while the maximum for the US is a total of three infantry and/or armor divisions. Once it’s been decided which army group (US or British) is to be fully supported logistically (see 9.14 and 9.15), the partially supported army group has its per turn replacement capacity reduced by one: down to one division for the British, or down to two for the US. You aren’t required to replenish any units simply because they’re reduced and you have the reps available. Within the strictures given above, replenishment is an entirely voluntary process, and any given unit may go through the process any number of times. Units that receive replenish resume all normal capabilities at the start of following turn.

8.0 GERMAN DEFENDING FORCE GENERATION

8.1 German Unit Stasis German units don’t move about the board in the manner of Allied units (see section 9.0). Instead, each time a moving Allied force (a single unit or stack of units) enters a hex containing a German Front Line marker, you must pause it to “roll up” (via die roll) that place’s defending force.

8.2. West of the Western Position Line If a newly Allied-entered German-controlled hex is west of the Western Position Line printed on the map, roll a die and that result minus three—expressed as “1d6-3,” meaning you get zero, one, two or three units—is the number of German units you then blindly pull from the force pool in order to make up the defense of the hex under attack.

8.3 Atlantic Wall Fortress City Exception Though all six Atlantic Wall Fortress Cities are west of the Western Position Line, when you roll for those hexes’ defensive force, each one is guaranteed to get at least one non-elite unit. That is, if the die roll would indicate a no-unit result, simply look into the German force pool and pull out any one non-elite unit from it in order to make up its defense force. If the die roll generates an outcome other than no-units, simply pull that sized force blindly as described above. Important: also see rules 12,8, 12.9 and 12.10 for further details and exceptions concerning these hexes.

8.4 East of the Western Position Line In general, if a newly Allied-entered German-controlled hex is east of the Western Position Line, roll a die and that result (expressed as “1d6,” and meaning you get one, two, three, four, five or six units) is the number of German units you then blindly pull from the force pool to make up the defense of the hex under attack. For the exception, see 8.5 below.

Historical Note: The “Western Position Line” (Westlichen Stellung) was the term used at Hitler’s headquarters during this period to denote where he wanted the retreat from Normandy to stop. He originally drew it along the Seine River, but events in the field kept forcing him to move it eastward. The line on the map is where the front finally began to solidify historically. West of there the Germans are trying to back-peddle away from the Allied advance, while to the east of the line they’re trying to hold.

8.5 Victory City Exception If a newly Allied-entered German-controlled hex is a victory city (see 4.1), roll a die and that result plus two (expressed as “1d6+2,” and meaning you get three, four, five six, seven or eight units) is the number of German units you then blindly pull from the force pool to make up the defense of the hex under attack.

8.6 Hexes Attacked by Allied Airborne Landing Hexes under airborne assault by units of the 1AAA use the same German-defense-force dice roll formulas as given above in 8.1 through 8.4. See section 13.0 for more details.

8.7 Undefended Hexes If the defensive force generation procedure results in there being no German units in the hex in question, or if no German units are available in the pool, the hex is left empty and immediately switches to Allied control without any combat. Similarly, if the number of units available in the pool is less than the number rolled, simply deploy those units that are available; the missing remainder aren’t received.

8.8 Successful & Subsequent Hex Defenses If the German defense of a hex defeats an Allied force attacking it (see 10.1), at the end of that battle simply leave all the involved defending units in place in that hex on the map. If that same hex comes under attack again that same phase by another Allied force, don’t roll up a new (or reinforcing) defense force; simply use the one already in place in that hex.

8.9 Defensive Force Removals During Phase IV of every game turn, the general rule is you remove all on-map defense forces from the map and place them back in the pool.

Exception: such removals aren’t made for German units in out of supply Atlantic Wall Fortress City hexes (see 12.8. 12.9 and 12.10).

9.0 SUPPLY & ALLIED MOVEMENT

9.1 Allied Forces The Allied units and stacks in the various hexes across the map at the start of each of your side’s Movement & Combat Phases are each termed a “force.” Each such force is moved and fought one a time. Once you’ve begun the movement and/or combat of one Allied force, you may not begin that of another force until you’ve completed the actions of that first force.

