Spearpoint 1943: Eastern Front Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Quick Start
• Introduction
• Components
• Unit Type Icons And Other Symbology
• Gameplay Conventions
• Standard Games
• Standard Game Setup
• Scenario Games
• Win Conditions and Scoring
• Turn Sequence
• Commitment and Lines
• Combat
• Draw Phase
• End Turn
• Variants

Quick Start

1. Scan this QR code for a 5-minute walkthrough (or browse to www.collinsepicwargames.com):
2. Review the Quick Reference cards and Cards Detailed on pages 1-3.
3. Follow Standard Game Setup and build German and Soviet 100pt Reserves Decks.
4. Begin the turn sequence and refer to the Quick Reference cards for combat steps.
5. Play until one player reaches 51 victory points or "overrun".
6. Switch up the Reserves Decks and play again.
7. Read the full rules, and then try Scenario 1.

Introduction

Spearpoint 1943 Eastern Front is a fast-paced 2-player card wargame that may be played as a points-based Standard game or with any of the included Scenarios. Each game takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Many elements combine to ensure each game tells a story and that no two games are alike.

Components

Game components consist of various types of cards (Unit, Command, Damage, Event, Scenario), two d10 dice per player, and these rules. Also included are a few supporting cards such as a set of Quick Reference Cards for each player.

Refer to the graphic details of each card type on pages 1-3 to become familiar with the layout of each of the main card types.

Unit Cards. These historically-inspired cards provide details on infantry, crews, tanks, aircraft, and artillery and make up the combatants for Germany and the Soviet Union. 50 Additional Unit cards are available in the Spearpoint 1943 Eastern Front Heavy Weapons Expansion (CEW00007).

Command Cards. Command cards are drawn from a common shuffled deck among players. These cards provide special functions and may be played in the phase indicated on the card for the appropriate Unit Type. Some cards remain in play depending on the effect.

► A maximum of 1 Command card may be discarded before any die roll (instead of playing the function of the card) for a +1 Bonus to that die roll.

Damage Cards. Damage Cards provide unique Damage Effects to damaged Units and are applied based on Unit Type (there are 4 effects per card). If a Unit that is hit reaches the Half Endurance value, a Damage card is drawn and applied. This card stays in play unless something removes the card or until the Unit is destroyed.

► Damage Effects may be temporary. If so, a built-in counter tracks that effect until it is over. Simply slide the Damage card under the damaged unit and count the Damage Effect down with each new turn.

► Damage Effects may not apply to all Units in the game. Some experienced units such as Veterans may be able to ignore an Effect if noted on the Damage card (the damage still applies).

Event Cards. Spearpoint 1943 Eastern Front introduces Event cards. These are "masked" as Command cards, sharing the common Command back. Event cards may be shuffled into the Command Deck as desired in Standard Games or certain Scenarios may call for specific Event cards to be added.

Once shuffled in, Events may be drawn by either player in the Draw Phase and at that time apply to all players unless otherwise noted. Once an Event is in play, keep the card face up for the remainder of the game.

Scenario Cards. Also introduced in Spearpoint 1943 Eastern Front, Scenario cards walk players through 12 historically-inspired Scenarios covering Eastern Front action between Soviet and German forces throughout various operations during 1943.

Scenario cards provide setup information, starting forces, Reserves Deck restrictions, and any special rules for the Scenario. It is recommended to play each Scenario in order from 1 to 12 to get a sense of some of the battles the combatants faced as 1943 progressed.

Unit Type Icons And Other Symbology

Graphic Icons and other symbols are used on most cards to represent types of Units, Endurances, Attack Values, Defense, Damage, etc. Most symbols are defined as previously detailed on pages 1-3. Each Unit Type Icon is as follows:

• Infantry
• Vehicle/Tank
• Artillery/Gun
• Aircraft
• Tank Crew
• Artillery Crew
• Pilot
• No Crew Required (N/C icon)

Gameplay Conventions

• d10 dice are used in this game. A roll of 0 indicates a result of "10".
• If players cannot agree on a rule interpretation or gameplay result, each player shall roll a d10. The highest value wins. Stick with that convention for the rest of the game.

Standard Games

Standard Games represent meeting engagements, are points-based, and have no unit restrictions unless mutually agreed upon prior to Reserves Deck construction. Players earn Victory Points by destroying or capturing enemy equipment and may win by either reaching 51 Victory Points or causing an Overrun condition.

