The Scheldt Campaign
The Scheldt Campaign Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Game Equipment
- 3.0 Definitions
- 4.0 Setting Up the Game
- 5.0 Sequence of Play
- 6.0 Staff Markers
- 7.0 G-1 Administration
- 8.0 G-2 Intelligence
- 9.0 G-3 Operations
- 10.0 Battles
- 11.0 G-4 Logistics
- 12.0 Planning Phase
- 13.0 Special Rules and Situations
- 14.0 How to Win
- 15.0 Optional Rules
- 16.0 Designer's Notes
- 17.0 Notes on the Opposing Forces
- Sample Allied Player Turn
- Staff Marker Actions Summary
1.0 Introduction
The Scheldt Campaign is an operational level wargame covering operations in the area of the Scheldt Estuary in Belgium and Holland in October and November of 1944. The crucially important port city of Antwerp had fallen to a rapid British advance in September, but the port could not be used until the coastal artillery defences at the mouth of the Scheldt had been neutralized and the river swept of thousands of mines. It fell to the First Canadian Army, already tired and overstretched after being in continuous combat since the D-Day invasion, to clear the Scheldt.
One player (the Allied Player) takes the role of General Simonds, temporary commander of the First Canadian Army, and will command Canadian, British, Polish and United States forces. The other player (the German Player) takes the role of General von Zangen, commander of the Fifteenth Army, and will command various forces from the German Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The Allied Player controls the following units, denoted by the following colours:
- Canadian – brown
- British – tan
- Polish – orange-red
- United States – green
The German Player controls all German units (though they are variously from the Army, Navy, Air Force, SS, and other military, or paramilitary, organizations). They are all coloured gray.
2.0 Game Equipment
Each copy of The Scheldt Campaign includes the following components:
- this rules booklet,
- (1) 11"x25.5" mapsheet, in two parts,
- (2) sheets comprising 264 laser-cut counters,
- (2) Order of Battle Mats,
- (1) Battle Display,
- (2) Player Aid Cards,
- and (6) six-sided dice (D6s).
2.1 The Game Map
The game map shows an area from the resort town of Knokke-zur-See to the city of Tilburg. It is divided into many small hexagon-shaped areas ("hexes"). Each hex represents a distance of about 6 kilometers across and displays the predominant terrain in the hex, either natural (forest, polder, river, sea/estuary) or man-made (road, town, city, canal, causeway, fortification). Units move and conduct operations within these hexes, like the squares on a chessboard.
2.2 Counters
The playing pieces (referred to as counters) represent the military units that were involved in the battle. The numbers and symbols on the playing pieces represent the strength, abilities, and type of unit represented by that playing piece.
2.2.1 Units
Units represent the forces with which you maneuver and conduct combat on the map.
- Unit Type Symbol: Indicates the type of Unit. A transparent Unit Type Symbol indicates a Tactical Unit. A white Unit Type Symbol indicates a Task Force Headquarters (TF HQ) Unit. A yellow Unit Type Symbol denotes Scratch Battalions (13.2.2).
- Attack Factor (AF): Unit's basic ability to Attack. A box around the Attack Factor indicates that the Unit cannot attack by themselves, but can only support Attacks made by other Units.
- Range: The number of hexes across which an Artillery Unit can support an Attack or Defense.
- Defense Factor (DF): Unit's basic ability to Defend. A box around the Defense Factor indicates that the Unit does not Fire in Defense.
- Movement Factor (MF): Unit's basic ability to move.
- Special Rule Stripe: Indicates that the Unit has a special capability, summarized in 13.1 and 13.2.
- Set-Up Code: The letter on the back of the counter corresponds to Set-Up Instructions on the Player Aid Card.
There are two general types of units:
- Task Force Headquarters (TF HQs). These are shown as divisional headquarters and represent the command, control and support structures (e.g., leaders and staff, Left Out of Battle cadres, reconnaissance, engineer and supply units, etc.) for groups of Tactical Units. Each TF HQ has a unit identification and a corresponding holding box on the OOB mat into which Tactical Units are placed.
- Tactical Units. These represent military formations from battalion (300-500 men) to brigade (2,000+) size. Most are regiments or brigades, representing several thousand men and vehicles. Tactical Units are usually placed in the Holding Box for each Task Force, thus providing that Task Force's mission capabilities. Tactical Units may also be placed on the map and operate as detached units.
Unit sizes, indicated at the top of the counter, are as follows:
- XX: division (TF HQ only)
- X: brigade, or group of battalions
- III: regiment
- II: battalion
2.2.2 Game Function Markers
Certain counters record certain unit states or game conditions. They include:
- Battle marker denotes where a battle is taking place.
- Game Turn Marker is used on the Game Turn Record Track to track the current turn.
- Hit Markers (-1, -2, etc.) show how badly a Tactical Unit has been damaged in Combat. Hit Markers reduce both the unit's AF and DF by the total indicated, to a minimum of zero. When a Tactical Unit takes hits in excess of its DF, it has ceased to function effectively and is placed in the Dead Pile. Note that "-5" and "-6" markers with a black outline have "-7" on the reverse.
- Dice Remaining and Hits Inflicted Markers are used to track the number of dice to be rolled, and the number of hits inflicted, during the current Battle.
2.3 Staff Markers
Each turn, players make choices about what kind of operations they want to conduct, represented by a hand of Staff Markers. Each side has its own set of Staff Markers (red back for the Allies, black back for the Germans) that make things work in the game. These markers are neither shuffled nor randomly drawn. Rather, each side begins with all of their Staff Markers available from the start, but will select a "hand" of Staff Markers each turn equal to their C2 level (3.1).
3.0 Definitions
3.1 C2
C2 stands for Command and Control, or a measure of how well a player's forces can organize, direct and support units.
The Allied Player's C2 rating is 7. He has a hand of 7 Staff Markers and each Task Force can contain seven Tactical Units.
The German Player's C2 rating is 4. He has a hand of 4 Staff Markers and each Task Force can contain four Tactical Units.
3.2 Isolation
When every hex adjacent to a unit is either occupied by an enemy unit, or is vacant but an enemy Operations Zone is exerted on the hex, it is isolated. Isolated units cannot have reinforcement units appear on or adjacent to them (see 7.1), cannot Recover from Hits (see 7.3), and cannot retreat (see 10.5.6). Isolated artillery units cannot be used to support units outside of the hex they occupy (see 10.4).
3.3 OOB
OOB stands for Order of Battle and refers specifically to the off-map player mats with their Holding Boxes. In these Holding Boxes, Tactical Units are assigned to Task Forces (and are placed in the appropriate Holding Box) while the Task Force HQ unit itself, representing those Tactical Units, is placed on the map. Note that Tactical Units may be detached and placed on the map without being on an OOB mat, but they conduct operations singly.