9.2 Allied Movement A moving force may drop off units as it moves, but it may not pick up any new units as it does so. Further, units dropped off from a moving force end their activities for that phase in their drop off hex. In such cases, though, any Allied units of a force that hadn’t yet moved from the drop off hex would still be free to conduct their operation. When you initially move off with a force, you may decide to do so one or two units at a time, which then immediately reconstitutes the still unmoved units in the original hex as a new force that’s still eligible to conduct its own movement and combat that phase. (Always also keep in mind, though, the stacking stricture given at the end of rule 6.1.)

9.3 Combat Combat is a function of movement. That is, each time a moving Allied force enters a hex containing a German Front Line marker combat may occur there. It costs nothing “extra” for you to launch a force into its first round of combat in a hex; if it had the MP needed to enter that hex in terms of paying all the involved hexside and in-hex terrain costs, combat may occur. If hex entry can and does occur, the possibility for combat must be checked (as described in section 8.0).

9.4 Battle Movement Cost Battles are potentially multi-round. Each round of combat after a force’s first attack, however, costs that force another MP from its allotment for that turn.

9.5 Exploitation If a round of combat ends with all the German defenders in that hex having been eliminated, the attacking Allied force may resume its movement (and combat), if that’s what you want to do and the force has the needed remaining MP to move off in the direction you want to send it.

9.6 Defeat If a round of battle ends with German defenders still in the hex, and you don’t want to risk any more Allied losses by pressing ahead with another round of that attack, or you want to do so but don’t have the needed MP remaining to pay for it, that battle ends in an Allied defeat. In such cases move the attacking Allied force back into the hex from which it entered the battle hex. That force’s movement and combat are over for that turn.

9.7 Movement Factors Remaining Table To keep track of a moving force’s remaining MP, use your memory or the table printed on the map sheet with the marker provided. If your engaged force is out of MP and there are still one or more German units in the battle hex, that fight has likewise ended in an Allied defeat, just as described above in 9.6.

9.8 Unitary Nature of Movement All Allied force movement takes place from hex-to-hex within the strictures given on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the map sheet. No force may ever give or loan MF to another force, nor may any hexes be skipped over during movement. All movement is from hex to adjacent hex across traversable hexsides, with the moving force deducting the MP needed to pay all involved costs as it moves. No unit may ever move farther than allowed by its remaining MP, nor is any moving force guaranteed any minimum movement capability.

9.9 Mnemonic To aid in remembering which forces have moved and which haven’t, maintain a common facing with all Allied forces; then rotate each one 180 degrees as it finishes its movement and/or combat.

9.10 No Army Group Order Note that you needn’t complete the movement and combat of one army group before switching to conduct the operations of the other. In that regard, you may move back and forth between the forces of the two groups as you want. This remains true even after rule 9.14 comes into effect.

9.11 Indefinite Combat Within the strictures of rules sections 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0, any German-controlled hex may potentially be attacked any number of times, by any number of Allied forces, in any number of combat rounds, in each turn’s Phase III. Note, though, the same German-controlled hex may not be attacked by units of the British and US army groups during the same turn. (It is permissible for the same German-controlled hex to be attacked by units of the 1AAA and either the British or US army group during the same turn.)

9.12 Movement Costs All movement costs on the TEC are paid on a per-hex basis by terrain type. Each hex contains only one in-hex natural terrain type (clear or rough). The river hexside crossing cost of “+1” is paid in addition to the cost involved for the in-hex terrain in the hex into which the moving force is crossing. For example, crossing a river into a rough hex would cost a moving force a total of three MP: that’s two for the rough and “one extra” for crossing the river in order to get into the rough hex.

9.13 Allied Supply Allied supply is generally accounted for in the various movement and combat rules. That is, with two exceptions (see below) as long as you operate your Allied forces within the constraints of the movement and combat rules, Allied forces will be “in supply,” and no further or special consideration need be given to them in that regard.