Standard Game Setup

• One player chooses to play as the Germans, the other player as the Soviet Union.
• Each player creates a 100 points Reserves Deck from available unit cards of the chosen side. Unit card costs must add up to at least 80 points and total no more than 100 points.
  • Tip: Be sure to include Crews and/or Pilots for Tanks, Artillery, and Aircraft that have a crew requirement icon.
• Players determine whether to add Event cards to the Command Deck and choose those cards.
• Players shuffle the Command Deck including any Event cards and place it face down in the gameplay area.
• Players shuffle the Damage Deck and place it face down in the gameplay area.
• Players select 4 Unit cards from their Reserves Deck, add them to their hand, and then shuffle their Reserves Deck. Note: Crew units count toward the 4 starting Unit cards.
• Players draw 3 Command cards from the Command Deck. Tip: If an Event card is drawn during setup, reshuffle the card into the Command Deck and draw again.

Scenario Games

12 Scenarios inspired by actual Eastern Front battles provide players with modified setup information, rules alterations and restrictions, special Win Conditions, and starting units that begin the game in play.

• Starting units for Scenario Games do not count toward Reserves Deck totals.
• Follow all game rules and Standard Game Setup unless modified as noted on the Scenario card.

Win Conditions and Scoring

In a Standard Game, the first player to score 51 Victory Points or Overrun their opponent is the victor.

In a Scenario Game, the first player to achieve the Win Condition(s) specified by the scenario is the victor.

• To Overrun the enemy, all enemy ground units in play must be destroyed or captured and the frontline remain occupied by at least one friendly ground unit for three consecutive turns without the commitment of new enemy ground units.
• An "Overrun Condition" begins at the end of the turn in which all enemy ground units are destroyed. The condition "resets" if the enemy commits any new ground units.
• Scoring Victory Points in the game is accomplished by capturing or destroying enemy units.
• The point value of a destroyed unit is the unit's Cost/Point Value.
• The point value of a captured unit is double the unit's Cost/Point Value.

Turn Sequence

A two-player game of Spearpoint 1943 Eastern Front is composed of Turns that are broken into Phases. Each Turn also has a Begin Turn and End Turn step.

Once setup is accomplished for the chosen game type, begin the turn sequence and repeat until one player achieves a Win Condition. The game immediately ends when this occurs.

• All functions in each phase are first accomplished by the winner of Initiative that turn, and then the other player.

Begin Turn

• Roll Initiative for this turn using 1d10. The highest number wins (Re-roll ties).

Commitment Phase

• Commit any number of units into play from your hand.

Combat Phase

• Declare attacks.
• Alternate resolving attacks.

Draw Phase

• Draw 1 Command card.
• Draw any combination of 2 additional cards (Command or Unit from Reserves).

End Turn

• Count down all Damage Effects and other counters.
• Place any aircraft (with pilot) under the appropriate player's Reserves Deck if Turns of Flight would equal zero.

Commitment and Lines

All units enter play from a player's hand by committing them during the Commitment Phase. Once in play, they may attack and perform certain specialized functions.

Committing Units into Play. Each player has a Frontline and a Rear Line as shown. The frontlines of each player oppose each other and are closest to the opponent and the Rear Line is behind the frontline, nearest the player. The term "Frontline", "Rear Line", or "Turns of Flight" on each Unit card is printed under the title and indicates to which line each unit is committed and operates.

• Aircraft are not committed to a line. They remain in play for a number of Turns of Flight that counts down at each End Turn step.
• Self-Propelled Guns (SPGs) such as the Soviet SU-152 may operate on either the "Frontline or Rear Line". During Commitment, these types of units may move between the lines.
• To commit a ground unit into play, place the chosen unit (and crew as required) from your hand onto the appropriate line.
• Halftracks may show an Infantry icon in the Crew Requirement section of the card. If so, the halftrack must be committed along with an infantry unit. The chosen infantry unit is not considered a crew. Once committed, the two units operate independently, simulating Infantry deployment to the line.
• There is no limit on the number of units that may be committed in a single turn.
• Some Command cards may commit units directly from a Reserves Deck.
• Players may not commit a crew without also committing a unit they may crew and vice versa except to replace a destroyed/captured crew of a unit in play.
• As an alternative to scoring points for a captured crewless unit, the captor may take control of the unit, add a crew in the Commitment Phase, and use it against the enemy.
• If a crewless unit remains on a player's frontline and all other frontline units are destroyed, captured, or withdrawn, the line and any crewless unit is considered enveloped and captured by the opponent.
• If a player's entire frontline becomes unoccupied or captured, that player's rear line (if any) becomes their frontline at the beginning of the next turn, simulating enemy advance. Any future Rear Line unit commitments form a new Rear Line.
• If a unit leaves play for any reason, any associated Command or Damage cards are cleared and discarded.