3.4 Operations Zone
Each Task Force has an Operations Zone that consists of the hex in which it is currently placed, and all hexes adjacent to it. Units that move into an uncontested enemy Operations Zone (that is, a hex that is both adjacent to an enemy Task Force and vacant) must stop. Also, by playing a G-1 marker, a player may Regroup all Tactical Units in the Operations Zone of a given Task Force (see 7.2).
3.5 Polder
The Terrain Effects Chart, map, and rules all identify "polder" hexes; this term refers to a low-lying tract of land enclosed by dikes. This can be land reclaimed from a body of water, flood plains separated from the sea or river by a dike, or drained marshes/swamps. In this area of the Netherlands the carefully maintained system of dikes soon broke down, flooding many areas more or less severely, while the only places vehicles and guns could move and deploy was via the straight and very exposed roads running on top of the dikes. Certainly terrain that favoured the defender.
3.6 Select
When a player is told to "select" a Staff Marker, he examines the designated Staff Markers and chooses the Staff Marker.
3.7 Task Force
Note that a Task Force, regardless of how many Tactical Units it contains (up to the C2 limit, see 7.2.1), is still considered only one unit. When activated (using a single Staff Marker) to move, attack, etc., all of the Tactical Units in that TF HQ participate as well (i.e., you do not have to spend a marker for each Tactical Unit in a Task Force to move or attack with that Task Force). Thus, Task Forces containing multiple Tactical Units are much more efficient to operate than individual detached Tactical Units. TF HQs have no intrinsic strength; they are composed of Tactical Units which provide that Task Force's strength and durability. A TF HQ with no Tactical Units attached to it is removed from the map and placed on the OOB Mat.
3.8 Unit
This term refers to both detached Tactical Units and Task Forces (that contain Tactical Units themselves). Since many procedures refer to conducting operations by "unit", players will see that it is much more efficient to group their units as Task Forces.
4.0 Setting Up the Game
Follow these steps to set up the game:
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Each player chooses which side to play: Allied or German.
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Each player then takes the units designated by the Setup Instructions and places them on the map as directed. Units are placed on the map as detached Tactical Units, or on the OOB mat as part of Task Forces. The Allied places first, then the German. Note that due to C2 limitations, some German Units must begin detached.
Note that many units will set up with Hits already allocated against them, or that a random number of Hits must be allocated among the units of a Task Force. In the latter case, the owning player may allocate the Hits as he likes, up to completely eliminating units from the Task Force at start. If he does this, the units are removed from the game completely. They are considered as too damaged to take part in the battle from the beginning, or have been absorbed into other units, and so are not placed in the Dead Pile (and therefore do not count for Victory Points at the end of the game). However, this will reduce the number of maneuver units the player will have during the game.
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Each player then selects his initial hand of Staff Markers from his pool, 7 for the Allied, 4 for the German per 3.1.
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Place the Staff Markers so they cannot be seen by the other player. Again, these are NOT shuffled nor are they picked at random: you get to take what you want.
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The game is now ready to play. Begin play using the Sequence of Play (see 5.0).
5.0 Sequence of Play
Each game turn represents an indefinite period of time, from one to two days. Each game turn consists of the following Phases that must be conducted in the stated order:
5.1 Allied Player Turn
5.1.1 Preparation Phase
The Allied Player may play G-1 Staff Markers to enter reinforcements, reorganize his Tactical Units, and help them to Recover from battle damage (see 7.0).
5.2.2 Operations Phase
The Allied Player plays his G-2, G-3 and G-4 Staff Markers in any order. See the rules sections describing the functions of each type of marker (see 8.0, 9.0, 11.0). The German Player can play G-2 and G-4 Staff Markers when the Allied Player initiates Attacks (see 10.0).
5.2.3 Planning Phase
The Allied Player discards his remaining Staff Markers and selects a number of Staff Markers from his Available Pile, up to the limit of his hand size allowed by his C2 Level.
Editor's note: the printed numbering in Section 5.1 jumps from 5.1.1 to 5.2.2 and 5.2.3; the headings are transcribed as printed.
5.3 German Player Turn
As for the Allied Player Turn, but they switch roles.
5.4 End of Turn
Advance the Game Turn marker. If this is the last turn of the game, determine the winner.
The game consists of 32 turns. Play continues thus until the end of 32 turns, or one player resigns.
DESIGN NOTE: there are no separate movement phases, combat phases, etc., as in many wargames. Rather, all such activity is generated solely by the play of Staff Markers.
6.0 Staff Markers
The Staff Markers are named according to typical modern military staff sections (slightly modified for the game):
- G-1 Administration (assignment and organization of forces);
- G-2 Intelligence (about enemy strengths and intentions);
- G-3 Operations (tactical moves and combat);
- G-4 Logistics (strategic moves, combat support, etc.).
6.1 Command & Control (C2) Level
Each player has a C2 Level which represents the maximum number of Staff markers he may have in his hand at any one time: the Allied Player – 7; the German Player – 4. This C2 Level also determines how many Tactical Units the player may have under command of a single TF HQ at one time.
6.2 Selecting Staff Markers
Each Player selects his hand of Staff Markers from those in his Available Pile during his Planning Phase at the end of his Player Turn. (They are also selected as part of initial deployment.) Markers remain in your hand until played or until your ensuing Planning Phase, at which time you keep or discard any markers in your hand and then select back up to your C2 Level.
6.3 Playing Staff Markers
Generally, Staff Markers are played one at a time during a player's Preparation or Operations Phase in any order desired. That Staff Marker's action is performed, then the next Staff Marker is played, and so on. Sometimes (e.g. during a battle) Staff Markers may be played simultaneously. When a marker has been played, it is usually returned to the Available Pile.
KEY CONCEPT: Since you select Staff Markers during your Planning Phase, the enemy has an entire turn to perform Actions with his markers, thereby possibly rendering your choices moot - reflecting very real staff planning issues at this level.
The following sections (7-11) describe how to use the Staff Markers, in their G-x order. These will generate the various actions players can take.
7.0 G-1 Administration
G-1 Staff Markers are played only in the Preparation Phase. By playing ONE G-1 Staff Marker, you can do ONE of the following:
- Enter reinforcement units into the game (amount, location and source determined by scenario instructions);
- Regroup units in a given area;
- Recover Tactical Units (remove Hits sustained in battle).
7.1 Reinforcements
Reinforcements are new units which have not yet entered play. Available Reinforcements will be listed in the scenario instructions. Play a G-1 marker in the Preparation Phase and they are received, in the quantities and at the locations directed. Reinforcement units cannot appear in a hex where they would be Isolated (see 3.2). They are eligible to conduct operations in that turn's Operations Phase.