9.14 Allied Army Group Supply At the very start of Turn 3, roll a die. On a result of one, two or three, the British army group will henceforth be considered the “fully supplied” one and the US army group is considered only “partially supplied.” Once determined, that status never changes for the rest of the game. The fully supplied army group continues to operate as did both groups during the game’s first two turns. The logistical situation is changed, however, for the other one (see below). Also note First Allied Airborne Army never becomes partially supplied (see section 13.0).

Designer’s Note: You don’t get to deliberately pick the PSAG as a matter of historicity. That is, during the early part of the actual campaign, Eisenhower couldn’t foresee the momentous logistical decision that awaited him come the end of August. He therefore didn’t maneuver the two army groups during August with that in mind. Due to historical hindsight, you, on the other hand, would always do so in the play of your games.

9.15 Partially Supplied Army Group The PSAG (pronounced “pea-sag”) army group suffers the following diminished capacities among all its units for the rest of the game.

You must “ground” (permanently remove from play) any three full-strength divisions from the PSAG. (Their motor vehicles have been taken for use elsewhere in the overall supply network.)

When you select a force of the PSAG to begin its movement and combat, you must first roll a die (1d6) for it. That result is its MP allotment (one to six MP) for that turn. If a rolled-for force is a stack, the one roll determines the MP of all the units in it for that turn.

Once the PSAG is determined, each of its attacks never have more than one round of combat per turn, even if a given engaged force has rolled the MP otherwise sufficient to pay for more rounds.

The per turn replacement capacity of the PSAG is reduced by one unit per turn for the rest of the game.

9.16 First Allied Airborne Army Supply. See section 13.0.

9.17 German Supply German supply is generally accounted for in much the same automatic way as that of the Allies; however, also see rule 10.10 and sections 11.0 & 12.0 for important details and exceptions.

10.0 COMBAT

10.1 Combat Procedures After you’ve determined the German defensive force in the hex you’re attacking, go through the steps in the sequence given below in order to fully resolve that battle’s first round.

1. Roll one die for each factor of CDR among the involved German elite units. All of those “hits” (step loss results) are implemented and take effect instantly among the engaged Allied force.

2. Roll one die for each factor of CDR among the involved German non-elite units. Those hits aren’t immediately scored. For now, simply keep in mind (or note on a piece of paper) the number of hits scored.

3. Roll one die for each factor of CDR among the involved Allied units.

4. That done, implement (inflict) all the hits scored by both sides during the two steps above.

5. After all hits have been implemented, that round of combat is over.

6. If all involved German units have been eliminated by Allied fire, you have won that battle. Realign the German Front Line markers as needed to designate the new control status of the hex where the battle was just fought

7. If, instead, all involved Allied units were eliminated by German fire, the battle is also over but you’ve suffered a defeat. In that case, surviving German units remain in place in the battle hex until that turn’s Phase IV. They may potentially be attacked again that same phase by a fresh Allied force of the same army group.

8. If a combat round ends and there is/are one or more surviving involved units on both sides, you need to decide if you will initiate another round of battle (and also see 9.6 and 9.15 in regard to that decision). If you decide to reengage, go back to the first step and execute a new battle round starting with the non-simultaneous “first fires” of any surviving German elite units.

10.2 In-Hex Terrain Effects Note on the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) that rough terrain, river hexsides and city hexes affect the combat result of some firing units. For example, an armor (or panzer) unit firing into a rough hex reduces its die roll results on the Combat Result Table by one. For example, a rolled six would be reduced to a five.

10.3 River Hexsides When it comes to the river hexside enhancement, the side being attacked gets the first-round +1 benefit. In general, the Allies are the attackers, but there are important exceptions in regard to Argentan-Falaise and other pocket breakout operations. See sections 11.0 & 12.0. Note that cities fully nullify—for all purposes—all the river hexsides that would otherwise be on the perimeters of their hexes.

10.4 Allocating Step Losses When you’re firing on the CRT, don’t pick out specific target units before making each die roll. Simply roll the appropriate number of times for each firing unit type/nationality, keeping track of the total hits scored, and when, and then implement those totals as you see fit. When you have step losses to allocate among an engaged force of either side, you’re always free to apportion them among the involved units entirely as you see fit.

