Roads to Leningrad: Battles of Soltsy and Staraya Russa, 1941 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• • Credits
  • 1.0 Introduction
  • 2.0 Game Equipment
    • 2.1 The Game Maps
    • 2.2 The Playing Pieces
    • 2.3 Charts and Tables
    • 2.4 The Die
  • How to Read the Units
    • Explanation of Unit Values
    • Unit Types
    • Unit Colors
    • Formation Colors
    • Unit Abbreviations
    • Markers
  • 3.0 Basic Concepts
    • 3.1 Terminology
    • 3.2 Control and Zones of Control
    • 3.3 Stacking
    • 3.4 Efficiency and Lead Units
    • 3.5 Halving and Rounding
    • 3.6 Unit Steps
    • 3.7 Disruption
  • 4.0 Starting The Game
    • 4.1 Setting Up the Game
    • 4.2 The Turn Sequence
    • 4.3 Formations and Activation
  • 5.0 The Strategic Segment
    • 5.1 Weather
    • 5.2 Reinforcements
  • 6.0 Supply
    • 6.1 Supply Restrictions
    • 6.2 Supply Routes
    • 6.3 Supply Sources
  • 7.0 Operations
    • 7.1 Initiative
    • 7.2 Activation and Operations Sequences
    • 7.3 Combining Formations
    • 7.4 Activation of Army Units
  • 8.0 Ground Unit Movement
    • 8.1 Movement Restrictions
    • 8.2 ZOC Effects on Movement
    • 8.3 Terrain Effects on Movement
    • 8.4 Weather Effects on Movement
    • 8.5 Heavy Equipment Units
    • 8.6 Overruns
  • 9.0 Pre-Combat Actions
    • 9.1 Combat Declaration
    • 9.2 Combat Refusal
    • 9.3 Reaction Movement
    • 9.4 No Retreat Declaration
  • 10.0 Combat
    • 10.1 Attack Restrictions
    • 10.2 Effects of Terrain on Combat
    • 10.3 Choosing the CRT
    • 10.4 Combat Coordination
    • 10.5 Determining Combat Odds
    • 10.6 Resolving Combat
  • 11.0 Combat Results
    • 11.1 Reading the CRT
    • 11.2 Combat Losses
    • 11.3 Retreats
    • 11.4 No Retreat Option
    • 11.5 Retreat Through Enemy ZOC
    • 11.6 Advance After Combat
  • 12.0 Artillery
    • 12.1 Artillery Fire Support
    • 12.2 Artillery in Defense
  • 13.0 Air Units
    • 13.1 Air Unit Restrictions
    • 13.2 Close Air Support Missions
  • 14.0 Strongpoints
    • 14.1 General Characteristics
    • 14.2 Construction Procedure
  • 15.0 HQ Units and Leaders
    • 15.1 HQ Characteristics
    • 15.2 Leaders
    • 15.3 HQ and Leader Command Points
  • 16.0 Special Units
    • 16.1 Anti-Tank and Anti-Aircraft Units
    • 16.2 Bridge Units
    • 16.3 German Artillery HQs
  • 17.0 How To Win
  • The Operations Sequences
    • A. Mobile Sequence
    • B. Assault Sequence
    • C. Pass Sequence
  • Expanded Sequence of Play
    • A. Strategic Segment (both players)
    • B. Operations Segment (players alternate Operations Sequences)
    • C. Reorganization Segment (both players)
• Play Booklet
  • 1.0 Victory Points
    • 1.1 The VP Track
    • 1.2 Location VPs
    • 1.3 Step Loss or Game Action VPs
  • 2.0 Setting Up a Scenario
    • 2.1 In General
    • 2.2 Set Up Scenario Units
    • 2.3 Scenario Special Rules
  • 3.0 Scenario #1: The Battle of Soltsy
    • 3.1 General Information
    • 3.2 Scenario Special Rules
    • 3.3 Victory Conditions
    • 3.4 PLAY NOTES
  • 4.0 Scenario #2: Counter-Blow at Soltsy
    • 4.1 General Information
    • 4.2 Scenario Special Rules
    • 4.3 Victory Conditions
    • 4.4 PLAY NOTES
  • 5.0 Scenario #3: Battle of Staraya Russa
    • 5.1 General Information
    • 5.2 Scenario Special Rules
    • 5.3 Victory Conditions
    • 5.4 PLAY NOTES
  • 6.0 Scenario #4: Manstein Attacks
    • 6.1 General Information
    • 6.2 Scenario Special Rules
    • 6.3 Victory Conditions
    • 6.4 PLAY NOTES
  • 7.0 Designer's Section
    • 7.1 Suggested Reading
    • 7.2 Designer's Notes
  • 8.0 Developer's Notes
  • 9.0 Extended Example of Play

Credits

Game Design: Vance von Borries.

This document transcribes the game's two official printed booklets: the Rule Booklet (© 2004 GMT Games, LLC, #0403) and the Play Booklet (© 2004 GMT Games, LLC, #0306), covering the core rules, scenarios, designer's and developer's notes, and the extended example of play.

1.0 Introduction

Roads to Leningrad is an operational-level game of the WWII battles near the towns of Soltsy and Staraya Russa that took place in July and August 1941. The game is intended for two players. One player controls the German forces, and his opponent controls the Soviet forces. The players maneuver their units across the map and conduct combat according to the rules of play.

Object of the Game: Several scenarios are provided, showing historical engagements where one or both sides were attacking. In each scenario, players win by capturing and holding various objectives, and by destroying critical enemy armor, artillery and headquarter units. These objectives are worth Victory Points towards the victory conditions of that scenario. Level of victory is determined by the number of points earned (see Scenario Victory Point Schedule Player aid card).

2.0 Game Equipment

Each Roads to Leningrad game includes:

• One 22x34 inch front and back printed map
• 528 die-cut counters
• one Rule Book
• one Scenario Book
• two German Set Up cards
• two Soviet Set Up cards
• one 11x17 Player Aid Card
• one ten-sided die

2.1 The Game Maps

The two maps portray portions of the Soviet Union south of Leningrad, where the battles took place. Each hex on the map represents about 2.0 km (1.2 miles) of real terrain.

2.2 The Playing Pieces

2.21 There are six types of playing pieces:

a. Combat Units. All combat units have an Attack/Support Strength, Defense Strength, and Movement Allowance at the bottom of each counter (see the How to Read the Units section). Though the Attack/Support Strength may be zero on one or both sides, the Defense Strength will always be at least one.

b. Non-Combat Units. Bridge units and Leaders are non-combat units.

NOTE: Combat, Bridge, and Leader units are also collectively known as ground units.

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

d. Activation markers (AM) are any pieces with a flag symbol. These are not placed on the map, but are used to determine which Formations are active [4.3].

e. Force Markers. Each side has several Force markers to use as placeholders for large stacks on the map [3.34].

f. Player Aid Markers. All remaining pieces are player aid markers used to assist game play.

2.22 Unit Type (Combat Units). Each Unit Type or Size Box is colored to distinguish units controlled by each HQ, as well as those not controlled by any HQ. This color scheme affects play [4.3, 5.2, 7.21, 7.3, 12.13b and c, 15.13]. The background color on each unit distinguishes its nationality.

2.23 Unit Type (air units). Denotes the function of the air unit.

Code	Air Unit Type
A	Ground Attack
B	Bomber

2.24 There should be enough markers provided with the game. If at any time you need more, make some with blank counters. With the exception of Strongpoint markers, the number of markers does not constitute a design limit.

2.3 Charts and Tables

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

2.4 The Die

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

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

How to Read the Units

The counters display the following information (see the game's Player Aid card for the exact counter layout):

Non-Artillery Combat Units show, around a central Unit Type box: Attack Strength (top left), Defense Strength (bottom left), Movement Allowance (bottom right, in a red box for units that pay motorized terrain costs and can conduct Reaction Movement, Combat Refusal, and Overruns), a Stacking Value, a Unit Designation, a Formation Efficiency Rating, and a Unit Size symbol.

Artillery Units show a Range circle (an orange circle around the Movement Allowance denotes a unit that pays motorized terrain costs but cannot conduct Reaction Movement, Combat Refusal or Overruns, and cannot advance after combat), an unfired side and a fired side, a "No ZOC Band" marking (denoting the unit does not exert a zone of control into any adjacent hex), Support Strength, and Movement Allowance. Note: only Artillery Units have Range circles.

HQ Units show an undepleted side and a depleted side, Formation Command Points, and a Formation Efficiency Rating.

Leader Units (Manstein for the Germans, Voroshilov for the Soviets) show a No ZOC Band, a Stacking Value, and Command Points.

Activation Markers show a Formation I.D., a Formation Combination Value, and a Formation I.D.

Air Units show Aircraft Type, a CAS Rating, a Ground Attack Type, a Bomber Type, and an Efficiency Rating.

Explanation of Unit Values

• Attack Strength: is the strength a non-artillery Combat Unit contributes when attacking. A red number means the unit is armor.
• Command Point: a DRM equal to the number of points available to be applied to Coordination Checks for: Reaction Movement, No Retreat, and Declared Combat Coordination (artillery, CAS, or Combat unit).
• Defense Strength: is the strength a Combat Unit (except for supporting artillery) contributes when occupying a defender hex. A red number means the unit possesses 88mm guns. When one or more of these units occupies a Defender Hex in a Declared Combat, the shaded box results on the CRT that mandate attacker armor loss apply [11.12].
• Efficiency Rating (ER): A number quantifying a unit's relative ability to perform well in combat. The higher the number, the better the unit, and the greater the chance it will either undertake combat actions or perform at peak efficiency.
• Movement Allowance (MA): is the max number of clear terrain hexes a unit can enter in Dry weather during the Movement Phase.
• No ZOC Band: denotes the unit does not exert a zone of control (ZOC) into any adjacent hex.
• Orange Circle: denotes units that pay motorized terrain costs, but do not conduct Reaction Movement, Combat Refusal or Overruns, and cannot advance after combat.
• Range: is the maximum number of hexes an artillery unit can be from a Defender Hex and still provide support. When counting, do not count the artillery unit hex, but do count the Defender Hex.
• Red Box: denotes the unit pays motorized terrain costs, and has the ability to conduct Reaction Movement, Combat Refusal, and Overruns.
• Stacking Value: is the amount of space a ground unit occupies in a hex. For both sides, 9 stacking points is the maximum allowed in any hex at the end of a movement phase or retreat.
• Support Strength: is the strength a qualifying artillery unit contributes to a declared combat on attack or defense.
• Unit Designation: are the actual names or numbers of units.
• Unit Size:

Symbol	Meaning
I	Battery/Company
II	Battalion
III	Regiment
X	Brigade
XX	Division

• Unit Type Box: denotes the unit's tactical combat symbol (see Unit Types below). A double box denotes two like sized units combined on one counter and has no effect on play.

Unit Types

Reconnaissance (Recon); Motorcycle Infantry; Bicycle Infantry; Motorized Infantry; Infantry; Motorized Engineer; Engineer; Cavalry; Heavy Anti-Aircraft (AA)**; Anti-Tank (AT)**; Self-propelled Anti-Tank (SP-AT)**; Field Artillery; Rocket Artillery; HQ (Headquarters).

Soviet Silhouettes: KVI**, KVII**, BT-7**, T-26**, T-34**, T-38*, Armored Car BA-10*.

German Silhouettes: Pzkw IV**, Stug III**, Pz(38)t**, Armored Car*.

* = Not Armored. ** = Anti-Tank for purposes of 16.11. A unit type or silhouette marked with the "capable of overrunning" symbol is capable of Overrunning alone, or making stacks of red-box-MA and/or cavalry units eligible to Overrun [8.62a]. A unit type or silhouette marked with the "strongpoint" symbol is eligible to build strongpoints [14.23].

Unit Colors

Counter Background Color: Soviet is Brown; German is Gray; Luftwaffe is Steel Blue; SS is Black.

Formation Colors

All units within a formation share a common color.

a. HQ units display the color in their unit type boxes.

b. Combat units display the color in their unit type box, or their unit size box (if the counter bears a vehicle icon).

c. Army level (non-formation) units all have white unit type or size boxes.

Unit Abbreviations

German: AA — Aufklarungs Abteilung (Reconnaissance); BB — Strassenbaubattalion (Road Construction Battalion); K — Kradschutzen (Motorcycle); M — Motorized Division; Pz — Panzer Division; SS T — SS Totenkopf Division.

Soviet: Istr — Istrebitil'nyye (Destroyer). Special volunteers from party members; MG — Machine gun; NKVD — Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennykh Dyel (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs); Sep — Separate. An independent unit under Army or Front command; T — Tank Division.

Markers

Activation Passes; Activation Marker; Bridge; Offensive CAS Missions; Declared Attack; Declared Attack; Disrupted; No Retreat; Emergency Supply; Out of Supply; Final Activation; First Activation; Strongpoint (SP); SP under construction; Victory Points; Weather.

3.0 Basic Concepts

3.1 Terminology

3.11 Friendly and Enemy

a. Units. If you are the German Player, all German units are friendly; all Soviet units are enemy units. The situation is reversed for the Soviet Player.

b. Sequences and Phases. Each of the three segments of a turn consists of sequences and phases [4.2, 7.2]. During some sequences and phases, both players can perform activities; during others, only one player (called the friendly or active player) can perform activities. German sequences and phases are friendly to the German Player, and enemy to the Soviet Player. Soviet sequences and phases are friendly to the Soviet Player, and enemy to the German Player.

c. Hexes and Supply Sources. Those last occupied or controlled by German units are friendly to the German Player; those last occupied or controlled by Soviet units are friendly to the Soviet Player.

NOTE: Controlling an enemy Supply Source prevents the enemy player from tracing supply to that Supply Source; it does not allow friendly units to trace supply to that Supply Source.

3.12 Controlled and Contested Hexes.

a. A hex is controlled by one side if:

• One or more of that side's Combat Units occupy the hex, or
• The hex is vacant, but one or more of that side's Combat Units last moved through the hex, or
• One or more of that side's Combat Units projects an uncontested Zone of Control [3.2] into the hex.

b. If both friendly and enemy Combat Units project ZOC into a vacant hex, both ZOCs co-exist and the hex is contested.

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

3.14 Motorized, Heavy Equipment, and Non-Motorized Units. Units with their movement allowances shown in red boxes are "motorized," and generally have greater mobility than other types of units. Units with their movement allowances shown in orange circles are "heavy equipment units," consisting primarily of towed artillery, anti-tank, and anti-aircraft guns. Some of these weapons were towed by vehicles, and others by horses, but the key distinction is their relative lack of mobility compared to other types of units. Those units with a plain black movement allowance are "non-motorized."

3.15 Armor and Armored Units. These are motorized units that have a vehicle silhouette on the counter, and red attack strength. Note that armored car units and the Soviet T38 light tank unit are motorized and have vehicle silhouettes, but do not have red attack strength, and are not armored units for game purposes.

DESIGN NOTE: The armor protection of the early WWII-era armored cars and several models of light tanks, as well as their armament, was too light to give them the same combat effects as the heavier tanks and assault guns.

3.16 Artillery Units. Any Combat Unit with a range value [see the How to Read the Units section] is artillery.

3.17 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Units. These units possess high-velocity guns, capable of knocking out the heaviest armor possessed by either side. Their defense strength is printed in red. When defending, these units may cause attacking enemy armored units to suffer the first and perhaps additional step losses [11.12].

3.18 Frequently Used Abbreviations. The following are used throughout these rules:

AT — Anti-tank; AM — Activation marker; CAB — Combined Arms Bonus; CAS — Close Air Support; CRT — Combat Results Table; DRM — Die Roll Modifier; ER — Efficiency Rating; HQ — Headquarters (unit); MA — Movement Allowance; MP — Movement Point; OoS — Out of Supply; TEC — Terrain Effects Chart; VP — Victory Point; ZOC — Zone of Control.

3.2 Control and Zones of Control

3.21 Each Combat Unit always controls the hex it occupies at all times, without contest. Additionally, most Combat Units exert a ZOC into the six surrounding hexes (Exceptions: 3.23 and 3.24). Enemy ZOC inhibits the movement of friendly units [8.2], tracing of a supply route [6.2], and restricts a unit's retreat after combat [11.3 and 11.5].

3.22 Bridge units, Leaders, Air Units, and Player aid markers never exert ZOC.

3.23 A Combat Unit with a yellow band across the top, called a No ZOC band, never exerts ZOC into any of the six surrounding hexes. It instead controls only the hex it occupies. If at least one Combat Unit in a hex exerts ZOC (it does not have the No ZOC band), all Combat Units in that hex exert ZOC.

3.24 A Combat Unit without a yellow no ZOC band extends its ZOC into all adjacent hexes and across all hexsides, except those prohibited to its movement, regardless of the movement point cost of the adjacent terrain [see Terrain Effects Chart], and regardless of the presence or absence of enemy units.

a. Armored, armored car, and heavy equipment units cannot move across river hexsides, except at a bridge. Therefore, they project ZOC across a river hexside only at a bridge.

NOTE: Other types of motorized units do extend ZOC across river hexsides [8.36c].

b. Motorized and heavy equipment units cannot enter swamp hexes, unless they do so along a road, railroad, or trail; therefore, they exert ZOC into an adjacent swamp hex only along road, railroad, or trail.

3.25 ZOC is not affected by other units, enemy or friendly, except while tracing a Supply Route [6.24] or during retreat [11.34].

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

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

3.3 Stacking

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

3.31 Each Combat Unit has a stacking point value printed on it. Air Units, Leaders, bridge units, and player aid markers have no stacking point value, and do not affect stacking. A few Combat Units are marked with zero (0) stacking point value. These units can stack without limit, and can be added to stacks already containing the maximum number of stacking points [3.32].

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

3.33 Players can freely inspect enemy stacks.

3.34 Force markers. As a convenience to help players manage large stacks of units (and to quickly count attack or defense strength), the game includes Force markers. Each Force marker is named and corresponds to a Force Box printed on the map sheet. A Force marker is used as a placeholder for a stack of units kept in the corresponding Force Box and is moved on the map to represent the movement of the entire stack.

a. A player can place a Force marker at any time by putting the marker on the map in a hex with a stack of units, and moving that stack of units to the corresponding Force Box.

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

c. A Force marker cannot expend more movement points than the unit with the lowest movement allowance in the Force Box.

d. A Force marker pays motorized movement rates if one or more units in its Force Box is motorized.

e. Both players can freely inspect the Force Boxes for both sides.

DESIGN NOTE: German Force markers are designated "KG" (Kampfgruppe) and Soviet Force markers are designated "BG" (Boyevaya gruppa). Both terms translate roughly to "Battle Group."

3.4 Efficiency and Lead Units

3.41 The Efficiency Rating (ER) on each unit represents that unit's level of training, cohesion, and effectiveness in combat. The higher the ER, the better the unit. A number of game procedures require a unit (or a group of units) to pass an ER check.

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

3.42 To perform an ER check for a unit, the owning player rolls one die, applies applicable DRMs, and compares the result to the unit's ER. If the result is equal to or less than the unit's ER, the ER check is successful. If the modified die roll result is greater, the ER check fails.

3.43 Lead Units. Some procedures require that the results of an ER check apply to several units. To simplify what could otherwise be many die rolls, a player chooses one unit to represent all of the units that could be affected by a given ER check [3.42]. This unit is called the Lead Unit. Its ER is the benchmark against which the success or failure of the ER check is determined.

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

b. The Lead Unit almost always takes the first step of any loss [Exception: 11.12].

c. The Lead Unit of the active player must be of the currently Active Formation [4.3], or an Army Unit activated with that Formation [7.4].

3.44 Unit ERs can be reduced by combat loss, Disruption, or Out of Supply status. No ER can ever be reduced below one (1).

3.5 Halving and Rounding

3.51 A unit's attack strength, support strength, or movement allowance can be halved. Defense strength is never halved.

EXAMPLES: Out of Supply status [6.14], combat effects of terrain [10.2], artillery units that are not Combat Coordinated [10.42].

3.52 Halving of attack or support strength is cumulative. It can happen more than once to the same unit or group of units in a given combat. Follow the sequence in 3.55 and 3.56.

3.53 Some units in stacks can be subject to halving while others are not. Halving always occurs first before totaling final attack strength [3.54].

3.54 How to Halve and Round:

a. All supporting artillery units (attacking or defending) are halved individually (rounding fractions down).

b. Attacking non-artillery Combat Units are all totaled and then halved (round down).

NOTE: Because fractions are dropped, a unit will become unable to attack if its attack strength is reduced to zero by halving.

c. Some units in stacks can be subject to halving while others are not. Total the strengths of the affected units and halve them (round down), prior to adding them to the units that are not halved.

3.55 The support strengths of artillery units are halved in the following order:

• Units that fail ER checks for Combat Coordination.
• Units (attacking and defending) that support a combat taking place in a swamp hex (or a marsh hex during Rain game turns).

EXAMPLE: Three artillery units are supporting an attack against a unit defending in a swamp hex. One of the artillery units (support strength of 3) is adjacent to the defending hex, and is therefore automatically Combat Coordinated. The other two artillery units have support strengths of 4 and 5. The Lead Unit for the two non-adjacent artillery units fails its ER check for Combat Coordination; therefore, the support strengths for those two artillery units are each halved to 2 (after fractions are dropped). Next, all three artillery units have their support strengths halved to 1 (dropping fractions) because the defender's hex is swamp. The modified support strengths are then added together to total 3 support strength points for this attack.

3.56 The attack strengths of non-artillery Combat Units are halved in the following order:

1. Units with Out-of-Supply (OoS) markers.
2. Motorized and heavy equipment units, which attack through a road, railroad, or trail hexside, either into or out of a swamp hex. (If attacking both into and out of a swamp hex, they are halved only once.)
3. All units that attack across a river hexside.

EXAMPLE: A stack consists of two armored units, with attack strengths of 3 and 4 respectively, plus an infantry unit. The 4 armored unit is Out of Supply, and the stack is attacking a swamp hex across a road hexside. The 4 armored unit is first halved for the OoS marker to 2 attack strength points. Now, add both armored units together, for a total of 5 attack strength points, but then halve them to 2 (drop the fraction) since the stack is attacking a swamp hex (along a road). The infantry unit is not halved.

3.57 Movement Allowances. Halving a unit's Movement Allowance (MA) is done individually, unit-by-unit. Retain fractions (since half MPs can often be spent to move along roads or trails). Halving of MAs occurs for Out of Supply status [6.14], Assault Sequence [7.21b], and Reaction Movement [9.31], and is not cumulative (EXAMPLE: if a unit is Out of Supply, its MA is not halved again for Assault Sequence Movement or Reaction Movement).

3.6 Unit Steps

3.61 Steps represent the durability or staying power of Combat Units. Combat Units have either one or two steps of strength. A Combat Unit with values printed on both sides of the counter has two steps (Exception: 3.62); its front side shows the unit at full strength, and its reverse side represents the same unit at reduced strength. A Combat Unit with values printed only on the front side of the counter has only one step of strength. Combat Units lose steps as a result of combat [11.0].

3.62 HQ and artillery units have only one step. The reverse side of an HQ unit indicates the fact that the HQ has already spent its Command Points [15.32]. The reverse side of an artillery unit indicates that the artillery unit has already fired, and is not eligible to use its support strength again during the current Combat Phase [10.42d, 12.13d].

3.7 Disruption

Disruption represents the impairment of a unit's capabilities due to certain Assault Combat Results Table (CRT) and Overrun results.

3.71 A Disruption result affects all the units in the stack at the time the result is obtained. Place a Disrupted marker on top of the units in the affected hex.

3.72 The effects of Disruption on a ground unit are:

a. Reduce its Movement Allowance (MA) by two (2) MPs (an additional 2 MPs) after computing MA halving either for Out of Supply [6.14] or Assault Sequence [7.21b].

NOTE: Any unit whose MA has been reduced to zero by these cumulative effects cannot move. There is no "minimum one-hex move" in this game [8.13].

b. Reduce its ER by two (2) for all purposes (cumulative with OoS ER Reduction [6.14 b]).

c. Reduce Disrupted HQ unit Command Points to zero (flip the HQ to its zero Command Point side), and the HQ becomes ineligible to allow CAS missions to be performed within four hexes of it [13.14].

d. The unit cannot attempt:

• Combat Refusal [9.2]
• Reaction Movement [9.31].
• Overrun [8.62]

e. It can advance only one hex after combat [11.61b Exception 2].

f. It cannot begin or complete construction of Strongpoints [14.25] or remove enemy Strongpoints [14.26].

g. If the unit is artillery, it cannot utilize its support strength until the Disrupted marker is removed [12.13d].

h. It cannot qualify for Combined Arms Bonus [10.61f6].