7.2 Regroup Tactical Units
By playing one G-1 marker, the player may Regroup all friendly Tactical Units in the Operations Zone of one TF HQ. He may attach or detach Tactical Units into/out of/among that or other TF HQs (if other TF HQs happen to be in the Operations Zone of the designated TF HQ). Units attached to a TF HQ are placed in the matching holding box on the OOB Mat. The TF HQ doing the regrouping may not change its hex.
Tactical units detached from TF HQs or otherwise regrouped are placed on the map in any hex in the HQ's Operations Zone that:
- does not contain enemy units or is in an uncontested enemy Operations Zone (that is, the hex in question is both vacant and adjacent to an enemy TF HQ), and
- to which the unit could legally move during Tactical Movement (see 9.1.4, 9.1.6).
7.2.1 Task Force Restrictions and Limits
During regrouping, a TF HQ may have all its Tactical Units removed from it. It is removed from the map, and held off-map in the holding box belonging to it on the OOB Mat. A player may also play a G-1 marker to place such an "empty" TF HQ on any hex that contains one or more detached Tactical Units, thus creating a new Task Force.
TF HQs may not have other TF HQs attached to them.
A TF HQ can have in its box in the OOB Mat Tactical Units equal to or fewer than the player's C2 Level.
British and Canadian Tactical Units may freely coexist within Task Forces of either nationality. Polish and United States Tactical Units may only form Task Forces with TF HQs and Tactical Units of their own nationality.
7.3 Recovery
Playing ONE G-1 Staff Marker will allow the player to remove 1-3 Hits (roll one die and halve the result, rounding up) from one Tactical Unit.
7.3.1 Restrictions and Limits
Units cannot recover from Hits while Isolated (see 3.2).
No single Tactical Unit may have more than ONE G-1 marker played on it for this purpose per Player turn.
Any Tactical Unit that has hits removed from it in the Preparation Phase may not conduct any operations in the following Operations Phase. Turn the unit sideways or upside down to remind you of this restriction. Note that having some Tactical Units within a Task Force Recover does not prevent the rest of the Task Force from acting in the following Operations Phase, with the following stipulations:
- If the owning player wants the Task Force to conduct an Attack without first conducting Tactical Movement, then he could do so (and the recovering Tactical Units would simply not participate in the battle, though they could advance with the rest of the Task Force after combat, see 10.5.6).
- If the owning player wants the Task Force to conduct Tactical or Strategic Movement, then he would have to play another G-1 marker to regroup the recovering Tactical Units out of the Task Force, then move off with the remainder.
8.0 G-2 Intelligence
Generally, certain pieces of information are open, and others hidden from your opponent. The identity of TF HQ Units and detached Tactical Units on the map are, naturally, open information. The number of Tactical Units in a Task Force, and the specific Tactical Units making up that Task Force, is hidden information: normally, you and your opponent cannot examine the contents of the other's OOB Mat. The number of Staff Markers you have remaining in your hand is open information, but the exact nature of those Markers is hidden. G-2 Staff Markers allow you (or your sneaky opponent) to gain some insight into hidden information (Operational Intelligence gathering).
By playing ONE G-2 Staff Marker, you can do ONE of the following:
- conduct Tactical Intelligence activities (to take or recover Tactical Advantage in battle)
- conduct Operational Intelligence gathering (to discover the enemy force structure or capabilities)
8.1 Tactical Intelligence
Tactical Intelligence represents the use of scouts, local informants, deception and camouflage operations, and so forth to both locate and identify the enemy in preparation for direct action, or confuse or avoid his actions, thereby gaining or retaining local initiative.
Procedure: in Step 2 (Commitment) of a Battle (10.2), play a G-2 marker. If you are the Attacker, and the Defender did not play a G-2 marker, then you will have Tactical Advantage in the following battle. If you are the Defender, you will have Tactical Advantage, whether the Attacker played a G-2 marker or not. That is, the play of a G-2 marker by the Defender trumps the play of a G-2 marker by the Attacker.
8.2 Operational Intelligence Collection
Once in his player turn, a player may declare that he is using a G-2 marker to collect operational intelligence. This represents use of reconnaissance aircraft, interception of radio traffic, espionage, or other resources not normally available to a local commander.
Procedure: play a G-2 marker, and either:
- examine the enemy's Staff Marker hand and then return it, or
- examine the enemy player's OOB Mat for 30 seconds to see which units are in which holding boxes. You will need some kind of time-measuring device, such as an hourglass, sundial, or wristwatch. An atomic clock would be preferred.
9.0 G-3 Operations
By playing ONE G-3 marker, ONE friendly unit (again, this may be a single Tactical Unit, or an entire Task Force) may EITHER:
- conduct Tactical Movement; OR
- conduct an Attack.
9.1 Tactical Movement
In this procedure, a player may move his units from hex to adjacent hex in an Operations Phase. Every unit has a Movement Factor (MF), expressed in Movement Points (MPs), and every hex on the map has an associated cost in MPs to enter it, or in some cases to cross a hexside. See the Terrain Effects Chart. Movement is voluntary but a unit must stop when it runs out of MPs. MPs may not be saved from turn to turn or transferred to other units.
9.1.1 Restrictions
A given unit may conduct Tactical Movement only once per Player-turn. A unit must stop when it enters a hex containing an uncontested enemy Operations Zone (that is, the hex in question is both vacant and adjacent to an enemy TF HQ). A unit may never enter a hex containing an enemy unit. Units may not move off the map.
9.1.2 Sequencing
You must complete the movement of one unit before commencing the movement of another.
9.1.3 Task Force Movement
A Task Force will move at the rate of the slowest Tactical Unit (i.e., with the lowest MF) in its Holding Box.
9.1.4 Mechanized Unit Movement Restrictions
Mechanized-class (tank, armoured engineer, assault gun, APC) Tactical Units (or Task Forces containing these units) may not enter or leave polder or flooded hexes unless they are following a road through the hex (i.e. they entered the hex through a hexside crossed by a road, and leave through a hexside crossed by a road).
9.1.5 Hex Stacking
Though there is a limit on how many Tactical Units may be included in a Task Force, there is no limit on the number of units that may be in a hex.
9.1.6 Minimum Movement
A unit may always move one hex, as long as it is not crossing or entering prohibited terrain (i.e., across estuary/sea hexsides, or a mechanized unit entering unroaded polder/flooded hexes; see 9.1.4).
