The Sedan Campaign, 1870 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Map Clarification
• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 In General
  • 1.2 Game Scales
• 2.0 Game Components
  • 2.1 In General
  • 2.2 The Game Map
  • 2.3 The Counters
  • 2.4 A Sample Combat Unit
  • 2.5 Sides
  • 2.6 Unit Identifications
  • 2.7 Unit Types
  • 2.8 Unit Sizes
  • 2.9 Combat Factors
  • 2.10 Movement Factors
  • 2.11 Fortunes of War Markers
• 3.0 Set Up & Hex Control
  • 3.1
  • 3.2 French Set Up
  • 3.3 The Baden & Wurttemberg Divisions
  • 3.4 Prussian Reinforcements
  • 3.5 Prussian Main Force Set Up
  • 3.6 Initial Marker Placement
  • 3.5 Hex Control
• 4.0 How to Win
  • 4.1
  • 4.2 City Hex Control
  • 4.3 Winning & Losing
  • 4.4 French Sudden Death Victory
• 5.0 The Turn Sequence
  • 5.1 In General
  • 5.2 The Turn Sequence
• 6.0 Reinforcements
  • 6.1 Prussian Reinforcements
  • 6.2 French Reinforcements
  • 6.3 Entry Particulars
• 7.0 Prussian 1st Army & the French Imperial Guard Corps
  • 7.1 In General
  • 7.2 French Imperial Guard Stacking
  • 7.3 French Imperial Guard in Combat
  • 7.4 Prussian 1st Army Movement Order
  • 7.5 Prussian 1st Army Movement Restrictions
  • 7.6 Prussian 1st Army Combat Order
  • 7.7 Prussian 1st Army in Combat
• 8.0 Stacking
  • 8.1 In General
  • 8.2 Stacking & Movement
  • 8.3 Fog o' War
  • 8.4 Prussian Stacking Limits
  • 8.5 French Stacking Limits
• 9.0 Zones of Control
  • 9.1 In General
  • 9.2 Exerting ZOC
  • 9.3 No Movement Cost
  • 9.4 Exiting EZOC
  • 9.5 ZOC Reciprocity
• 10.0 Movement
  • 10.1 In General
  • 10.2 Movement Strictures
  • 10.3 Minimum Movement Capability
  • 10.4 Stack Movement
  • 10.5 Splitting Stacks
  • 10.6 Stack MF
  • 10.7 Enemy Units
  • 10.8 Terrain
  • 10.9 Natural Terrain
  • 10.10 Clear
  • 10.11 Forest
  • 10.12 Rough
• 11.0 Combat
  • 11.1 In General
  • 11.2 Procedure
  • 11.3 Attack & Defense Limits
  • 11.4 Mandatory Attacks
  • 11.5 Multi-Unit & Multi-Hex Combat
  • 11.6 Defender Commitment & Integrity
  • 11.7 Combat Strength Unity
  • 11.8 Diversionary Attacks
  • 11.9 Terrain Effects on Combat
  • 11.10 Retreat After Combat
  • 11.11 Displacement
  • 11.12 Advance After Combat
• 12.0 Fortunes of War
  • 12.1 Fortunes of War (FoW) Chits
  • 12.2 Picking Fortunes of War Markers
  • 12.3 Reshuffling
  • 12.4 Fortunes of War Explanations

Map Clarification

Clarification posted 10/02/04 (printed in blue bold in the source).

Map Clarification: The hexside shared by hexes 5219/6319 should NOT be shown as a river hexside. Strasbourg IS a city, and therefore negates the river hexsides around it.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 In General

The Sedan Campaign, 1870 (SC70), is a low-complexity, operational-level simulation of the fighting that comprised the first month of active operations of the Franco-Prussian War. The game is intended for two players, one commanding the Prussian* (actually, the North German Confederation) and the other French forces, though it can also easily be played solitaire by a person willing to command both sides.

Players new to wargames should examine all the components of SC70 before reading any farther in these rules. Examine the charts and tables, the playing pieces and the map. Then break out the counters and place them on the map to get the feel for how the game looks and works.

* The terms "Prussian" and "German" are used interchangeably throughout the rules.

1.2 Game Scales

Each hex on the map equals 4.4 miles from side to opposite side. Each game turn represents three days. Playing pieces represent divisions and brigades of infantry and cavalry, formations containing from about 3,000 to 15,000 men.

2.0 Game Components

2.1 In General

The components to a complete game of SC70 include these rules, the map sheet and 80 die-cut counters (also called "units" and "unit counters"). Players must provide themselves with a standard (six-sided) die to resolve combat and other probabilistic events that occur during play.

2.2 The Game Map

The game map represents the militarily significant terrain found across the Franco-German border region in 1870 when portrayed at this scale. A hexagonal ("hex") grid is printed over it to regulate unit placement and movement similar to the way squares are used in Chess and Checkers. A unit is always in only hex at any one instant.

Each hex contains natural and/or manmade terrain features that may affect movement and combat. The map's terrain representations have been altered slightly from their exact real-world configurations in order to make them conform to the hex-grid. But the terrain relationships from hex to hex are accurate to the degree necessary to present players with the same space/time dilemmas faced by their historic counterparts during this war.