10.5 Combat Results Table (CRT) Each roll on the CRT is either a “hit” or a “miss.” Hits are designated on the CRT by requiring the elimination of one or two steps (see 10.9 above). Misses are simply designated by corresponding blank spaces on the CRT and are, operatively speaking, “no effect” results.

10.6 Administrative Phase German Force Pool Returns During each turn’s Phase IV, take all the German units then still on the map (exception: leave in place units in isolated Atlantic Wall Fortress City hexes) and put them back into that side’s force pool. Similarly, most German units “eliminated” in battle will actually be returned to the force pool at the end of each turn (from where they’re then potentially available to reappear on subsequent turns). The only permanently eliminated German units are as follows.

The 503rd Tiger Battalion is permanently removed from play the first time it’s eliminated, no matter what the circumstances.

In unsuccessful pocket breakout battles—which can potentially also include Argentan-Falaise—all involved German units are permanently removed from play at the end of that failed combat.

Every German unit eliminated while defending in an unsupplied Atlantic Wall Fortress City is permanently removed from play.

11.0 ARGENTAN-FALAISE POCKET (AFP)

11.1 Pocketing the Germans At the start of each game, the better parts of three German armies (22 divisions) are stacked together in hex 1602. Despite the fact that hex has supply (at least at first), we refer to it, and all the rules below dealing with it, as the “Argentan-Falaise Pocket” (AFP), simply out of respect for the historical terminology almost universally used for it. The AFP will always be entirely resolved (liquidated), in one way or another, by the end of Turn 1.

11.2 Pocket Breakout If, during your Allied movement and combat of Turn 1, you succeed in cutting off the AFP hex from supply (see 12.1), immediately (but temporarily) suspend further Allied movement and combat and resolve a German pocket breakout battle in the hex where your acquisition of control just cut it off from supply.

11.3 Breakout Battle At the end of the AFP breakout battle—which always has only one round of combat—do one of the following:

A) If the German AFP breakout attack succeeds in restoring German-control to the hex in which you’d only moments before cut off German supply, put all German AFP units (including any that may have been eliminated during the just-concluded battle) into that side’s force pool, for normal deployment to and from it, for the rest of the game. Then remove the AFP marker counter from the map, and place a regular German Front Line marker into the hex through which the AFP German units just broke out.

B) If the German AFP breakout attack fails to restore German-control to the hex in which you’d only moments before cut off German supply, set aside all the German AFP units for the rest of the game; they’re permanently out of play for having been eliminated while isolated. Then also remove the AFP marker counter from the map and otherwise see to the correct placement of German Front Line markers around the area of the failed break out battle.

11.4 Failure to Seal the Pocket If, at the end of Turn 1’s Allied Movement & Combat Phase, the AFP hex has never been cut off from supply—either due to your deliberate avoidance of that course of action or your failure in combat at any attempt(s) you made to do so—put all the German AFP units into that side’s force pool, for normal deployment to and from it, for the rest of the game. Then also remove the AFP marker counter from the map and otherwise see to the correct placement of German Front Line markers around the area of the non-battle.

11.5 Breakout Die Roll Bonus Firing AFP units do get the normal +1, as 
awarded on the TEC, for participating in a 
breakout battle.

11.6 Larger Pocket If, due to Allied movement and combat on Turn 1, the Argentan-Falaise hex becomes part of a geographically larger pocket, all the AFP units automatically participate in that breakout combat along with one standard die roll check for additional units.

12.0 GERMAN SUPPLY, OTHER POCKETS & ATLANTIC WALL HEXES

12.1 German Supply A German-controlled hex, and all the German units in it, is said to be “in supply” if you’re able to visually trace an uninterrupted path of contiguous German-controlled land hexes from the one in question to any hex(es) along the east map edge from 3017 to 1623, inclusive. Such hex paths are called “supply lines.”