9.2 Attack
A designated unit that has had a G-3 marker played on it may initiate a battle between that unit and an adjacent hex that has an enemy unit or units in it. This is called an Attack; the player who played the Staff Marker is called the Attacker and the other player is called the Defender, regardless of the overall strategic situation. In the appropriate Fire segment (determined by who has the Tactical Advantage), the Attacker's units will use their AF and the Defender's units will use their DF (as adjusted by any Hits on the Tactical Units involved).
9.2.1 Restrictions
A player Attacks a given hex, not a given unit. He does not have to use all of his own units in the attack (in which case they will not be affected by the defender's fire); however, all defending units in the hex do participate in the hex's defence.
9.2.2 Persistence
A unit can attack more than once, and can even attack the same, or different, hex(es) multiple times, per Friendly Player Turn, simply by playing additional G-3 markers.
9.2.3 Mechanized Unit Restrictions
Mechanized-class (tank, armoured engineer, assault gun, APC) Tactical Units may not attack into or out of polder or flooded hexes unless they are "following" a road (i.e. they are attacking a hex through a hexside crossed by a road). A Task Force containing such units may still attack the hex; simply leave the mechanized units out of the battle.
9.2.4 Artillery
Artillery units cannot attack the enemy on their own – at least one non-artillery Tactical Unit, with an effective AF greater than zero, must be directly involved in the attack. Artillery units attacked alone in a hex (or if they are the only units in a Task Force) defend with a DF of one (each).
10.0 Battles
10.1 Initiating a Battle
When a unit has a G-3 marker played on it to initiate an Attack (see 9.2), a Battle ensues. Each Battle is resolved individually and a Battle must be completed before the next Attack can commence. Only the attacker must play a G-3 marker to initiate a battle. The defender does not have to play a G-3 marker to defend (however, if he wants outside artillery or air support, he must play a G-4 marker). A Battle consists of the following Steps:
10.1.1 Attack Declaration
The attacker plays one G-3 marker to initiate an Attack. Place the Battle marker on the hexside across which the Attacker is Attacking.
10.1.2 Commitment
Players simultaneously commit any G-2 or G-4 Staff Markers they want to play in support of their units.
10.1.3 Placement
Place all engaged units and Staff Markers on the Battle Display, as an aid to organizing the battle.
10.1.4 Tactical Advantage Determination
Determine which player has the Tactical Advantage (see 10.3).
10.1.5 First Fire (Tactical Advantage Player)
Tactical Advantage Player units conduct First Fire. Roll dice equal to the total of:
- each firing non-artillery unit's AF or DF, as adjusted by any hits previously applied to the unit;
- each firing artillery unit's AF; and
- three dice if the firing player is Allied, and had committed a G-4 marker for Air Support.
Each time a 5 is rolled, record one "hit" on the enemy. Each time a 6 is rolled, record two "hits". The Tactical Disadvantage player distributes hits among his units involved as he sees fit (but see 10.5.2).
Keep track of Dice rolled and Hits Inflicted with the "Dice Remaining" and "Hits Inflicted" markers along the numbered track on the Battle Display. This is not necessary for every battle, but players will find it useful when resolving larger engagements.
10.1.6 Return Fire (Tactical Disadvantage Player)
Tactical Disadvantage Player Units conduct Return Fire. Surviving engaged units return fire, as above (and at reduced effectiveness, if they took any hits just now – note that the player's artillery and/or Air Support will still take effect, even if the artillery units were destroyed). The Tactical Advantage player distributes hits among his involved units, as above, and may convert some of these hits to retreats (see 10.5.5). If the Defender's hex is empty after Return Fire, the Attacker may advance into it.
Important: there is only one Round of Fire exchanged per Battle (but see 9.2.2).
10.1.7 Housekeeping
Discard Staff Markers to the player's Available Pile. Return Tactical Units to the proper Holding Boxes on the OOB mat, or the map. Remove the Battle Marker.
10.2 Committing Staff Markers to a Battle
During Step 2 (Commitment) both players may secretly choose Staff Markers that they wish to play from their hands and commit to that Battle. These will be G-2 (to gain or retain Tactical Advantage) or G-4 (for combat support by aircraft or artillery units outside of the attacking or defending units). After both players have committed their desired Staff Markers, they are simultaneously revealed and their effects noted.
10.3 Tactical Advantage
Having the Tactical Advantage means that your units in that Battle will have First Fire – you shoot first, and the enemy player will fire back with his effectiveness reduced by Hits (and if any non-artillery units were eliminated, they will not be able to fire back at all).
The Defender always has the Tactical Advantage, except when the Attacker has seized it through play of a G-2 marker, however the Defender can guarantee that he keeps the Tactical Advantage by committing a G-2 marker in Step 2 (Commitment).
10.4 Combat Support
Players may commit G-4 markers in support of their units. The German Player may commit only ONE G-4 marker (as artillery support) in a given battle, the Allied Player may commit TWO G-4 markers (one for artillery, one for aircraft).
A G-4 marker committed as artillery support will allow ALL non-isolated friendly artillery units (regardless of nationality) that are within range of the Defender's hex (refer to the small superscript number on the unit) to fire in the battle, at the appropriate time, with their effective AF. These units do not take any hits when the enemy player fires.
A player does not have to play a G-4 marker to allow the artillery units that are directly involved in the battle to fire (i.e., the units in the Task Force or hex attacking or under attack; these units may be isolated and still fire). These directly-involved artillery units would be liable to take hits when the enemy player fires, and their fire is still effective even if they were eliminated in the First Fire segment.
A G-4 marker committed as air support (Allied Player only) will add THREE dice to the player's total of dice rolled.
10.5 Fire
10.5.1 First Fire
The player with the Tactical Advantage (see 10.3) fires first. He rolls a number of dice up to his total AF or DF of his engaged units (depending on whether he is the Attacker or Defender) and G-4 marker (see below).
10.5.2 Hits
Each "5" rolled is one hit; each "6" rolled is two hits. Keep a total of all hits inflicted on the enemy with the Hits Inflicted marker. When the rolling is done, the affected player distributes the inflicted hits among his involved Tactical Units as he sees fit, by placing Hit Markers of the correct denominations on top of the Tactical Unit(s).
A Tactical Unit with a Hit marker (or markers) on it has both its AF and DF lowered by the total number of hits allocated to that unit, to a minimum of zero. For example, a 1-2-3 German infantry battalion with one Hit on it would have its AF reduced to 0 and its DF reduced to 1.
A Tactical Unit that has a total number of Hits allocated to it equal to its printed DF is eliminated. Remove any Hit markers on the unit and place it in the Dead Pile. This does not mean that everyone in the unit has been killed, just that it has taken enough losses, disruption and fatigue to be ineffective in combat. However, it will not recover in time to rejoin the campaign. Note that an artillery unit that is eliminated in a Battle is still able to Fire in the same Battle before being removed to the Dead Pile.