Each hex on the map has a unique four-digit number printed in it. They are provided to help you find specific locations referred to in the rules (for example, Nancy is in hex 3318), and to allow you to record unit positions if a match has to be interrupted and taken down before it can be completed.

2.3 The Counters

There are 80 counters in the game, most of which represent combat units; others are provided as memory aids and informational markers. Carefully punch out the counters. Each combat unit counter displays several pieces of information: nationality, type, combat strengths, reinforcement or set up status, specific identification and higher organizational affiliation.

2.4 A Sample Combat Unit

This unit is the Prussian 1st Reserve Infantry Division. It has a combat factor of "2," and first enters play as a reinforcement during Game Turn 4.

[Source note: the sample counter is a graphic in the original and is not reproduced here.]

2.5 Sides

A unit's nationality, and therefore its "side," is indicated by its color scheme.

The Prussian Side

All units of the North German Confederation - white on black

Baden and Wurttemberg Divisions - black on leaf green

The French Side

All French units - black on sky blue

2.6 Unit Identifications

Each ground combat unit is identified by the number or abbreviated name of its real-world historic counterpart. The abbreviations are as follows:

• Bdn - Baden
• Bv - Bavarian
• CdA - Chasseurs d'Afrique (African light cavalry)
• FL - Foreign Legion
• G - Guards
• GC - Guards Cavalry
• Hsn - Hessian
• R - Reserve
• IG - Imperial Guard
• RC - Reserve Cavalry
• L - Landwehr
• RS - Royal Saxon
• LG - Landwehr Guards
• Wrt - Wurttemberg
• Mar - Marine (naval infantry)

2.7 Unit Types

Units are distinguished by the major combat-arms-type contained within them. This is important for movement (see 8.0).

• Infantry
• Cavalry

[Source note: the unit-type symbols are graphics in the original and are not reproduced here.]

2.8 Unit Sizes

Units' organizational sizes are indicated by the symbols atop their unit-type boxes. There is no real difference in functionality between divisions and brigades, but for important rules concerning the two army and corps-sized units in the game, see section 7.0.

• XXXX - Army
• XX - Division
• X - Brigade
• XXX - Corps
• III - Regiment

[Source note: the unit-size symbols are graphics in the original; the designations above are as printed beside them.]

2.9 Combat Factors

This number is a measure of each unit's relative ability to attack and defend (see section 10.0).

2.10 Movement Factors

Unlike most wargames, the movement factors of the units are not printed on their counters. This number, which is a measure of each unit's ability to move across the hex field printed on the map, is determined by nationality and type.

At the start of play, the movement factors of all infantry units in the game, with but one exception (see 7.5), is six. Similarly, the movement factor of all cavalry units in the game is eight. At the start of Game Turn 6, the movement factor of French infantry units declines to five, while that of French cavalry drops to seven. During Game Turns 8 and 9, those same two numbers suffer a further drop to four and six, respectively. And finally, on Game Turn 10, they suffer another decrease, this time to three and five, respectively.

2.11 Fortunes of War Markers

The counters with "Fortunes of War" printed on their back are used to provide random events that can have an impact on the campaign. At the start of play, place all Fortunes of War markers in an opaque container (like a coffee cup). They can be picked at random in the course of the game (see Section 12.0).

3.0 Set Up & Hex Control

3.1

After the players have decided who will control which side, each player should sort through and separate all the units belonging to his own side according to the instructions below.

3.2 French Set Up

The French player sets up his units first, placing all units of the following corps on the map: IG, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, RC. The set up code for starting French units is printed on their reverse sides. If only a four-digit number is printed there, that French unit must set up in that exact hex. For example, the French Imperial Guard Corps always starts the game set up in hex 3411.

If the number "1" or "2" appears along with the four-digit hex number on the back of a French unit, that means the unit may be set up in that hex or any other hex within France within that range of hexes. For example, all four divisions of the French 3rd (III) Corps, have "3711/1" printed on their reverse sides. That means those units, decided on a unit by unit basis by the French player, could be set up in any combination of hexes 3711, 3710, 3811, 3812, 3712, 3612 and/or 3611.

Note, no matter what set up coordinates and ranges are on the back of a French unit, no French unit may set up in The Palatinate or in Baden; they may only set up in hexes within France. French units may set up within normal stacking restrictions (see section 8.0).

The French have two reinforcement units: the "Mar" (Marine) division (appears on Turn 3) and the "FL" (Foreign Legion) regiment (optional reinforcement "*"; see the Fortunes of War rule).

3.3 The Baden & Wurttemberg Divisions

The Baden & Wurttemberg Divisions are on the German side but, because those two minor states weren't yet fully active members of the North German Confederation, they are under some special set up, movement and combat restrictions throughout play of the game. That is, they may be set up by the Prussian player in any one or two hexes within Baden. During play those two units may only move and attack into Baden hexes, the Strasbourg hex (5219), and the four hexes in France immediately adjacent to that city (5118, 5119, 5218 and 5318).