12.2 Coastal Supply Routes Note that German supply lines may pass into and out of any and all German-controlled land hexes, even if those hexes are only partial land hexes. That means, in effect, German supply lines can go across all-sea hexsides in coastal hexes. For example, a German supply line may—depending on the hexes’ control status—potentially be traced into and out of 2711, 2812 and 2813.

12.3 Out-of-Supply Eliminations German units eliminated while in a hex that’s out of “out of supply” (or OOS) are permanently removed from play for the rest of the game at that time, whereas German units eliminated while in supply are placed back into that side’s force pool. German units eliminated during the course of failed pocket break out battles (see 12.7 below and section 11.0) are likewise permanently removed from play.

12.4 Pocket Formation Any time during Allied movement and combat that the changed control status of a hex renders one or more German-controlled hexes OOS, a pocket has been formed. As soon as a pocket is formed, temporarily stop Allied movement and combat in order to resolve that situation.

12.5 Pocket Breakout Battles First, immediately remove from the map all the German Front Line markers from all the hexes that had just been rendered OOS by the Allied advance. Then roll a die to determine the number of German units in the force that will attempt to break out. (Roll just one die no matter the overall hex-size of the pocket.) If all the hexes in the pocket are to the west of the Western Position Line, the die roll is 1d6-3; if one more hexes of the pocket lie to the east of that line, the die roll is 1d6. Blindly draw that rolled number of units (zero through six) from the German force pool. Immediately resolve that German breakout attack in the hex where the control-status-switch caused the pocket to be formed. All such battles have only one half-round of combat, in which all firing German units get the +1 CRT die roll bonus as awarded on the TEC and there is no return Allied fire.

12.6 Successful Breakouts If the German AFP breakout attack succeeds (by eliminating the entire Allied defense force in one round of combat) and thereby restores German-control to the hex in which you’d only moments before cut off German supply, put all involved German units (including any that may have been eliminated during the just-concluded battle) into that side’s force pool, for further normal deployment to and from it during the rest of the game. Then place a German Front Line marker into the hex through which the attacking German units just broke out. Then resume your Allied movement and combat.

12.7 Failed Breakouts If the German breakout attack fails to restore German-control to the hex in which you’d only moments before cut off German supply (by failing to eliminate the entire Allied defense force there), set aside all the involved German units for the rest of the game; they’re permanently out of play for having been eliminated while isolated. Then resume Allied movement and combat.

12.8 Single AWFC Hexes in Pockets If a pocket is formed containing only one hex, and that hex is an AWFC hex, the procedure is altered from what’s described above. In that case, knowingly draw any one German non-elite unit (meaning you may look as you draw in order to not have to keep picking through elite units) from the pool and place it in the cut off AWFC hex. That lone unit then becomes that place’s “fortress garrison” until such time, if ever, that it’s eliminated in any Allied attack. Such garrisons never stage break out attacks. Once such lone garrisons are in place, there’s no way that hex will ever receive further German units.

12.9 AWFC Hexes Within Larger Pockets If a pocket is formed containing more than one hex, but one or more of those hexes is an AWFC hex, the procedure is altered from what’s described above. In that case, knowingly draw any one German non-elite unit (meaning you may look as you draw in order to not have to keep picking through elite units) from the pool and place it/them in the cut off AWFC hex(es). That lone unit (or units) then becomes that place’s (or places’) “fortress garrison(s)” until such time, if ever, that it/they is/are eliminated in any Allied attack(s). Such garrisons never stage break out attacks. Once the AWFC garrison situation has been set up in that way, go on and resolve the pocket breakout battle for the rest of the non-AWFC hexes within the pocket.

12.10 AWFC in Supply If an AWFC hex is attacked in such a way that it 
is in supply at that time, a 1d6-3 defense force 
generation roll is made for it, but also see 
rule 8.3.

Note: All the hexes of every pocket become Allied-controlled at the end of the pocket breakout battle—and that’s true no matter the fate of the German breakout attack itself.

13.0 FIRST ALLIED AIRBORNE ARMY (1AAA)

13.1 Airborne Divisions The 1AAA contains three divisions: US 82nd and 101st Airborne and 1st British Airborne. In some regards the 1AAA is a purely international force, the organization of which overarches that of the two army groups; in other regards the nationality and type of the 1AAA divisions still has relevance. See 2.7, 2.10DN, 3.2, 4.2DN, 5.2, 6.3, 7.8, 8.6, and 9.14.