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

3.74 Any additional Disruption result suffered by a unit already disrupted has no additional effect.

3.75 Removing Disruption. Remove Disruption markers during the Reorganization Phase of the Reorganization Segment, as follows:

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

b. Make an ER check [3.42] for each Disrupted unit in enemy ZOC. Any Disruption or OoS marker on the unit lowers the ER for each check. If the unit passes, remove its Disruption marker. If it fails, it retains the Disruption marker and remains Disrupted. DRMs can be applied from the use of Command Points [15.34b].

4.0 Starting The Game

4.1 Setting Up the Game

4.11 Choose which scenario to play, and then refer to the Set Up Cards for that scenario (one for each side). Both players first place their units on their Set Up Cards.

4.12 Both players transfer each of their At Start units from their Set Up Card to the map location listed for that unit. Reinforcements are left on the Set Up Cards until their indicated turn of arrival, when they are placed on the map during the Reinforcement Phase.

4.13 Units begin the game at the strength level shown on the Set Up Card. Those units starting the scenario at reduced strength are so indicated on the Set Up Card.

4.14 Air units that are available at the beginning of the scenario are placed in the Ready Box of the Air Display.

4.15 Each player sets his starting Activation markers aside until the Initiative Phase.

4.16 Once placement of all units is complete, play begins according to the Turn Sequence.

4.2 The Turn Sequence

Roads to Leningrad is played in successive turns, each composed of the segments outlined below. (See also the Expanded Sequence of Play, on the back of this Rules Book, for a more detailed listing of the events within each Phase.)

4.21 Sequence of Play

A. Strategic Segment

1. Weather Phase
2. Reinforcement Phase
3. Supply Determination Phase
4. Air Readiness Phase
5. Initiative Phase

B. Operations Segment

1. First Player Operations Sequence
   • a. First Player randomly draws one Activation marker*
   • b. First Player conducts any one of three possible Operations Sequences.
2. Second Player Operations Sequence
   • a. Second Player randomly draws one Activation marker.
   • b. Second Player conducts any one of three possible Operations Sequences.
3. Players alternate Operations Sequences until all Formations have been activated.

*NOTE: See Exception below (4.35) for the first Operations Sequence of the first turn of a scenario.

C. Reorganization Segment

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

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

NOTE: Some scenarios have "Sudden Victory" conditions, which can cause the scenario to end prior to the last turn.

4.3 Formations and Activation

In general, each Formation represents a different historical division, or grouping of units.

4.31 A "Formation" normally consists of at least one Headquarters (HQ) unit, plus several other units of various types. Some German Formations have more than one HQ in the Formation. Some Soviet Formations have no HQ units. Each Formation has a different color in the unit type boxes (or unit size boxes, for units with vehicle silhouettes). All units belonging to the same Formation have the same color in their unit type or size boxes.

FORMATION EXAMPLE: The ten units of the Soviet 21st Tank Division form one Formation.

4.32 A Formation HQ does not itself belong to a higher game formation.

4.33 Units with white unit type or size boxes are Army Units. These can be used, within limits, with any Formation [7.4].

4.34 If the majority of the units in any given attack (plus the Lead unit in the attack) belong to the same Formation, then the HQ of that Formation can use its Command Points to support that combat (assuming the HQ is within Command Range [15.1 and 15.3]).

4.35 Activation Markers. Each Formation usually has one or more Activation Markers (AM). All AMs are kept in opaque cups, one for the German Player and another for the Soviet Player. During the Operations Segment, players alternate drawing their AMs at random, one at a time, at the start of each of their Operations Sequences.

Exception: The First Player [7.12], in his first Operations Sequence of the first turn of a scenario [7.15], can freely look through his Activation markers and choose which Formation is the first one drawn. Otherwise, all AMs are drawn randomly.

a. When an AM is drawn, all units (regardless of location) of that Formation are activated. This Formation becomes the Active Formation; all other Formations, including others on the same side, are Non-active Formations, and their units cannot now move. Do not return the AMs to the opaque cup until the Initiative Phase.

NOTE: If the Assault Sequence is chosen, units of Non-Active Formations cannot move, but if adjacent to Defender Hexes being attacked by the Active Formation, may participate in those combats.

EXAMPLE: It is the German Player's turn to conduct an Operations Sequence. He randomly draws one AM, and it is an AM for the 8th Panzer Division. He chooses to play it, declaring a Mobile Sequence [7.21a] (He could also have chosen an Assault Sequence [7.21b] or a Pass Sequence, [7.21c]). The German Player now moves units of only the 8th Panzer Division, plus any qualifying Army Units [7.4], during this Operations Segment.

NOTE: In some scenarios two or more Formations are activated by one AM. When such an AM is drawn, the owning player activates all Formations listed on the AM simultaneously, and all HQ units activated are eligible to commit available Command Points, however, no more than one eligible HQ can commit Command Points to any given attack [15.33b1].

4.36 Some Formations have two AMs. This means that these Formations will be activated twice during the same turn.

4.37 One scenario includes an "Activate Any Formation" marker for the Soviet Player. When drawn, this marker allows the Soviet Player to activate any one of his available Formations, as he chooses, including a Formation that has already been activated that turn. The player can also place the "Activate Any Formation" marker in his Activation Pool by choosing a Pass Sequence [7.21c].

4.38 If all the units of a Formation are eliminated (or otherwise exited from the game map), and no more will arrive as reinforcements [5.2], remove the corresponding AM(s) from play.

4.39 Under certain circumstances, it is possible for the Formations on two AMs to be active at the same time. This is called "Combining Formations" [7.3], and is not the same as drawing one AM that allows activation of two or more Formations [4.3.5.b note].

5.0 The Strategic Segment

5.1 Weather

Weather conditions governed much of combat in Russia, even during the summer months. Both sides were affected. The game rules have been written assuming Dry weather. Other weather conditions affect supply, ground unit movement, and various other game functions.

5.11 Weather Conditions

a. The weather condition for the turn is determined during the weather phase. The German Player rolls one die and consults the Weather Boxes for the current turn, as shown on the Turn Record Track. There are no DRMs.

b. There are 3 possible weather conditions: Dry, Cloudy, and Rain.

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

d. Optional. The historical weather condition for each turn is marked on the Turn Record Track with an asterisk. If both players agree, they can choose to apply the historical weather conditions for the entire game.

5.12 Cloudy Weather Effects. There are no effects on supply or ground movement. Cloudy weather affects air unit Combat Coordination [see Combat Coordination Table].

5.13 Rain Weather Effects

a. The Mobile Sequence can be selected during a turn when the weather is Rain, even though the Rain column of the TEC is required.

b. The movement point cost to enter or cross the various terrain types is changed to that listed under the Rain column on the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC).

c. A Supply Line [6.21] traced to a Supply Road is reduced from seven to five hexes in length.

d. Trails are ignored and have no effect for either movement or supply purposes, but bridges located along trails can still be used.

e. Overruns are prohibited, and the Assault CRT must be used for all combats.

f. Rain weather affects air unit Combat Coordination [see Combat Coordination Table].

5.2 Reinforcements

Both players receive reinforcements. Reinforcements are new units arriving from outside the game area. The scenario Set Up Cards provide specific information on turn and entry location of scheduled reinforcements (through a map edge). When multiple locations are listed, the owning player determines how many units, if any, to enter at each location [5.2.2a].

5.21 Ground units cannot end movement in map edge hexes in order to block entry of the other side's ground unit reinforcements.

EXAMPLE: In Scenario #1, German ground units cannot occupy map edge hex 3622 to deny the Soviet 183 Rifle Division one of its entry hexes. German units could occupy hex 3623, adjacent to entry hex 3622.

PLAY NOTE: Without this rule, it would be possible to place strings of weak units in map edge entry hexes to deny entry to reinforcement units of the other side - a practice that violates the tactical reality of the two battles being simulated.

5.22 Entry Procedures

a. A reinforcement unit entering through the map edge does so only during its Movement Phase, when its Formation is activated; it cannot enter at any other time.

b. A reinforcement unit pays the terrain entry cost for that first hex. A unit entering along a road, railroad, or trail can enter the map using the appropriate road, railroad, or trail movement rate.

c. Each reinforcement unit enters play one at a time, not stacked.

5.23 Formation Sequence and Entry

a. A reinforcement unit of a Formation that is conducting a Mobile Sequence can use its full MA, and engage in combat, just as if it had started on map.

b. A reinforcement unit of a Formation that is conducting an Assault Sequence enters the map with only half its MA and can engage in combat, just as if it had started on map.

5.24 Place air unit reinforcements in the Ready Box of the Air Display during the Reinforcement Phase of the Strategic Segment.

5.25 Either player can, at his option, delay the arrival of any friendly reinforcing unit (or group of units) to any later turn.

5.26 All reinforcements are automatically in supply [6.0] during their turn of entry.

5.27 HQ, Leader, and artillery reinforcements cannot function in any manner until they enter the map.

5.28 Reinforcing Army Units (units with white unit type or unit size boxes) activate automatically [7.42] in order to enter play. They can enter as part of any friendly Formation activated during the game turn they are to enter.

6.0 Supply

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

During the Supply Determination Phase of each turn, both players judge which of their units are in supply. A unit judged in supply during the Supply Determination Phase is in supply at all times during the rest of that turn. A unit judged out of supply during the Supply Determination Phase is out of supply for the rest of that turn, even if it moves back into supply during its Movement Phase. All reinforcements are automatically in supply during their turn of entry.

6.1 Supply Restrictions

6.11 A unit is in supply if it can trace a Supply Route [6.2] through a path of contiguous hexes to a friendly Supply Source [6.3].

6.12 A unit judged in supply during the Supply Determination Phase is in supply for the entire turn. Remove any Emergency Supply or Out of Supply (OoS) markers from that unit. If a unit cannot trace a Supply Route during the Supply Determination Phase:

a. Place an Emergency Supply marker on the unit, if it does not already have an Emergency Supply or an OoS marker.

b. If the unit already has an Emergency Supply marker, turn the marker over to Out of Supply.

c. If the unit already has an OoS marker, the marker remains.

6.13 A unit with an Emergency Supply marker is not penalized. Emergency supply cannot last for more than one turn.

DESIGN NOTE: Units generally maintained a small reserve stock of fuel and ammunition, which would last for a short time if they became cut off from their supply source.

6.14 A unit with an OoS (but not an Emergency Supply) marker is penalized as follows:

a. Reduce the printed Movement Allowance (MA) of red-box MA or orange-circle MA units by half, retaining fractions. Non-motorized units are not affected. Calculate OoS halving before MA reduction due to Disruption [3.72a].

EXAMPLE: A disrupted, out of supply motorized unit with MA of 5 has its MA reduced first for Out of Supply from 5 to 2.5 MPs. Retain the fraction. Then for Disruption reduce its MA by 2 MPs from 2.5 to 0.5 MPs.

b. Reduce its ER by one (1), cumulative with the –2 ER reduction due to Disruption [3.72b].

c. Reduce its printed attack strength by half (round fraction down).

d. If the unit is artillery, it retains its support strength. Once it contributes its support strength (if not bearing a Disrupted marker) and is turned to Fired, it cannot turn back to its support strength side until again placed back in supply [12.13c].

e. It cannot begin or complete construction of Strongpoints [14.2].

f. If a unit is a red box MA motorized unit, it cannot participate in Overruns or conduct Reaction Movement.

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

6.2 Supply Routes

A Supply Route is any path of contiguous hexes that contain no enemy Combat Units, and no hex is Contested or enemy Controlled (3.12). A Supply Route consists of a Supply Line traced from the unit either directly to a Supply Source, or to a Supply Road that then leads to a friendly Supply Source.

6.21 Supply Line. A Supply Line cannot be more than seven (7) hexes long, from the unit to a Supply Road (do not count the hex the unit occupies). During Rain weather, or if any hex in the supply line is marsh, reduce the length of the Supply Line to five hexes. A Supply Line cannot include:

a. Swamp hex (except along a road, railroad, or trail, in which case the length of the supply line is also reduced to five hexes),

b. Lake or river hexside (except at a bridge), or

c. Completed enemy Strongpoint.

EXAMPLE OF A SUPPLY LINE: All three German units are in supply. Unit A is 7 hexes from a Supply Road—note that friendly unit C allows the Supply Line to pass adjacent to an enemy unit (6.24). Unit B has a 5 hex Supply Line—the maximum allowed if the Supply Line passes through a Swamp hex.

6.22 Supply Road. A friendly Supply Road is any network of connected main or minor road hexes leading to a friendly Supply Source, where each hex is free of enemy Combat Units, and where no vacant hex is contested or enemy controlled. The road network can be of any length.

Important: Supply Roads cannot be traced across stream or river hexsides without a bridge.

NOTE: Consider placing a bridge unit [16.2] to allow continuation of a Supply Road.

6.23 Trails do not qualify as a Supply Road for red-box MA or orange-circle MA units, but do qualify as a Supply Road for all other units during Dry or Cloudy weather.

NOTE: Trails are ignored for all purposes during Rain weather [5.13d].

6.24 A Supply Route (both Supply Lines and Supply Roads) can only be traced through a hex in an enemy ZOC if a friendly Combat Unit occupies that hex.

6.3 Supply Sources

6.31 German and Soviet Supply Sources are all printed on the map. A Supply Source friendly to one player can never be friendly to the other player, even if captured. If captured, a Supply Source will cease to be a source of supply, but if recaptured by the friendly player, it will again provide supply beginning on the next friendly Supply Determination Phase.

6.32 Units available for play, but currently held off the map, are always deemed to be in supply while off map. Any reinforcement unit is automatically in supply during the turn it enters the map.

7.0 Operations

7.1 Initiative

7.11 During the Initiative Phase of the Strategic Segment, first the Soviet Player determines his DRMs as shown on Initiative Table and rolls one die; then the German Player does the same.

7.12 The player whose modified die roll is greater has the Initiative. In case of a tie, the player who had Initiative on the prior turn retains the Initiative. The player with the Initiative becomes the First Player during the Operations Segment. The other player becomes the Second Player. These roles may reverse next turn, and could change every turn during the course of the game.

7.13 Initiative DRMs. Count a +1 DRM for each Pass Sequence [7.21c] your opponent took last turn.

7.14 The First Player places, during the Initiative Phase, all of his available AMs in his opaque cup. He cannot omit any. The Second Player places up to the same number, plus one, of his available AMs into his opaque cup. His excess AMs will be available next turn. A player cannot examine those AMs his opponent did not choose.

EXAMPLES:

(1) The German Player has Initiative and places all his 4 AMs into the cup; the Soviet has 7 available but is allowed no more than 5 (4 + 1 = 5); his sixth and seventh AMs, his choice of AMs, sit out the turn.

(2) The Soviet Player has Initiative and must put all his 7 available AMs into the cup; the German has 4 available and so can place up to 4 into his cup.

7.15 The First Player, in his first Operations Sequence of the first turn of a scenario only, can look through his Activation markers prior to placing them in the opaque cup, and freely choose the first one drawn. All remaining AMs for both sides are placed in separate opaque cups for random drawing.

7.2 Activation and Operations Sequences

During the Operations Segment, both players move their units and engage in combat through the activation process. Units must first be activated by drawing an AM in order to move and attack. Players alternate in activating their Formations. When both players have completed all their activations and moved or attacked with all the units they wish, the Operations Segment is concluded.

7.21 Procedure. At the beginning of his Operations Sequence, the active player randomly draws one AM from his opaque cup (See exception above (7.15) for the first Operations Sequence of the first turn of a scenario.) He notes the Active Formation (or Formations) listed on the AM without revealing it to his opponent. At this time he chooses one of the three Operations Sequences that all Formations activated by the AM must follow: Mobile, Assault, or Pass. He then verbally declares which Operations Sequence he desires and, if Mobile or Assault, reveals the AM. The Formation (or Formations) thus "Activated" becomes the Active Formation.

The active player then completes one of three possible Operations Sequences as outlined below. (See the Expanded Sequence of Play for a more detailed listing of the events in each phase.)

TERMINOLOGY NOTE: Mobile and Assault Sequences are not identical to Mobile and Assault Combat Results Tables (CRTs). The Assault CRT only determines combat outcomes within the Assault Sequence. The Assault or Mobile CRTs determine combat outcomes within the Mobile Sequence.

a. MOBILE SEQUENCE

1. Movement Phase (full MA allowed)
2. Enemy Reaction Phase
   • a. Combat Refusal
   • b. Reaction Movement
   • c. No Retreat
3. Combat Phase (Mobile or Assault CRT)

NOTES:

1. All units of the Active Formation are eligible to move and attack; follow the procedures shown in the Expanded Sequence of Play.

2. Units of non-Active friendly Formations cannot move or attack.

3. Units of the Active Formation can spend up to their full Movement Allowances.

4. Qualified motorized units can conduct Overruns.

5. Attacks can be conducted using either the Mobile or Assault CRTs (some combat conditions require the Assault CRT, see 10.3).

6. The Mobile Sequence can be selected during a Rain weather turn, but use the Rain column of the TEC to determine movement point costs. Overruns are not allowed during Rain weather. All attacks must be resolved using the Assault CRT.

7. No Engineering functions are allowed

8. Because units can move their full MA, coordination is more difficult. Refer to the Coordination Table for negative DRMs.

b. ASSAULT SEQUENCE

1. Engineering Phase
2. Movement Phase (half MA)
3. Enemy Reaction Phase
   • a. Combat Refusal
   • b. Reaction Movement
   • c. No Retreat
4. Combat Phase (Assault CRT only)

NOTES:

1. All units of the Active Formation are now eligible to move and attack; follow the procedures shown in the Expanded Sequence of Play.

2. Units of other friendly Formations cannot move, but can participate in attacks, if all other requirements [10.1] are met.

3. Units of the Active Formation can spend up to half (retaining fractions) of their printed Movement Allowances (do not halve again if bearing an OoS marker), but will incur a further two (2) MP penalty if bearing a Disrupted marker [3.72a].

4. All ground combat uses the Assault CRT.

5. Overruns are not permitted.

6. All Engineering functions are allowed.

7. Because units can move at a maximum of 1/2 MA, coordination is easier. Refer to the Coordination Table for positive DRMs.

c. PASS SEQUENCE

1. Hold AM in Activation Pool (for possible later attempt at Combining Formations [7.3])
2. Engineering Phase (Bridge unit placement only)

NOTES:

1. No Formation is activated; the player keeps his AM inverted, hidden from view of his opponent.

2. The active player places that AM in his Activation Pool (7.22) possibly for use during a later Segment to attempt to Combine Formations [7.3]).

3. During a Pass Sequence, no ground units can move or attack.

4. Bridge units only can be repositioned during the Engineering Phase [16.23].

7.22 Activation Pool. Each player has an on-map box labeled 'Activation Pool.' If a player already has an AM in his Activation Pool at the time he draws a new one, he chooses which AM to play. He can play either one, and keep the other one in the Activation Pool, or he can also attempt to activate both Formations simultaneously [7.3]. No more than one AM can be in the Activation Pool at the end of any Sequence.

7.23 After the First Player has completed his first Operations Sequence, the Second Player conducts his first Operations Sequence. Players alternate Operations Sequences until all AMs have been drawn and played. Once all AMs have been drawn and played, the Operations Segment of the turn is complete, and play proceeds to the Reorganization Segment.

7.24 A player cannot decline to play an available AM; he can, however, decline to move or attack with the Formation that AM represents when it is activated.

NOTE: A player who draws an AM for which there are no on-map units in play can still choose any Sequence even though nothing happens on the game map. Units of that Formation may be reinforcements chosen to enter play later.

7.25 A player who has more than one AM remaining to draw, after his opponent has drawn all of his, will continue to draw his remaining AMs one at a time, activating his remaining Formations in succession, in separate Operations Sequences. His opponent does not take Pass Sequences if he has no AM to draw; he is assumed to be inactive (no activity). A player cannot continue to hold an AM beyond the end of the turn.

7.26 Return AMs to the opaque cup only during the Initiative Phase.

DESIGN NOTE: Activation represents command staff capability and communications. The order (or sequence) of Activation of Formations represents battlefield chaos, or just when it is that a Formation both receives and acts upon orders. When there are many Formations in friendly command radius, there will be time gaps in when they act. A shortage of supply, for instance, certainly affects how much your units can do but does not necessarily affect how much they attempt. Good staff or good communications translate to more Activation markers per Formation. A player gets Initiative to do some activity, not to do nothing. Initiative bears a relationship with Activation but only insofar as it helps describe how events unfold.

7.3 Combining Formations

7.31 A player who already has an AM in his Activation Pool has three choices when he draws another.

1. He can play the AM from the Activation Pool, placing the one he just drew into the Pool instead, or
2. He can play the AM just drawn, retaining the earlier AM in the Pool, or
3. He can attempt to combine the two AMs, so that both Formations are activated simultaneously.

7.32 Combination can be attempted only if the two AMs represent different Formations. If they represent the same Formation, one of the AMs must be used to activate the Formation for the current Operations Sequence, with the other AM remaining in the Activation Pool.

7.33 Follow the procedure below to determine if both Formations can be activated simultaneously.

a. The active player declares that he will attempt combining.

b. He turns one of the two AMs face up.

c. He rolls one die and adds the Combination Value shown on the displayed AM, plus any available leader DRM [15.33e], to the result.

d. If the modified result is eight (8) or more, then both Formations are activated. If the result is seven or less, then only the face up AM is activated; the other is not, it remains in the Activation Pool, and its identity remains unknown to the opposing player.

7.34 A Formation in the Activation Pool that fails to combine can try again on any future friendly Operations Sequence in the same turn. Or, the owning player can deliberately activate it at the beginning of any friendly Operations Sequence, instead of drawing another AM from his cup. A failure to combine when the last friendly AM is drawn from the opaque cup means that the Formation in the Activation Pool is activated separately, during the next friendly Operations Sequence.

7.4 Activation of Army Units

All units with white unit type or size boxes represent Army Units. Army Units were independent support units, frequently assigned and re-assigned to different Formations during the course of a battle.

7.41 Army Units are activated only by an Active Formation. Army Units cannot be activated separately.

7.42 Motorized Army Units can be activated (or attempt activation) twice per turn, and thereby can potentially be active during two different Operations Sequences in the same turn, as part of two different Formations. (Or the same Formation twice, for Formations that have two AMs.) After the first activation (or attempt), place a First Activation marker on the Army Unit; after the second activation (or attempt), turn the marker over to its Final Activation side. Remove all Activation markers during the Reorganization Segment.

EXAMPLE: The German 48th engineer unit is motorized (red-box MA); therefore, it can be activated twice.

7.43 All other Army Units can be activated (or make the attempt) only once per turn. After being activated (or making the attempt), place a Final Activation marker on the unit.

7.44 An active Formation can activate an Army Unit automatically if:

a. The Army Unit does not have a Final Activation marker, and

b. The Army Unit is within Command Range [15.15] of the Formation HQ (or one of the HQs in the Formation, if it has more than one).

7.45 An active Formation can attempt to activate an Army Unit outside of Command Range, but only if that Army Unit does not have a Final Activation marker on it and passes an ER check. Remember to apply applicable ER reductions for Disrupted and Out of Supply status. If the Army Unit fails its ER check, it is not activated, and cannot move or attack during the current Operations Sequence. Place either a First or Final Activation marker on it, as applicable to the type of unit.

7.46 An activated Army Unit becomes part of the Active Formation for the rest of that Operations Sequence and can be Lead Unit and receive Command Points. Place either a First or Final Activation marker on it at the end of the Sequence, as appropriate to the type of unit, and whether this was its first or second activation (or attempt).

8.0 Ground Unit Movement

During the Movement Phase of his Operations Sequence, a player can move any number of his eligible units. Movement is affected by supply, terrain, weather, enemy ZOCs and Operations Sequences. Movement of motorized units can also take place during Reaction Movement [9.3]. Combat Refusal [9.2], Retreat [11.3 and 11.5] and Advance After Combat [11.6] are not considered "movement," and use no MPs.

8.1 Movement Restrictions

8.11 Move units or stacks one at a time from hex to adjacent contiguous hex. Each unit spends movement points (MPs) from its movement allowance (MA) to enter each hex. See the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) for the costs in MPs for the various types of terrain features. A unit cannot jump over a hex. There is no limit to the number of units that can move through a single hex.