3.4 Prussian Reinforcements

There are eight Prussian reinforcement units in the counter mix. Reinforcement units don't start play on the map; they enter later according to the specifics given in section 6.0. Reinforcements can be identified by the one-digit number ("3," "4" or "9") printed in their upper-left corners. When setting up to play, put all those units in the correspondingly numbered boxes in the Game Turn Record Track printed on the map sheet.

3.5 Prussian Main Force Set Up

The other units in the Prussian army must all be set up within The Palatinate. They may not be set up in any hexes bordering directly on French territory. For example, no unit may start in 5310, 4510, 3706, etc. Units may be set up stacked within normal limits; see section 7.0 and 8.0 for details on that.

3.6 Initial Marker Placement

After all units have been sorted and placed as described above, place the "Game Turn" marker in the Game Turn 1 box on the Game Turn Record Track printed on the map sheet.

3.5 Hex Control

[Source note: the source prints a second rule numbered "3.5" here, after 3.6. It is transcribed as printed.]

Hex control is the term used to describe which side is "in control" of important hexes at different times during play. In this game, hex control is only important when considering city hexes (see section 4.0). At the start of play, the French player controls all hexes in France, while the German player controls all hexes in Baden and The Palatinate. The control status of a hex changes the instant a ground unit of the other side enters it. The control status of each hex may change any number of times during a game as units of the two sides enter and reenter various parts of the map.

4.0 How to Win

4.1

The Prussian player is very much on the offensive throughout the game, attempting to run a campaign that will serve as the set up for a later drive directly to Paris. Depending on the rate of advance across the map, the Prussian player may be declared the winner at the end of any game turn (also see 4.4).

4.2 City Hex Control

As the last step in each game turn (see 5.2), count the number of city hexes then under Prussian control. To qualify for victory determination purposes, the Prussian player must not only control a city hex as defined in rule 3.5, he must also simultaneously be able to trace a path of contiguous hexes from the city hex in question to a map edge hex in The Palatinate (not Baden). Such paths must be free of French units and their zones of control. Prussian units do not negate French zones of control for purposes of tracing these hex paths.

[Clarification of 12/05/04, printed brown bold in the source, follows:] Such paths may cross rivers at any point(s); bridged or unbridged. Each city hex controlled in this way by the Prussian player awards him one "victory point" (VP).

4.3 Winning & Losing

Play stops, and the Prussian player is declared to have won the game, if he controls (within the strictures described above) two or more victory points worth of city hexes at the end of Game Turns 1 through 5, inclusive. That needed amount increases to three VP at the end of Game Turns 6 through 10, inclusive. The required totals are shown on the Turn Record Track printed on the map sheet.

If the Prussian player fails to control the number of VP needed for him to declare a win at the end of a particular turn, play continues until such time as he does acquire the needed number at the end of a turn or the end of Game Turn 10, whichever comes first. If the Prussian player fails to win on points by the end of Game Turn 10, the French player is declared to have won the game.

Note that victory is reckoned at the end of each game turn; the Prussian VP total during the course of each game turn is not important, only the total at the end of the game turn.

4.4 French Sudden Death Victory

During each Victory Check Phase, the French player checks to see how many German units have been eliminated so far in the game. If the number equals or exceeds the number indicated on the Turn Record Chart, the game comes to an immediate end and the French player wins. For the purpose of this rule, Prussia 1st Army counts as five units.

If in the same turn the German player gains a victory due to capturing cities and the French due to eliminating enemy units, the French player still wins.

Note the French player can win in two ways: by denying the Germans a sufficient number of cities, or by eliminating the requisite number of German units. The Germans can only win by taking cities.

5.0 The Turn Sequence

5.1 In General

Every game turn of SC70 is divided into two "Player Turns," one Prussian and one French, along with a mutual-participation VP Check Phase that ends each game turn. That complete sequence makes up one "Game Turn," of which there are a maximum of 10 in an entire match.

The Prussian Player Turn is the first player turn in every game turn. At the very end of every completed game turn, move forward the Game Turn marker one box on the Game Turn Record Track.

Every action taken by a player must be carried out during the appropriate part of the game turn sequence given below. Once a player has finished a particular activity, he may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless his opponent graciously permits it.

5.2 The Turn Sequence

The game turn sequence is given below in outline. The rest of the rules are organized, as much as possible, to explain things in the order they're encountered as you go through each game turn's sequence.

I. Prussian Player Turn

• A. Fortunes of War Phase
• B. Prussian Movement & Reinforcement Phase
• C. Prussian Combat Phase

II. French Player Turn

• A. Fortunes of War Phase
• B. French Movement Phase & Reinforcement Phase
• C. French Combat Phase

III. Victory Check Phase

6.0 Reinforcements

6.1 Prussian Reinforcements

The Prussian player receives eight reinforcement units throughout the game (see 3.4). At the start of any game turn for which the correspondingly numbered box on the Game Turn Record Track on the map sheet contains one or more of those reinforcement units, the Prussian player may enter them via any map edge hexes in The Palatinate (not Baden) at any times during his movement phase.

6.2 French Reinforcements

The French player has one regular reinforcement, the "Mar" division which enters on Game Turn 3. The French FL Regiment (reinforcement code "*") appears according to the Fortunes of War rule (see section 12.0) ; otherwise it is not entered into play.

