The Drive on Metz
The Drive on Metz Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
The game is played in turns which are further subdivided into phases. Once all phases of a turn have been completed, the game moves on to the next turn until the end of the game as stipulated in the scenario notes.
§1 Components
The game consists of
- A board with a map of the area around the border between France and Germany.
- 20 counters representing the American and German units, respectively, involved in the conflict.
- 1 game turn marker.
- These rules.
In addition, a 6-sided die is needed to resolve die-rolls.
§1.1 The board
The map on the board shows the conflict area around Lorraine. Superimposed on the map are hexagon fields (hexes) meant to capture movement of troops. Each hex is labelled with grid coordinates.
Each hex has an associated terrain, as summarised in Table 1. Natural terrain are:
- Clear: Mostly open terrain (fields, small forests).
- Woods: Dense vegetation, such as forests. Manoeuvring in these areas is limited, and therefore provides some cover for defending troops.
- Rough: Rocky and hilly ground which limits manoeuvrability.
- River: Another natural feature of the map are the river hex-sides. These represent waterways which limits manoeuvrability. Units generally need to spend a full turn (one day) to cross these.
Man-made features are:
- Towns or cities: Denser populated areas with buildings and streets.
- Fortifications: Concrete and steel fortifications erected around the time of the First World War by both the Germans and French. These provide increased defensive capabilities.
- Roads: Paved and country roads through the terrain that allows units to move more easily through the terrain. Roads nullify the special river crossing cost of movement.
The third group in Table 1 relates to other units and relevant optional rules.
Table 1: Movement and combat effects chart. The top part lists natural features, while the middle reflects man-made features. The bottom part relates to other units and is only used if the appropriate optional rule is in effect. The "MF cost" lists the number of MFs a unit must spend to enter a hex with that terrain. Note that crossing a river is only possible if the unit is adjacent to the river at the start of the turn, and it spends all of its MFs crossing the river. The "CRT shift" column lists the Combat Resolution Table (Table 3) column shift depending on the features of the hex which the defender occupies. Note that left-shifts (⇐) are not cumulative, i.e., the largest column shift applies.
| Terrain | MF cost | CRT shift |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | 2 | – |
| Woods | 4 | ⇐2 |
| Rough | 3 | ⇐1 |
| River | All | ⇐3† |
| Town/city | – | ⇐2 |
| Fortified | – | ⇐3 |
| Reference | – | – |
| Road | 1 | – |
| Division | – |
- Division: When two or more units of the same parent formation (division, see also §1.2), attack the same target, they enjoy an increase in efficiency from higher level command.
- Tactical withdrawal: Generally, an engaged (§5) unit may not disengage on its own accord. However, with this optional rule, armoured units may disengage by spending additional MFs.
Dots (•) with names next to them on the map indicate smaller villages and hamlets, and have no bearing on the game. These are merely there for reference.
On the east (left) side of the board are three US reinforcement boxes and a box for the optional US 502/101 abiregt. The US units enter the board on turn 1 from these three boxes. To the north is a German reinforcement box. On turn 2, DE 106 aregt enters the board from this box. Units entering from a reinforcement box can enter the map on any hex adjacent to the reinforcement box.
South of the map is a turn track to keep track of the current turn.
§1.2 The units
The counters in the game represent various ground units, such as infantry, armoured, and panzer-grenadier units, and a separate marker to mark the turn on the turn track on the board.
The counters are colour coded according to the nationality or command structure to which they belong. The colours are:
- German Heer (army) and Waffen-Schutzstaffel (SS, armed protective staff), DE for short.
- United States of America units of the XX Corps under the command of General Lieutenant Patton, US for short.
In the following we will often use a short hand notation to designate units. This short hand consists of the command of the unit (US for US units and DE or SS for German Heer or SS units), the unit identifier, parent formation identifier, and the unit type (i: infantry, a: armoured, ab: airborne) and echelon (bde: brigade, regt: regiment). For example, the United States of America 357th regiment of the 90th infantry division may be written US 357/90 iregt, while the 38th regiment of the 17th SS panzer-grenadier division can be written SS 38/17 airegt.