Combat

Each Combat Phase consists of declaring attacks and then alternating attack resolution.

Legal Targets. Each committed unit able to attack may declare to attack a single Legal Target with up to two weapons listed on the Unit card.

• Frontline units and SPGs operating on the Rear Line may target enemy Frontline units. Rear Line units may target enemy Frontline or Rear Line units. Aircraft may target any unit regardless of line.
• A Legal Target is defined as an enemy unit able to be affected by the chosen weapon(s). If a weapon listed on a Unit card has no attack value for the Unit Type Icon shown, the weapon cannot affect that type of target.
• Any underscored Attack Value indicates that weapon may not affect units with Defense 2 or greater.
• The Eastern Front set of Unit cards includes Attack Values for Guns and Artillery. Cards from the original Spearpoint 1943 game do not. If mixing German cards from the two sets, note that artillery and gun units are targeted as vehicles with an Attack bonus of 2 due to immobility.
• Frontline gun crews may be specifically targeted by Infantry, potentially knocking out the crew of the gun and saving the gun from damage. This does not apply to Rear Line crewed guns.

Declaration. Declare all targets in the order of Initiative winner first, and then the other player. Once declared, targets cannot be changed this turn. To declare an attack, the player verbally states where the unit will fire and physically turns their attacking Unit card toward the target.

• Optional paired targeting counters for this game are available separately from Collins Epic Wargames. To use the paired counters, mark both the attacking unit and its target with a numbered pair. The specific number is not important and is only used to tie an attacker to a specific target and track when the attack is complete. Once the attack is complete, flip the counter to mark it as complete.

Attack Resolution. To resolve each attack, alternate choice of attack resolution beginning with the winner of Initiative this turn using the following sequence:

a. Choose an Attack to Resolve. The Initiative winner this turn has first choice of which attack to resolve. Once that attack is resolved, pass choice to the other player to resolve an attack. Attack choice alternates until all declared attacks are resolved.

b. Choose Weapon(s) to Fire. For the chosen attack, choose to fire up to two weapons listed on the attacking Unit card that may affect the target.

• A 2, 3, or 4 within a black circle next to a weapon represents a high rate of fire. For such weapons, roll Attack two, three, or four times respectively, resolving damage for each hit.

c. Roll to Hit the Target. For the chosen weapon, roll 2d10 and sum the result. Add or subtract any bonus or penalty of the crew as applicable (Green crews subtract 1, Veteran Crews add 1 as noted on the card).

• A hit occurs if the sum equals or exceeds the weapon's Attack Value for the appropriate Unit Type.
• A miss occurs if the sum is less than the weapon's Attack Value for the appropriate Unit Type.
• Several high Attack sums result in additional damage as follows:
  • 18: Double Intensity roll in step d.
  • 19-20: Automatically draw a Damage card. If a Damage card is already applied, destroy the unit and crew instead.
• Each hit requires Damage Resolution as it occurs. For attacks with two weapons, return to step c and roll to hit with the second weapon after damage resolution of the first.

d. Determine Damage (if hit). If an attack hits, determine damage by adding the Damage Index of the weapon (as listed on the Unit Card) to a Damage roll called Intensity.

• For each hit, roll Intensity using 1d10. Add the result to the weapon's Damage Index, and then subtract the target's Defense (if any) from the total damage sum. This is the damage that affects the target's Endurance. Higher Intensity rolls represent well-placed, more damaging hits.

Damage = Intensity (1d10) + Damage Index - Target Defense

e. Apply Damage. Subtract Damage determined in step d from the target's Current Endurance, which may be Full, Half, or some value in between if damage has already been taken this Combat Phase.

• Damage to a single unit from multiple hits is cumulative in the current combat phase.

f. Check for and Track Critical Damage. Damage Cards represent Critical Damage to a unit. If a unit takes enough damage to reduce its Current Endurance to its Half Endurance, draw a Damage card.

• Apply the Damage Effect that matches the Unit Type Icon and tuck the Damage card under the Unit Card, revealing that effect.
• Some effects are temporary and include a turn counter on the Damage Card, but others are permanent. Either way, the damage (and card) remains with the unit until the unit is withdrawn, destroyed, or something removes the Damage card (such as certain Command cards).
• It is useful to track Current Endurance using Temporary Endurance Counters (Available as part of the Eastern Front Tracking Counters Set) or a spare die. Rotate the value of the counter or die until the Current Endurance of the unit is shown oriented with the Unit Card's text.

g. Check for Unit Destruction. If at any time a unit reaches 0 Endurance or less, that unit is destroyed and removed from the game. Score Victory Points and determine crew survival, if crewed.