All French reinforcements enter play through the Chalons hex (1014), provided that hex is not enemy occupied. If Chalons is enemy occupied, any arriving French reinforcement is received instead during the next French Player Turn on any hex on the west map edge that isn't enemy occupied (French player's choice).

6.3 Entry Particulars

The game turn of entry number printed on their counters signify each reinforcement unit's earliest game turn of arrival into play. The player may decide, on a unit by unit and turn by turn basis, to delay the entry of any, some or all of his reinforcements, but no reinforcement unit may have its entry accelerated.

Reinforcements begin paying normal movement costs from their very first hex of entry onto the map. Stacking limits must also be observed from the very first hex of entry. Beyond that, reinforcement units operate normally in all respects from their first instant of entry into play.

7.0 Prussian 1st Army & the French Imperial Guard Corps

7.1 In General

The rules in this section are unique in that they pertain only to two units in the game, Prussian 1st Army unit and the French Imperial Guard Corps. Players new to wargames, as well as old hands reading these rules for the first time, may want to skip this section for now, read the rest of the rules, then come back and read these exceptional rules after that.

7.2 French Imperial Guard Stacking

The French Imperial Guard Corps unit is never allowed to stack with any other unit (see section 8.0).

7.3 French Imperial Guard in Combat

Within the no-stack stricture given above, the Guard Corps may join in attacks with other French units (see section 11.0). Because of the stacking rule, however, the Guard will always only defend alone in its hex.

If the Guard takes part in a victorious attack and survives, it must be the unit selected to make the advance-after-combat (see 11.12). If the Guard takes part in an attack and that effort fails to empty the target hex of all its defenders, for the rest of that combat phase all French attacks suffer a one column leftward odds shift. Whenever the Guard attacks, either alone or in conjunction with other French units, that attack must be the first French attack resolved that phase.

If the Guard is attacked and forced to make a retreat after combat (see 11.10), for the rest of that Prussian Combat Phase all Prussian attacks receive a one column rightward odds shift. The Prussian player is not required to attack the Guard first in any of his combat phases, but if he does set up an attack against it, it will usually be to his advantage to resolve that attack first.

If the Guard Corps is eliminated for any reason, the odds shifts described in the two paragraphs above come permanently into play for both sides for the rest of the game.

7.4 Prussian 1st Army Movement Order

At the very start of every Prussian Movement Phase, the FRENCH player announces whether the 1st Army unit will be moved first or last during that phase. The German player is not forced to move the 1st Army, but if he will move it during a given movement phase, he may only do so at the time indicated by the French player at the start of that phase. The 1st Army unit is only ever moved as the first or last unit in the Prussian Movement Phase; it is never moved at any other time during that phase.

7.5 Prussian 1st Army Movement Restrictions

The 1st Army unit never stacks with or attacks with any other units of the Prussian side. Further, 1st Army may never be moved or advanced-after-combat or retreated-after-combat into any hex directly adjacent to any other unit(s) of the Prussian side. Exception: this stricture may be ignored when the only directly adjacent units are located in hexes separated from 1st Army by a river hex side. Still further, the movement factor of 1st Army is five, rather than the normal infantry six (see 2.10). If a 1st Army retreat-after-combat can only take it into a hex directly adjacent to one or more units of the Prussian side, use the "displacement" procedures described in 11.11.

7.6 Prussian 1st Army Combat Order

At the beginning of every Prussian Combat Phase in which the 1st Army is in a position that it must attack (see section 9.0), the FRENCH player announces whether it will attack first or last in that phase.

7.7 Prussian 1st Army in Combat

When attacking, if 1st Army gets an "EX" result, it is instead treated as a "DR" result, which would then further convert into a "No Effect" result if the defender were located in a city hex (see 11.9). When attacking, if 1st Army gets an "AL1" result, it is instead treated as an "AR" result. When defending, if 1st Army gets a "DL1" result, it is instead treated as an "DR" result. Whenever it is victorious, the 1st Army must advance-after-combat; see 11.12.

Historical Note: the commander of the Prussian 1st Army did not cooperate with the other commanders, and this rule is intended to show this in a simple but realistic manner.

8.0 Stacking

8.1 In General

"Stacking" is the word used to describe the piling of more than one unit into a hex at the same time.

8.2 Stacking & Movement

The stacking rules are in effect at all times throughout the game turn. That means players must pay attention to the sequence in which they move their units or risk having early moves block units moved later in the phase. Note, though, beyond the restrictions given in this section and section 7.0, there is no limit on the number of units that may enter and pass through a given hex over the course of a movement phase, player turn or game turn.

Units beginning a movement phase stacked together need not remain together simply because of that fact; they may be moved off individually or in smaller groups.

Watch for stacking restrictions all through play, and make certain to check all stacks of both players at the end of every phase and the end of the resolution of every individual combat. Whenever any hexes are found over-stacked, the owning player must immediately eliminate the excess units of his choice. Note, too, that stacking restrictions are in effect during the entry of reinforcement units.

8.3 Fog o' War

Neither player may examine the units beneath the top unit of any of his opponent's stacks until the combat resolution process begins for it when it's involved in combat (see section 12.0 for an exception). An attack may not be called off after such a stack-check has been made.