A unit may not have a number of hits greater than its DF applied against it; excess hits must go to other directly-involved units if they are present.
If all Tactical Units in a Task Force have been eliminated and there are no more hits to apply, then the Task Force HQ is removed to its box on the OOB Mat (it may reappear later if the player uses a G-1 marker to Regroup units into a new Task Force). However, if there are still more hits to apply, then and only then may the Task Force HQ have one hit applied against it. It is automatically eliminated and placed in the Dead Pile and therefore cannot be reconstituted.
10.5.3 Misses
Any roll of 1, 2, 3, or 4 on the die is a Miss and has no effect on enemy units.
10.5.4 Return Fire
The player with the Tactical Disadvantage fires second, using his units and G-4 markers. Firing is not simultaneous: if the player's units took Hits during First Fire, they fire back at their reduced AF or DF. Eliminated units do not fire back at all. Exception: fire from Artillery units, and any Air Support committed to the battle, still arrives at full effect.
10.5.5 Effect Reductions
Certain circumstances allow for a reduction of the ill effects suffered in a Battle.
Terrain: the Defender (only) may reduce the total number of Hits it suffers by an amount equal to the total of:
- the Terrain Modifier of the hex itself,
- any Terrain modifiers for being attacked across a canal/river/causeway hexside, and
- the modifier for any Fortification present in the hex.
These modifiers are cumulative; a defender in a clear hex with a village (+1) and a Fortification (+1), attacked across a canal (+1), could ignore 3 hits.
Note, if the Allied Player is Attacking, and his "Funnies" unit is present, the defender's reduction of hits due to terrain is reduced by one - see 13.1.1.
Retreats: after making any reductions for terrain, the Defender may convert up to half (round up) of any remaining hits to retreats if he has Tactical Advantage. The defending units will move one hex away from their original defending hex for each retreat per 10.5.6.
10.5.6 Retreat and Advance
Defending units may only retreat through hexes that are not in an uncontested enemy Operations Zone and that they may legally traverse in Tactical Movement; therefore, Isolated units may not retreat at all, units may not retreat across prohibited terrain hexsides, and motorized units may not retreat across unroaded polder/flooded hexes.
Units may not retreat off the map.
If the Defender's original hex is now empty, due to retreats or the defending units being destroyed in place, the Attacker may at his option advance his unit or Task Force into the hex.
10.6 Housekeeping
Clear the Battle Mat by returning all surviving Tactical Units to their respective Task Force Holding Box(es) on the OOB Mat or, if detached, to their respective hexes on the map. Discard played Staff Markers to the Available Pile.
11.0 G-4 Logistics
G-4 markers may be used to increase the power of your forces in combat, as well as allowing large-scale redeployments. Play of ONE G-4 marker will allow you to do ONE of the following:
- conduct Strategic Movement with one unit;
- provide Combat Support to your forces in a battle.
11.1 Strategic Movement
Play of one G-4 marker for this purpose allows one unit (again, this could be one Tactical Unit or an entire Task Force) to move larger distances on the map, treating it as if it had TRIPLE its MF (again, in the case of a Task Force, use the MF of the slowest unit in the Task Force). The unit may not begin or end its movement adjacent to any enemy units, nor may it move adjacent to enemy units at any time.
11.1.1 Cross-Scheldt Movement
Units may move between Breskens and Vlissingen, or between Terneuzen and Hoedenskerke, at the rate of one Tactical Unit (only) per G-4 marker played, as long as the owning player has units in both towns (he is transferring small numbers of troops across with ferries, barges, and landing craft). The enemy player may not interfere with this movement (except of course by capturing either town). The Tactical Unit must end its player-turn in the town moved to (so a Tactical Unit could begin the player-turn in one town, or move to the town via Tactical Movement, and then cross the Scheldt – but it must then stop moving for the Player-turn).
11.2 Combat Support
The German and Allied Players may commit a maximum of one and two G-4 markers, respectively, to a Battle during Step 2 of the Battle Sequence (see 10.4).
12.0 Planning Phase
During a Planning Phase, the conducting player discards any leftover Staff Markers to the Available Pile and selects a new hand of Staff Markers equal to his C2 Level. He may select any Staff Markers of his choice from his Available Pile.
Note that planning ahead is rewarded here. You are not only setting up your own next turn, you are also choosing markers to react to what you think your opponent will do in his next turn!
13.0 Special Rules and Situations
The Scheldt Campaign was an unusual one, fought over very difficult terrain, with many types of specialized units.
13.1 Special Allied Units
13.1.1 "Funnies" Unit
This counter represents a detachment of the British 79th Armoured Division, which used many specialized armoured engineering and combat vehicles known as "Funnies". When this unit is present in a Task Force that is attacking and the "Funnies" unit is participating in the attack, the defender's reduction of Hits due to terrain, canal/river hexsides, or fortifications (10.5.5) is reduced by one. This reduction only applies if the defender had some kind of reduction to begin with; that is, it would not place an extra Hit on a defender engaged in an unfortified clear hex. If attacked, the unit does not fire defensively. It is eliminated if it is required to take a Hit for any reason.
13.1.2 5th Assault Regiment
This was another part of the 79th Armoured division, a special unit composed of "Terrapin" and "Buffalo" tracked and wheeled amphibious vehicles. The unit may "carry" one non-motorized infantry-class Tactical Unit (infantry, parachute, or Special Forces); group them together by playing a G-1 marker, stack the units together and treat them henceforth as one unit, with an MF of 4 (this is the only case where two Tactical Units may stack and move together). When moving as a detached Tactical Unit, the unit (and its passenger) treats polder, flooded, and water hexes/hexsides as clear terrain for purposes of movement (however, the unit may not end its movement "at sea" in an all-water hex). If the Tactical Unit being carried is eliminated in combat the Assault Regiment is also lost.
13.1.3 Parachute Units
At one point in the planning of the campaign the use of airborne troops was considered. To reflect this the Allied Player has two brigades of parachute troops available as optional reinforcements. He enters them by playing G-1 markers, one per each brigade. The brigade enters play by being placed in any clear terrain hex that is free of enemy units (it may however land in an enemy Operations Zone). Due to accidents, scattered landings, and anti-aircraft fire, the parachute brigade may incur some Hits when landing: the Allied Player must roll two dice and apply any Hits to the unit. (It is possible, but unlikely, that the brigade may be eliminated in the drop.) In the following Operations Phase, the brigade may conduct an attack on an adjacent hex by playing a G-3 marker (and optionally G-4 markers to support the attack). Regardless of their ultimate fate, the German Player receives one-half of one Victory Point for each parachute brigade the Allied Player uses.