The "CC" of the brigades of the US 7th armoured division stands for "combat command", and "A", "B", and "R" designates the A, B, and reserve brigades.
The German regiments "Fhnjkr" and "Utrfhr" of the 462nd infantry division are Fahnenjunker (flag cadet) and Unterführer (sub-commander), respectively, and were built from the nearby officer and non-commissioned officer schools.
Figure 1: Elements of units. The different parts of the unit are highlighted. The elements are:
- Set up: The set up information of the unit. Letters on the US units indicate that they arrive on turn 1 in one of the set-up boxes as indicated on the map. Hex coordinates on DE units indicate that the unit starts on the board at the designated hex. A single number indicates which turn the unit arrives at.
- US airborne: The optional US 502/101 abi unit has no set-up hex or turn. Instead this unit can enter the map at any clear hex with no other unit in it in any US faction movement phase (§8).
- CF: Combat factor. This represents the unit's fighting ability, both offensive and defensive. The higher the number the stronger the unit.
- MF: Movement factor. The manoeuvrability of the unit. The larger the number, the more mobility the unit has.
- Echelon: The size of the unit. There are two different sizes of units in the game: brigade and regiment.
- Identifier: The unit identifier.
- Parent: The parent formation (division) of the unit.
- Division: Units belonging to the same division have a distinct advantage when attacking if this optional rule is in use.
- Type: The kind of unit. The unit types are:
- Infantry: Soldiers mainly travelling by foot and equipped with small arms.
- German Panzer-Grenadier units: Infantry transported by half-track and other armoured vehicles.
Figure 2: The game turn marker. The game turn marker is used with the turn track on the board (§1.1) to keep track of the current turn.
§2 Optional rules
There are three possible optional rules in this game. The factions must mutually agree which of these rules should be in use.
§2.1 Division command
With this optional rule, if two or more units of the same division (parent identifier, see §1.2) attack the same target, then they benefit from the higher formation command and gain a right column shift when resolving combat. This only applies when attacking, but applies even if units of other divisions also attack the same target.
This optional rule slightly favours the US faction.
§2.2 Tactical withdrawal
Normally, an engaged unit (§5), that is a unit in an enemy unit's ZOC, cannot disengage, or move out of the enemy ZOC.
With this optional rule, armoured units (the armoured and panzer-grenadier unit types, see §1.2) may disengage from enemy units by spending additional MFs (see also §8.1.1).
This rule tends to benefit the German faction.
§2.3 US airborne
This optional rule assumes that Patton has managed to convince the Allied Supreme Command, Eisenhower, that the US 502nd regiment of the 101st airborne division is better used assisting in capturing Metz than to participate in Operation Market Garden.
With this optional rule, the US faction gets one reinforcement in the form of US 502/101 abiregt (see also §8.2).
§3 Setting up
The factions should first agree on the optional rules (§2) to use. Then, each faction sets up its units.
- The US faction places its units in the corresponding slots on the board.
- US airborne: The optional US 502/101 abi unit need only be placed if this optional rule is used.
- The German faction places all units in the set-up hex indicated on the unit counter (§1.2), except DE 106 aregt which is placed in the north reinforcement box.
The game turn marker is placed on Turn 1 of the turn track at the bottom of the board.
After this, the game can begin in earnest.
§4 Turn sequence
The game runs over 7 turns. Each turn corresponds to a day, and is sub-divided into a US and German turn. Since the US faction is the aggressor in this conflict, it goes first.
Each faction's turn is divided into a movement phase (§8) and combat phase (§9). Each phase must be completed before moving on to the next phase.
Table 2: Turn sequence.
- US Turn: Movement
- US Turn: Combat
- DE Turn: Movement
- DE Turn: Combat
The following sections, after a few definitions, expand upon these phases in detail.