8.4 Prussian Stacking Limits

In general, the Prussian player may stack any one, two, three or four of his side's units (including the Baden and Wurttemberg Divisions within the limits of rule 3.3) in any hexes at any times. Also see the unique stacking restrictions placed on Prussian 1st Army (see 7.5).

8.5 French Stacking Limits

In general, the French player may stack up to and including all units belonging to the same corps organization in one hex at one time. The corps affiliation of all French divisions is indicated by a Roman numeral on the left side of the unit-type box (see 2.7). For example, the CdA, 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Divisions of his Reserve Cavalry Corps may stack together in one hex.

Note that some French corps contain three divisions, while others contain four. Also note the VII Corps contains only one division (the others failed to mobilize in time to take part in this campaign). Also note the unique stacking restriction placed on the Imperial Guard Corps (see 7.2).

The Marine Division may not stack with units of any other corps. The FL Regiment may stack with any corps except the Imperial Guard, but may not cause a stack to exceed four units in a hex. It may stack with the Marine Division.

9.0 Zones of Control

9.1 In General

The six hexagons immediately surrounding a hex constitute the "Zone of Control" (ZOC) of any units in that hex. A unit may never exit a hex containing an enemy zone of control (EZOC) during any movement phase (exception: see section 12.0). Zones of control never extend across unbridged river hex sides, nor do they extend into or out of city hexes.

9.2 Exerting ZOC

All units exert a ZOC throughout the game turn, regardless of the phase or player turn. The projection of a ZOC into a hex is never negated by the presence of units in the hex into which the ZOC is being projected, neither enemy or friendly.

9.3 No Movement Cost

Units do not pay any extra movement points to enter EZOC or ZOC. All units must, however, end their movement for that phase in the first hex they enter containing an EZOC.

9.4 Exiting EZOC

There are only two ways to exit a hex in any EZOC: either by retreat or advance-after-combat (see 11.10, 11.11 and 11.12), or by removal, as a result of combat, of the enemy unit(s) exerting the EZOC (see all of section 11.0). Also see 12.4, "Disengagement."

9.5 ZOC Reciprocity

If a given friendly unit is in an EZOC, the enemy unit projecting that EZOC is also in the ZOC of the friendly unit. The two units are equally, simultaneously and mutually affected. If there is a ZOC and an EZOC being projected into the same hex, both zones of control co-exist in that hex. There is no additional effect from having more than one ZOC and/or EZOC projected into the same hex at the same time.

10.0 Movement

10.1 In General

Every unit in the game has a movement factor as described in rule 2.10. That movement factor is the number of "Movement Points" (also referred to as "MP" and "MF") available to the unit to use in moving across the map during its side's movement phase every game turn.

10.2 Movement Strictures

MPs may not be accumulated from turn to turn or phase to phase, nor may they be given or loaned from one unit to another. A player may move all, some or none of his units in each of his movement phases throughout the game at his own discretion.

Units that move are not required to expend all their MP before stopping. The movement of each individual unit or stack must be completed before that of another is begun. A player may only change the position of an already moved unit or stack if his opponent agrees to allow it.

Units move from hex to adjacent hex—no "skipping" of hexes is allowed—paying varied movement costs to do so depending on the terrain in the hex being entered and along its hex sides. The movement of your units takes place only during you own player turn; no enemy movement takes place during your player turn (exception: rules 11.10 and 11.11).

10.3 Minimum Movement Capability

Every unit in the game is guaranteed the ability to move one hex during each of its side's movement phases throughout the game by expending all of its MF to do so, not matter the terrain costs otherwise involved. This guarantee does not, however, give units the ability to make moves from Ezoc to Ezoc that are otherwise against the rules.

10.4 Stack Movement

To move together as a stack, units must begin their side's movement phase already stacked together. But units are not required to move as a stack simply because they started that phase in the same hex. In such situations those units might be moved together, individually, or in smaller sub-stacks.

10.5 Splitting Stacks

When moving a stack you may halt it temporarily to allow a unit or sub-stack to split off and move away on a separate course. The units left behind in the original (or "parent") stack may then resume their own movement, even splitting off more sub-stacks and lone units if desired. But once you begin moving an entirely different parent stack, you may no longer resume the movement of earlier stacks without your opponent's permission.

10.6 Stack MF

If units with different movement factors are moving together in a stack, the stack must use the movement factor of the slowest unit within it. Of course, as the slower units exhaust their MPs you may leave them behind and continue with the faster units.

10.7 Enemy Units

It's not permitted for your units to enter hexes occupied by enemy units.

10.8 Terrain

There are two general classes of terrain on the map: natural and manmade. Each class is further divided into several different types (see below). There is never more than one type of natural terrain in any one hex, but more than one type of manmade terrain may exist in one hex along with the natural stuff.

10.9 Natural Terrain

There are four types of natural terrain: clear, forest, rough and marsh, along with rivers. The effects these various terrains have on the movement of ground units are described below and are also summarized on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the map sheet for quick reference.

10.10 Clear

Clear terrain is the "base" terrain of the game, and is just that—clear. That is, hexes with only clear natural terrain in them represent areas devoid of any natural features that would enhance defense or slow movement. Each clear hex costs all units one MP to enter. All cities are considered to exist in clear terrain hexes.