8.12 Units can move together as a stack. Once a stack begins movement, the MA of the stack is that of the slowest unit in the stack. Stacks cannot pick up or add units while moving. Once a stack has ceased moving, other units can move into its hex (within stacking limits). Units dropped off by a stack have completed their movement for that phase. Units in a stack that has not moved can move away from the stack singly, or in smaller stacks.

8.13 A unit can move only once in a Movement Phase. It can never spend more MPs than its total MA, and it cannot enter a hex if it does not have sufficient MPs available. There is no "minimum one-hex move," and this may mean that on occasion, some units will be unable to move at all. Unused MPs cannot be accumulated for future turns, or transferred to other units; a unit is never forced to move.

8.14 A moving unit can never enter a hex containing an enemy Combat Unit (Exception: Overrun [8.6]). It can enter or move through friendly occupied hexes at no limit or extra MP cost.

8.15 Non-Combat Units cannot be moved or placed adjacent to enemy Combat Units unless moving with a friendly Combat Unit or joining a friendly Combat Unit in that hex.

8.16 Other than the one-half reduction in MA for motorized units that are OoS, and the prohibition on such units engaging in Overruns or Reaction Movement, there are no other supply effects on movement. All units can voluntarily move to a hex where they would be OoS, from a hex where they would be in supply.

8.2 ZOC Effects on Movement

8.21 A unit spends one additional movement point (+1 MP) to enter an enemy ZOC (Exception: 9.34), regardless of the number of enemy units extending ZOC into that hex, even if the hex is already occupied by other friendly units. If the unit does not have sufficient MPs available to enter the hex or cross the hexside, it cannot enter the hex. There is no MP cost to leave an enemy ZOC.

8.22 Once a unit has entered an enemy ZOC, it ceases moving for the remainder of the Movement Phase, unless the unit has a red box MA. If it has sufficient MPs available, a red-box MA unit can continue moving, even into other adjacent hexes also in enemy ZOC but cannot use road, railroad, or trail movement rates when moving directly from one enemy ZOC to another.

EXAMPLE: The shaded hexes represent enemy ZOCs. The bicycle and artillery battalions must stop upon entering an enemy ZOC. The motorized battalion, because of its red box MA, may move through enemy ZOCs paying +1 MP for each enemy ZOC entered.

8.23 For units that begin their Movement Phases already in an enemy ZOC:

a. A red box MA unit can enter an adjacent hex, also in enemy ZOC, by paying the normal terrain cost plus one additional MP, and (if sufficient MPs are available) can continue movement, even into other adjacent hexes also in enemy ZOC.

b. All other units spend their entire MA in order to move to an adjacent hex also in enemy ZOC, and thus cannot keep moving after entering that hex (assuming that their entire MA is sufficient to cover the necessary MP cost; otherwise, they cannot enter the hex).

8.24 Friendly ZOCs do not affect the movement of your own units.

8.3 Terrain Effects on Movement

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

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

a. If the hex contains more than one type of natural terrain the whole hex is assumed to consist of the terrain that has the highest MP cost. Units not moving along roads, railroad, or trail pay the highest MP cost of the terrain types within the hex (Exception: 8.34a).

EXAMPLE: For a hex containing both clear and marsh apply the marsh MP cost. In Dry weather an infantry unit, not moving on a road, would pay 2 MPs to enter a hex containing both clear and marsh terrain, since the cost for marsh, at 2 MPs, is greater than clear at 1 MP.

b. If the hex contains an enemy Strongpoint marker, units pay the MP cost for the Strongpoint, in addition to any other terrain cost.

8.32 A unit cannot enter a hex if it does not have sufficient MPs remaining to pay the cost to enter the hex and cross the hexside.

8.33 Roads and Trails. A unit which moves from one road or trail hex directly into another adjacent road or trail hex, through a hexside crossed by the road or trail symbol, spends MPs according to the cost for the type of road or trail in the hex being entered, ignoring other terrain in the hex.

NOTE: There are three types of roads: main roads, minor roads, and trails. They can have different MP costs, depending on the type of unit moving, the weather condition, and what type of other terrain is in the hex.

8.34 Woods

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

EXAMPLES: In Dry weather clear terrain plus woods is 1 + 1 MP = 2MP; rough terrain plus woods is 2 + 1 MP = 3MP to enter the hex. In Rain weather rough plus woods for motorized units is 3 + 1 MP = 4MP.

b. Regardless of weather [8.4], ignore the effect of woods when moving along a road, trail, or railroad.

NOTE: The MP cost of moving along the road itself can be greater in terrain types other than clear terrain.

8.35 Railroads. Units move along a railroad just like a road [8.33], if the railroad provides a lower MP cost; otherwise, ignore the railroad [see TEC]. There is no movement by trains.

DESIGN NOTE: For much of the year and throughout most of Russia, railroads doubled as highways, facilitating movement for all types of units. Movement along a rail line, even for trucks and horse-drawn units, was often faster and easier than on the wretched roads, especially in swampy areas and during muddy weather. This was because the railroad beds were more likely to be dry and firm, due to their raised, graded, and drained roadbeds.

8.36 Streams, Rivers, and Bridges

a. Streams and rivers are located on the hexsides. A unit spends MPs to cross these hexsides in addition to the cost of the terrain in the hex entered.

b. Bridges are shown on the map where most roads, and some trails, cross stream and river hexsides. When moving along a road, railroad, or trail that crosses a stream or river at a bridge, there is no additional MP cost to cross the stream or river along the bridge.

Important! If the map does not show a bridge symbol, then no bridge is present, and units pay the extra MP cost to cross the stream or river, even when moving along the road or trail (Exception: Bridge units [16.2]).

c. All vehicle silhouette units and all heavy equipment units (orange-circle MA) cannot cross non-bridged river hexsides at any time. Other red-box MA units can cross but spend their entire MA to do so (they can also advance after combat [11.6] across river hexside).

EXAMPLES OF MOVEMENT: The cost to enter each hex, or cross a stream hexside is indicated on the map. The weather is clear. Unit A is a heavy equipment unit and spends its 5 MPs to move two hexes. Unit B spends 6 MPs—note that trails cost 1/2 MP in clear hexes and 1 MP in other terrain. Unit C pays 7 MPs moving through a marsh hex and a wooded marsh hex. Note that the wooded rough hex cost 3 MPs to enter and the swamp hex is prohibited to mechanized units. Unit D moves 6 MPs, but note that the trail across the stream has no bridge, so it must pay the +1 MP to cross.

8.37 Swamp

a. Motorized and heavy equipment units cannot enter, advance, leave, or retreat into or through a swamp hex, except through a hexside crossed by a road, railroad, or trail.

b. All non-motorized units (except cavalry) spend their entire MA in order to enter a swamp hex through a hexside that is not crossed by a road, railroad, or trail, and thus cannot keep moving after entering that hex. (Assuming that their entire MA is sufficient to cover the necessary MP cost; otherwise, they cannot enter the hex at all.) Cavalry units can enter and leave a series of swamp hexes, if they have sufficient MPs to do so.

8.4 Weather Effects on Movement

8.41 The TEC includes separate columns for use on Dry/Cloudy or Rain turns. Rain is obviously worse for movement. In addition to causing most terrain types to cost more MPs, Rain also causes certain terrain types to act as if they were a worse terrain type for movement and other effects.

EXAMPLE: If the current weather condition is Rain, the cost for motorized units to enter Rough terrain increases from 2 MPs to 3 MPs.

8.42 When moving along trails during Rain weather, ignore the movement cost of the trail, and use the other terrain in hex (ignore woods) to determine the entry cost of the hex (plus any applicable hexside costs).

8.5 Heavy Equipment Units

Heavy equipment units (units with orange circle MA) use the same column as motorized units on the TEC to determine the movement costs of the various terrain types, but are not eligible to conduct Reaction Movement, Combat Refusal, Overruns, or Advance After Combat.

DESIGN NOTE: The HQ elements of German infantry divisions and special artillery commands (ARKOs) also fall into this category, because of their large numbers of horse-drawn supply wagons. The HQ elements of most Soviet rifle divisions, on the other hand, are non-motorized, since they had a much smaller logistical tail, and were less tied to rear-area services and supply.

8.6 Overruns

An Overrun is an attempt to clear an enemy occupied hex while moving. Although it resembles Combat [10.0], Overrun is a function of movement. An Overrun occurs while the unit (or stack) is moving. Units may be able to continue moving after a successful Overrun. Any ground unit (except bridge and Leader units) can be Overrun.

8.61 Overrun is allowed only during the friendly Movement Phase of a Mobile Sequence. It is not allowed during an Assault Sequence. The hex subjected to Overrun is called the Defender Hex. Eligible units can conduct one or more Overruns during their Movement Phase, if they have sufficient MPs available, and still conduct an attack during the Combat Phase. Use the Mobile CRT to resolve each Overrun.

NOTE: Overrun is not a Declared Attack [9.1]; therefore, the defender cannot conduct Combat Refusal [9.2], Reaction Movement [9.3], or No Retreat [9.4].

8.62 Any armor unit (red AS), light armor or armored car unit with vehicle silhouette or cavalry unit that is not OoS or Disrupted may be able to conduct Overrun. A stack of units may be able to conduct an Overrun if:

a. all units in the overrunning stack are either red box MA units and/or cavalry units once it starts moving, and at least one armor unit (red AS), light armor or armored car silhouette unit, or cavalry unit is part of the stack;

b. all of the units in the stack begin the Movement Phase stacked together in the same hex;

c. the stack leaves behind any orange-circle MA or non-motorized units, or other ineligible units in the hex where it starts moving; and

d. the stack does not pick up any additional units while it is moving.

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

8.63 Overrun costs 1 MP, in addition to the normal movement costs to enter the Defender Hex, including enemy ZOC costs [8.64d]. There is no additional cost to enter another enemy unit's ZOC extending into the Defender Hex. All units in a stack require sufficient remaining MPs to conduct the Overrun. Slower units may cease movement.

8.64 Weather and Terrain Restrictions

a. Overruns cannot occur during Rain weather.

b. Overruns cannot be conducted across river hexsides (even at a bridge), or across any hexsides where entry is prohibited to some or all of the Overrunning units.

c. Overruns cannot be conducted into hexes containing the following:

• Swamp terrain
• Town
• Completed enemy Strongpoint

d. A unit cannot conduct an Overrun from a hex that is in the ZOC of enemy units in more than one hex.

e. If an Overrun is made along a road, railroad, or trail, use the movement rate applicable to those terrain types to enter the Defender Hex.

EXAMPLE: A German stack with 6 MPs is conducting an Overrun. It begins its Movement Phase on a trail, three hexes away from a Soviet stack that will be the target of the Overrun. The Soviet stack is located on the same trail, with two intervening hexes between the German and Soviet stacks. The German stack spends 1 MP to traverse the two intervening hexes along the trail (1/2 MP per hex), 1 MP to enter the ZOC of the Soviet stack, 1 MP to enter the Defender Hex via the trail hexside (because it is a woods hex), and 1 MP to conduct the Overrun, for a total of 4 MPs spent to conduct the Overrun. A Soviet ZOC extending into the Defender Hex from the next hex to the rear has no effect, and is ignored. If the Overrun combat is successful and the Overrunning stack occupies the Defender Hex, it can continue movement since it still has 2 MPs remaining.

8.65 Overruns can be made at any odds, 1:4 or greater. Combat Unit Coordination [10.44] is not applicable to Overruns, and no ER checks are made.

8.66 Overrun Support Limitations

• The German Player can allocate a maximum of one available A (ground attack) air unit to Close Air Support (CAS) for each of his Overrun attempts.
• No German B (bomber) air unit can provide CAS for an Overrun attempt.
• No German air unit of either type can provide CAS to a Defender hex the Soviet Player is attempting to Overrun.
• No Soviet CAS is allowed during any Overrun, attacking or defending.
• Artillery Fire Support is not allowed for either side during Overruns.

Exception: One defending artillery unit in the Defender Hex can provide Fire Support automatically at full support strength, if the Defender Hex also includes at least one non-artillery Combat Unit.

8.67 Overrun Procedure

a. The Overrunning force starts or moves adjacent to the Defender Hex, paying the +1 MP cost for the Overrun, ZOC cost if applicable, and terrain costs to enter the Defender Hex.

b. Both sides select Lead Units.

c. Total AS and DS for both sides, compute odds.

d. Allocate CAS for Germans (if German units are moving) and determine CAS coordination [10.41].

e. Determine DRMs from:

• Terrain (both hex and hexside terrain)
• ER Differential Calculation [10.61c]
• Combined Arms Bonus [10.61f]
• German CAS [13.23]

NOTE: Overrun DRMs can differ from those for regular combat.

f. Roll one die, apply Net DRMs, and consult the Mobile CRT to obtain result.

g. Owning players remove any losses. Defending units forced to retreat by the CRT result are retreated two hexes by the attacking player (the player making the Overrun). All units that retreat as a result of Overrun automatically become Disrupted. Place a Disrupted marker on them.

h. If the Overrun succeeds in clearing the Defender Hex of all enemy units, move the Overrunning stack into the Defender Hex at no additional MP cost (it has already been paid in order to conduct the Overrun). Disregard any enemy ZOC cost when entering the Defender Hex.

i. The stack can now continue moving up to the limit of its remaining MA, and can conduct another Overrun, if sufficient MPs remain. However, if the Defender Hex that the Overrunning stack had just entered is in another enemy ZOC, the Overrunning force either Overruns the hex projecting the ZOC, or movement ceases.

8.68 If the Overrun does not succeed in clearing the Defender Hex of enemy units, the stack ceases movement in the hex adjacent to the Defender Hex, and loses one step (owner's choice), in addition to any step loss already required by the CRT. Ignore any attacker retreat results on the CRT.

9.0 Pre-Combat Actions

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

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

9.1 Combat Declaration

Combat takes place between enemy units in adjacent hexes. Attacking is always voluntary. Friendly Combat Units are never forced to attack enemy units. Units are not required to attack all the enemy units that they are adjacent to, or that project ZOCs into hexes with attacking units.

9.11 At the conclusion of each friendly Movement Phase, the moving player declares which enemy hexes he will attack, and designates which friendly units will attack each adjacent enemy hex.

• Individual units in a stack can attack different adjacent hexes.
• Unoccupied hexes and hexes containing only bridge/Leader units cannot be attacked.
• When using the Assault Sequence, units belonging to Non-Active Formations may be designated to attack adjacent Defender Hexes.

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

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

9.13 A Defender Hex can be attacked by as many units as can be placed in the six adjacent hexes, with possible artillery Fire Support and Close Air Support (all subject to Combat Coordination [10.4]).

9.14 Units with attack strength of zero cannot declare or participate in attacks. Any unit (or stack) whose total attack strength has been reduced to less than one (1) because of halving [3.5] cannot attack.

9.15 A unit cannot attack into a hex, or across a hexside, through which it cannot move.

Exception: Artillery may be able to contribute its support strength to any in-range Declared Attack, regardless of the terrain in the Defender Hex [12.18].

EXAMPLE: A red box MA or non-artillery orange circle MA unit is only able to attack a swamp hex through a road or rail hexside, and could attack across a river only through a bridge hexside.

9.16 Once the Declared Attack markers have been placed, the attack is irrevocable. The Defender Hex must be attacked by all units that have declared combat against it (unless the units in the Defender Hex have conducted Combat Refusal [9.2]).

9.2 Combat Refusal

9.21 After all attacks have been declared, the defending player has the option to attempt Combat Refusal in all eligible Defender Hexes. Eligibility requirements:

• All units in the Defender Hex have red-box MA or are cavalry.
• No unit in the Defender Hex is Disrupted.

9.22 Combat Refusal is not movement. It is a form of retreat [11.3].

9.23 Procedure

a. Conduct an ER check on the Lead Unit in the Defender Hex. No DRMs are allowed.

b. If the ER check fails, the unit or stack remains in the Defender Hex, and it must defend in combat.

c. If the ER check passes, the owning player retreats the unit or entire stack two hexes [11.31a].

d. Now the attacking player has the option to advance units up to the stacking limit into the vacated hex. Remove all Declared Attack markers from that attacking force. Attacking units from this declared attack cannot declare or participate in any other combats during this Combat Phase (in effect, their combat has already been resolved).

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

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

9.26 Units retreated due to Combat Refusal cannot subsequently conduct Reaction Movement during the Reaction Phase of this Sequence.

EXAMPLE OF COMBAT REFUSAL: The Soviet Player has committed to three attacks—A, B and C. The German player cannot use Combat Refusal in A because his unit is surrounded by enemy ZOCs. He cannot use Combat Refusal in B because his unit is not a red-box MA or cavalry unit. He can use Combat Refusal in C and does so. He uses the cavalry unit as his Lead Unit in the stack and makes an ER check. A die roll of 1–6 will allow the German player to retreat both units two hexes. The units may retreat to separate hexes.

9.3 Reaction Movement

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

9.31 The defender can move all eligible units (except HQs), up to half of their MA. Units bearing Disruption or OoS markers are not eligible.

9.32 A unit is eligible if:

• It is within two hexes of a Defender Hex, but does not occupy a Defender Hex itself.
• It has red-box MA
• It does not bear a Disrupted or OoS marker.
• It is part of the same Formation as the Lead Unit in the Defender Hex, or it is an eligible Army Unit
• It is not in an enemy ZOC (if Soviet; German units can be in Soviet ZOC)
• It did not already attempt Combat Refusal this turn

NOTE: This phase gives the defender the opportunity for local reaction to combat. If there are no declared attacks, no Reaction Movement is possible. Also note that the same unit might be eligible for Reaction Movement more than once during a turn.

9.33 Procedure

a. Conduct an ER check on the Lead Unit in each Reacting hex. DRMs can be applied from the use of Command Points [15.33c1].

b. If the ER check fails, the units in that hex remain in place, and cannot make another attempt this phase.

EXAMPLE OF REACTION MOVEMENT: German unit A is under attack and the German player wishes to use Reaction Movement. Units C and D are not eligible. C belongs to a different formation than the unit in the defender hex, and D is not within the required two hexes of the defender hex. Unit B is eligible because, being German, it can react in an enemy ZOC, but it is not chosen. Unit E is also eligible, so the German player makes an ER check for the unit with a die roll of 1–6 required for success. The attempt is successful which allows the German player to move Unit D up to 3 MPs (half its MA). The unit does not have to reinforce the defender's hex—it could move away. It cannot enter the shaded hexes because it may only move adjacent to an enemy unit if a friendly unit occupies the hex.

9.34 During Reaction Movement, a unit can move adjacent to an enemy unit only if:

• it has sufficient movement points available, and
• a friendly combat unit already occupies that hex.

Entering is subject to stacking limits. If it enters a friendly occupied hex in an enemy ZOC, it does not pay the MP cost to enter the enemy ZOC, but stops immediately.

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

9.4 No Retreat Declaration

9.41 The No Retreat option allows the defender to avoid retreat after combat, but at the possible cost of an additional step loss [11.41]. The defender can attempt No Retreat if:

• the Defender Hex contains at least two steps of strength, and
• the Defender Hex contains a Strongpoint.

9.42 Procedure

a. Conduct an ER check on the Lead unit in the Defending Hex. DRMs can be applied from the use of Command Points [15.33c1] and must be applied if the Lead Unit bears an OoS and/or Disrupted marker.

b. If the ER check succeeds, place a No Retreat marker on the Defender Hex.

c. If the ER check fails, conduct any retreat normally if it occurs through combat results.

9.43 The No Retreat marker indicates:

a. Apply a +1 DRM to the Combat Die Roll.

b. The defending unit (or group of units) loses one additional step if CRT results include a retreat ("R") result. Apply this loss to the Defender Lead Unit [11.42b].

c. Units in the Defender Hex do not retreat.

10.0 Combat

The player who is currently conducting an Operations Sequence (and who just placed his Declared Attack markers) is the Attacker. The other player is the Defender, regardless of the overall game situation. The Attacker resolves his declared attacks individually, in any order he desires.

10.1 Attack Restrictions

10.11 No unit can attack or defend more than once per Combat Phase of the Operations Sequence being conducted.

NOTE: It is possible for units to attack two or more times per turn—once (or more, depending on the number of AMs for the Formation) when activated, and one or more other times when adjacent to Defender Hexes being attacked by other activated friendly Formations using Assault Sequence. It is also possible for defending units to be attacked several times during a turn, depending on the number of activated Formations that choose to attack any given Defender Hex.

10.12 A unit (or stack) without a Declared Attack marker cannot attack.

Exception: Artillery units may be able to provide Fire Support [10.42 and 12.1].

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

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

10.15 A defender unit cannot be attacked solely by artillery or air units.

10.16 All units in a Defender Hex defend as a single combined Defense Strength. The attacker cannot attack individual units in a stack, and the defender cannot withhold a unit in a stack from participating in combat.

10.17 Remove the Declared Attack markers before Combat Coordination for that attack.

10.18 After the Declared Attack markers are removed, the attacker designates a lead Combat Unit for the attack [10.44].

10.2 Effects of Terrain on Combat

10.21 A defending unit benefits from the terrain in the hex it occupies, and from the terrain on the hexside(s) it is being attacked through.

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

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

b. Apply a DRM for Strongpoint in the Defender Hex.

c. Apply hexside terrain DRM, if all non-artillery attacking units are attacking through that type of hexside.

DESIGN NOTE: All combat is presumed to take place within the defender's hex. Hexside terrain presents an obstacle to entering the hex, and thereby also benefits the defender.

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

Exception: Motorized and heavy weapons units attacking out of swamp hexes [10.26].

10.24 Supply and terrain might halve an attacking unit's combat strength one or more times. Any attacking unit (or stack) reduced to less than one (1) attack strength point cannot attack (since fractions are dropped [3.54]).

10.25 Rivers and Combat. The attack strengths of all non-artillery units are halved (round down) when they are attacking across river hexsides, regardless of the presence of a bridge. Artillery support strength is not affected by river.

10.26 Swamps and Combat. Red-Box MA and non-artillery Orange-Circle MA units can attack into or out of a swamp hex, but only at half strength (round down), and only across a hexside that is crossed by a road or railroad. If attacking both into and out of a swamp hex, they are only halved once. This halving is cumulative with the halving for rivers [TEC].

10.27 The support strengths of artillery units are not halved for being located in (i.e., firing out of) a swamp hex.

10.28 Both the Attacker and Defender's artillery support strengths are halved when:

• Defender Hex is swamp
• Defender Hex is marsh, and the current weather condition is Rain.

10.3 Choosing the CRT

10.31 Only one of the two Combat Results Tables (CRTs) will be used for each combat. The attacking player identifies which CRT will be used for each combat.

10.32 When the Assault CRT is mandatory:

• During an Assault Sequence
• During Rain game turns
• Attacking force contains no armor
• Defender Hex contains town, hill, swamp terrain, or a Strongpoint.
• All units attack across a river hexside

10.33 The attacker can choose the Mobile CRT if all the following apply:

• where using the Assault CRT is not mandatory [10.32]
• if at least one attacking unit in the combat is armored

10.4 Combat Coordination

Coordination between units is critical to the success of any attack or defense. The game represents this by requiring coordination (ER checks) during combat. The attacker makes up to three Combat Coordination checks per combat (for Close Air Support (CAS), Artillery, and Combat Units). The defender makes up to two Combat Coordination checks per combat (for CAS and Artillery). As players make ER checks, refer to the Combat Coordination Table.

TERMINOLOGY NOTE: Artillery units are Combat Units, but for purposes of making Coordination checks, Coordination for artillery units is done separately from all other Combat Units. When you see the term Combat Unit Coordination, include only the non-artillery units—the artillery units, if any, have been covered by Artillery Coordination.

10.41 Close Air Support Coordination

a. Each player (attacker first) commits air units to Close Air Support (CAS) [13.2] for the Declared Attack. CAS air units are placed on the Defender Hex. Once CAS units are placed, they cannot be removed before that Declared Attack is resolved, nor can additional air units be added.