§5 Zone of Control
An important concept is Zone of Control (ZOC). All units exert a zone of control in the six hexes surrounding the unit. ZOC does extend over river hex-sides and into or out of fortifications, towns, or cities. This is illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Zone of Control (ZOC). The units US 7/CCB abde and DE 3/8 airegt exert ZOC into the 6 hexes adjacent to them, as shown in the figure by the shaded areas. Note that hex 0509 is in ZOC of both units, and the ZOC extends into fortified hexes and across river hex-sides.
A unit in an enemy unit's ZOC is said to be engaged with the enemy. A unit must stop movement when entering enemy ZOC. A unit may not disengage from any enemy unit by leaving enemy ZOC voluntarily.
- Tactical withdrawal: If this optional rule is in use, then armoured units (armoured and panzer-grenadier units) may disengage from enemy units by expending additional MFs (§8).
§6 Stacking
At the end of the movement (§8) and combat (§9) phases, at most one unit may occupy a hex.
Friendly units may temporarily violate stacking limitations during the movement and combat phases when moving through a friendly stack of units.
Units of opposing sides may never occupy the same hex, even temporarily.
If, at the end of any movement or combat phase, including opponent's movement or combat phases, the stacking limitations are not observed, the controlling faction must eliminate (§9.4) units until the requirements are met. The controlling faction may freely choose which units to eliminate.
§7 Control
A hex, of any terrain, is controlled by the faction that last had a unit in or passing through it. Control of hexes, in particular objective hexes (Thionville 0701 and Metz 0807), are important for victory points (§10).
§8 Movement phase
§8.1 Movement
In a faction's movement phase, the faction may move as many or as few units, in any order, as it pleases. A unit is moved from hex to adjacent hex, in any direction, within the limitations described below.
Units of opposing sides may never occupy the same hex, not even temporarily.
Stacking limitations (§6) must be observed by the end of the movement phase. During the movement phase, however, they may be violated. If the stacking limitations are violated at the end of the movement phase, then the controlling faction must eliminate units (§9.4) until the limitations are observed.
§8.1.1 Enemy ZOC
When a unit enters enemy ZOC (§5), it must immediately stop and cannot move further that turn.
A unit may not leave enemy ZOC voluntarily. It can leave enemy ZOC if the enemy unit is retreated (§9.3) or eliminated (§9.4), or the unit is itself retreated, all as a consequence of combat.
Tactical withdrawal: If this optional rule is in effect, then armoured units (armoured and panzer-grenadier units) may disengage from enemy ZOC, if and only if, upon the first hex entered:
- it spends an additional 4 MF,
- does not enter into enemy ZOC,
- does not move closer to the enemy edge (East edge for the German faction, West edge for the US faction), and
- does not cross a river hex-side.
If the unit still has available MFs left, then it may continue moving as per normal movement.
Thus a unit may not move from enemy ZOC to enemy ZOC.
§8.1.2 Movement allowance
Each unit has a movement factor (MF, §1.2). This is its base movement per turn. These MF cannot be transferred between units nor can they be saved for later turns.
To enter a hex a unit must spend the required MFs to enter that hex. The cost of entering a hex is summarised in Table 1.
- Clear: To enter a clear hex, 2 MF is required.
- Woods: To enter a woods hex, the unit needs to spend 4 MF.
- Rough: 3 MF are needed to enter a rough hex.
Roads: If a unit follows a road, that is passes over a hex-side with a perforating road connecting the source and target hexes, then only 1 MF is needed irrespective of other terrain in the hex entered. Roads connecting hexes over a river hex-side are assumed to represent bridges, and the normal full MF cost to cross a river hex-side is nullified.
River: Another natural feature of the map are the river hex-sides. These represent waterways which limit manoeuvrability. Units generally need to spend a full turn (one day) to cross these.
Other features, such as towns or cities and fortifications, do not themselves impose an MF cost. Instead, the cost of entering hexes with these features is determined by the other terrain in the hex.
See also Figure 4 for an example of movement.