For a hex to be considered clear terrain, that must be the only kind of natural terrain pictured within it. Hexes containing natural terrain types other than clear, or in addition to some clear, are identified by the predominant terrain type within them.

10.11 Forest

All units pay two MPs to enter each forest hex.

10.12 Rough

All units pay three MPs to enter each rough hex.

10.13 Marsh

There is only one marsh hex on the map (1703). There is never any kind of movement allowed into or out of that hex.

10.14 River Hex Sides & Bridges

Unlike the other terrains described above, rivers run between hexes, along hex sides, rather than lying in-hex. Rivers may only be crossed on bridges. Bridges occur wherever roads cross rivers. Units crossing rivers via bridged hex sides don't pay any extra MP for the river crossing. There is no bridge demolition in this game. For play purposes, they are considered indestructible. (The Prussians had no interest in destroying them, and the French proved incapable of organizing the destruction of bridges in a timely way.)

10.15 Manmade Terrain

Manmade terrain exists in three types: roads, towns and cities.

10.16 Road Movement

Roads can be used to enhance movement and negate normal terrain effects on movement. That is, roads allow units, during their side's movement phase each game turn, to move along their paths, from road hex to contiguous road hex via the exact course of the road, at a cost of only one-half (0.5) MP per hex, no matter what other terrain types are in the hexes.

It's permitted for units to combine road and off-road movement during the same movement phase, in any combination, as long as they keep their overall MP expenditure within the limits of their movement factor.

10.17 Cities & Towns

Units entering cities when not using road movement do so at a cost of one MP per city hex. Roads shown entering and exiting city hexes are considered to run into and through those hexes; so, within the strictures given above road movement is allowed into and through city hexes.

Towns generate no movement costs of their own. That is, when entering town hexes in any way, simply ignore them when calculating movement costs. Determine the MP costs for entering a town hex by looking at the other terrain in that hex.

10.18 French Movement Restrictions

French units may never move into any hexes in the Palatinate or Baden. They may attack normally into Palatinate and/or Baden border hexes.

10.19 No Off Map Moves

No unit once in play on the map may be moved off it any way. Units forced to move off the map are considered to have been eliminated.

11.0 Combat

11.1 In General

All enemy units that have friendly units in their ZOC must be attacked by those friendly units during the combat phase of the friendly player turn. The player whose player turn it is, is termed the "attacker," and the other player is the "defender," no matter what the general situation across the map.

11.2 Procedure

The attacker totals the combat strength of all the units attacking a given hex and compares that total to the total combat strengths of the defending units in the hex under attack. The comparison is expressed as a ratio between attacking and defending strength points (attacking strength points divided by defending strength points), and is simplified by rounding down to one of the odds ratios listed across the top of the Combat Results Table (CRT) printed on the map sheet. For example, if 13 strength points were attacking four strength points, the combat odds ratio would be 3.25 to 1, rounded off (always in favor of the defender) to three to one (3:1).

Having determined the actual combat odds, the attacker rolls a die. The result indicates the line on the CRT that's cross-indexed with the column representing the combat odds. The intersection of line and column yields a combat result. That should be immediately applied to the involved units before going on to resolve any other combat. Separate combats may generally be resolved in any order (but see section 7.0), as long as all required combats are resolved during the combat phase

11.3 Attack & Defense Limits

No unit may attack more than once per friendly combat phase, and no enemy unit may be attacked more than once per friendly combat phase.

11.4 Mandatory Attacks

All of the units of the player whose player turn it is that ended their movement in an EZOC must attack some enemy unit or stack during the ensuing combat phase. The phasing player may choose which of his attacking units will attack each defending unit or stack, as long as all friendly units in EZOC participate in an attack.

An enemy occupied hex may be attacked by as many units as can be brought to bear against it from the immediately adjacent hexes. Units may only attack enemy units to which they are directly adjacent.

Since ZOC don't extend into or out of city hexes, attacking into and out of such hexes is always entirely up to the discretion of the player taking his own player turn. A force inside a city, if it attacks, must attack all adjacent enemy occupied hexes (which aren't being attacked by any other friendly units).

11.5 Multi-Unit & Multi-Hex Combat

[Clarification of 11/17/04: the opening paragraphs of this rule are printed orange bold in the source.]

In general, all units in a single hex must attack or defend as a single force; the strength of all the units in one hex is always totaled. A single attack may involve any number of attacking or defending units in different hexes. To be resolved as a single combat, all the attacking units must be adjacent to all the defending units.

If more than one attacking unit is in a given hex, those units need not be used as an integral combat strength; they may be used in different combats. This rule takes precedence over the stricture given in the first sentence of the paragraph above this one.

If a friendly unit is in an EZOC of more than one enemy unit, it must attack all those enemy units that aren't engaged by some other attacking unit(s).

Friendly units in two or more hexes may combine their attack strengths and attack a single hex of defenders as long as that defender hex is adjacent to all attackers. Within that stricture, a single attack may have as its objective more than one hex. That is, a single attack may involve units from more than one hex attacking defenders in more than one hex, but only as long as all attacking units are directly adjacent to all the defending units.