PLAY NOTE: If both players agree, fog of war can be added to CAS commitment by having both players secretly allocating air units for each CAS, and then simultaneously displaying the number of units each has committed.

b. Each player designates one committed CAS air unit as his Lead air unit and makes an ER check on it, applying any DRMs

• If the attack is part of a Mobile Sequence, the Lead Combat Unit is either from the Active Formation, or a qualifying Army Unit. One in-range Active Formation HQ can spend its command points to modify the ER check.
• If the attack is part of an Assault Sequence, the Lead Combat Unit can be from the Active Formation, or a qualifying Army Unit. For an Active Formation HQ to spend its command points to modify the ER check, more than half of the participating units must be from the Active Formation (since units from Non-Active Formations adjacent to the Defender Hex may also participate). If the unit passes the ER check, no adjustments are made to the combat.
• If the unit fails its ER check, add a +2 DRM to the final combat die roll [10.61g].

c. See the Combat Coordination Table for Coordination DRMs:

• Command Points
• Mobile or Assault Sequence
• Attacker non-Artillery Combat Units occupy 3 or more hexes

10.5 Determining Combat Odds

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

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

b. Add the support strength of artillery units [12.1].

10.52 Compute Combat Odds. Divide the total attacking strength by the total defending strength to arrive at a combat odds ratio. Always round off the ratio in favor of the defender, to the nearest odds column listed on the CRT.

EXAMPLES: 8 attack strength points against 2 defense strength points is 4:1 odds; 8 to 3 is 2:1 odds; 8 to 4 is 2:1 odds; 8 to 5 is 3:2 odds.

10.53 Special Combat Odds

a. The minimum initial odds for any attack (before artillery has been committed, and prior to the defender's Reaction Movement) are 1:4, in order to declare the attack [10.52]. Final odds of less than 1:4 on either CRT results in an automatic A2R result (if using the Mobile CRT) or A2Rd (if using the Assault CRT).

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

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

d. The attacking player can never voluntarily reduce the combat odds of any given attack.

EXAMPLE: The attacker cannot declare 2-1 odds when he has 3-1 odds.

10.6 Resolving Combat

After all Combat Coordination and odds calculation is complete, the attacker computes the applicable DRMs for the combat, and then resolves the combat.

10.42 Artillery Coordination

a. Each player indicates which of his eligible artillery units [12.13] will attempt to provide Fire Support to the Declared Attack, and selects one artillery unit to be the Lead artillery unit (Attacker first).

b. Each player then makes an ER check against his Lead artillery unit (Attacker first), applying DRMs for Command Points, Mobile or Assault Sequence, and Defender hexes containing woods. The result applies to all friendly artillery units providing Fire Support in that Declared Attack.

Exceptions: One artillery unit in the Defender Hex is always Coordinated, and one attacking artillery unit adjacent to the Defender Hex is always Coordinated [12.17].

c. Artillery Coordination Results

• If the Lead artillery unit passes its ER check, all attacking artillery units contribute their full support strengths.
• A modified result greater than the Lead artillery unit ER, but less than 10, halves each supporting artillery unit's support strength (round down). This halving may be in addition to any halving for firing into Defender Hexes in swamps or in marsh during Rain turns. Each artillery unit may always contribute a minimum of one support strength point even if halved twice.
• A modified result of 10 (or more) means that none of the committed artillery units contribute any support strength to that combat.

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

e. The total artillery support strength added for each side in a given combat cannot exceed that side's total ground combat strength in that combat. [12.13f].

EXAMPLE: a Defender Hex contains Combat Units with a defense strength of five. Two friendly artillery units with support strengths of 4 each are within range and the lead artillery unit passes its ER check. Even though the two artillery units have eight support strength points they can commit to the Defender Hex, only five of those points can be committed because there are only five defender strength points in the Defender Hex.

10.43 Defender Combat Unit Coordination. The defender never makes a check for Combat Unit coordination.

10.44 Attacker Combat Unit Coordination

a. If all the attacking Combat Units are located in the same hex and none of them are Disrupted, they are automatically Coordinated. These ER checks are not performed.

b. Otherwise, the attacking player makes an ER check for his Lead Combat Unit.

10.61 Combat DRMs. Determine DRMs for:

a. Terrain (both hex and hexside [see TEC].

b. Strongpoint in Defender Hex: +1 DRM.

c. ER Differential Calculation. Compare the ER of the Lead Combat unit in the Lead attack hex to that of the Lead Combat Unit in the Defender Hex. If the ER of the defender's Lead Unit is greater than the ER of the attacker's Lead Unit, a plus (+) DRM results; if the attacker's ER is greater, a minus (–) DRM results. The amount of the DRM is equal to the difference between the two ER ratings. Remember to take Disruption and OoS status into account when determining unit ERs.

EXAMPLE: The attacker's Lead Combat Unit has an ER of 5, and the defender's Lead Combat Unit has an ER of 7. Subtract attacker from defender (7–5=2). This results in a +2 DRM. The attacker now must include a plus two (+2) in his DRM calculation.

d. Attacker and Defender CAS [13.2].

e. Defender Hex contains No Retreat marker [9.4]: +1 DRM.

f. Combined Arms Bonus (CAB). Apply a (–1) DRM to the combat if all of the following requirements are met:

1. The attacking force contains one or more armored units with red attack strength.
2. The attacking force also contains one or more motorcycle, motorized infantry, motorized engineer, or reconnaissance (not armored car) units. This type and the qualifying armored unit need not be in the same hex.
3. The defender has no armor, anti-tank, or heavy anti-aircraft units in the Defender Hex.
4. The current weather is either Dry or Cloudy.
5. The defender is not located in swamp, town, or a completed Strongpoint.
6. The qualifying attacking units in 1. and 2. above are not attacking through a river hexside and are not Disrupted [3.72h].

g. Failed Combat Unit Coordination. If the attacker failed his Combat Unit Coordination ER check [10.44], apply a +2 DRM to the combat.

h. Attacking Engineer Effects. Apply a –1 DRM whenever the attacking force includes an engineer type unit (additional engineer units have no extra effect), and the defender receives a DRM for town or Strongpoint. Also apply Engineer Effects whenever an engineer unit is participating in an attack across a stream hexside and the defender gets the stream DRM. Engineer Effects do not apply during Overrun. Defender's engineers have no effect.

10.62 Netting DRMs. Net all attacker and defender DRMs. Each +1 DRM point offsets a –1 DRM. The positive or negative DRM total remaining after offsetting is the final DRM. Final DRMs are further limited to not greater than +5 or less than –5; disregard final DRM values beyond these limits.

10.63 Roll One Die. The attacking player rolls one ten-sided die, and adjusts the die roll by the net DRM. Cross-index the modified die roll result with the final odds column on the appropriate CRT. Immediately apply the combat result to the involved units before going on to any other combat.

11.0 Combat Results

11.1 Reading the CRT

11.11 Interpret the results on the CRT as follows:

A = Attacker. Numerals and letters following the 'A' refer to attacking units.

D = Defender. Numerals and letters following the 'D' refer to defending units.

R = Retreat. All units of the affected force retreat [11.3], unless they bear a No Retreat marker [9.4].

E = Eliminated. All units of the affected force are eliminated.

1,2,3. 1, 2, or 3 steps (as indicated) lost from the affected force. The Lead ground unit of the affected force must always lose the first step (Exception: Armor attrition [11.12]).

d = Disrupted. All involved units are Disrupted (attacking or defending, depending on which side incurs the result) [3.7].

11.12 Armor Attrition. Shaded boxes on both CRTs mandate armor loss if the attacking force contains one or more armor steps (red attack strength) and one or more units in the Defender Hex have red defense strength. If these conditions are met, the first step of attacker loss must be an armor step, regardless of which unit was the Lead Unit for the attack (Exception to 3.43b). If the CRT did not result in an attacker step loss, one attacking armor step is still lost.

EXAMPLE: A Soviet stack containing a two-step armor unit and a non-armor unit (the Lead Unit) attack a German anti-aircraft unit (red DS) at 3:1 odds on the Assault CRT. The modified die roll is 5, yielding a result of 'DR,' plus a shaded box. The German anti-aircraft unit retreats, but because of the shaded box, the Soviet armor unit must take a step loss, even though the CRT did not call for a numerical step loss for the attacker.

11.13 Attacker artillery units not adjacent to the Defender Hex, and defender artillery units not in the Defender Hex, never suffer any combat results; they do not retreat or advance; are not Disrupted; and do not suffer step loss [12.16].

11.2 Combat Losses

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

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

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

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

• HQs
• artillery units
• Combat Units with unit strengths on only one side of the counter

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

11.22 Lead Unit Losses. The Lead Unit for both sides normally takes the first step of any combat loss required by the CRT.

Exception: Shaded box results on the CRT [11.12].

11.23 No Retreat Losses. In addition to any other losses, if the defending force bears a No Retreat marker, and the combat result indicated a Defender retreat, the defending force suffers an additional step loss [11.41 and 11.42b].

11.24 Reduced loss. If one side has fewer steps available to lose than indicated by the numerical result (and thereby is completely eliminated, with an unfulfilled loss left over), any step loss incurred by the opposing side is reduced by one. This does not negate armor attrition.

11.3 Retreats

When a combat result requires units to retreat, the owning player immediately moves the affected units individually (or as a stack—mandatory if the first hex of Retreat is a vacant hex in enemy ZOC) either one or two hexes, in any direction away from the Defender Hex. A unit unable to retreat within the restrictions given below is eliminated.

Exception: In Overrun, the attacking player retreats the affected units.

11.31 CRT differences

a. Retreats generated from the Mobile CRT or Combat Refusal [9.22] must be two hexes.

b. Retreats generated from the Assault CRT can be either one or two hexes, as the owning player desires.

c. Regardless of CRT, no retreat can exceed two hexes.

11.32 Retreats are not movement, and do not cost MPs. However, a unit cannot retreat across a terrain hexside that is prohibited to its movement, off the edge of the map, or through hexes containing enemy Combat Units.

11.33 A unit can retreat through a hex containing friendly units, even if that means a temporary violation of stacking limits. A unit cannot end its retreat in violation of the stacking limit. If it does, the owning player eliminates retreating units until the stacking limit is reached.

11.34 A unit cannot end its retreat in an enemy ZOC, unless another friendly unit was already in the hex. Friendly units negate enemy ZOCs for purposes of retreat.

11.35 A unit can end its retreat in a Defender Hex where combat has not yet been resolved (subject to stacking restrictions). However, it contributes no defense strength to the subsequent combat, and cannot act as a Lead defender unit. It is subject to any retreat result incurred by the defenders in the subsequent combat, but is not subject to any loss result (unless the defenders in the subsequent combat are completely eliminated) with an unfulfilled defender loss result remaining.

11.4 No Retreat Option

11.41 Units in Defender hexes with No Retreat markers [9.4] do not retreat, but must suffer one additional step loss if the CRT calls for a Defender Retreat result [11.23].

11.42 Procedure

a. Remove any numerical step losses mandated by the CRT, taking the first step loss from the Lead unit.

b. The defending force now suffers one additional step loss, instead of retreating. The defender's Lead Combat Unit normally takes this step loss; if it has already been eliminated, take the step loss from the unit in the Defender Hex with the highest ER (defender's choice in case two or more units have the highest ER).

c. If the additional step lost is the last step in the Defender Hex, no Advance After Combat is allowed for the attacker.

d. Remove the No Retreat marker.

11.5 Retreat Through Enemy ZOC

11.51 A unit cannot retreat through a vacant hex in an enemy ZOC, unless no alternate path exists.

11.52 A unit can retreat through a hex occupied by one or more friendly Combat Units, even if enemy Combat Units project a ZOC into that hex.

11.53 A unit can end its retreat in an enemy ZOC only if a friendly combat unit already occupies the hex (subject to stacking limits).

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

11.55 Eligible units retreating through just one vacant hex in an enemy ZOC can attempt to do so, but must retreat two hexes (assuming that the second hex of the retreat is not a vacant hex in an enemy ZOC), and may suffer one or more steps lost in the process.

a. The only units not eligible to retreat through one vacant hex in an enemy ZOC are Orange-Circle artillery units.

b. A player can choose to eliminate such artillery units, in order to make the attempt with the remainder of the stack. These eliminated artillery units would not satisfy the potential one-step loss [11.56c].

11.56 Procedure

a. Conduct the two-hex retreat. Retreating stacks remain stacked together. The second hex of the retreat cannot be a vacant hex in an enemy ZOC.

b. When the retreat is completed, the owning player conducts an ER check on the retreating unit. If it is a stack, he conducts an ER check on the Lead Unit of that stack.

NOTE: Remember that the printed ER ratings are reduced if the unit is OoS or Disrupted. Also, the Lead Unit for the retreating stack does not have to be the Defender Lead Unit in the combat that caused the retreat.

c. If the ER check fails, the unit (or group of units) takes a one step loss from the Lead Unit. If the ER check passes, there is no loss.

d. Motorized Attacker Advantage. If the retreating unit or stack contain no red-box MA units, but one or more enemy red-box MA units exerts a ZOC into the vacant hex, one step (enemy player's choice) is automatically lost without making an ER check.

EXAMPLE OF RETREAT THROUGH ENEMY ZOCS: The German player must retreat stack A two hexes. The orange-circled unit is eliminated because it cannot retreat into an enemy ZOC. The motorized unit can retreat through an enemy ZOC but only in the first hex. That only leaves two choices—hex B or hex C. After the retreat the German Player must make an ER check to see if the unit loses a step.

EXAMPLE OF MOTORIZED ATTACKER ADVANTAGE: The Soviet player must retreat Stacks A and B. The shaded hexes indicate vacant hexes in an enemy ZOC. After retreating Stack A the Soviet player makes an ER check. He uses the Recon unit as the Lead Unit in the Retreat—so a die roll of 7–10 will cause the Lead Unit to take a step loss. The other unit in the stack is not affected. Stack B must automatically lose a step after its retreat because the stack does not contain a unit with a red-boxed MA and the EZOC it passed through was exerted by an enemy unit with a red-boxed MA. The German player may decide which unit takes the step loss.

11.6 Advance After Combat

Whenever the original Defender Hex has been vacated as a result of combat, the attacking units may be able to advance.

Advance after combat is not movement, and does not cost MPs. However, a unit cannot advance across a terrain hexside that is prohibited to its movement, off the edge of the map, or through hexes containing enemy Combat Units.

11.61 Length of Advance

a. When the Assault CRT is used to resolve the combat, attacking units can advance only one hex (into the vacated Defender Hex).

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

b. When the Mobile CRT is used to resolve the combat, attacking red-box MA units can advance up to two hexes. The first hex must be the Defender Hex (the hex that was attacked), and the second can be any adjacent hex of the attacker's choosing. Exceptions:

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

2. Disrupted red-box MA units can never advance more than one hex.

c. When the Mobile CRT is used to resolve the combat, non-motorized units can never advance more than one hex (into the vacated Defender Hex).

d. Defending units never advance after an Attacker Retreat result.

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

EXAMPLE OF ADVANCE AFTER COMBAT: The Soviet player had two successful attacks. Dashed boxes indicate the defender's vacated hex. Attack A used the Assault CRT so only a one hex advance was allowed. Note that the heavy weapons unit cannot advance at all. Attack B used the Mobile CRT and so all three Soviet units can advance up to two hexes and enter enemy ZOCs in the second hex.

11.63 Only those victorious attacking units that participated in that combat can advance. Such units can advance from any of the hexes from which the attack was made. Units that served only to block enemy retreat routes (such as those not having Declared Attack markers for that combat) cannot advance.

Exception: Heavy-weapons units (orange-circle MA) cannot advance after combat.

11.64 Advancing units ignore all enemy ZOCs, regardless of advancing one or two hexes.

PLAY NOTE: This rule has significant implications for attacker and defender alike because it means advancing red box MA units in combats using the Mobile CRT can potentially infiltrate defender positions and surround defender units.

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

12.0 Artillery

Artillery units participate in combat either from adjacent hexes or from non-adjacent hexes. Artillery units do not have attack strength, but instead have support strength, which is used to supplement the attack or defense strengths of other friendly units. Artillery units need not be adjacent to, but must be within range of, the Defender Hex any time they participate in artillery Fire Support. In most cases [Exception: 12.17] artillery must make a Coordination check [10.42] to participate in combat.

Some artillery units have the letter "A" following their support strengths. These represent special artillery units, which are limited to offensive Fire Support. They can never conduct Fire Support defensively.

12.1 Artillery Fire Support

12.11 Declaration. During Combat Coordination the attacker and then the defender declare which of their eligible artillery units will attempt to support that combat.

12.12 Only artillery units that meet eligibility requirements can participate in Fire Support. No artillery is required to contribute its support strength.

12.13 Eligibility Requirements

a. An artillery unit must be within range of the Defender Hex for a given combat, in order to participate in that combat. Each artillery unit has a range, expressed in hexes. Count range from the artillery unit's hex to the Defender Hex; include the Defender Hex, but not the artillery unit's hex.

b. For the attacking player, only the artillery units of the Active Formation plus eligible Army artillery units, can participate.

c. For the defending player, only the artillery units of the same Formation as the Lead Unit in the Defender Hex, plus any eligible Army artillery units, can participate in that combat.

d. An artillery unit on its Fired side or bearing a Disrupted marker, at the moment when attacker or defender Fire Support is declared, cannot use its support strength.

e. An artillery unit on its support strength side bearing an Emergency Supply or Out of Supply marker can use its support strength. However, once flipped to its Fired side, the artillery unit cannot be returned to its support strength side until it is again placed in supply.

f. Support Strength Limits. In any Declared Attack, the attacker's total artillery support strength cannot exceed the total (modified) attack strength of his non-artillery units, and defender's total support strength cannot exceed the total (modified) defense strength of his non-artillery units. Excess support strength points are disregarded.

g. Within the above constraints, there is otherwise no limit to the number of in-range artillery units that can combine to support any one combat.

DESIGN NOTE: Both German and Soviet artillery fire control procedures in WWII were rather limited by modern standards. In most cases, a given forward observer could only call for, and correct, the fire from a single battery of artillery (or in some cases, one battalion). There were no 'fire control centers,' no way for 'just anyone with a radio' to call in artillery, and no way for even a proper artillery forward observer to communicate with more than one artillery unit at a time. The modern American practice of a single forward observer being able to call for, and receive, the fire from many different artillery battalions could not be accomplished by most WWII armies.

12.14 Whenever an artillery unit is in an enemy ZOC, it can provide Fire Support only to that adjacent enemy occupied hex (when attacking), or to its own hex (when defending).

12.15 A defending artillery unit can use its support strength or its defense strength in a single combat, but not both [12.21]. A single artillery unit can fire on only one Defender Hex during a given Combat Phase; it cannot split its strength, or lend unused points to other artillery units.

12.16 Defender artillery units that are not in the Defender Hex, and attacker artillery units not adjacent to it, never suffer any adverse results from the combat they are supporting [11.13]. Defending artillery units in the Defender Hex are subject to all combat results, as are attacking artillery units that are adjacent to the Defender Hex.

12.17 One attacking artillery unit adjacent to the Defender Hex (attacker's choice) automatically passes Combat Coordination at full support strength (even if other attacker artillery units fail Combat Coordination). Subject to the constraints of 12.21, 12.22 and 12.23, one defending artillery unit in the Defender Hex (defender's choice) automatically passes Combat Coordination at full support strength (even if other defender artillery units outside of the Defender Hex fail Combat Coordination).

12.18 Terrain Effects. Terrain or intervening units do not negate artillery Fire Support. However, both the Attacker and Defender's artillery support strengths are halved when:

a. the Defender Hex is swamp, or when

b. the Defender Hex is marsh, and the current weather condition is Rain.

DESIGN NOTE: The large bodies of standing water in such hexes, along with the preponderance of very soft, muddy ground, reduced the effectiveness of artillery fire considerably.

12.19 Turn each artillery unit (attacker or defender) over to its Fired side after making its Combat Coordination check. Fired units cannot contribute their Support Strengths for the remainder of the turn, even if their support strengths were halved or unused due to failed Coordination checks. Both players turn all artillery units judged to be in supply back to their front (unfired) side during the Reorganization Phase during the Reorganization Segment.

NOTE: The Fired side has unit values because the unit might still have a remaining activation or may be required to defend in combat before it is turned back to un-Fired during the Reorganization Segment.

12.2 Artillery in Defense

12.21 When an artillery unit is attacked while alone in a hex, use its defense strength, not its support strength.

12.22 When two or more artillery and/or Headquarter units are in the same hex and are attacked, use only their combined defense strengths, not any of their support strengths.

12.23 When one artillery unit is in a Defender Hex with any non-artillery Combat Unit, it applies its support strength to the defense strength of the hex [12.17]. If two or more artillery units are present, only one uses its support strength. The remainder must use their defense strength. All are subject to all combat results.

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

12.25 If a defender artillery unit begins a Combat Phase not adjacent to any enemy units, but, before the battle it is supporting is resolved, an enemy Combat Unit moves (or advances) adjacent to it and exerts a ZOC into its hex, then it cannot use its support strength during that Combat Phase, except in defense of the hex it occupies [12.14].

EXAMPLE OF ARTILLERY IN DEFENSE: The Soviet player used the Mobile CRT in combat A which allowed the Soviet units to advance two hexes and adjacent to the enemy artillery unit. So now, neither enemy artillery unit C or D may be used in defense against Soviet combat B.

13.0 Air Units

The air units in the game represent only the ground attack forces that participated in the battle; air-to-air combat is not represented.

13.1 Air Unit Restrictions

13.11 Keep air units in the appropriate box of the Air Display whenever they are not on the map performing CAS. The capacity of each box is unlimited.

13.12 Air Readiness Procedure

a. During the Air Readiness Phase of every Strategic Segment, automatically move all air units from the Flown Box to the Ready Box. No die rolls are required.

b. Air units unused from the prior turn will remain in the Ready Box until used on a future turn.

13.13 Only air units in the Ready Box can be selected for CAS missions. Each unit in the Ready Box participate in one CAS mission per turn.

13.14 Air units can perform CAS missions anywhere on the map, on any Defender Hex, regardless of terrain or the presence of enemy Combat Units so long as an eligible, friendly, non-disrupted HQ is within four hexes of that Defender Hex.

13.15 Air units neither exert nor are affected by ZOC.

13.16 Air units are subject to an ER check whenever they perform CAS [10.41]. Apply DRMs as listed on the Combat Coordination Table.

13.17 When an air unit completes CAS, place it on its Flown side in the Flown Box.

13.2 Close Air Support Missions

13.21 At the beginning of each combat resolution procedure, first the attacker, then the defender, assigns up to two available air units, if eligible (13.14), from the Ready Box to the CAS mission for that combat.

PLAY NOTE: If both players agree, fog of war can be added to CAS commitment by having both players secretly allocating CAS air units for each combat, and then simultaneously displaying the number of units each has committed.

13.22 When executing an Overrun, the German Player may assign one air unit from the Ready Box to perform a CAS mission for an Overrun.

13.23 Each air unit assigned to a combat (or Overrun) by the attacking player provides a –1 (or –2) DRM, as printed on the unit; each air unit assigned to a combat by the defending player provides a +1 (or +2) DRM, as printed on the unit.

13.24 Restrictions on Use

a. Defensive CAS: For both sides, defensive CAS is allowed for any Formation occupying the Defender hex in a Declared Attack. No defensive CAS is allowed for either side during Overruns.

b. Offensive CAS:

1. In each scenario there are limits on how many Attacks or Overruns can receive CAS each turn. At the start of each turn, place the Offensive CAS Missions Remaining markers on the appropriate box of the Offensive CAS Missions Remaining Track, and move the marker toward the zero box as each Offensive CAS mission is performed.

2. Subject to Offensive CAS mission availability, the German Player can freely employ CAS in support of German Panzer and Motorized Formations. To qualify, both the Lead Unit and more than half of the units in a given Declared Attack (or qualifying units in an Overrun) must come from a single German Panzer or Motorized Formation.

3. For all other German and all Soviet Formations, employment is limited to one Offensive CAS mission per Formation per turn (unless prohibited by scenario instructions)

4. German Plane Type Restrictions

• A (ground attack) and B (bomber) air units may both fly offensive CAS missions in support of Declared Attacks.
• A (ground attack) air units only may fly offensive CAS missions in support of Overruns (limit one unit per Overrun).

5. Soviet Plane Type Restrictions

• A (ground attack) air units may fly offensive CAS missions in support of Declared Attacks.
• B (bomber) air units may only fly offensive CAS missions in support of Declared Attacks if accompanied by an A (ground attack) air unit (single or paired B units cannot conduct offensive CAS missions by themselves).
• No Soviet air units may fly offensive CAS missions in support of Overruns.