Figure 4: Movement. US 5/2 IREGT enters the board at 0106, and moves along the road to 0307, for a total cost of 3 MF. US 5/10 IREGT enters on the road on 0108 and likewise moves along the road to 0407 at a cost of 4 MF. US 5/10 IREGT likewise uses road movement (1 MF per hex) to reach 0408. US 7/R ABDE enters on 0110, moves along the road for 3 hexes at a cost of 3 MF, and then moves into the woods hex in 0408 at a cost of 4 MF. In total it spends 7 MF. Finally US 7/B ABDE enters in the clear hex 0111 (2 MF), then to 0211 (another 2 MF because the road in that hex does not connect to 0111), and then along the road for three hexes to 0510, totalling 7 MF.
§8.1.3 Exiting the board
A unit may be voluntarily moved off-map by expending the same MFs as to enter the hex it leaves the map from. If a road goes off-map, then a unit may use road movement (1 MF) to leave the map. See Figure 5 for an example.
Figure 5: Leaving the map. Both US 90/357 iregt and US 5/11 iregt in 0904 and 0905, respectively, intend to leave the map. Hex 0905 is connected off-map by a road, and US 5/11 iregt only needs to spend 1 MF to leave the map. Hex 0904 is not, however, connected off-map by a road, so it will cost US 90/357 iregt 4 MF to leave the map.
A unit that leaves the map voluntarily cannot re-enter the map.
A unit cannot move off-map as a result of a retreat (§9.3) in combat. Instead, the unit is eliminated (§9.4).
§8.2 Reinforcements
Some units, specifically all US units and DE 106 aregt, enter the board as reinforcements. These units start in specific reinforcement boxes (§1.1) and may enter the board via any hex adjacent to the reinforcement box which is not occupied by an enemy unit. A unit entering the board must expend the MFs to enter the first hex (see also Figure 4).
If all possible entry hexes are blocked by enemy units, then a reinforcement unit must enter at the closest hex it can legally enter.
To enter the board, a reinforcement unit must spend the MFs required to enter the entry hex. See also Figure 6 for an example.
Figure 6: Reinforcements. The unit DE 106 aregt is scheduled to enter the map. Since US 90/358 iregt occupies 0601, it cannot enter via that hex. It can enter 0701 at the cost of 2 MF, but then must stop because it enters enemy ZOC. The German unit can also enter the map at 0401 or 0801 at the cost of 1 MF using road movement, and can then spend its remaining 7 MF for further movement. Hexes 0501 and 0901 are also valid entry hexes at costs of 3 MF and 2 MF, respectively.
-
US airborne: If this optional rule is in effect, then the US faction may drop US 502/101 abiregt during any US movement phase. The unit may be dropped:
- in any clear terrain hex,
- possibly in enemy ZOC,
- which is not occupied by a friendly or hostile unit, and
- and cannot move further that turn.
As the unit can be dropped in enemy ZOC, it may attack in the turn it is dropped. Once dropped, the unit behaves as any other unit and cannot be dropped on a later turn.
§9 Combat phase
Combat can happen between adjacent units, or in other words, when opposing units are in each other's ZOC. During a faction's combat phase, that faction is considered the attacker while the opposing faction is considered the defender.
Combat is entirely voluntary. That is, the attacker does not need to attack adjacent units.
Several units may attack a common target, but combat is always against a single defending unit. Another way of saying this, is that a combat is an attack into one hex, and all attackers must be adjacent to the target hex.
An attacking unit may only attack once during a turn, and a defending unit may only be attacked once during a turn.
The attacking faction declares all combats and then resolves them in any order desired. A combat must be fully resolved (including retreats and advances) before moving on to the next combat. See also Figure 7 for an example.