13.1.4 4th Special Service Force
This special forces unit was given the mission of conducting an amphibious assault on Walcheren Island. Because the right combination of tides and daylight must be present, the unit is available as a reinforcement only on turns 10, 20, and 30. The Allied Player enters this unit by playing a G-1 marker on the appropriate turn and placing the unit adjacent to Westkapelle, Domburg, or Vlissingen. The unit may enter the town if it is free of enemy units; if enemy units are there, he must conduct an attack on the town by playing a G-3 marker (and optionally G-4 markers to support it). For this first attack only, the unit automatically gets Tactical Advantage in the battle (even if the German plays a G-2 marker). This represents bombardment by the Force's accompanying naval squadron. If the town still has enemy forces in it at the end of that turn's Operations Phase (remember the unit can attack several times if the Allied Player has more G-3 markers), the special forces unit is eliminated.
13.1.5 51st British Division
Historically, this unit was part of 1 British Corps, which formed part of the First Canadian Army. It did not directly take part in the battle of the Scheldt, as it was covering a sector of the front to the east of the area covered by the map. However, it could have been used to give the offensive additional power, while putting the Allied forces at a disadvantage elsewhere on the front.
The entire Division (that is, the 51 XX TF HQ, three infantry brigades - 152, 153, 154 - and the 51 artillery brigade) is available as an optional reinforcement from turn 4 to 12. The Allied Player plays one G-1 marker to commit the entire division in the Preparation Phase of any turn during this interval; it appears in his choice of Turnhout or Antwerp (whichever is free of German units). However, the German Player gets one-half of a Victory Point for each turn the 51st Division, or any part of it, is on the map.
To limit these VP gains, the Allied Player may withdraw the Division during any subsequent Allied Preparation Phase. The Division must be withdrawn at the beginning of Turn 12. To do this, simply pick up the component units of the division from wherever they are and remove them from the game; you do not have to play a G-1 marker. If any of the component units have been eliminated, the Allied Player must take other equivalent units from his forces - an entire division-equivalent must be withdrawn.
13.1.6 1st Canadian APC Regiment
This was a special unit of "Kangaroo" Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), converted from Canadian-built "Ram" tanks, sufficient to "lift" the rifle companies of one infantry battalion at a time. When this unit is present in a Task Force that is attacking, and at least one non-motorized infantry-class Tactical Unit (infantry, parachute or Special Forces) is participating in the attack, the Allied Player may designate which Tactical Unit is receiving its protection and may reduce the number of Hits applied against that Tactical Unit by one. If the designated Tactical Unit is eliminated, the APC Regiment is also lost. When attacked, it does not fire defensively or have this special function. It is eliminated if it is required to take a Hit for any reason.
13.2 Special German Units
13.2.1 Coastal Artillery Units
The German Player has ten coastal artillery units, representing batteries of, in some cases, very large guns in concrete casement fortifications. Eliminating these units, and the threat to Allied shipping they pose, is a major objective for the Allied Player. While some of them may be used as artillery units to help German forces in battle (through play of G-4 Staff Markers), these units always act as detached Tactical Units and may never be part of a Task Force. They may not convert Hits to Retreats. Some coastal artillery units on Walcheren Island may be destroyed by deliberate flooding (see 13.3.3).
13.2.2 Scratch Battalions
The German Player has a total of 25 "scratch" battalions: ad hoc groups composed of stragglers, administrative and logistical troops, armed sailors, and elements of divisional infantry (the various unit types are shown only for variety and have no effect on gameplay). These units have yellow Unit Type Symbols to differentiate them from "normal" units. The German Player begins the game with a random number of these battalions, chosen randomly from the initial 25 available, and may enter new battalions (again, chosen randomly from those available) by playing G-1 markers (see 7.1).
13.2.3 Fortifications
The Germans had had months or in some cases years to build fortified positions consisting of concrete bunkers, trenches, obstacles, minefields, and cleared fields of fire. Fortifications are printed on the map.
Only German units benefit from being in a hex with a Fortification, and only when they are the Defender in a battle. The effect of a Fortification is to raise the Terrain Modifier of the hex it's in by one, and thus in practice "absorbing" one hit for the defending units stacked with it (see 10.5.5). Fortifications are never "used up" or eliminated.
13.2.4 German Elite Troops
The 6th Parachute (6FJ) and Hermann Goring (HG) regiments that arrive as reinforcements early in the game were some of the best troops available on the front. However, there were not many of them – these units cannot recover from Hits through play of G-1 markers.
13.3 Special Map and Game Situations
13.3.1 The Causeway
Walcheren Island was connected to South Beveland by an extremely narrow causeway: 1,000 metres long, 40 metres wide and completely straight. In situations where a player is conducting an attack across the causeway, only one non-artillery Tactical Unit may "fire" across the hexside. However, there are no limits on artillery support, and the Defender may of course use all the Tactical Units in his hex.
13.3.2 Breskens Pocket Surrender
At the beginning of the game, the German Player will set up a portion of his forces in an area around the town of Breskens, bounded to the north by the Scheldt Estuary, to the south by the Leopold Canal, and to the east by hex column 10xx. This area is called the Breskens Pocket. At the end of the Operations Phase in which Allied units have eliminated the last coastal artillery unit in the Breskens Pocket, all remaining German units in the Pocket surrender and are immediately removed from the game (when it is obvious this is going to happen, the German Player may want to withdraw some of his forces to Walcheren Island, that is if he still controls the town of Breskens).
13.3.3 The Dikes of Walcheren Island
Like much of the terrain near the Scheldt Estuary, almost all of Walcheren Island lies below sea level. The water is held back only by large dikes. Historically, General Simonds decided to destroy the dikes and coastal artillery positions with medium and heavy bombers in order to flood the interior of the island, possibly destroying some of the artillery sites and preventing the defenders from moving easily. The Allied Player may decide to destroy the Walcheren dikes any time during the game, up to the time that an Allied unit enters any hex of Walcheren Island. He simply announces that he has destroyed the dikes, and the following occurs:
- The Allied Player rolls one die for each of the four 0/1/0 coastal artillery units on the island. A unit is eliminated on a 5 or 6.
- All polder hexes on Walcheren Island are now considered flooded terrain. All clear terrain hexes are now considered polder hexes.
- At the end of the game, the German Player receives 2 Victory Points.
13.3.4 The Double Canals
The Leopold Canal to the west of Eede is closely paralleled (by about 10 metres) by the Canal de Derivation de la Lys. To clarify, units defending on the other side of this barrier do get the benefit of both canals – a formidable barrier indeed.