DESIGN NOTE: Both air forces had doctrine limitations, though the Germans, with Luftwaffe liaison teams assigned to each Panzer and Motorized Formation, enjoyed a significant edge in Offensive CAS availability. While certainly there should be more restrictions on the Soviets, there were more Soviet aircraft available. A game plays best when it focuses on important aspects and leaves the rest to general effect.

13.25 Air units are not affected by ground combat results and cannot be taken as losses, regardless of the combat result.

13.26 Remove air units at the end of each combat resolution. Place them in the Flown Box.

14.0 Strongpoints

Strongpoints represent a variety of field fortifications prepared for defense from all directions. They include prepared fields of fire, earth bunkers, foxholes, trenches, and roadblocks. Strongpoints must be built. They are not printed on the map.

14.1 General Characteristics

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

14.12 During the friendly Movement Phase, it costs one MP to enter a hex containing an enemy Strongpoint, in addition to the terrain cost. Units with sufficient MPs remaining can continue moving, up to the limit of their MA.

14.13 Combat Effects

a. The Assault CRT is required when the Defender Hex contains a Strongpoint, regardless of other terrain, or the type of Operations Sequence chosen.

b. Overruns cannot be conducted against units located in hexes with Strongpoints.

c. Units defending in a hex containing a Strongpoint gain a +1 DRM to the combat die roll. There is no DRM when attacking from (out of) a Strongpoint.

d. A Strongpoint in a Defender Hex allows the defender to attempt No Retreat [9.4]. Strongpoints not occupied by friendly Combat Units do not block the retreat of enemy units.

14.14 Once constructed, Strongpoints do not have to be occupied by friendly units to remain in play. A completed Strongpoint continues to remain on the map until it is removed.

14.2 Construction Procedure

14.21 Eligible units on both sides can build Strongpoints. A Strongpoint can be built on any eligible hex. The hex can be in an enemy ZOC.

14.22 A hex is eligible for Strongpoint construction if it is:

• occupied by an eligible friendly unit [14.23]
• does not contain another Strongpoint
• not swamp terrain

14.23 Unit types eligible to build Strongpoints:

• infantry
• motorized infantry
• engineer
• motorized engineer
• bicycle

14.24 A unit is not eligible to start the construction process if it is Disrupted or OoS. An eligible unit becomes ineligible during the construction process or if it moves, retreats or attacks. If the unit becomes ineligible, the construction process is halted, and the Strongpoint Under Construction marker is removed [14.26b].

14.25 Procedure

a. During the Engineering Phase of any friendly Assault Sequence, place a Strongpoint Under Construction marker on top of any eligible unit. The unit must be of the Active Formation, or be an Army Unit activated by that Formation. Non-active units wait until they have been activated with an Assault Sequence.

b. The constructing unit remains in place and must not move, retreat or attack until the Reorganization Segment's Engineering Phase, or until the next Assault Sequence's Engineering Phase when the same unit is activated again (whichever occurs first).

c. During the Reorganization Segment's Engineering Phase, or the next Assault Sequence's Engineering Phase, if the constructing unit is still eligible, turn that Strongpoint Under Construction marker to its completed Strongpoint side. The constructing unit is now free to move during its next activation, and the Strongpoint will remain, even if the hex is otherwise unoccupied.

EXAMPLE: A Soviet infantry unit occupies a hex where a Strongpoint is desired on the 16AM turn. During the Engineering Phase of its Assault Sequence, place a Strongpoint marker on top of that hex with its Under Construction side showing. If the Soviet infantry unit has remained on that hex, and not participated in an attack, then during the Engineering Phase of the 16 AM Reorganization Segment, turn the marker to the Strongpoint side. The infantry unit can move away from the completed Strongpoint during the 16 PM Operations Sequence.

d. If an activated Army Unit is an eligible unit type, it can construct a Strongpoint.

14.26 Removal

a. Remove a Strongpoint from the map whenever any type of non-disrupted enemy Combat Unit occupies its hex at the end of the Engineering Phase of the Reorganization Segment.

b. A Strongpoint Under Construction is removed immediately whenever its Constructing unit moves, retreats, or participates in an attack.

NOTE: the Constructing unit can defend against attacks, and if not forced to retreat, the Strongpoint Under Construction marker remains.

c. The owning player can voluntarily remove unoccupied Strongpoints at any time.

d. Removed Strongpoint markers can be reused at any time.

15.0 HQ Units and Leaders

15.1 HQ Characteristics

15.11 Headquarters (HQ) units represent Formation staff and control units along with various non-combat support units. Most Formations have at least one HQ; some Formations have more than one. HQ units affect ER and Combat Coordination checks of their subordinate units through the expenditure of Command Points.

15.12 HQs in Combat and Overrun

a. An HQ cannot be the Lead Unit in a Declared Attack because it has no attack strength. HQs can move adjacent to enemy units, and motorized HQs (with red-box MA) can participate in Overrun attempts.

Exception: The HQ, Soviet 25th Cavalry Division can be a Lead unit because it does have an attack strength.

b. An HQ contributes its defense strength if it occupies a Defender Hex.

c. An HQ unit cannot be the Lead unit in a Defender Hex, unless alone in that hex or stacked only with other HQ units.

15.13 Formation Color. Every HQ has a distinctive color in its unit type box. All Combat Units with the same color in their unit type or unit size boxes belong to the same Formation as the HQ.

15.14 In order for an HQ to contribute its Command Points as DRMs to ER checks, the Lead Unit conducting the ER check must be of the same Formation as the HQ.

NOTE: An Army Unit becomes part of a Formation, for all purposes, while activated.

15.15 Command Range

a. Every HQ has a Command Range of four (4) hexes. Trace range without regard to terrain, enemy units, or their ZOCs. When counting range, do not count the hex occupied by the HQ, but do include the hex occupied by the Lead Unit (disregard range to non-Lead units).

b. An HQ in a Defender Hex can apply its Command Points to other hexes within Command Range, even though the HQ itself might be under attack.

15.16 Disrupted HQs cannot spend any Command Points. Like other units, Disrupted HQs automatically recover from Disruption if they are not in an enemy ZOC during the Reorganization Segment at the end of each turn. If a Disrupted HQ is in an enemy ZOC during the Reorganization Segment, conduct an ER check to attempt recovery.

NOTE: Since Disruption reduces its ER by two, the HQ would have to roll a 3 or less to recover from Disruption [3.7].

15.2 Leaders

15.21 Leaders are non-Combat Units with special capabilities. A leader is not an HQ unit; it represents just the general and his personal staff.

15.22 A Leader has a movement allowance, but no stacking value, no attack or defense strength, cannot be taken as a step loss, and cannot be eliminated. If an enemy unit enters its hex, it is "displaced." Just pick it up and place it with the nearest friendly unit still in play (owning player's choice if more than one unit is at the same distance). If displaced, turn the Leader over to its reverse (Spent) side. If the Leader's Command Points have already been spent, there is no additional effect.

15.23 A Leader can advance after combat, if it is stacked with advancing units. It retreats when stacked with retreating units. A Leader cannot be Disrupted or OoS, but is subject to normal ground movement restrictions [8.0].

15.24 A Leader can automatically activate itself during any friendly Operations Sequence. It can be activated a total of twice during an Operations Segment. Use First Activation and Final Activation markers, as used by the Army Units, to keep track of its status, if necessary.

15.25 Command Range

a. The Soviet Voroshilov Leader counter has a Command Range of 4 hexes. Additionally, the Voroshilov Leader counter must be stacked with an HQ, and is limited to spending its command point when that HQ is activated. When counting range, do not count the hex occupied by the HQ and Voroshilov, but do include the hex occupied by the Lead unit (disregard range to non-Lead units).

b. The German von Manstein Leader counter has a Command Range of 8 hexes. The von Manstein leader counter does not have to be stacked with any HQ in order to spend command points. The Command Range is traced to any Active German HQ. When counting range, do not count the hex occupied by von Manstein, but do include the hex occupied by the HQ.

DESIGN NOTE: The Germans had many more (and better) radios than the Soviets, and used them far more effectively. It could be argued that the most potent offensive weapon on these battlefields was the radio vehicle accompanying von Manstein.

15.3 HQ and Leader Command Points

Command Points generally represent a staff capability of processing and distribution of battlefield information and orders.

15.31 Number Available. Each non-disrupted HQ or Leader possesses either one or two Command Points. This is the number of Command Points the HQ or Leader has available during each Operations Sequence (both friendly and enemy) of the turn. Unused Command Points cannot be saved from one phase or turn to the next and cannot be loaned to other HQs or Leaders. Each Command Point acts as a –1 DRM for one ER check, or Combat Coordination die roll. Command Points can be applied to units in other hexes, as long as they are within Command Range [15.15 and 15.25].

15.32 When an HQ or Leader spends Command Points, it always spends the full printed value (no partial commitment for HQs or Leaders with 2 Command Points). Whenever an HQ or Leader spends its Command Points, turn it to its reverse (Spent) side, where the Command Point value is zero.

15.33 When Command Points can be spent:

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

• One Reaction Movement attempt

• One No Retreat attempt.

• Friendly Combat Phase

1. No more than one HQ can spend Command Points on a given Declared Attack (Exception: German Arko HQ units [16.3]), although one HQ plus one Leader can spend their Command Points on the same Declared Attack.

EXAMPLE: The German 8th Panzer Division has two of its HQs, 10Pz and 28th, within Command Range of the Lead unit of a Declared Attack. Only one of the two HQs can allocate its Command Points to that Declared Attack.

2. When spending Command Points on a Declared Attack, an HQ or Leader spends its Command Points for:

• CAS Coordination
• Artillery Coordination
• Ground Combat Coordination

b. Enemy Combat Phase

1. Immediately following Combat Declaration, an HQ or Leader may spend Command Points for:

• Reaction Movement Attempt
• No Retreat Attempt

2. No more than one HQ can spend Command Points on a given Defender Hex (Exception: German Arko HQ units [16.3]), although one HQ plus one Leader can spend their Command Points on the same Defender Hex.

3. When expending Command Points on a Defender Hex, an HQ or Leader spends its Command Points for:

• CAS
• Artillery Coordination

c. An Active HQ (but not a Leader) can use Command Points to help activate an Army Unit [7.4].

d. Formation Combination. At the start of any friendly Operations Sequence, a Leader can use its Command Points to contribute a favorable DRM to the Formation Combination [7.3] die roll attempt. The amount of DRM equals the number of Command Points possessed by the leader. After the die roll has been made, regardless of outcome, turn the Leader over to its reverse (Spent) side.

15.34 During the Reorganization Phase of the Reorganization Segment:

a. Non-Disrupted HQs and Leaders with unspent Command Points can contribute them to Combat Unit Disruption removal.

b. After Disruption Removal, turn all Spent HQs and Leaders (of both players), from their zero Command Point sides back to their full Command Point sides.

NOTE: If a HQ with a Disrupted marker fails to remove the Disruption, it cannot utilize its command points even when turned back to its unspent Command Points side.

16.0 Special Units

16.1 Anti-Tank and Anti-Aircraft Units

16.11 In addition to anti-tank type units, all units with red attack strength (armor units), and all heavy anti-aircraft (AA) units with red Defense Strength, also function as anti-tank units for game purposes.

16.12 Any one of the above types of AT units in a Defender Hex will nullify the Combined Arms Bonus DRM [10.61f3].

16.13 Those Heavy AA units with red Defense Strength also qualify to impose the special Armor Attrition results against armor units [11.12]).

16.2 Bridge Units

DESIGN NOTE: Numerous bridge building units were historically present for both sides, but only a few were capable of emplacing a bridge strong enough to hold a medium tank. The bridge markers in this game represent only the latter; otherwise, it would be necessary to keep track of several classes of bridges, at considerable expense in playability.

16.21 A Bridge unit creates a bridge across an adjacent river or stream hexside. Orient the arrow on the unit to point directly at the bridged hexside. Like the permanent bridges printed on the map, a Bridge unit negates the MP cost for other units to cross that river or stream hexside.

16.22 The owning player can place his Bridge units as desired on any hex adjacent to a river or stream that is in Command Range of any friendly HQ and not in an enemy ZOC. Place Bridges during the Engineering Phase of any friendly Assault Sequence, during a Pass Sequence, or during the Engineering Phase of the Reorganization Segment.

16.23 Bridge units can be freely repositioned to any other hex that is also in Command Range of any friendly HQ, and not in an enemy ZOC, during the Engineering Phases, as described above. A Bridge can also be kept off map indefinitely; when needed, just place it on the map, as allowed.

16.24 A Bridge cannot be placed on a swamp hex unless it is placed along the path of a road, railroad, or trail.

16.25 Once placed, a Bridge remains in that hex as long as the owning player desires [exception: 16.26], even if the hex is later judged OoS. Bridge units can never be Disrupted or OoS.

16.26 A Bridge is a non-combat unit. It has no combat strength, no movement allowance, no stacking point value, and no ZOC. It cannot be captured, eliminated, or taken as a step loss. It is removed from the map immediately when an enemy Combat Unit enters its hex.

16.3 German Artillery HQs

16.31 The German "Arko" HQ unit represents a special artillery command and staff unit.

16.32 It can be used as a second HQ in any German Declared Attack [as an exception to 15.33b and c], or to coordinate defender artillery. However, it can be used only for Artillery Coordination [10.42], even if it is the only HQ involved.

17.0 How To Win

The game is won by scoring Victory Points (VPs). VPs are awarded for controlling certain map locations, causing enemy step losses, and for certain actions players take (refer to the Playbook and VP Chart).

The Operations Sequences

A. Mobile Sequence

1. Movement Phase (full MA)

a. Attempt to activate any desired Army Units outside the Command Range of the Active HQ that have not had activation attempts made on them this turn.

b. Conduct ground unit movement and Overruns for all units; reinforcements enter the map.

c. COMBAT DECLARATION. Declare attacks against all desired Defender Hexes. Place Declared Attack markers on all attacker hexes adjacent to Defender Hexes.

2. Enemy Reaction Phase

a. Attempt Combat Refusal [9.2]. Make an ER check on Lead defending unit.

b. Attempt Reaction Movement [9.3]. Each unit to move makes an ER check.

c. Attempt No Retreat [9.4]. Make an ER check on Lead defending unit.

3. Combat Phase (Mobile or Assault CRT). Each Declared Attack is resolved, in the order desired by the attacking player. Follow steps 'a' through 'k' below for each Declared Attack:

a. Attacker announces which CRT will be used to resolve the combat.

c. Each player (Attacker first) commits air units to Close Air Support (CAS). Select Lead air units and make ER checks (see Combat Coordination Table for DRMs). If Lead air units fail their ER checks, all of that side's committed air units are immediately placed on their Flown sides in the Flown Box. If Lead air units pass their ER checks, all of that side's committed air units remain to commit CAS DRMs to the combat.

d. Both sides (Attacker first) designate all Supporting artillery units (must be in range of Defender Hex).

e. Each player selects a Lead artillery unit and makes an ER check (see Combat Coordination Table for DRMs). Possible outcomes:

• Lead artillery unit passes; all artillery units contribute their full support strengths.
• Lead artillery unit fails, but die roll less than "10": each artillery unit contributes half its support strength (rounded down).
• Lead artillery unit fails, with die roll of "10": none of the artillery units contribute any support strength.

NOTE: One artillery unit in the Defender Hex is always coordinated, and any one attacking artillery unit adjacent to the Defender Hex is always coordinated [12.17].

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

f. Each side totals its final unit strengths (ground units plus supporting artillery); determine final Combat Odds for the Declared Attack.

g. COMBAT UNIT COORDINATION (Attacker only). Attacker designates his Lead Combat unit and makes an ER check on it (see Combat Coordination Table for DRMs). Possible outcomes:

• Lead unit passes: no adjustments to combat resolution die roll.
• Lead unit fails: add +2 DRM to combat resolution die roll.

NOTE: If all the attacking Combat units are located in the same hex and none of them are Disrupted, the attack is automatically Coordinated, and this ER check is not performed. [10.44]

h. Apply all applicable attacker and defender DRMs and resolve CAS coordination (attacker first). Net the DRMs; limit + or – 5.

i. Defender designates Lead unit in the Defender Hex.

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

k. Apply the results to affected units.

1. Remove step losses, defender first.

2. Remove No Retreat marker, and apply step loss to the Lead defender unit.

3. Conduct retreats, defender first, including Special retreat through enemy ZOC. Maneuver CRT mandates 2 hex retreats; Assault CRT allows one or two hex retreats (defender choice).

l. If Defender Hex is vacated, surviving Attacking units are allowed to Advance after Combat [11.6]. Return air units providing CAS DRMs to the Flown Box on their Flown sides.

Now repeat steps 'a' through 'l' for the next Declared Combat.

B. Assault Sequence

1. Engineering Phase

a. Complete building friendly strongpoints by flipping the strongpoint under construction markers to their completed +1 strongpoint sides for formations previously activated this turn using the Assault Sequence.

b. Begin friendly Strongpoints. Place marker with Under Construction side face up.

c. Place or relocate friendly Bridge units (placement hex must be in command range of a friendly HQ, and cannot be in enemy ZOC).

2. Movement Phase (half MA)

a. Attempt to activate any desired Army Units outside the Command Range of the Active HQ that have not had activation attempts made on them this turn.

b. Conduct ground unit movement for all units; reinforcements enter the map. Overruns cannot be conducted.

c. COMBAT DECLARATION. Declare attacks against all desired Defender Hexes. Place Declared Attack markers on all attacker hexes adjacent to Defender Hexes.

3. Enemy Reaction Phase

a. Attempt Combat Refusal

b. Attempt Reaction Movement

c. Attempt No Retreat

4. Combat Phase (Assault CRT only). Each Declared Attack is resolved, in the order desired by the attacking player. Follow steps 3a through 3l, on this page for the Mobile Sequence combat phase, for each Declared Attack. Note: When executing Attacks using the Assault Sequence, in step 3.k.1, it may be required to place Disruption markers as part of the Combat Results.

C. Pass Sequence

1. Hold AM in Activation Pool, for later attempt at Combining Formations [7.3].

2. Engineering Phase: Place or relocate friendly Bridge units (placement hex must be in command range of any friendly HQ, and cannot be in an enemy ZOC).

Expanded Sequence of Play

A. Strategic Segment (both players)

1. Weather Phase. The German player rolls one die and consults the Weather Boxes for the current turn, as shown on the Turn Record Track for the scenario, to determine the weather condition for the entire turn.

2. Reinforcement Phase

a. Both sides transfer available reinforcements and chosen Optional Groups from setup cards to the map.

b. Place air unit reinforcements in the Ready Box on the Air Unit Display.

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

a. Remove Emergency Supply or Out of Supply markers from units now able to trace.

b. Turn Emergency Supply markers to Out of Supply side on units still unable to trace.

c. Place Emergency Supply markers on units newly unable to trace.

4. Air Readiness Phase. Move all air units in the Flown Box to the Ready Box during Dry or Cloudy weather; none during Rain weather [13.12], and flip them back to their aircraft silhouette side. Set the German and Soviet Offensive CAS Missions Remaining markers to the number of missions allowed for the turn.

5. Initiative Phase.

a. Both players roll one die. Apply DRMs. The player with the highest modified die roll has the Initiative.

b. Initiative player places all of his available AMs into his opaque cup; non-initiative player places up to the same number as the initiative player, plus one.

B. Operations Segment (players alternate Operations Sequences)

1. First Player Operations Sequence

a. First player randomly draws one Activation marker. (Exception: First Operations Sequence of the first turn of a scenario, 7.15)

b. First player conducts any one of three possible Operations Sequences (see The Operations Sequences page).

2. Second Player Operations Sequence

a. Second player randomly draws one Activation marker

b. Second player conducts any one of three possible Operations Sequences (see The Operations Sequences page).

3. Players alternate Operations Sequences until all Formations have been activated.

C. Reorganization Segment (both players)

1. Engineering Phase

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

b. Complete building friendly strongpoints by flipping the strongpoint under construction markers to their completed +1 strongpoint sides.

c. Place or relocate friendly bridge markers (placement hex must be in command range, and not in enemy ZOC).

2. Reorganization Phase

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

b. Turn all leader and HQ units back to their "full" Command Point side.

c. Turn all "Fired" artillery back to their "un-Fired" sides except for those bearing Out of Supply markers.

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

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

Play Booklet

The following sections transcribe the game's separate Play Booklet, which covers Victory Points, scenario setup, the four scenarios, designer's and developer's notes, and an extended example of play.

1.0 Victory Points

Only the German Player scores VPs. He needs to score a VP total sufficient to achieve the Victory Level as shown in the scenario's Victory Point Schedule. The Soviet Player wins by preventing the German Player from achieving his minimum Victory Level total. Refer to the scenario instructions or Player Aid cards for the Charts showing VPs awards and victory levels for that scenario.

1.1 The VP Track

Keep track of the current VP total by adjusting the VP Total marker up or down, as appropriate, on the VP Track. Some VP values are negative numbers that lower the German Player's VP total. It is possible for the German Player's overall VP total to be a negative number.

1.2 Location VPs

1.21 VP locations and point values are listed on the Victory Point Schedule for each scenario. The VP value of a location may change as the game continues.

1.22 German Location VPs are awarded on the turn Victory is determined—generally the end of the last turn of a scenario, although there may be "Sudden Victory" conditions that involve a temporary counting of VPs on earlier turns. It does not matter how many times a location has changed hands during the course of play; what matters is that the German Player either holds the hex or was the last to control it on the turn victory is determined.

1.23 Soviet Location VPs are scored differently. First, Soviet Location VPs are scored at the moment of capture. Second, the VPs are negative points that decrease the German VP total. Third, the deductions to the German VP total are permanent. It matters not if the Germans recapture the hexes. The damage is done when the Soviets capture the hexes.

1.3 Step Loss or Game Action VPs

1.31 VPs awarded for the loss of Combat Unit steps are added to the VP total at the moment the step losses are inflicted. Any VPs awarded for step losses suffered by units prior to the start of a scenario are noted in the Scenario Victory Conditions sections.

1.32 Certain game actions taken during the course of play may cause VPs to be added or subtracted from the VP total. Make these adjustments immediately, as each action is taken. These actions, conditions associated with them, and their associated VPs are listed on the VP Schedule for each scenario.

2.0 Setting Up a Scenario

2.1 In General

Refer to the desired scenario and locate the required game components. Set Up and align the map, Scenario Set Up cards, and any other cards that should lie flat. Place the following markers on the charts:

• Set VP markers on the VP Track at zero or as directed at the start of the scenario.
• Place the Turn marker on the Turn Record Track in the box specified for the beginning turn of the scenario being played.

2.2 Set Up Scenario Units

2.21 Place all air and ground units for both sides on the Scenario Set Up Cards, on their respective unit facsimiles. A black triangle in the upper right-hand corner of the box indicates that the unit begins play on its reverse side, because it is already at reduced strength or Fired.

2.22 Units are placed as follows:

• Place all At Start air units for both sides in their indicated boxes on the Air Unit Display.
• Place all At Start ground units on their indicated map hexes. The Soviet Player usually places his units first.
• Place all Strongpoint markers as indicated by the scenario instructions.
• Set each side's At Start Activation markers aside for later placement in opaque cups.
• All reinforcement units for both sides remain on their respective Scenario Set Up cards.

2.3 Scenario Special Rules

Each scenario includes special rules applying only to that scenario, or exceptions to the standard rules. Take some time to familiarize yourself with these before beginning play.

3.0 Scenario #1: The Battle of Soltsy

Historical Situation: On 10 July German Pz.Gp.4 renewed its offensive toward Leningrad with two Panzer corps, XLI (Reinhardt) direct at Leningrad through Luga and LVI (von Manstein) through Soltsy and Shimsk to cut off Leningrad from the south and east. For a while the offensive moved swiftly with the advanced elements of LVI Corps east of Soltsy by dusk on the 13th. At the same time, Soviet command observed how LVI Corps was strung out along the road to Shimsk. With Reinhardt's corps diverted well to the north the day before, Soviet command was convinced their moment for a counter-offensive had come. They diverted reinforcements already on the way and reorganized them into northern and southern pincers to cut-off and surround Manstein's corps.

On the 15th the Soviet hammer struck. While the German 3 Motorized Division was busy fending off heavy attacks on their positions at Gorodishche and rear echelons fought off raids across the Shelon River in the south, 8 Panzer found itself quickly surrounded and under attack by the 70th Order of Lenin Rifle Division and parts of 21st Tank Division. Now for the first time a Panzer division had to yield. It reorganized for all-round defense and during the 17th completed its breakout to the west after much heavy fighting.