Figure 7: Combat. Continuing the situation after the US movement shown in Figure 4. To the north, US 5/10 iregt attacks DE 462/1010 iregt in 0507. The combat difference is ΔCF = 4, but since the German unit occupies a fortified (⇐3) and woods hex (⇐2), there is a three left column shift so that the combat is resolved in the "0" column. To the south, US 7/CCB abde could attack DE 3/8 airegt in 0609. Instead, however, it joins US 7/CCB abde and US 5/11 iregt in attacking DE 462/Fhnjkr iregt in 0509. We have ΔCF = 14, capped to 10, and there is a ⇐3 since the German unit is in a fortified hex. The combat is to be resolved in the "+4, +5" column.
§9.1 Combat factors and modifiers
The combat factors (CF, see §1.2) of all attacking units is summed, and the CF of the defending unit is then subtracted to calculate the combat factor differential, ΔCF.
If the ΔCF is smaller than −1, then it is treated as −1. If ΔCF is greater than 10, then it is treated as 10.
The combat differential is then matched to a column in the combat resolution table (CRT, Table 3).
- For example, if ΔCF = 3, then the matched column is "+2, +3". If the raw ΔCF = −3, then the column is "≤ −1".
Then, the terrain and features of the hex occupied by the defending unit are cross-indexed with the "CRT shift" column in Table 1, and a possible column shift is applied.
- A unit in a woods hex is attacked with ΔCF = 6 (column "+6, +7"). The woods hex gives a ⇐2 shift, which means the resulting column is "+2, +3".
Figure 8: Column shift. The SS 17/38 airegt and SS 17/37 airegt attack US 101/502 abiregt in 0606, which is a woods and fortified hex. In this combat ΔCF = 2, which gives "+2, +3" before adjusting for the target hex. Defending in a woods hex (hex icon) gives a ⇐2 shift, and from a fortified hex (hex icon) ⇐3. Thus, the resulting column shift is ⇐3 and the CRT column becomes "≤ −1".
If more than one hex terrain or feature is applicable, then the largest column shift is used. See also Figure 8.
Division: If this optional rule is in effect, then if two or more units of the same parent formation (§1.2) attack the same target, then the attack gains a ⇒1 column shift.
Units of other higher formations (divisions) may partake in the combat, and they may even share parent formation. However, no more than ⇒1 can be obtained, no matter how many divisions attack the target.
- In Figure 8 both SS 17/38 airegt and SS 17/37 airegt are of the same higher formation (SS 17th Panzer-Grenadier division), and would thus receive ⇒1 and so the final CRT column would be "0".
Table 3: Combat resolution table. Columns (ΔCF): ≤ −1, 0, 1, +2/+3, +4/+5, +6/+7, +8/+9, ≥ 10. Rows are die rolls 1 to 6:
| Die roll | ≤ −1 | 0 | 1 | +2/+3 | +4/+5 | +6/+7 | +8/+9 | ≥ 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | D1 | D1 | D1 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 |
| 2 | – | – | D1 | D1 | D1 | D2 | D2 | D2 |
| 3 | A1 | – | – | D1 |
Results: A1 Attacker retreat 1 hex. – No effect. D1 Defender retreat 1 hex, attacker advance. D2 Defender retreat 2 hexes, attacker advance. Retreat not into enemy ZOC or across a river hex-side (icons as printed in Table 3).
Figure 9: Combat resolution. Continuing the situation in Figure 7. The attack on 0507 is resolved in the "0" column. The US faction rolls a 2 and the result is "–", i.e., no effect. Both units stay where they are. To the south, the attack on 0509 is resolved in the "+4, +5" column. The US faction rolls 1, resulting in "D2". DE 462/Fhnjkr iregt must retreat two hexes to 0607, the only viable retreat hex (0508 is in enemy ZOC, and 0708 is behind a river hex-side). Note that if DE 462/1010 iregt had been forced to retreat to 0607, then DE 462/Fhnjkr iregt had been blocked from retreating two hexes and would instead have been eliminated. US 5/11 iregt advances into 0509 and then 0608, pursuing the retreating German unit.
§9.2 Combat resolution
Once the final CRT column has been determined, the attacking faction rolls a single six-sided die and then cross-indexes that die roll result with the determined column in the CRT, Table 3.