11.6 Defender Commitment & Integrity

The defending player may not withhold a unit in a hex under attack. The attacker must attack all the units in a stack together. Different units in the same hex may not be attacked separately.

11.7 Combat Strength Unity

A given unit's combat strength is always unitary. It may not be divided among different combats either in attack or on defense.

11.8 Diversionary Attacks

A unit or stack may be committed to attack at poor (low) odds in order that adjacent attacks against other defended hexes may be made at higher odds (by allotting most of the attacking force to hit the main objective hex). Such attacks are called "diversionary" or "holding attacks."

11.9 Terrain Effects on Combat

Defending units in certain types of terrain have their combat strength doubled or tripled. See the "Combat Effects" column of the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the map sheet. For example, a unit being attacked through a bridge hex side would have its normal combat factor doubled when calculating the odds for that battle.

In addition, when a "DR" result is obtained against a defender in a city hex, that result is instead treated as "No Effect." That is, no losses are suffered by either side and no retreat or advance after combat takes place. When a "DL1" result is obtained against a defender in a city hex, the defender is required to lose a unit, but no retreat after combat takes place (see below for details).

[Clarification of 10/16/04, printed green bold in the source, follows:]

A defending unit/stack in rough terrain that is attacked by enemy units solely coming through bridge hexsides still only has its defensive combat strength doubled for that fight. In battles with defenders in more than one type of hex, calculate the defensive strength of each separate hex of defenders according to the multiplication awarded for each on the Terrain Effects Chart, then add those separately calculated hex strengths together to get one overall defensive strength for calculating that battle's odds. No single hex of defenders may ever have its combat strength more than doubled or tripled (once per battle).

11.10 Retreat After Combat

When a combat result requires a player's units be retreated after combat, the owning player must immediately move the affected units one hex so they are no longer in any EZOC hex. If no such hex is open to retreat into, the blocked unit may be eliminated in place (but see rule 11.11). Stacked units in the same hex may be retreated into different hexes at the owning player's discretion and within normal stacking limits.

A retreating unit may not retreat into a prohibited hex, across a prohibited hex side, or into an EZOC.

Within the above strictures, a retreating unit may, at the owning player's discretion, retreat into a vacant hex or it may stack with some other friendly unit(s) within normal stacking restrictions, as long as the unit(s) its being stacked with aren't in an EZOC.

If a unit is retreated onto another friendly unit or stack that is subsequently attacked that same phase, the retreated-in unit doesn't contribute its combat strength to the new defense, but it does suffer/share in the result of the attack made into its new hex.

11.11 Displacement

If the only hex available to a retreating unit is one into which it normally couldn't enter because of stacking limits, one of the units in that hex must be displaced. The displaced unit is simply moved away one hex by the owning player, as if it were itself making a retreat after combat, and its place is taken by the original retreating unit. One retreating unit displaces one unit in a stack; two retreating units displace two, etc.

A displaced unit may not be forced into EZOC or other prohibited hexes. If a displacement would cause the displaced unit to be eliminated, the original retreating unit is eliminated instead and no displacement takes place. Always perform retreats one unit at a time.

Displaced units may themselves displace other friendly units in a kind of chain reaction of displacements, if that is the only path of displacement/retreat open to the owning player.

11.12 Advance After Combat

Whenever a defended hex is vacated as a result of combat, one involved victorious attacking unit must be advanced into that vacated hex. No more than one involved attacking unit may advance. Exactly which involved unit conducts the advance-after-combat is usually up to the owning player, but see 7.3 and 7.11 [sic; section 7 has no rule 7.11, as printed in the source]. Such advances after combat are made without regard to EZOC. Advances after combat must be performed immediately as they occur, before any other combats are resolved.

No unit may ever advance after combat more than one hex. After advancing, the advanced unit may not attack again that same phase, nor may it in any way be attacked that same phase even if its advance has brought it next to previously uncommitted enemy units.

If more than one hex is vacated is a result of one combat, the attacker need only advance into one of them, though he may choose to advance one unit into some or all such vacated hexes.

11.13 Odds Limits & Odds Reductions

Attacks made at odds greater than 6:1 are resolved as if they were 6:1 attacks. Attacks made at odds less than 1:5 are resolved as if they were 1:5 attacks. Prior to the die roll resolution of a battle, the attacker may announces he's voluntarily lowering the odds of that combat. He incurs no penalty for doing that, but he may not change his mind subsequent to the die roll.

11.14 The Attacker Eliminated (AE) Result

All involved attacking units are eliminated and permanently removed from the map.

11.15 The Attacker Retreat (AR) Result

All involved attacking units must retreat after combat as described above in rules 11.10 and 11.11.

11.16 The Attacker Lose One (AL1) Result

One unit of the attacking player's choice must be eliminated and permanently removed from the map. The surviving attacking units (if any) must all make a retreat after combat as described in rules 11.10 and 11.11.

11.17 The Defender Eliminated (DE) Result

All involved defending units are eliminated and permanently removed from the map.

11.18 The Defender Retreat (DR) Result

All involved defending units must retreat after combat as described above in rules 11.10 and 11.11.