Soviet forces under Front and Theater direction had organized and executed a successful offensive against some of Germany's finest troops. A precious three weeks was gained for the defenders of Leningrad.

3.1 General Information

3.11 Scenario Length. There are ten turns, 13AM through 17PM.

3.12 Scenario Area. Use the entire Soltsy map.

3.13 Set Up Cards. Use German and Soviet Scenario #1 Set Up cards. The Soviet Player places his units first.

3.2 Scenario Special Rules

3.21 Initiative and Weather. The German Player has the Initiative automatically for the first two turns. Weather for the 14AM turn is automatically Clear.

3.22 Treat the German "AA269/269" unit as an Army Unit for all purposes in this scenario.

3.23 The Activation marker for the Soviet 70th Rifle Division does not start in play, but first becomes available on the 14 AM turn. This means that units of the 70th Rifle Division cannot activate until the 14 AM turn.

3.24 Airfield. Hex 2114, the airfield, acts as a limited Supply Source for German non-artillery units on Dry or Cloudy weather turns (only), when the hex is friendly to the German Player. This hex can supply non-artillery German units in any two hexes, which can trace a five hex Supply Line [6.21] to it. The airfield cannot supply artillery units.

3.25 The German Supply Source in Hex 1533 is active at the start of the scenario, although initially behind Soviet lines. German units can use it as a Supply Source as soon as they can trace a Supply Route to it.

3.26 The Soviet optional reinforcement of 16AM through 17PM is received as eight steps of infantry type units [refer to How to Read Units Card for allowable unit types] from units or steps eliminated. No other unit type can be received. The eight steps are received during the Reinforcement Phase by:

• Flipping a reduced on-map infantry unit to its full strength side (counts as one step)
• Returning an eliminated unit to the map on its reduced side (counts as one step).
• Returning an eliminated unit to the map on its full strength side (counts as two steps).

The eight steps are received during the Reinforcement Phase. Units returned to the map are placed with their Formation HQ (up to stacking limits). If the HQ is not in play then they cannot be received. All on-map units restored to full strength and eliminated units returned to the map receive a Disruption marker upon placement.

3.27 Soviet disorganization. The following restrictions are placed on Soviet on-map units for the 13AM and 13 PM game turns:

• 3 Soviet Tank Division—On the 13AM turn, The HQ and 1/3 motorized battalion may not move, and the 3 Artillery unit starts on its fired side
• 70 Soviet Rifle Division—The Activation marker for this division is not used on the 13AM and 13 PM game turns (the division was detraining and moving to the positions it occupies on the map). The 70 Rifle Division units may not move or attack on these two game turns, but may defend and retreat normally.
• 202 Soviet Rifle Division—On the 13AM and 13 PM game turns no more than two units (including the HQ) can stack in any one hex. No units of the 202 Division can build Strongpoints. The 614 Army artillery regiment is placed on its fired side for both game turns.

DESIGNER NOTE: While the Soviets were moving fresh attacking Formations into position, other battered Soviet units were trying very hard to reorganize and get out of the way.

3.28 Offensive CAS Missions

a. At the start of each turn, set the Soviet Offensive CAS Missions Remaining (OCMR) marker at 2. This number may increase due to Soviet reinforcements, or decrease if the Optional German air group is taken (refer to Soviet and German Scenario #1 set-up cards)

b. At the start of each turn, set the German (OCMR) marker at 1. If the optional group of German air unit reinforcements is taken, starting with the 16 AM turn, set the OCMR marker at 3.

c. In addition, during the Air Readiness Phase of the 16 AM turn do the following:

• After all Soviet air units are in the Ready Box, randomly remove 50% of those units, and set aside the removed units for the remainder of the scenario.
• Set the Soviet OCMR marker at 2 per turn for the remainder of the scenario.

3.3 Victory Conditions

3.31 Set the VP marker on the VP Track at zero.

3.32 VPs for Steps Eliminated and Actions Taken are added to the VP Track permanently, as they occur. Refer to the Scenario Victory Point Schedule.

3.33 The German Player can achieve a Sudden Victory on the 15AM turn, if he has sufficient Victory Points.

A. VPs for locations currently (or last) controlled by German units are tallied during the 15AM Sudden Victory determination (at the end of the 15AM turn), and then (temporarily) added to the VP total on the VP Track. If the current VP total then equals or exceeds the Sudden Victory VP level, the scenario ends, and the German Player is declared the winner. If the total is less than the Sudden Victory VP level, play continues.

B. Location VP levels change between the 15AM and 15PM turns. Remove all Location VPs from the VP Track total before play continues on the 15PM turn.

C. 17PM Final Victory Determination. At the end of the 17PM turn, the 17PM Location VPs are added to the VP total on the VP Track. If the final total equals or exceeds the Scenario Victory level, the German Player is the winner. If the total is less than the Scenario Victory level, the Soviet Player is the winner.

3.4 PLAY NOTES

The German player starts with a huge advantage in this scenario—he knows exactly where the Soviets are. Historically, the Germans motored into a trap and had to fight hard to get out of it. Since the powerful Soviet 70th Division is not moving for two turns, the choice of where to strike is all yours. Be advised, to go for broke to win a Sudden Death victory is hazardous in the extreme. Taking a look at the Victory Points chart and the Soviet reinforcement schedule for the scenario yields some interesting observations. First, taking and holding Utorgosh and Medved will probably be impossible if the Soviet player enters the 237th Rifle Division from the north (as he should). The 237th is not as good as the 70th, but it's more than enough to block the advance elements of the German 3rd Motorized Division early in the scenario. To gain the requisite number of victory points for a Sudden Death victory, the German player will have to bypass Soltsy with his advance elements, moving directly on Mshaga and Shimsk to take them by coup de main before 70th Division can intervene. Follow-on elements of 8th Panzer would be tasked to take Soltsy. The 3rd Motorized Division's chief tasks would be to exterminate the 3rd Soviet Tank Division and inflict armor step losses on the newly arriving 21st Soviet Tank Division. This is the easy part. Victory Determination does not occur until the end of the 15 AM Game Turn, giving the Soviet player a chance to do some exterminating of his own as he hurls the powerful 70th Rifle Division at your weak, extended spearheads. Remember, You've got armor up there, and each step lost is –2 VPs. If you hold for the turn and keep Mshage and Shimsk, you'll probably win because the Sudden Death conditions are predicated on the solid assumption that had the Germans taken and held those places, the fragile Soviet command structure would have been thrown into such disarray that their attack would have been called off. Long odds. Long odds.

Better to play a prudent early game and have an intact 8th Panzer Division for the brutal attacks the Soviet player will be launching later. Build strongpoints in and around Soltsy. Stack your armor units with non-armor units to absorb step losses. Place your artillery to provide support at all points while keeping them out of reach of marauding Soviet units trying to either eliminate them or keep them from being able to support. Position your units carefully so that you can utilize Combat Refusal and Reaction whenever needed—and both will be needed frequently. Create your rapid reaction forces to keep your supply road from the west map edge open. Keeping that road free of Soviet units and uncontested Soviet ZOCs will be very difficult against competent Soviet play. Concentrate the 3rd Motorized to take on and defeat the 237th Rifle. If 3rd Motorized holds Gorodishche and either virtually destroys the 237th Rifle or takes Utorgosh, you'll probably win the scenario.

Finally, for the German Player: do you want the optional German Air Group? It costs 6 VPs, but if the Soviet player has taken his 15 AM optional group, you'll lose if you do not have it. Those air units are the difference between a successful defense and counterattack and just hanging on.

The Soviet player needs help in this scenario because there is no element of surprise as existed historically. Help, however, is provided. There are two optional reinforcement groups available, and you may want to take both of them.

The 15 AM group is by far the more valuable of the two. Take this group. Historically, Voroshilov, the Front Commander was elsewhere, supervising other battles, but he could have been at Soltsy. If Voroshilov shows up, you get several resources that will move you closer to parity with the Germans, if only for a short time:

• The Voroshilov counter gives you a leader with a command point to spend.
• Voroshilov brings with him added commitment of air-ground coordination resulting in an additional offensive CAS mission for each turn.
• The biggest plus is the addition of staff resources in the form of the Activate Any Formation marker to allow one Soviet formation to activate twice in a turn as all the German formations routinely do.

The second group, eight replacement steps of infantry to replace higher than historical losses, is more of a toss-up. Replacing the infantry is nice, but if there's one thing the Soviet player has, it's infantry. The 3 VPs is often the difference between winning and losing the scenario.

Do not be overly aggressive. The Soviets have the edge in raw combat strength, but the Germans can run rings around them because of their mobility and double activations for their formations. The Achilles heel for the Germans is their supply road to Soltsy. Cutting that road to put the Soltsy defenders and advanced elements of 8th Panzer out of supply is a high priority, and ranks ahead of attacking Soltsy directly. All of your formations south of the Shelon River (the 180th, 183rd and 202nd Divisions) are either weakened formations or outright remnants. They cannot take too much punishment, so employ them judiciously to cut the Supply Road. Some units of the 202nd will need to remain in place south of Soltsy and build strongpoints to prevent the Germans from making a late-scenario dash for Volot to the southeast. The 237th Division may have the strength to attack and retake Gorodishche, but at least half the division, including the artillery, is much better employed in a more defensive role manning strongpoints to prevent the capture of Utorgosh. The 21st Tank Division is a moving victory point bonanza for the German player. Do not let it venture south by itself. Most of its armor should be farmed out to the 237th and 70th divisions for making mobile attacks or to negate the Combined Arms bonus on defense. Even the 70th Division is better used to surround and isolate Soltsy from the west prior to attacking it. Whenever possible, place the Germans out of supply to reduce their ERs and attack capability. The other side of the coin is to trade infantry steps ruthlessly to inflict step losses on German armor and artillery units, and to take VP objectives once the Germans are isolated or surrounded.

4.0 Scenario #2: Counter-Blow at Soltsy

Historical Situation: Before dawn on 15 July the Soviets struck their main blow against 8 Panzer Division at Soltsy. Leading the attack was 70 Order of Lenin Rifle Division supported by tanks of 21 Tank Division and others. The 70th had earned its laurels fighting the Finns during the 1939/40 Winter War but tactics there were still not up to German standards. However at Soltsy, the 70th had the 8th Panzers surrounded.

Making the first move was 68 Rifle Regiment into the 8th Panzer's rear. The panzertruppen counter-attacked but were driven back and now the whole division was surrounded. On the 16th it gradually pulled back to the line of the railroad tracks to the west and that night gave up the last district of Soltsy. On the 17th it fought in the Dubrovo area and by the 18th had completely withdrawn from the battlefield, its place on the line now being taken over by the SS Totenkopf Division.

The 3 Motorized Division too had come under heavy attack, mainly by 237 Rifle Division, recording seventeen attacks on one day. It was effectively pinned in place but a few detachments were spared to help cover the long unguarded German right flank along the Shelon River. There, Soviets successfully shot up critical German supply columns.

The Soviets credited themselves with the routing of 8 Panzer Division and the infliction of many casualties. German losses indeed were serious but not disastrous. But Germany could ill afford having a Panzer division remain out of action for long.

4.1 General Information

4.11 Scenario Length. There are six turns, 15AM through 17PM.

4.12 Scenario Area. Use the entire Soltsy map.

4.13 Use German and Soviet Scenario #2 Set Up cards. The German Player places his units first.

4.2 Scenario Special Rules

4.21 Initiative and Weather. The Soviet Player has the Initiative automatically for the 15AM turn. Weather for the 15 AM turn is automatically Clear.

4.22 All Soviet units occupying Strongpoints on the 15 AM turn cannot move, but may retreat normally if attacked.

4.23 Special Procedure: On the 15 AM turn the Soviet 70th Rifle Division activates twice (simulating its superior capabilities to launch a prepared attack—once committed to battle [15 PM turn and beyond] it performed no better than any other formation in the battle). After the first Activation, return the 70th Rifle Division AM to the Soviet opaque AM cup so that it may be drawn randomly for a second Activation.

4.24 Treat the German "AA269/269" unit as an Army Unit for all purposes in this scenario.

4.25 Hex 2114, the airfield, acts as a limited Supply Source for German non-artillery units on Dry or Cloudy weather turns (only), when the hex is friendly to the German Player. This hex can supply non-artillery German units in any two hexes, which can trace a five hex Supply Line [6.21] to it. The airfield cannot supply artillery units.

4.26 The German Supply Source in Hex 1533 is active at the start of the scenario, although initially behind Soviet lines. German units can use it as a Supply Source as soon as they can trace a Supply Route to it.

4.27 Offensive CAS Missions

A. At the start of each turn, set the Soviet Offensive CAS Missions Remaining (OCMR) marker at 2.

B. At the start of each turn, set the German (OCMR) marker at 1. If the optional group of German air unit reinforcements is taken, starting with the 16 AM turn, set the OCMR marker at 3.

C. In addition, during the Air Readiness Phase of the 16 AM turn do the following:

• After all Soviet air units are in the Ready Box, randomly remove 50% of those units, and set aside the removed units for the remainder of the scenario.
• Set the Soviet OCMR marker at 2 per turn for the remainder of the scenario.

4.3 Victory Conditions

4.31 Set the VP marker on the VP Track at zero. The Soviets have caused a –2 VP deduction for eliminating one step of German armor, but the Germans have earned +2 VPs for eliminating one step each of Soviet armor and artillery, resulting in a net VP total of zero.

4.32 Apply rule 18.25d above.

4.4 PLAY NOTES

For the Soviet Player, this scenario will be incredibly frustrating. You've got more combat power than the Germans, but it's just so slow and ponderous to deploy. The Germans are still far more flexible, but their Achilles Heel is the –2 VPs for each armor and artillery step lost.

Your task around Soltsy will be to make the Germans retreat to Soltsy as quickly as possible so that you have several turns available to make them stand and fight and lose those steps to hold it. From the start, it is better to use your Formations in the indirect approach, swinging behind the Germans to cut them off and force retreats rather than attacking head-on everywhere.

West of Soltsy along the Shelon River opportunity beckons. The only German supply road for the 8th Panzer is vulnerable in the extreme to forays by units of the 180th and 183rd Rifle Divisions. You'll have the German covering forces outnumbered, so carefully choose your times and places to move adjacent to the main road to collect VPs, knowing that the German units, being extremely mobile, will often be able to move to screen threatened road hexes or mass to pick off your units. Do not lose so many of your units that the German has the opportunity to surround and destroy critical HQ and artillery units, or make a dash through gaps for VP hexes near the east map edge.

At first glance, it looks like the 237th Rifle and 21st Tank divisions should sweep south to cut off Soltsy to the east. Though tempting, this would be a disastrous move, bringing those Soviet tank battalions with their low defensive strengths into direct contact with center mass of the 8th Panzer Division as it redeploys west. Not that select units should not dash south to cut the supply road and make life difficult for the Germans—some non-armor units should do exactly that. The bulk of the 21st Tank Division's armor should stay back to reinforce the 237th Rifle against attacks from the German 3rd Motorized. A word to the wise—a stand-up fight between the 3rd Motorized and the 237th Rifle by itself will result in the virtual destruction of the 237th Rifle and the loss of several key VP hexes up north.

The German Player inherits a terrible situation. The Soviets are set to attack a lot of vulnerable 8th Panzer units. Your only salvation is your mobility. Almost all of your units can either refuse combat and retreat out of harm's way, or react into critical defender hexes, even when in Soviet ZOCs. With the high ERs and availability of HQ Command Points for Reaction Movement, most of these actions will be successful.

Play not to lose around Soltsy. Your primary task will be to usher your valuable artillery and armor units out of danger east of Soltsy while fortifying around Soltsy itself to make a stand there. You'll have hard choices to make: Choose Assault Sequence to construct Strongpoints and your retreating units can move at only one half MA. Choose Mobile Sequence to get maximum movement out of your units and you won't get the Strongpoints. Fighting for Soltsy itself is dangerous. Almost certainly the town cannot be held till the end of the scenario. The trick then, is to hold for at least two turns after 16AM to get the Action VPs, but without losing any valuable armor or artillery, and without losing VPs for units eliminated while completely surrounded by Soviet units. If the odds of taking negative VPs for unit and step losses is high, better to give up Soltsy early than lose the scenario trying to hang on to it.

Play not to lose on the Shelon River. If you do not redeploy significant portions of the 8th Panzer and use all of the Totenkopf to keep the Soviets from projecting ZOCs into those main road hexes, you'll never get out of the VP hole you've dug. Initially, use your few red box MA units to delay the Soviets using Combat Refusal. As the Aufklarungs Battalion from 3rd Motorized and the Totenkopf units arrive use them to screen critical road sections while you build up a strike force from 8th Panzer to kill off the interdicting units as quickly as possible.

Play to win with the 3rd Motorized—your only true bright spot at start. Gorodishche is the key. Attack and reduce the units of the 237th Division adjacent to Gorodishche early and isolate the remnants of the 3rd Tank occupying the strongpoint. The Soviet Player will have a dilemma: Try and stand at Gorodishche (not very possible) and risk losing four VPs for the HQ and armor step (quite possible) or run away with 3rd Tank to hopefully fight another day. With the intervening marsh hexes, the battle between 3rd Motorized and 237th Rifle is split into two sections, however by virtue of your superior mobility and two Activations per turn to just one for the 237th, you will be able to shift forces, mass, and crush your opponent in detail. If you are playing against an opponent with tunnel vision that is concentrating on events to the south, you may well be able to strike out for Utorgosh, Medved and Shimsk virtually unopposed late in the scenario.

Finally, take the optional German air group. The VP cost is high, but the benefits of reduced Soviet Close Air Support and favorable DRMs for German defenders around Soltsy and German attackers around Gorodishche outweigh the cost and make a German victory possible.

5.0 Scenario #3: Battle of Staraya Russa

Historical Situation: To relieve pressure on the increasingly hard-pressed armies defending Leningrad, in early August the Soviet High Command (STAVKA) prepared a surprise counteroffensive near Staraya Russa, south of Lake Ilmen. For this offensive STAVKA assigned the 34th Army (Lt. Gen. Kachanov) to augment the 11th Army (Lt. Gen. Morozov) then already in position. On 12 August the attack began, initially with eight divisions, eventually with ten, tearing into German Gen. Hansen's X Corps' southern flank. His three divisions, exhausted from their frontal attack on Staraya Russa, were outnumbered. Within two days Soviet mechanized units had penetrated 35 miles, severing all contact with German II Corps to the south.

While Berlin had originally ordered the formation of a purely defensive front south of Lake Ilmen, the developing crisis caused a re-examination. By 14 August, the crisis was causing concern in both Berlin and in Feldmarshal von Leeb's Army Group North Headquarters. Leeb ordered the SS Totenkopf Division from reserve to a more forward position, to counter further Soviet westward moves, but this was not enough. By the next day Hitler demanded the transfer of a full panzer corps in reaction to the Soviet threat, and to Hansen's continuing requests for help. Later on the 15th, Leeb thought he would be able to send reinforcements instead to the German breakthrough on the lower Luga, aimed at Leningrad, but by the end of the day, Leeb had revised his estimate: the Soviets had managed a breakthrough, and X Corps was in trouble. X Corps would receive heavy support from the Luftwaffe, and Manstein's LVI Corps would be sent to restore the situation. This removal of German strength from the assault on Leningrad probably saved the city from German occupation.

5.1 General Information

5.11 Scenario Length. There are twenty-two turns, 13AM through 23PM.

5.12 Scenario Area. Use the entire Staraya Russa map.

5.13 Use German and Soviet Scenario #3 Set Up cards. The Soviet Player places his units first.

5.2 Scenario Special Rules

5.21 Initiative and Weather. The Soviet Player has the Initiative automatically for the first four turns. Weather for the 13AM turn is automatically Clear.

5.22 The Soviet 180th, 182nd, and 183rd Rifle divisions were the main components of the Soviet 11th Army. The Soviet 163rd and 202nd Rifle divisions were the main components (at that time) of the Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps. All units of the Soviet 11 Army always activate together, and operate as a single, combined Formation for all game purposes. All units of the Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps always activate together, and operate as a single, combined Formation for all game purposes.

5.23 Offensive CAS Missions

a. At the start of each turn, set the Soviet Offensive CAS Missions Remaining (OCMR) marker at 2. If the optional group of air unit reinforcements is taken, starting with the 16AM turn, set the OCMR marker at 4. German air reinforcements may reduce this number (see next paragraph)

b. At the start of each turn, set the German (OCMR) marker at 0. If the optional group of air unit reinforcements is taken, during the Air Readiness Phase of the 17 AM turn do the following:

• Set the German OCMR marker at 4 for each remaining turn starting with the 17 AM turn.
• Reduce the current Soviet OCMR number by 50% for each remaining turn starting with the 17 AM turn.
• After all Soviet air units are in the Ready Box, randomly remove 50% of the Soviet Air units. Units removed are set aside for the remainder of the scenario.

c. The following Formations cannot use Offensive CAS missions when attacking: German Lieb Brigade and Soviet 25th Cavalry Division.

5.3 Victory Conditions

5.31 Set the VP marker on the VP Track at zero.

5.32 VPs for Steps Eliminated, Soviet Territorial Objectives, and Actions Taken are added to the VP Track permanently, as they occur. Refer to the Scenario Victory Point Schedule.

5.33 23PM Final Victory Determination. At the end of the 23PM turn, the 23PM Location VPs are added to the VP total on the VP Track. If the final total equals or exceeds the Scenario Victory level, the German Player is the winner. If the total is less than the Scenario Victory level, the Soviet Player is the winner.

5.4 PLAY NOTES

Armed with hindsight, the Soviet Player will not want to leave his 34th Army hanging out to dry as was done historically. The first impulse for the Soviet Player will be to advance about half-way across the map, stop, and construct a double line of Strongpoints—enough to keep the German Player from ever reaching and crossing the Lovat River on schedule. That would be a losing impulse. The only hope the Soviet Player has for victory is to capture enough geographic objectives to put the German Player so far in the negative VP hole that he will never dig out. Unfortunately for the Soviet Player, the bulk of these VP hexes are either in Staraya Russa itself, or to the north and west of there, forcing him to commit troops in the very direction he does not want to go because of the approaching doom of the two German motorized divisions coming up from the west. The best the Soviet Player can probably do to walk this tightrope is to deploy two divisions facing west instead of just part of one as was done historically, and have them dig in with numerous Strongpoints. The best German offensive weapon is the Overrun, and defending in depth in Strongpoints takes this advantage away. The remainder of the Formations need to drive hard for Staraya Russa and points west, accepting heavy losses if necessary, to be in a position to get into Staraya Russa proper or threaten to cut the vital supply road from the north. The only Formation that should be treated with care is the 11th Army. The three component divisions are very weak, and cannot take much punishment. The initial flanking move by your other Formations will cause the German Player to fall back toward Staraya Russa without being attacked from the east by this Army. Save them for the critical attacks that will be necessary once you get to Staraya Russa. The German Xth Corps defending Staraya Russa will be a tough nut to crack. The units are relatively strong, with higher average Efficiency Ratings than your troops will have. A lot of your attacks will go in with +3 or +4 DRMs, making your losses heavy. You cannot do much about this DRM disparity. What you can do is maximize your odds by activating your Formations using the Assault Sequence. You get a favorable DRM on Combat Unit Coordination to help offset the multi-hex negative DRM, and you get to utilize units from other Formations besides the Active Formation that are adjacent to the Defender Hex. There is one positive step you can take to reduce the DRM disparity. Take the 15AM air unit group. For two turns, you will have a six-unit edge in air units over the Germans. With average luck, this will translate into at least one or two attacks per turn that will benefit from better net combat DRMs due to unopposed Soviet CAS missions.

The German Player needs to hold Staraya Russa at all costs, and that, unfortunately, translates into an attritional fight with the Soviets that will be very costly in terms of infantry steps lost. Be prepared to accept the losses. Choose where you have to fight, build your Strongpoints in those locations and use No Retreat early and often. In the non-critical areas, the best policy is to retreat enough each turn so that the only way for the Soviet Player to maintain contact and attack is by using the Mobile Sequence when activating—a much less favorable way of attacking for infantry—the bulk of the Soviet Army here. The German artillery for Xth Corps is incredibly strong. Position it out of harm's way behind your lines, but in locations that will allow all of your front line units to receive artillery support if necessary. Do not forget that the Arko HQ unit can be used as a second HQ for one activation, or on defense for Coordinating artillery support that absolutely has to be there. Your artillery will literally save your posterior if used correctly. Do NOT put your artillery in Defender Hexes where they can be killed for negative Soviet VPs against you. An artillery battalion that fails the occasional Coordination die roll, but lives to support another day is far more valuable than the same unit if it dies heroically in the front lines.