The result of the combat is then determined:
- A1: All attacking units must retreat (§9.3) 1 hex away from the defending unit. The defending unit may advance (§9.5) into one of the hexes vacated by the attackers.
- –: No effect. Neither attacking nor defending units need to retreat.
- D1: The defending unit must retreat (§9.3) 1 hex away from the attacking units. One attacking unit may advance (§9.5) into the hex vacated by the defending unit.
- D2: The defending unit must retreat (§9.3) 2 hexes away from the attacking units. One attacking unit may advance (§9.5) into the hex previously occupied by the defending unit.
§9.3 Retreat
A defending unit suffering a D1 or D2 result must retreat away from the attacking units. In the case of a D1 result the defending unit must retreat 1 hex away. In the case of a D2 result the defending unit must retreat 2 hexes away.
Attacking units suffering an A1 result must all retreat one hex away from the defending unit.
When a unit retreats it may not:
- move in or through a hex occupied by another unit, friendly or hostile,
- move into enemy ZOC (§5),
- move over a river hex-side (hex icon) even if connected via a road, nor
- move off-map.
If a unit cannot retreat within these limitations, then the unit is immediately eliminated (§9.4).
§9.4 Elimination
When a unit is eliminated, for example because it cannot retreat in a legal way, then that unit is immediately removed from the map. Such units cannot re-enter the map.
§9.5 Advance after combat
If a defending unit suffers a D1 or D2 result or is eliminated as a result of a combat, then the attacking faction has the option to advance after combat.
One, and only one, attacking unit may pursue the retreating defending unit. That is, if the defender retreats one hex (D1), or is eliminated, then one attacking unit may move into the hex vacated by the defending unit. If the defending unit is retreated two hexes, then one attacking unit may move into the hex occupied by the retreating unit or into the hex through which the defending unit retreated.
If attacking units suffer an A1 result, then the defending faction has the option to advance the single defending unit into one of the hexes vacated by the attacking units.
Advances can be across a river hex-side.
§10 Victory points
The winner of the game is decided by victory points (VPs). Victory points are awarded contiguously over the game and it is advised for the factions to keep track of their VPs via the provided score chart or similar.
The awarding of VPs is summarised in Table 4.
Table 4: Victory points.
| Faction | VP | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| US | 5 per unit | East of Moselle for 3 consecutive turns |
| US | 5 per unit | Exit map on East edge |
| US | 5 | Control Thionville (0701) |
| US | 20 | Control Metz (0807) |
| DE | 10 per unit | Exit map on West edge |
| DE | 8 − turn per unit | Exit map on East or South edges (see §10.2) |
§10.1 US victory points
- 5 VP for each US unit east of the Moselle river for at least 3 consecutive turns before the end of turn 7.
- 5 VP for each US unit that moves voluntarily off-map over the east edge of the map (hex column 09XX) before the end of turn 7.
- 5 VP for controlling (§7) Thionville (0701) by the end of turn 7.
- 20 VP for controlling (§7) Metz (0807) by the end of turn 7.
§10.2 German victory points
- 10 VP for each German unit that voluntarily moves off-map over the west edge of the map (hex column 01XX).
- 8 − turn VP per Panzer-Grenadier unit that voluntarily moves off-map over either the east (hex column 09XX) or south (hex row XX11) edges of the map. The number of VPs awarded depends on the turn during which the unit moves off-map. If the unit moves off-map on the first turn, then 7 VP are awarded, on turn 2 gives 6 VP, and so on down to turn 7 where only 1 VP is awarded.
§10.3 Victory determination
The faction with the most VPs wins the game. The degree of victory is determined by how many more VPs the victor has over the loser (ΔVP), and is summarised in Table 5.
Table 5: Victory conditions.
| ΔVP | Victory |
|---|---|
| ≥ 5 | Marginal |
| ≥ 10 | Substantial |
| ≥ 15 | Decisive |