14.0 How to Win
14.1 Game End
At the end of the Operations Phase in which the last German coastal artillery unit has been eliminated, the game ends and victory is judged. If players reach the end of Turn 32 and at least one coastal artillery unit still survives, then the game ends in a German Impressive Victory.
14.2 Victory Points
Victory is judged in terms of Victory Points (VP). Players gain VP for certain conditions met during and at the end of the game.
14.2.1 Allied Player Victory Points
The Allied Player receives VP as follows:
- + VP equal to 32 minus the number of the Turn on which the game ended, to a minimum of 0 (e.g., if the game ended on Turn 26, the Allied Player would get 6 VP as there are six turns remaining)
- +1 VP per German TF HQ in the Dead Pile at the end of the game
- +2 VP if Allied units occupy Rosendaal, Breda or Tilburg at the end of the game (2 VP per city)
14.2.2 German Player Victory Points
The German Player receives VP as follows:
- +1 VP per German TF HQ on the map at the end of the game
- +2 VP if the Allied Player decided to break the dikes on Walcheren Island (see 13.3.3)
- +1 VP per Allied Tactical Unit in the Dead Pile at the end of the game
- +1 VP per Allied TF HQ in the Dead Pile at the end of the game
- +2 VP if German units occupy Rosendaal, Breda or Tilburg at the end of the game (2 VP per city)
- +1/2 VP for each turn the Allied Player had the 51 British Division in play, or for each parachute brigade dropped
- +6 VP if the German Player ends an Allied Player Turn with a German Task Force in either Antwerp hex (awarded only once per game).
14.3 Scale of Victory
- If one player has more, but less than twice as many, VP than the other = Marginal Victory
- If one player has twice to three times as many VP than the other = Impressive Victory
- If one player has three times as many or more VP than the other = Smashing Victory
15.0 Optional Rules
15.1 Tactical Reaction
The defender (only) may play one G-3 marker in the Commitment step (see 10.1.2) of the Battle Sequence. He may move one unit (either a single tactical unit or a whole Task Force) to the hex being attacked, from a hex adjacent to that hex, as long as the hex moved from is not itself in an enemy Operations Zone. The unit is added to the defending forces (but does not join or reform any Task Forces) and players carry on with the rest of the Battle Sequence.
Note: this is meant to allow the German Player to keep some reserves behind his line and do a bit of "mobile defence" to reinforce the point where he gets hit. One hex is not much of a reaction distance, but it is intended to get players thinking in terms of "defence zones". It's there for the Allied Player to use as well, in the case of the odd German counterattack.
15.2 Free Setup Variant
There is an optional "free setup" game which starts a few days before the historical beginning of the battle. Players have more discretion on how to group their forces, but now the Allied Player must fight his way across the Turnhout Canal.
16.0 Designer's Notes
After the Battle of Normandy, which saw the destruction and disorganization of most of the German forces in France, the Allies crossed the Seine River in late August and advanced rapidly towards the Low Countries and Germany. On 4 September 1944, the city of Antwerp, and more importantly its intact port facilities, was liberated by the 11 British Armoured Division.
As the Allies moved further and further away from their supply bases in Normandy, they began to run short of fuel, ammunition, spare parts and manpower. Opening Antwerp to Allied shipping would solve most of their logistical problems. But Antwerp lay at the end of over 80 kilometres of narrow waterway, the Scheldt River, and before it could be used thousands of mines had to be swept and the German coastal artillery batteries that dominated the mouth of the Scheldt had to be neutralized. Field Marshall Montgomery, commander of 21 Army Group, could have ordered an immediate advance north from Antwerp in early September to take advantage of the German weakness and confusion in the area. This would have allowed him to cut the lines of communication connecting the Breskens Pocket, Walcheren Island, and the Beveland Isthmus to the rest of the German Army. This in turn could have made the following efforts to clear the Scheldt much easier, or even removed the need for it completely. But he instead saw an opportunity in a developing gap in the German forces around eastern Holland, and launched Operation MARKET-GARDEN, an attempt to penetrate into Germany and the vital Ruhr region on a very narrow front using airborne and armoured forces. When this operation failed, it reverted to the First Canadian Army to clear the Scheldt the hard way.
Historically, the battle was divided into three operations: Operation SWITCHBACK to eliminate the forces in the Breskens Pocket, Operation VITALITY to move north from Antwerp and advance up the narrow isthmus of South Beveland; and Operation INFATUATE to eliminate the remaining German forces on Walcheren Island. The first two operations began almost simultaneously on 5-6 October. The Breskens Pocket was finally reduced on 3 November, by which time Canadian and British forces had reached the western end of South Beveland and were trying to force their way across the causeway to Walcheren Island. INFATUATE, consisting of simultaneous amphibious landings at Vlissingen (also referred to as Flushing) and Westkapelle, began on 1 November and by 8 November the last German forces on the island had surrendered. The Scheldt was quickly swept of mines and the first Allied supply ships entered Antwerp on 28 November.
The terrain and weather the Allied forces faced in this campaign could hardly have been worse. Huge areas of the ground fought over had been flooded, and it rained for most of the month of October. Infantrymen (for this was a battle fought primarily by infantry) who had been fighting continuously since June went forward over saturated ground to assault positions the Germans had had months or years to fortify and prepare. For their part, the Germans fought with the desperation of men who truly had their backs to the wall. Over 1,500 Allied soldiers were killed and over 5,000 were wounded in the battle to clear the Scheldt. Over 50 percent of the dead and wounded were Canadians.
In designing this game, I wanted to show several things about the campaign and in so doing, pose challenges to the players: the grinding, attritional nature of the fighting; the difficulty of the terrain fought over; and the limited resources available to either side. The Staff Card system (Staff Markers in this Second Edition), adapted from the seminal game Bulge 20 by Joseph Miranda, does not allow players to move and fight every unit every turn, as is often the case in other wargames - they must choose what they want to do, and where, and how to support it. The combat system, seemingly very simple because it does not rely on odds computations or column shifts, favours the defence and reflects the incremental nature of unit losses as they wear away in the fighting (though often they wear away a lot faster than you would like!).
17.0 Notes on the Opposing Forces
17.1 Allies
52 British and 104 US Divisions: Their component brigades/regiments are rated one point lower than the 6-8-4 brigades of the other divisions, because the Scheldt was their first action. The other divisions had been fighting almost continuously since the D-Day landings, and though the rifle companies of the infantry brigades were understrength, especially the Canadian ones, they had a solid core of veterans.
1 Polish Armoured Division: its two brigades are shown at weaker strength than similar Allied units. While the Polish fought fiercely and well, the division was severely understrength and Polish manpower was getting very hard to find. Replacements were often supply or administrative personnel combed out of depots and given inadequate training as tankers, or even former prisoners reclaimed from elements of German divisions that had been guarding the French coast just a few months before.