Without a doubt take the German optional air group. It will be the most rewarding 6 VPs you have ever lost. First, you get the CAS support you need to help Xth Corps hang on until your counterattack gets started. You'll also need those air units to augment your motorized division attacks. Finally, introducing these air units gives you air superiority. Those "unseen" German fighters allow you to randomly remove half of all the Soviet air units in play for the remainder of the scenario. When attacking with your motorized Formations, be very intentional about remaining in supply for as long as possible before dashing east and eventually going out of supply. You will have to create a hole in the Soviet Strongpoint line before you can drive for the Lovat River and beyond, and unless the Soviet Player is incredibly thin on the ground near the south edge of the map, you'd better create your hole within seven hexes of that east-west supply road leading into Staraya Russa. Once you start your breakthrough, you want a full turn of two activations for each motorized Formation at full supply, and an additional turn with two activations in Emergency supply where you suffer no adverse penalties before going out of supply.

6.0 Scenario #4: Manstein Attacks

Historical Situation: In response to the Soviet offensive by 34th and 11th Armies, on August 19th Manstein launched his initial attack into the extended southern flank of 34th Army directly, out of road march (for the 3rd Motorized Division), and on only limited reconnaissance. His plan was to make contact on his left with the westernmost elements of Hansen's X Corps' fragmented divisions, now facing south, and strike at the Soviet rear with is main effort.

On the previous day, the 18th, Hansen had succeeded in holding his positions, but only because the Luftwaffe had given its full support to his beleaguered corps. Meanwhile, the SS Totenkopf Division and Hansen's 30th Infantry Division had closed the dangerous gap at Gorki.

On the 19th Manstein's counter-attack began, with the 3 Motorized Division on Manstein's right, and Totenkopf on the left. In support was a mixed, brigade-sized Kampfgruppe under the command of General Lieb. Hansen's X Corps formed the anvil for the hammer blow. The Soviets were taken completely by surprise. Three days later it was all over. Between them the two German corps had severely battered both the 11th and 34th Armies, taking more than 18,000 prisoners, capturing or destroying over 300 artillery pieces and anti-tank guns, 200 tanks, 36 anti-aircraft guns, and almost 700 other motor vehicles.

The Soviet offensive had not affected the eastern pincer of the German drive on Leningrad, which reached Lake Ladoga and isolated the city, as planned. It had, however, deprived the Germans of the reserve that they needed for the western pincer to advance from the lower Luga through the fortified areas in front of Leningrad, and on into the city. Manstein's Corps was now 160–200 miles from where it was needed most. Even worse for the German chances to take Leningrad, when Manstein reached the Lovat River, his corps was ordered to join in yet another battle to the east against the elusive 11th, 34th, and now 27th Armies. This battle stretched on into the Valday Hills, a region of intensely difficult terrain, and even farther from Leningrad.

6.1 General Information

6.11 Scenario Length. There are seven turns, 19AM through 22AM.

6.12 Scenario Area: Use the entire Staraya Russa map.

6.13 Use German and Soviet Scenario #4 Set Up cards. The German Player places his units first.

6.2 Scenario Special Rules

6.21 Initiative and Weather. The German Player has the Initiative automatically for the 19AM and 19PM turns. Weather is automatically cloudy for the 19AM turn.

6.22 Blind Soviet Offensive. The Soviet Army of 1941 was a cumbersome beast. It took time to get offensives such as the one at Staraya Russa prepared, and then once initiated, it took time to alter objectives or change directions. The Germans were poised to get far inside the Soviet decision making curve as Von Manstein's Panzer Corps was massing to sweep past the 34th Army's open left flank and drive east to create yet another pocket. For their part, the Soviets kept doggedly attacking long after von Manstein was far in their rear, and did not react until it was too late to save the bulk of the 34th Army. To simulate the initial Soviet vulnerability, the following restrictions are in effect for the Soviet Player:

• Soviet Strongpoints. No Soviet Strongpoints start on map. The Soviet Player may not construct any Strongpoints on the 19 AM turn, and only construct a maximum of 3 Strongpoints on the 19 PM turn.
• No Soviet Offensive or Defensive CAP missions may be flown west of the XX21 N-S hex row on the 19AM and 19PM turns.
• On the 19AM turn all Soviet Formations must activate using the Assault Sequence. To the maximum extent possible, all Formations must move to the north and west and attack. No units may move south or east.
• On the 19PM turn, the 19AM conditions above apply to all Formations except the 245th Rifle Division and 262nd Rifle Division. These two divisions must activate using the Assault Sequence, but are no longer required to attack, and may move up to two hexes south and east if desired.

6.23 The Soviet 180th, 182nd, and 183rd Rifle divisions were the main components of the Soviet 11th Army. The Soviet 163rd Motorized and 202nd Rifle divisions were the main components (at that time) of the Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps. All units of the Soviet 11th Army always activate together, and operate as a single, combined Formation for all game purposes. All units of the Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps always activate together, and operate as a single, combined Formation for all game purposes.

6.24 Offensive CAS Missions

a. At the start of each turn, set the Soviet Offensive CAS Missions Remaining (OCMR) marker at 2.

b. At the start of each turn, set the German OCMR marker at 4.

c. The following Formations cannot use Offensive CAS missions when attacking: German Lieb Brigade and Soviet 25th Cavalry Division.

6.3 Victory Conditions

6.31 Set the VP marker on the VP Track to –13:

• The Germans have taken the reinforcement group of air units for -6 VPs
• The Soviets took their 16 AM Air Group also for +2 VPs
• The Germans eliminated two steps of Soviet armor for +2 VPs
• The Soviets have captured Ivanovskoye, Dedkovo and Tuleblya for –11 VPs
• Net VPs are –13

6.32 VPs for Steps Eliminated, Soviet Territorial Objectives, and Actions Taken are added to the VP Track permanently, as they occur. Refer to the Scenario Victory Point Schedule.

6.33 22AM Final Victory Determination. At the end of the 22AM turn, the 22AM Location VPs are added to the VP total on the VP Track. If the final total equals or exceeds the Scenario Victory level, the German Player is the winner. If the total is less than the Scenario Victory level, the Soviet Player is the winner.

6.4 PLAY NOTES

This scenario seems to have everything going for the German Player—two strong, mobile motorized divisions poised to knife through the weak left flank of an entire Army badly out of position to react to this threat. What is there to prevent the German Player from driving east to the Lovat River and beyond, bagging the entire on-map force? The answer comes in three parts: time, weather and lack of a supply road. The German Player has only seven turns to pull this encirclement off, and has to travel the length of the map to do it. Unless the German Player is incredibly lucky, there will be at least one turn of Rain that slows movement to a crawl. The Germans are launching themselves out into an area with no main or minor roads. The motorized units will quickly become out of supply, further slowing them. By the 21AM turn the German Player will be far more interested in opening the north-south roads out of Staraya Russa to put his motorized units back in supply than in continuing on toward the Lovat River. The Soviet Player will win by denying the critical supply roads to the Germans. Most of the 34th Army Units are doomed. Save those you can, especially HQs and artillery to try to prevent the Germans from crossing the Polist and Porussya Rivers by their deadlines. Use the units that can't escape to build and occupy SPs along the east-west supply road into Staraya Russa and those two north-south supply roads running out of Staraya Russa. One other ray of hope for the Soviets is to attack in earnest at Staraya Russa. The battered Germans start the scenario defending in the town hexes, and any town hex occupied yields –10 VPs. Though the prudent German will have Strongpoints in all of these hexes, obtaining No Retreat results for all hexes is far from given. Also, the German is so weak around Staraya Russa that the defending units may not be able to absorb those extra No Retreat step losses without vaporizing. All in all, a tighter scenario than you might expect.

7.0 Designer's Section

7.1 Suggested Reading

While mostly archival or foreign language sources were consulted, the books listed below are useful as an overview of this stage of World War II in the Soviet Union. Each book makes at least some mention of this game's battles.

1. Carell, Paul. Hitler Moves East, New York: Ballentine, 1963.
2. Erickson, John. The Road to Stalingrad, New York: Harper & Row, 1975.
3. Glantz, David M. The Battle for Leningrad, 1941 - 1944, Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2002.
4. Haupt, Werner. Army Group North, Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1997.
5. Manstein, Eric von. Lost Victories, Chicago: Regnery, 1958.

7.2 Designer's Notes

The inspiration for this game grew from the realization that the vast amount of material collected for the building of a related campaign game series could equally support a battle series. The battles chosen for this package stood out because both sides get the opportunity for both offense and defense. In short, these presented ideal game situations. Other battles were considered of about the same time and geographical area but they turned out to have the wrong scale or scope, or were uninteresting.

The next need was for an appropriate game mechanics model in which to present each battle. The basis came from GMT's Kasserine game, itself a development from earlier systems. It had some technical imprecision, but Kasserine presented the right scaling and design approach.

The need to adjust for 1941 conditions called for further modeling and this was synthesized from formation activation mechanics found in other games. Without a doubt, formation activation presents the most prominent game mechanics feature here. It occupied the most design time, particularly regarding what it meant, in historical terms, from other game mechanics. Briefly, Players should consider that the operations segment of the game-turn represents the command decision cycle. Generally, one side's cycle will not equal the other, no matter how it is executed. Uneven cycles create a tension between Players and on this basis we can create a game of bluff and necessity.

Studied and eventually rejected were related rules on bombardment and air strikes. While of some interest game-wise, they did not have a firm basis in the historical 1941 record. The real issue though was that they slowed the game. Easily rejected were rules about bridge demolition; this is not a game about bridges. Railroad movement was omitted since reinforcements generally detrained beyond the map edge.

As a final note, this game and subject owe much to archival research and close comparison of foreign language sources. Much was teased out of scattered bits of information. The researchers have earned their pay with this game. After a manner, it was a pleasure to disprove noted authors who have repeated unchallenged bad information.

—Vance von Borries

8.0 Developer's Notes

The first game I ever developed for Vance was Operation Mercury, so it is good to revisit that old system—updated, simplified, and changed with the addition of Activation Marker chit draws.

Yes, there were changes made, edits, and many revisions, but my intent is not to bore you with a laundry list of improvements. Rather, I want to address what this game does so well—it showcases the vastly different capabilities of the German and Soviet military systems in 1941. One phrase, "quality wins out over quantity," pretty much sums it up for Soltsy and Staraya Russa. The Soviets cannot fight an even odds battle and win. They need help, either by placing the Germans in a bad tactical position (8th Panzer in Scenario #2) or by greatly outnumbering them (opening stages of Scenario #3).

Roads to Leningrad goes beyond pure attack and defense strengths where, as often as not, the Soviets are actually stronger. Here are some key areas:

Efficiency Ratings (ERs): There are exceptions, but German formations have higher average ERs than their Soviet counterparts. In broad terms, the differences between Soviet and German ERs becomes a die roll modifier that translates into higher losses on the Combat Results Tables for the Soviets and lower losses for the Germans.

Command Points: The Germans have more HQs than the Soviets, and possess about twice as many Command Points. Coupled with higher ERs, this means that usually the German player will be able to coordinate his attacks, and get his units to execute the difficult pre-combat tasks of Combat Refusal, Reaction, or No Retreat. German artillery will provide better support, as will the Luftwaffe.

Air Support: Admittedly the Ju88s are not world beaters, but when the German player commits to utilizing the elite Bf110 Zerstorers or the Ju87 Stukas, you see just how critical the Luftwaffe was to German success in 1941. Those high ER German air units will usually get through to their targets. The second part of the air equation involves those unseen Bf109s providing overhead air cover, allowing the elite German units to get to their targets, and preventing Soviet units from doing the same (the 50% reduction in Soviet air units in all scenarios caused by introduction of significant German air assets).

Leaders: In only one scenario can Soviet and German leaders meet head-to-head (Scenario #1), and there the German von Manstein counter proves to be far more flexible and capable. In all scenarios, the German player will find that the leader counter is his "ace-in-the-hole" to be used either with a HQ to coordinate a second action in a critical attack, or to provide Command Points after a formation's HQs have expended theirs. It's a capability the Soviet player can only long for.

Motorization: German motorized formations have two Activation Markers while all other formations have but one. Nothing is ever certain with the chit draw mechanic, but generally if the Soviet player manages to gain a tactical advantage against a motorized formation, the German player will be far more likely to draw an AM for that formation and repair the damage before a second Soviet formation can activate and exploit. If a German motorized formation creates a hole in a Soviet formation's line, the odds are good that the same motorized formation will activate a second time and exploit that hole to create havoc in the Soviet rear before the Soviet player can activate a formation to prevent it. In theoretical terms it is the difference between a flexible, opportunistic command structure and a cumbersome, rigid one. In game terms, it is what happens when a single Soviet division takes on a German motorized division. In one or two turns, the Soviet formation can go from a strong, capable entity to disorganized, ineffectual remnants.

Does all of this mean the Germans are going to win hands down? Absolutely not. The Germans need all of these advantages just to stay in the game. The Soviets are tough, and they are built to absorb huge losses and keep on fighting. I come away from this game with a renewed admiration for the Soviets. They were so far outclassed in 1941 that by all rights they should have given up, as so many armies before them had done. They didn't. They persevered. The toughness the Soviets display in Roads to Leningrad allows you to see ahead to the army that won at Stalingrad and eventually marched all the way to Berlin.

—Tony Curtis

9.0 Extended Example of Play

"The Demise of the 245th Rifle Division"

This example covers the first turn of Scenario #4. The play area encompasses the western portion of the Staraya Russa map, and pits the German 3rd Motorized and Totenkopf Divisions against the Soviet 245th Rifle Division.

On the morning of August 19th, the Soviet 34th Army is continuing to attack northward to take Staraya Russa and destroy the German X Corps. Unknown to the Soviets, von Manstein and two of his motorized divisions have reached the battlefield, and are poised to rip through the Soviet left flank and envelop the 34th Army. Standing in their way—the unprepared Soviet 245th Rifle Division.

Refer to the initial set up. Units from both sides have been removed from the set up cards and placed on map.

Turn Sequence: Strategic Segment

1. Weather—normally the German player would roll to determine weather, but for this first turn of the scenario, the weather is automatically set at Cloudy, so the weather marker is placed in the cloudy box on the map. All air coordination die rolls will have a +2 DRM added for the cloudy weather.

2. Reinforcement Phase—neither set up card shows any reinforcements are due so this phase is omitted.

3. Supply Determination Phase—all units are automatically in supply on the first turn of a scenario, so this phase is omitted also. Note: In the actual scenario, three of the Soviet units bear Out of Supply markers, but for this example, all are considered in supply.

4. Air Readiness Phase—All air units start in the Ready Box on the first turn, so there are no units to move from the Flown Box and flip back to their aircraft silhouette sides. The German player starts with eight air units, all of them potentially available to be used in the play area for their extended example of play. The Soviets start with four air units in the Ready Box, but due to scenario limitations, none will be available to the play area on this turn.

GE air units in the Ready Box = 1 x Ju88 1-4, 2 x Ju88 1-5, 3 x Bf110 1-7, 1 x Bf110 1-8, 2 x Ju87 2-7.

5. Initiative—normally both players roll for initiative, and the player with highest modified die roll wins the initiative. However, on the first turn, the German player automatically has the initiative.

Operations Segment

Activation Marker Draw—The German player would normally draw an AM now, but since he has the initiative for the first turn, he is allowed to choose his first AM before placing the remainder of the AMs in the opaque cup. He chooses one of the two AMs for the 3rd Motorized Division. The remaining seven German AMs go into the German opaque cup. The non-initiative (Soviet) player can place up to the number of AMs contributed by the initiative player plus one more. In this case the Soviets could place up to nine AMs in the Soviet opaque cup, but seven AMs is all he possesses, so they all go in.

Operations Sequence Selection. The German player announces he is choosing the Mobile Sequence. This comes as no surprise, since the Mobile Sequence allows the German to fully exploit his mobility advantage in breaking through the 245th Division.

Advantages:

• Full movement allowance for all activated units
• Ability to use overrun
• Choice of Assault or Mobile CRT (assuming attackers otherwise qualify for Mobile CRT)

Disadvantages:

• Only the units activated with 3rd Motorized can participate in combats
• Coordination is more difficult (the +1 DRM reflects the greater difficulty of coordinating when on the move instead of performing set-piece attacks)

3rd Motorized Activation. The German player commences the Movement Phase of the Mobile Sequence.

The 3rd Motorized is activated, so all 3rd Motorized units and Army Units within the Command Range of either 3rd Motorized HQ are automatically activated. Four Army Units (ARKO 125, II-61 artillery, 48 Mot Engineers and 665 Stug) all activate automatically.

If the German player desired to activate any Army Units outside of those Command ranges, he would do so now by rolling against the ERs of those units. There are none, so play proceed to ground unit movement and overruns.

Overrun Against 2/898

The stack in 6432 moves to hex 6231, expending two movement points (MPs) — 1/2 MP for each minor road hex entered, and 1 MP for entering an enemy ZOC (projected by the 2/898 in hex 6230). Since all of the units in the stack are red box MA units, the stack could still keep moving around the 2/898, paying terrain cost +1 MP for each enemy ZOC entered, but the German player has other ideas. He declares an Overrun against 2/898, spending one MP for the Overrun cost plus an added 1/2 MP for the cost to enter hex 6230 on the minor road. The stack has now expended 3 and 1/2 MPs.

There are no pre-combat actions in Overruns, so the 2/898 gets to take what is coming.

• No artillery support is allowed.
• The German player could commit one air unit for CAS, but declines, feeling all of his air units will be more urgently needed elsewhere.
• Coordination is not required.
• The odds are 18 to 4 which equates out to 4 to 1.

The German player designates the III-8 Battalion to be the lead unit since all Overrunning units have an ER of 6. The 665 Stug could just as easily have been chosen, but this unit is precious to the German. In order to Overrun, a stack must possess not only all red box MA or cavalry units, but at least one armor, cavalry, or vehicle silhouette unit. The 3rd Motorized has exactly two such units for the entire division - the two stug units. These are also the only two units that will make receiving the Combined Arms Bonus possible. As far as the German player is concerned, these will be the last units to ever be designated lead units, and they will never be left alone in a hex.

The German player applies the following DRMs:

• –1 for Combined Arms Bonus since an armor unit (the stug) is present, and there are motorized infantry units also present.
• –2 for the ER Differential between the III-8 (ER6) and the 2/898 (ER4).
• There is no +1 DRM for the village because this is an Overrun, and not combat.
• The total DRM is –3

The die roll is 5, modified to 2 for the –3 DRM. Referring to the Mobile CRT on the 4 to 1 column, a 2 yields a result of D2R. The 2/898 must lose two steps. Two steps are all the 2/898 possesses, so it is removed from play. Basically the battalion has evaporated due to the shock and surprise of the overrun. Survivors stream through the positions of the 3/898 and the 773 artillery up the road creating disorder and confusion, but as a fighting force, this battalion is done.

Overrun Aftermath. The 3rd Motorized stack must advance into the vacated defender hex. When doing so, the ZOC from the 3/898 is ignored. The stack now has 2 and 1/2 MPs remaining. It cannot Overrun the 3/898 (costs 3 MPs), nor can it move adjacent to the 773 Artillery (costs 3 MPs), so the stack spends 1 and 1/2 MPs to move into hex 6129 (1/2 MP for minor road movement, plus 1 MP for moving from one ZOC of the 3/898 to another). It now ceases moving.

29th Motorized Regiment. The German player next moves the stack in 6532 (the entire 29th Motorized Regiment plus the 660 stug). All units are red box MA units with MAs of 6. The stack moves to hex 6128 (adjacent to the Soviet 773 artillery unit) and expends all 6 available MPs in the process:

• 6432, 6331, and 6231: 1 and 1/2 MPs (1/2 MP per hex)
• 6230: 1 and 1/2 MPs (1/2 MP per hex for the minor road + 1MP to enter the ZOC of the 3/898)
• 6129, and 6128: 3 MPs (1/2 MP per hex for the minor road + 1MP to move from ZOC to ZOC of the 3/898)
• Note: the 773 artillery does not figure in the equation at all. It bears a yellow no ZOC band, and projects no ZOC.

The German player moves the 3 AT Battalion from hex 6633 to hex 6730 to block the Soviet 332 recon battalion from access to the critical supply road entering the map at hex 6634. Three MPs are expended:

• 6634: 1/2 MP for minor road
• 6733 and 6732: 1 MP (1/2 MP per hex—trail through clear terrain; trail negates +1 MP for woods)
• 6731: 1 MP—trail through other (hill) terrain.
• 6730: 1/2 MP for trail in clear terrain

The Combat Phase for the 3rd Motorized Division. The German player now prepares to declare combats. The first attack is declared against the 3/898 in hex 6229. The attacking units comprise the stacks in hexes 6129 and 6329. The presence of the stug, an armored unit, allows the combat to be resolved on the Mobile CRT. The advantages of the Mobile CRT to the German player are that attacker losses are generally lower, and his red box MA units will have the option to advance two hexes, ignoring enemy ZOCs. Declared Attack markers on the Mobile sides are placed on both attacker hexes with the arrows pointing toward hex 6229.

Next, the 559 AT Battalion moves from 6633 to hex 6130 adjacent to 1/898, expending 4 MPs:

• 6532 through 6231: 2 MPs (1/2 MP per hex—minor road)
• 6130: 2 MPs (1 MP clear terrain + 1 MP for entering an enemy ZOC)

The remainder of the stack in 6633 (48 Motorized Engineers +1 &2/K53) expends 5 MPs to move to hex 6329 and surround the 3/898 Battalion:

• 6532 through 6231: 2 MPs (1/2 MP per hex - minor road)
• 6230: 1 and 1/2 MPs (1/2 MP per hex for the minor road + 1MP to enter the ZOC of the 3/898)
• 6329: 1 and 1/2 MPs (1/2 MP per hex for the minor road + 1MP to move from ZOC to ZOC of the 3/898)

The final 3rd Motorized stack, the HQ ARKO 125 and the four artillery units, move to 6230, spending 4 MPs to do so. All must stop in hex 6230 because they are orange circle MA units and they have just entered an enemy ZOC.

If desired, place First Activation markers on all Army Units that activated with the 3rd Motorized Division.

The second attack is declared against the 773 artillery unit in hex 6028. The attackers occupy hex 6128 (29 Mot), and also receive a Declared Attack marker on its mobile side with the arrow pointing toward hex 6028.

There are no pre-combat actions:

• None of the defending Soviet units are cavalry or red box MA, so Combat Refusal is not an option.
• No red box MA units also means that Reaction Movement is not possible.
• There are no strongpoints in either defender hex, so No Retreat is not possible either.

Attacks are resolved in any order the attacker wishes, so the attack against hex 6229 comes first so that the German stack in hex 6128 that is also attacking can help surround the unfortunate 3/898.

No air units are committed.

The German player commits one artillery unit, the I-3 with an ER of 6.

The Soviet player, could save his artillery for use when the 245th is activated, but realizes that with the 3rd Motorized in his rear, his HQ and the 770th artillery could well be destroyed before they can be activated. He commits the 770th artillery with an ER of 4 from hex 5828. The range of the 770th is four hexes. Not counting the artillery hex, but including the defender hex, the defender hex is exactly four hexes distant – just in range.

The 773rd artillery cannot provide support, because German units are adjacent to it.

Artillery ER Checks for Coordination. The German player has several eligible HQs within Command Range that could spend Command Points to provide a favorable DRM, but chooses not to use any of them. The Soviet player does use the HQ 245th stacked with the 770th to provide its one Command Point as a favorable DRM. The HQ 245th is flipped to its spent side.

The German player rolls first and obtains a 5. There are two negative DRMs:

• +2 DRM for woods terrain in the defender hex (it's much harder to place the defender under fire if the forward observers cannot acquire many of the targets because of the concealment offered by the woods)
• +1 DRM since the Mobile Sequence is being used (units are moving farther and faster, and the battles are generally meeting engagements where the artillery has to conduct hipshoots without having the time to register).

The modified die roll is 8, exceeding the I-3's ER of 6, but still less than 10. The 3 support points are halved (rounding down) to 1. The I-3 is flipped to its Fired side.