13.2 1AAA Availability The three units of 1AAA aren’t available for commitment until the start of Turn 2. The simple fact they have become available doesn’t mean, however, that you actually have to use them in the campaign. There is no requirement the 1AAA be entered into play either in whole or in part.

13.3 1AAA Entry If the 1AAA is to be entered into play, that entry must take place during any one Turn’s Phase II (your choice). You may choose to enter one, two or three of the 1AAA divisions. Such entry always takes place via airborne assault.

13.4 1AAA Airborne Assault You make only conduct a 1AAA airborne assault once per game, at the very start of the Allied Movement & Combat Phase on Turns 2 through 5, inclusive. The selected units must all drop into one hex, or any two immediately adjacent hexes or any three hexes, each of which is contiguous with at least one other drop hex. You may not drop any 1AAA unit into rough terrain nor into an AWFC hex, nor into any hex that contains a German Front Line marker at that moment.

13.5 German Defense Against 1AAA Assault The die roll for the German defense force(s) is described in 8.5. If a hex turns out to be undefended, the dropped unit occupies it and in so doing establishes Allied control there. If a defense force of one or more German units is rolled up, immediately conduct combat in that hex, with the 1AAA in the roll of the attacker. All German units, elite and non-elite, have first fire in these kinds of battles. Further, if at the end of the first (and only) round of combat there are any German units left in the hex, all the 1AAA units in that hex are permanently eliminated. Other than those modifications, all CRT die roll modifiers apply. Note that here, however, both the attacker and defender will be firing into the same hex, and the river modifier is never applied.

13.6 1AAA Fire Note that all 1AAA units are considered “infantry” for firing purposes.

13.7 Winning the Game With 1AAA If 1AAA units survive an airdrop and take control of a hex, and that hex is a victory city (see 4.1), for it to count toward fulfilling victory condition number 3, the drop hex(es) must be linked to at least one other Allied-controlled hex that wasn’t gained control of via regular overland advance. 13.8 Post-Drop 1AAA Operations Once safely on the ground, 1AAA units simply remain in place there until the end of the game or a non-1AAA Allied unit enters their hex, whichever comes first. They never attack after having landed. As soon a non-1AAA Allied force enters their hex, remove them permanently from the map and from play.

13.9 British 1st Airborne Division The British 1st Airborne Division, if fully eliminated, counts as a British division lost for purposes of rule 4.2.

14.0 OPTIONAL RULES

14.1 Operation Market Garden and Field Marshal Montgomery To simulate the influence of Gen.Montgomery, you must also control the city of Arnhem [3017], which must be in supply, as well as all of the other normal victory locations stipulated under rule 4.1

14.2 Heavy Bombers If you pocket the Germans per the Argentan-Falaise Pocket (AFP) rule (see 11.0), you may immediately declare a heavy bomber attack (before resolving a pocket breakout) against the German divisions in the AFP, and roll two six-sided dice; the number rolled is the quantity of German divisions that must be subtracted from the 22 divisions that were drawn to resolve that German pocket breakout. The subtracted German divisions are not destroyed, but are returned to the German force pool, and the breakout battle is resolved with the remaining units.

Example: After the German player has drawn 22 divisions to resolve the AFP breakout, you rolled a meager “3,” meaning that only three of those 22 divisions are subtracted and returned to the force pool (thus leaving 19 German divisions to conduct the pocket breakout).

Note: Per this optional rule, there is no reason for you to not declare a heavy bomber attack to reduce the number of German divisions that will attempt a breakout, but the risk is in even attempting to pocket the AFP in the first place; if your heavy bomber attack was very effective (a high roll, thereby subtracting many of the twenty-two German divisions in the AFP), you stand a fair chance to win the battle against the breakout. But if your heavy bomber attack was not very effective (a low roll), you may find yourself regretting having relied on the heavy bombers at all.