79 British Armoured Division: This special purpose unit did not deploy or fight as a complete unit; instead, detachments of its specialized vehicles would be loaned to give support in assaults or water crossings. Two detachments from the Division are shown in the game: the 5th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers, equipped with amphibious vehicles; and a generic detachment of combat support "Funnies" that could include flame-throwing, bridge-laying, and mine-clearing tanks, armoured bulldozers, and so forth.
Some forces which did not take part in the historical battle are included:
- 3 and 5 Parachute Brigades: 1 Canadian Army pressed for at least one brigade of parachute troops, either from the 6 British Airborne or 17 US Airborne Division, to be dropped on South Beveland or Walcheren. They were turned down again and again by 21 Army Group or the First Allied Airborne Army. There is a Victory Point penalty if you use them, because using them here precludes using them somewhere else and represents a significant commitment and possibly loss of aircraft, fuel and troops.
- 51 British Division: Using the latter will give a lot more "punch" to the offensive, but the Allies will be stretched thin off-map, hence the Victory Point penalty.
- The First Canadian APC Regiment: The notion of moving troops into battle under the armour of fully-tracked vehicles was first implemented by 2 Canadian Corps during Operation TOTALIZE, which was part of the battle to exploit from Caen in August 1944. At the time of the battle of the Scheldt, the Regiment (designated as such on 19 October 1944) was supporting 12 British Corps in actions at s'Hertogenbosch (off-map to the east) and to the east of Tilburg, with the 15 and 51 British Divisions. But it certainly could have been used to help the Canadian infantry battalions, who took the overwhelming majority of casualties in the battle.
17.2 Germans
The 15th German Army faced a chaotic situation in the fall of 1944. Every division in its order of battle was either very recently raised or a mauled survivor of the retreat from France. To reflect confusion, limited logistical depth and poor communications, the German Player has a lower C2 level during the game, and a slightly different mix of Staff Cards.
Also, at the beginning of the game every German division is significantly understrength (reflected by random allocation of hits to each unit before the game begins) and there is a large collection of "scratch" battalions with unknown combat values made up of regrouped stragglers, administrative and logistics personnel, artillerymen without guns, airmen without planes, armed sailors, Flemish and Dutch collaborators, and so forth.
The two regiments of paratroopers who arrive early in the game are a sharp but fragile tool; use them carefully.
Sample Allied Player Turn
The following example illustrates a complete Allied Player Turn.
Preparation Phase
Editor's note: the printed sample opens mid-turn; the first G-1 marker play is shown only in the printed diagram, not in the text.
Now he plays a second G-1 marker to bring out a new TF HQ, the British 52nd Division. He places this in the hex north-east of Brasschaet, bringing the detached Tactical Unit that was in that hex under that Task Force's control. The Allied Player has the following seven Staff Markers in his Hand: two G-1s, three G-3s, and two G-4s. He decides to focus his attention in the area around Merxem. He has two Task Force HQs, plus a nearby detached unit. The first thing he's going to do is reorganize his Tactical Units to maximize his attack power.
Operations Phase
The Allied Player plays two G-3 markers, in both cases performing Tactical Movement. The first moves the Canadian 4th into Capellen, bringing it adjacent to the German regiment in the forest hex. The second moves that newly-formed 52nd Division Task Force north so that it can cut off any retreat made by that German regiment.
He plays a G-1 marker on the Canadian 4th Division TF HQ. This allows him to move his Motorized Infantry brigade over to the British 49th, and to move the two Infantry brigades from the 49th over to the Canadian 4th Division. To keep things clean and easy to follow, we're not picturing the Hit Markers assigned to each Unit, but just keep in mind that the two Infantry that have been reassigned to the 4th have each sustained one hit. The detached German Infantry regiment north of Capellen has also suffered one hit.
With his third G-3 marker, the Allied Player attacks the German regiment with his Canadian 4th Division Task Force. The units involved are moved onto the Battle Mat along with their Hit Markers.
During the Commitment Step, the Allied Player plays a G-4 marker to gain +3 dice in Air Support. The German Player plays a G-4 marker of his own to commit Artillery Support from the nearby Artillery unit. Since he is the Defender, the German Player has Tactical Advantage and will fire first.
The German Player throws five dice: three for the unit's current Defense Factor (printed factor of 4 minus 1 for the Hit Marker), and two for the Artillery Support. He rolls one success, a "6", which means he scores two Hits against the Allies. Note that this isn't reduced by terrain since the Allies, as the attackers in this battle, do not benefit from terrain. The Allied Player assigns one Hit to each of his Infantry Brigades. Note that he could have assigned both Hits to a single brigade if he wanted to. But he didn't want to, and so here we are.
Now it's the Allied Player's turn to fire back. He rolls thirteen dice: four for each Infantry brigade's current Attack Factor (printed factor of 6 for each, minus 2 for each), two for his Artillery unit, and three for his Air Support. The result of this mighty assault are five Hits: three dice come up "5" (one hit each), and one "6" (two hits). The defender's Terrain Modifier of 2 reduces this to three Hits. Normally possessing Tactical Advantage would allow the German Player to convert two of these Hits to Retreats, but the British 52nd Division cut off his line of retreat when it moved earlier in the turn. And so all three Hits are taken as losses, Eliminating the German regiment.
All surviving Units are returned to their Order of Battle Mat (with Hit Markers). The Allied Player now has the option of moving into the vacated hex, and he does so.
Planning Phase
The Allied Player can't do much with his remaining Staff Marker, a G-4, and so he opts to conclude his Player Turn. He examines his Staff Markers and selects seven to see him through not only his next turn, but the intervening turn of the German Player.
Staff Marker Actions Summary
Printed reference chart from the rulebook.
- G-1 Administration: Enter reinforcement units into the game (amount, location and source will be determined by scenario instructions) (7.1). Regroup units in a given area (7.2). Recover Tactical Units (remove Hits sustained in battle) (7.3).
- G-2 Intelligence: Conduct Tactical Intelligence activities to take or recover Tactical Advantage in battle (8.1). Conduct Operational Intelligence gathering to discover the enemy force structure or capabilities (8.2).
- G-3 Operations: Conduct Tactical Movement (9.1). Conduct an Attack (9.2).
- G-4 Logistics: Strategic Movement with one unit (11.1). Provide Combat Support to your forces in battle (11.2).
Editor's note: the printed Designer's Notes read "Walchern Island"; it is transcribed here as "Walcheren Island". The Designer's Dedication, Publisher's Dedication, and Credits block (design, development, editing, playtesting, layout, art) have been omitted as attribution.