The Soviet player rolls a 9. Not good. Though there is one positive DRM, there are also the two negative DRMs:

• –1 DRM for the Command Point
• +2 DRM for woods terrain in the defender hex (it's much harder to place the attacker under fire when elements close to contact under the cover of the woods).
• +1 DRM since the Mobile Sequence is being used (attacking units are moving faster than the defenders can adjust their artillery fire).

The modified die roll is 11, exceeding the I-3's ER of 6, and greater than 10. None of the three support points can be committed. The 770th has fired late and hit nothing. The 770th is flipped to its Fired side.

Odds Computation. There are 26 points of attack strength in the two attacker hexes, plus one artillery strength point for a total attack strength of 27. There are 4 defense strength points and no artillery support points, so the defender strength is 4. The ratio of 27 to 4 is not quite 7 to 1, so the final odds are set at 6 to 1.

Combat Coordination. The attack is coming from 2 hexes so coordination is required. The German player decides to spend the Command Points from the HQ 8th Motorized Regiment. He flips the HQ to its spent side. The lead unit is the 1/K53 motorcycle company with an ER of 7.

The die roll is 1, modified to 0 for the following DRMs:

• –2 for the two Command Points
• +1 since the Mobile Sequence is being used

The modified die roll is less than the Lead Unit ER, so the attack is coordinated.

Combat Die Roll Modifiers:

• –1 for Combined Arms Bonus due to the presence of the stug and motorized infantry, engineer and motorcycle units
• –3 for the ER differential between the ER7 attacker lead unit and the ER4 of the lone defender unit.

The combat die roll is 9, modified to 5. Referring to the 6 to 1 column on the Mobile CRT, the result is D1R. The defending 3/898 must lose a step, so it is flipped. The reduced 3/898 is now required to retreat, but in the process must retreat through a vacant hex with a enemy ZOC projected from a red box MA unit. When the retreat is completed, there is a mandatory one step loss for a non-motorized unit passing through such a ZOC, instead of possibly losing a step after making an ER check. The 3/898 loses its last step and is removed. Having slightly more time to prepare for the onslaught than the unfortunate 2/898, the 3/898 nonetheless suffers heavily from the attack and then disintegrates entirely from the motorized pursuit from all sides during its retreat. Two-thirds of the 898th Regiment has been quickly taken out of the fight.

Advance After Combat. The Declared Attack markers are removed from the attacker hexes. The attacker stack in hex 6129 could advance, but remains in place. The attacker stack in 6329 does advance two hexes (first into the defender hex [the required first hex of a two hex advance] and then into hex 6328.

29th Motorized vs. 773 Artillery. Now it is the turn of the gunners in the 773rd artillery. Caught in the open by swiftly moving motorized formations, there is not time to even shift the guns before the storm hits.

No air or artillery support is used by either side.

The basic odds are 18 to 1. The 773rd is in deep trouble. Since the attackers occupy a single hex, no coordination die roll is needed. The III-29 (ER 6) is designated the lead unit.

The attackers enjoy a –3 DRM for Combined Arms Bonus and the ER differential of 2 between the III-29 and the 773rd.

The final odds are reduced to 8 to 1, the maximum possible on the Mobile CRT. The die roll yields a 6, modified by the –3 DRM to 3. The result is D3R. With but one step to lose, the 773rd is eliminated and removed from the map. The guns are either destroyed or captured and most of the gunners become casualties in a space of minutes.

The German player received a VP for the elimination of the Soviet artillery unit and adjusts the VP Track accordingly.

The Declared Attack marker is removed, and the attacker stack advances two hexes through defender hex 6028 to hex 5927, adjacent to the 770th artillery and HQ, 245th.

The first German activation is complete.

Activation Marker Draw. The Soviet player now randomly draws an Activation marker, the 1st Mechanized Corps. Play proceeds on the central area of the map. As part of the defense against the Soviet attacks, one Bf110 (ER 7) and one Ju88 (ER 4) are taken from the Ready Box, utilized, and returned on their Flown sides to the Flown Box.

Subsequent AM draws occur in this order:

• German 126th Division
• Soviet 262nd Rifle Division
• German 290th Division
• Soviet 254th Rifle Division (another Bf110 [ER 7] and one Ju88 [ER 5] are used on defense and return to the Flown Box)

SS Totenkopf Activation. The German player needs to get the Totenkopf into the rear of the 245th Division immediately, so the Mobile Sequence is again the logical choice. He first moves the stack in 5932 to hex 5931, using the bridge marker with arrow toward 5931 to negate the +1 MP cost of the stream hexside. It costs three MPs to make the move (1MP for clear terrain with no road or trail, +1 MP for the woods for motorized units, and +1 MP for entering the ZOC of the 1/898 in hex 6031).

Overrun Against the 1/898. With three MPs remaining for all of the units in the stack, the German player declares an Overrun against the 1/898 since the stug unit in the stack of motorized units makes the stack overrun eligible. The cost for the Overrun takes all three of those remaining MPs (1 MP for the Overrun, and 2 MPs for motorized units to enter a clear hex with woods off road).

The German player chooses not to commit an air unit for CAS.

Basic odds are 17 to 4 which equates out to 4 to1.

The presence of the stug and motorized units together provides a –1 DRM for Combined Arms, but the woods in the hex make an Overrun more difficult and provide an offsetting +1 DRM.

The German player could yield to the temptation to make the ER6 stug the lead unit and receive another –1 DRM due to ER differential with the ER5 1/898, but resists and selects the I-1 SST battalion with ER5 instead. At 4 to 1 odds, there is a very real possibility of German step loss, and if the stug is the lead unit, when it is eliminated, the Totenkopf loses its ability to overrun or have the Combined Arms Bonus.

The die roll is 6, with no DRMs, and the result on the Mobile CRT is DR (defender retreat). The Soviets of the 1/898 put up a better fight than their comrades in the second and third battalions (and their attackers are not as formidable), but they are still forced to retreat, and the pressure of the following motorized pursuers throws the battalion into confusion (any unit forced to retreat as a result of Overrun receives a Disordered marker).

Retreat of the 1/898. The Overrunning player, not the owner, determines the retreat path. The German player retreats the 1/898 to hex 5929 where it receives its Disrupted marker, and is flipped to its reduced side (The 1/898 must lose a step for being a non-motorized unit retreating through a vacant hex in the ZOC of red box MA units). The Overrunning stack must enter the defender hex 6031, but ceases movement because all units have expended all of their MPs.

NOTE: You may have noticed that an alternate retreat path was available for the 1/898 (ending in hex 6232). There at least, the 1/898 would have gotten to roll against its reduced ER of 3 (the Disrupted marker lowers its ER by 2). Instead, this poor battalion is forced to run the gauntlet between the Totenkopf motorized units in 5931 and the 3rd Motorized units in 6129. Not only is this legal in game terms, it is also justifiable historically. In 1941 the antidote to rapid motorized breakthroughs did not yet exist. Once forced to retreat, the defending units were at the mercy of their pursuers who had the ability to block avenues of retreat and herd the defenders into kill zones. It's not the casualties produced by the Overrun combat that makes Overrun so powerful - it's the chaos for the defender caused by the retreats.

The rest of the Totenkopf units are moved as follows:

• The motorized stack in 6033 moves to 5932, enters hex 6032 across the bridge with its arrow pointing toward hex 6032, stays on the trail and enters hex 6031 (the woods cost for hexes 6032 and 6031 [both clear hexes] is negated by entering through trail hexsides) and ending movement in 5930 adjacent to the 1/898. MP expenditure is 4 and 1/2 MPs.
• The Totenkopf AT battalion moves from 6032 to 5730 (5 MPs)
• HQ 3T and I-3T move from 5631 to 5830 (4 and 1/2 MPs - crossing an unbridged stream hexside +1, and entering the ZOC of 1/898 +1)
• 15/3 company moves from 5631 to 5529 (2 and 1/2 MPs - the railroad bridge negates the cost of the stream hexside and entering the hex through a railroad hexside negates the woods cost).
• III-3T moves from 5731 to 5830 (4 MPs)
• The von Manstein Leader counter and II-3T move from 5832 to 5830 (4 MPs)
• The four Totenkopf artillery units move from 6034 to 5831 (3 and 1/2 to 4 MPs, depending on the route taken)

The combat phase. The German player declares only one combat against the unfortunate 1/898 in hex 5929. The Mobile Sequence offers the choice of either using the Mobile or Assault CRTs, but in this case there is no choice. There are no armor units in any of the

The 7-1 attack against the 1/898. The unit designated as lead unit is the 1/AA T company with an ER of 7.

Two hexes are attacking so a Combat Unit Coordination die roll is necessary. The German player flips the HQ 3T to its spent side, generating a –1 DRM with the expenditure of the HQ's one Command Point. The die roll is 4, modified to 3 for the Command Point expended, and since the modified die roll is less than the lead unit's ER of 7, the two attacker hexes are coordinated, and they will not suffer the +2 DRM penalty for being uncoordinated.

There are DRMs for the combat die roll. First, there is a +1 DRM because the 1/898 occupies a village. There is an offsetting –5 DRM because of the ER differential between the German lead unit (ER 7) and the 1/898 (ER of 4 reduced to ER 2 by the Disordered marker). The net DRM is –4.

The die roll is 5, reduced to 1 for the DRMs, resulting in DE. The overwhelming strength of the attack exterminated the survivors of the 1/898. The unit is eliminated and removed from the map. The Declared Attack markers are removed from the two attacking stacks. Only a one hex advance is allowed after combats using the Assault CRT (even when the units are red box MA units), one the stack in 5930 advances into the vacated defender hex 5929.

There are no engineering activities allowed in the Mobile Sequence. The Totenkopf activation ends.

A quick look at the situation of the 245th Rifle Division reveals that its situation is beyond terrible. It's strongest regiment and half of its artillery have been exterminated. The HQ and remaining artillery face virtual annihilation if they do not get to move quickly. The two remaining regiments, located two hexes from the critical German supply road, will become totally irrelevant to the battle if surrounded and kept immobile—regardless of whether these six battalions are attacked or not, they will have no effect on the German attempt to race east, and their eventual real life fate of surrender/disintegration will be virtually assured.

Activation Marker Draw. The activation sequence continues. The Soviet player draws the AM for Soviet 11th Army. The German player devotes yet another Bf110 (ER 7) and Ju88 (ER 5) to the defense of Staraya Russa. Both go to the Flown Box on their Flown sides.

The German player next draws the 30th Division AM. This action takes place off the area of our example.

Back to the opaque cup goes the Soviet player, and out comes the 245th Rifle Division AM.

Soviet 245th Division Activation. Would that the Soviet player could move what's left of the 245th Division freely. The scenario special rules, however, impose limitations. The Soviet 34th Army was preoccupied entirely with attacking to the north and west, with no thought of a German counterattack. The two surviving regiments are fully committed to attacking frontally, and in no way could they "turn on a dime" to march out of the trap the Germans were preparing. All Soviet 34th Army units, the 245th Division included, are allowed to do only the following:

• Move to the north and/or west
• Attack to the north and/or west
• Move to the south and east only to attack

With limited options, the Soviet player makes the following moves:

• Declares that the Mobile Sequence will be used. The HQ and 770th artillery need to get far, far away from the 3rd Motorized. The two planned attacks will have only one hex of attackers each, negating any negative DRMs for the Soviets, but impacting possible German defensive artillery or CAS coordination. Also, the Soviet player needs to conduct an Overrun.
• The HQ, 245th and 700th artillery units move northwest from 5828 to 5628.
• The 322nd recon battalion (armored cars) moves from 6728 to 6729 and declares an Overrun against the 3rd AT battalion. Armored car units can either qualify a motorized stack for Overrun, or can Overrun by themselves. The odds will not be good, but if the 3rd AT can be forced to retreat, the 322nd Recon can continue moving to block the German supply road. The basic odds are 2 to 3, which rounds down to 1 to 2.

There is no air support allowed to the Soviets in their Overruns, so the lone DRM is the –1 for the ER Differential between the 322nd and 3rd AT. So, brave men in tinplate vehicles attack equally brave men manning ineffective 37mm AT guns. The die roll is 9, modified to 8 by the DRM. The result is A1R. A shout goes up from the beleaguered AT gunners as their rounds finally penetrate something! The step loss eliminates the one step 322nd, and it is removed from the map.

• The two surviving Soviet regiments, the 901st and 904th, do not move, being positioned to attack adjacent German units.

Soviet Combat Phase. The Soviet player declares two attacks, both using the Assault CRT. The three battalions of the 904th Regiment in hex 5629 receive a Declared Attack Assault marker with the arrow pointing toward defender hex 5529, and the three battalions of the 901st Regiment receive a Declared Attack Assault marker with arrow pointing toward defender hex 5730.

The Soviet player decides to resolve the attack against defender hex 5529. The sole defender unit, the 15/3 company, is an undisrupted red box motorized unit, so it qualifies for Combat Refusal - an option the German player gladly pursues since the odds against the 15/3 are 5 to 1. The German player rolls against the ER of 6 for the 15/3 (there are no DRMs allowed). The die roll is a 6, so by the barest of margins, the attempt succeeds. The 15/3 unit retreats two hexes to 5531. The three units of the 904th advance into the vacated defender hex and are now adjacent to Volot, a Soviet VP hex.

The second attack is directed against the Bau battalion 677 and the Totenkopf AT Battalion.

Combat refusal is not possible because both units would need to be red box motorized, and neither of these units are. There are, however, three battalions of the 3rd Totenkopf Regiment in an adjacent hex (5830), and they do qualify for Reaction Movement. They are all red box MA units belonging to the same formation as the Totenkopf AT unit in the defender hex. Unlike Soviet units, these German units can react even though they are in a Soviet ZOC. If they do react, they can move the one hex into the defender hex, ignoring enemy ZOCs projected into the defender hex. The German player could spend command points to increase the chances of successful reaction, but looking forward to the second Totenkopf activation, chooses to keep the Command points unspent. Each battalion must make its own Reaction attempt, and all three attempts fail on die rolls of 10, 9, and 6 respectively (Two battalions had ERs of 5, and one had an ER of 4). This is definitely not the elite division we see at Kursk in 1943.

The German player commits one of his two Ju87 air units, and makes the Coordination die roll. There are two DRMs to apply:

• +2 for Cloudy weather
• +1 Mobile Sequence

The Ju87's ER is 7. The die roll is 3, modified to 6. The Stukas contribute their two CAS points as a +2 DRM to the Combat Unit Coordination die roll.

Next, the German player commits one artillery unit, the II-Totoenkopf artillery battalion (ER 5). The coordination die roll is 8, modified to 9 by the +1 Mobile Sequence DRM. The artillery support strength of three is halved (rounding down) to 1. This is added to the defense strength of 6 for a total defense strength of 7. The lead unit is the Totenkopf AT unit (ER 5).

There is but one attacker hex, so no Combat Unit Coordination die roll is made. The lead attacker unit is the I/904 (ER 5).

The attack strength of the three Soviet battalions is 11. The odds are 11 to 7 which equates to the 1.5 to one odds column. The die is rolled, and the number is 4, modified to 6 for the +2 CAS DRM. The result on the Assault CRT is A1 DR.

The defenders take no losses, but must retreat. First the Ju87 air unit is flipped to its Flown side and placed in the Flown Box. The defenders have the option of retreating either one or two hexes. The Bau battalion 677 retreats one hex to 5631. The Totenkopf AT unit retreats two hexes to 5930.

The I/904 lead attack unit must take the step loss, and is flipped. All three attacking battalions advance into hex 5730, the defender hex.

Now that the Soviet 245th Division has finished activating, the German player draws another AM—the Lieb Brigade, and opts for the Mobile Sequence.

Lieb Brigade Activation. In the Movement Phase:

• the Bau Battalions 132, 677 and HQ Lieb all move to hex 5530 (Volot).
• II-368, a non-motorized unit, moves from 6032 to 5731 and must stop in that hex because it is entering an enemy ZOC even though it has MPs remaining.
• Bau Battalion 510 moves to hex 5528, as does Bau battalion 87, entering the example area from the northeast.

Combat Phase. The German player declares one Assault CRT combat against the HQ 245 and 770 artillery. The III-368 (ER 6) in 5528 is the lone attacking unit.

The German player commits no air or artillery.

The Soviet player has to designate the 770th (ER 4) as the lead defender unit (HQs cannot be lead units unless alone or only HQ units occupy a hex).

The sole DRM is the –2 DRM for the ER differential.

There is no Combat Unit Coordination for this one hex attack. The odds are 4-2 or 2-1. The die roll is 10, modified to 8 for the DRM. The result is A2 D1. Not a great result for the German. The III-368 loses both steps and is eliminated and removed from the map. The 770th must take the defender step loss since it is the lead unit, and is also removed from the map. The only consolations for the German player are that he gains one VP for the elimination of the artillery unit, and that the lone HQ 245th is now very vulnerable.

With the German activation concluded, the Soviet player draws the 257th Rifle Division AM and runs the activation.

The next German AM drawn is the second AM for the 3rd Motorized Division, and again the Mobile Sequence is chosen.

3rd Motorized Division Activation. The German player is acutely aware of the limited amount of time available to reach the east map edge and win the scenario. To remain and completely destroy the 245th Division would jeopardize German chances for victory. The 3rd Motorized moves to position itself for the dash east.

Movement Phase. To the south, the 3rd AT, 1&2/K53 and 48th Mot Engineers move east, taking care to stay within five hexes of the supply road to guarantee that they will be in supply at the start of the 19 PM turn even if the weather is Rain. Note that the 48th Motorized Engineer Battalion is an army unit that automatically activates because it is within four hexes of an active 3rd Motorized HQ. If using the Army Unit activation markers, turn it to the Final Activation side.

The ARKO and artillery in hex 6230 also move out of the example area to the east. Again, the ARKO and II-61 activate automatically. If using the Army Unit activation markers, turn them to the Final Activation sides. They position themselves to be not only within 5 hexes of the supply road, but also within 5 hexes of Soviet units in hex 5826 that belong to the 262nd Rifle Division so that the artillery can contribute support points during the combat phase when hex 5826 becomes a defender hex. Both the 29th Motorized Regiment stack in 5927 and the 8th Motorized stack in 6129 exit the example area to conduct an attack on hex 5826. The von Manstein Leader unit moves to join the 8th Motorized Regiment stack.

The details of the attack are not important to this example of play except to note that the ARKO HQ commits its Command Point to assist in artillery Coordination, and the remaining 3rd Motorized HQ commits its Command Points to the Combat Unit Coordination - the only case where two HQs can spend Command Points in the same combat.

Note that the 559th AT Army Unit was not activated for the second time with the 3rd Motorized, but remains in place to activate with the Totenkopf on its second activation.

With the completion of the 3rd Motorized activation, the Soviet player draws his final AM - the 259th Rifle Division, and activates it.

When completed, the German player draws his final AM. It is the second AM for the Totenkopf. The Totenkopf's mission is to eliminate the HQ 245th for the VPs, and reduce the number of surviving combat units to a point where [the source text continues below, after a page break] would prefer using the Assault Sequence. In the upcoming attack against the Soviet 904th Regiment, the Assault Sequence coordination DRMs make full coordination far more likely. Unfortunately, to bring the full force of the Totenkopf to bear, and eliminate the HQ 245th requires that critical units move more than the 1/2 MA allowed in the Assault Sequence.

Movement Phase

• The 3rd Totenkopf Regiment stack moves to 5729.
• AA(-), 1/AA and 15/3 of the Totenkopf move to hex 5727.
• 2/AA, and the AT battalion from Totenkopf move to hex 5830.
• The 559th Army AT Unit activates automatically and also moves to 5830. If using the Army Unit activation markers, turn it to the Final Activation side.
• The stack of four Totenkopf artillery units moves to hex 5927.
• The 1st Totenkopf Regiment stack moves to 5831
• The 15/3 company moves back to hex 5530 (Volot).

Combat Phase. The German player declares two attacks and resolves them in the order declared.

Attack one is declared against the HQ 245th in defender hex 5628. This is a single hex attack, and a Declared Attack Assault marker on hex 5727. The attack must be resolved on the Assault CRT because there is no armor in the attacking force.

The German player commits no air or artillery units.

The 2/AA (ER 7) is designated the lead attack unit, and the lone HQ 245 (ER 5) is now the lead defender unit by default.

The single hex attack requires no Combat Unit Coordination die roll.

The odds are 7 to 1, and the sole DRM is the –2 from the ER Differential.

The die roll is 2, reduced to 0 by the DRM. The result is DE. The HQ 245th is eliminated and removed. The German player gains 3 VPs and adjusts the VP track accordingly. The attackers do not advance, preferring to start as far east as possible on the 19 PM turn.

Attack two is a major German effort.

The attackers are stacked in three hexes - 5729, 5830, and 5831, and each hex receives a Declared Attack Mobile marker. All arrows point toward defender hex 5730. The presence of the Totenkopf stug unit provides the armor unit necessary for using the Mobile CRT.

The German player commits his two remaining air units - good ones, a Ju 87 (ER 7) and Bf 110 (ER 8). The Bf 110 is designated the lead unit, and the HQ 1st Totenkopf Regiment is flipped for its Command Point to provide a –1 DRM to the Air Coordination die roll. There are also a +2 DRM for the Cloudy weather and a +1 DRM for coordination in a Mobile Sequence.

The Air Coordination die roll is 4, modified to 6 by the DRMs - less than the lead unit ER of 8. The air units are able to contribute their combined CAS rating of 3 as a –3 DRM to the combat die roll.

The three unfired Totenkopf artillery units are committed, with the IV-T artillery (ER 6) designated as the lead unit. The Mobile Sequence +1 DRM applies. The Coordination die roll is 9, modified to 10. There is no artillery support, and the three artillery units are turned to their Fired sides.

There are 38 attack strength points in the three attacker hexes, and the 2/AA (ER 7) is designated the lead attacker unit. The defense strength in the defender hex is 10, and the I/904 (ER 4) is designated as the lead defender unit.

One coordination die roll remains for the attacking Combat Units. The German player flips the von Manstein leader unit (now out of the example area, but still within command range) so that the two Command Points become a –2 DRM to the Combat Unit Coordination die roll, offsetting the +1 DRM for Mobile Sequence and +1 DRM for three or more attacker hexes. The die roll is 4 with no DRM, less than the ER of 7 for the lead unit. The attack goes in coordinated.

The final odds are 3 to 1, and the total DRM is –7:

• –1 for Combined Arms
• –3 for CAS
• –3 for the lead unit ER differential

This DRM is reduced to –5, the maximum allowable.

The die roll is 2, reduced to the 0 or less row by the –5 DRM. The result is D2R.

The two German air units are flipped to their Flown sides and placed in the Flown Box. The Soviet lead unit has but one step, is eliminated and removed from the map. The II/904 is flipped, losing a step to satisfy the second step loss requirement. The two surviving battalions must retreat, but cannot because the two hexes of each possible retreat route are in German ZOCs. These two battalions are also eliminated. The majority of the 904th Regiment is captured trying to retreat from the onslaught of the Totenkopf's attack.

The three Declared Attack markers are removed. The 1st Totenkopf Regiment stack advances into the defender hex, but no further, even though a two hex advance is allowed.

Since all of the AMs have been drawn, the turn advances to the Reorganization Phase.

1. In the example area there are no Disruption markers to remove, but doubtless there are on other portions of the map.

2. All leader and HQ units are flipped back to their full CP sides.

3. All artillery units are flipped back to their support sides from their Fired sides.

4. First and Final Activation markers (if used) are removed from Army Units.

5. There is no victory determination, so the Turn marker is advanced to the 19 PM turn.

The German player has accomplished his primary task. In one turn he has opened the door to make the dash to the east edge of the map by effectively destroying the 245th Rifle Division as a formation that can either block the advance or threaten his flank and rear.

As a final play note, the German player will not try to destroy the remainder of the 245th for two reasons. First, the Lieb Brigade is not strong enough to do it alone, and the adjacent German 30th Division will be fully occupied destroying and neutralizing the Soviet 262nd Rifle Division. Second, in terms of activation advantage, it benefits the German player to have the Soviet 245th Division AM remain to be pulled each turn - burdening the Soviet player with a largely useless activation, and perhaps delaying the drawing of other critically needed Soviet AMs. Enjoy the game!

—Tony Curtis

(The Play Booklet's remaining pages reproduce the game's counter/map sheet scans and a second copy of "The Operations Sequences" and "Expanded Sequence of Play" player-aid charts already transcribed above from the Rule Booklet; that reference material is not repeated a second time here.)