11.19 The Defender Lose One (DL1) Result

One unit of the defending player's choice must be eliminated and permanently removed from the map. The surviving defending units (if any) must all make a retreat after combat as described in rules 11.10 and 11.11.

11.20 The Exchange (EX) Result

All involved defending units are eliminated and permanently removed from the map. The attacking player must then remove the minimum number of involved attacking units necessary to match the printed combat strengths of the eliminated defenders (ignore any doubling for this purpose). For example, if the eliminated defending force contained a total of six printed combat factors, the attacking units removed would have to total six or more combat factors.

Design Note: There are no supply rules in the game because the French historically lacked anything we would today identify as a "logistical system" during this campaign. There units foraged, confiscated, and resupplied opportunistically from the depots, towns and cities scattered across the map. Their increasing supply and morale problems are also reflected in the rule governing their slowing movement rates during the second half of the game. The Germans, of course, had a supply system, and it functioned smoothly during this part of the war. It also seems, however, to have been well beyond the capacity of the French to plan and conduct any operation intended to disrupt that system when gauged at these time, unit and space scales - thus the invaders are, in effect, always in supply.

12.0 Fortunes of War

12.1 Fortunes of War (FoW) Chits

The "Fortunes of War" chits represent the forces of Clausewitzian "friction" that impeded, or sometimes assisted, military operations in the course of the campaign. At the start of play, place all the chits in a large-mouth opaque container.

12.2 Picking Fortunes of War Markers

During each of his own side's Fortunes of War Phase, a player may pick one FoW marker at random (that is, without first looking to see what exact chit he's picking). The decision to pick a chit, or not pick a chit, is entirely at each player's option at the start of each one's player turns, but once a chit is picked, the player must implement the effects during the turn.

In general, all chits are set aside after being implemented, but a few exceptions are noted below. Set aside markers are not returned to the pool of markers in the holding container until the conditions of rule 12.3 apply.

The German player may only play a marker which has "German" on it; the French player may only play a marker which has "French" on it. A "German/French" marker may be used by either player. If a player picks a marker that has the other player's side on it, that marker is set aside without being implemented, and the player may not pick a substitute for it that same phase.

12.3 Reshuffling

When all markers have been picked and discarded, and/or picked and implemented, they are then all placed back in the opaque container and players may begin picking them anew.

12.4 Fortunes of War Explanations

Cavalry Charge (German/French – one chit): For any attack made by the player this turn that involves at least one cavalry unit, roll a die prior to its combat resolution: 1-2 = cavalry have their attack strength halved; 3-4-5 = no effect; 6 = cavalry have their attack strength doubled.

Disengagement (German/French – four chits): The player may, at the start of his movement phase, declare a general disengagement. That means he may move all his units starting that phase in an enemy zone of control out of those hexes. Such units may not enter any other enemy zone of control throughout their entire movement that phase, nor may they move from one enemy zone of control hex directly into another such hex. Units that don't begin the movement phase already in an enemy zone of control are also forbidden to enter one during that phase. Further, any and all French units moved during such disengagements must end their movement in a hex column (38xx, 39xx, 40xx, etc.) at least as far west as, or farther west than, the one in which they began that move. Similarly, any and all German units moved during such disengagements must end their movement in a hex column (40xx, 39xx, 38xx, etc.) at least as far east as, or farther east than, the one in which they began that move. Combat, for units that still remain in enemy zones of control (by not moving at all) during a general disengagement, is unaffected.

Intelligence (German – two chits): Play immediately. The German player may examine all French units on the map.

Field General Staff (German – one chit): The German player increases the movement factor of all friendly units, other than 1st Army, by one MF this turn. (1st Army movement is unaffected.)

Foreign Legion (French – one chit): The French player rolls a die, and receives his army's FL Regiment as a reinforcement that many game turns later. If the arrival date is after the end of the game, the unit never arrives. Permanently set aside this chit for the rest of the game once it's been implemented the first time.

Francs-Tireurs (French – one chit): The French player immediately places this marker on any hex on the map. In the following German Player Turn, German units expend +1 movement points to enter the hex containing the marker and hexes adjacent to it. Remove the marker from the map at the end of the German Movement Phase (it may, theoretically, be activated again according to 12.3).

Mitrailleuse (French – one chit): Implement in the immediately following French Combat Phase or the next German Combat Phase. The French player shifts the odds of any one combat of his choice two columns in his favor if he's defending, and one column in his favor if he's attacking.

Pontoon Bridge (German/French – one chit): Play in the immediately following movement phase. The player may designate one river hexside to be "bridged." There must be at least one friendly unit adjacent to that hexside at the start of the movement (the unit may move during that turn). All friendly units may cross that hexside by expending one extra movement factor. This applies only during the movement phase of this player turn.

Revolutionary Agitation (German – one chit): The French player may not move any units of the VI Corps in the next French Movement Phase. Those units still conduct combat normally. Set aside at the end of the following French Movement Phase.

Systeme D (French – one chit): At the start of his immediately following movement phase, the French player must roll a die. A result of one or two means all his units have their movement reduced by one; a result of three or four means no effect; a result of five means all units have their movement increased by one; a result of six means all his units have their movement increased by two.