• Crews of units are protected from damage as long as a hit does not destroy the crewed unit. If a hit destroys a crewed unit, determine the fate of the crew using the Intensity roll of the destroying attack as follows:
  • 1-3: Crew survives, place under Reserves†
  • 4-6: Crew is captured
  • 7-10: Crew is destroyed
• † Optional Rule: Reg. and Vet. Crews of Frontline units may remain in play and fight as infantry.

h. Track Current Endurance. Any unit that sustains damage but is not destroyed remains at a Current Endurance value for the current turn. Any additional damage is cumulative in the current turn.

i. Repeat for Second Weapon. A second weapon of the attacking unit may be expended at the same target. Repeat the above steps to fire and apply damage for a second chosen weapon if the target is not destroyed by the first.

Close Assault. Three or more infantry units that may normally affect vehicles/tanks may Close Assault an enemy vehicle/tank on the frontline.

• To declare and execute a Close Assault, declare a single target vehicle/tank for the assaulting infantry group. Roll Attack once using the best attack value (lowest number) vs. vehicles/tanks of any unit in the attacking group. If the target is hit, roll 1d10 for each attacking Infantry unit of the group, sum the total, subtract target Defense, and apply the result as damage to the target's Endurance.
• A Close Assault attempt may be foiled if a unit of the assaulting group is destroyed before the attack is resolved. At least 3 infantry units must execute the attack at the time of resolution or the attack is dispersed.
• If a unit is destroyed as a result of Close Assault, use the highest roll of the attacking group as the determining factor for crew survival.
• Do not apply a weapon's Damage Index when determining Close Assault damage.
• Close Assault is executed using improvised explosives, grenades, and other methods not listed on Infantry Unit cards. (The printed text reads "Infanty Unit cards"; corrected here to "Infantry" as a typo fix.)

Use of Aircraft Bombs. Each Aircraft Bomb Weapon (if any) may only be used once to attack during an aircraft's total Turns of Flight.

Self-Propelled Gun Weapons. If an SPG (a unit identified as "Frontline or Rear Line") occupies the Rear Line, it may only fire the 1st listed weapon (the long range weapon) against enemy frontline targets. Secondary weapons may be used against Aircraft if an Aircraft Attack Value is listed.

Draw Phase

Replenishing Unit cards from a player's Reserves Deck and Command cards from a common Command Deck between players occurs during each Draw Phase as follows:

• Draw one Command Card. Draw one new Command card from the common face-down Command Deck.
• If using Event cards mixed into the Command Deck, and an Event is drawn, apply the Event as written and draw another Command card. Most Events affect both players until the end of the current game.
• Draw any two additional cards. From the common face-down Command Deck, and/or from a player's Reserves Deck, draw any combination of two additional cards. Choose what to draw before looking at the cards.
• At the end of any Turn, a player may hold a maximum of 5 Command cards and 7 Unit cards. If that number is exceeded during the Draw Phase, choose and discard cards down to the limit.
• Discarded Command cards are placed in a face up discard pile next to the Command Deck and are removed from the game.
• If a player must discard a Unit card, place it face down under the Reserves Deck (do not remove it from the game).

End Turn

Each turn ends after completion of the Draw Phase by both players. The End Turn step includes cleanup actions and handles Damage Recovery. Temporary damage does not carry over to the next turn.

• Count down all temporary Damage Effects and any other counted items such as Turns of Flight or Overrun counts.
• Place any Aircraft (with Pilot) under the appropriate player's Reserves Deck if Turns of Flight would equal zero.
• If using Tracking Counters, remove all Temporary Damage Counters and Targeting Counters.
• A unit that takes damage but does not take enough damage to reach a critical breakpoint and draw a Damage card recovers back to Full Endurance.
• A unit that already has a Damage card applied but does not take enough damage to reach 0 Endurance (destruction) recovers back to Half Endurance. The red Damage card reminds players to use the red Half Endurance value of the unit as the Current Endurance of the unit for the beginning of the next Turn.

Variants

4-Player Standard Game. Separate into two teams of two players each. Each team creates two 75 point Reserves Decks, one for Frontline units and one for Support units, controlled independently by team members. One player acts as Frontline Commander, controlling Infantry, frontline guns, and tanks and vehicles. The other player acts as Support Commander of units such as Rear Line Artillery and Aircraft. Play the game rules as written, but to determine order within each turn, the opposing Support Commanders roll Initiative and accomplish their functions first, and then the Frontline Commanders roll Initiative and accomplish their functions. Once all players accomplish all Phases, one Turn is complete.

• Play to 76 points or Overrun.