Thunder in the East
Thunder in the East Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Part A: Getting Started
- Part B: Big Ideas, Part 1
- Part C: The Logistics Phase
- Part D: Ground Unit Stacking & Organization
- Part E: The Movement Phases
- Part F: Air Missions
- Part G: Combat
- Part H: Big Ideas, Part 2
- Part I: Prepare Next Game Turn
- Part J: Event Cards
- Part K: Miscellaneous
- Section II: Optional Rules
- Part L: Theaters
- Part M: Air Transportation
- Part N: Maritime Matters
- Part O: The Shadow War
- Section III: Campaign Game Rules
- Part P: Seasonal Activities
- Part Q: Morale
- Part R: Economics
- Part S: Campaign Air & Naval
Part A: Getting Started
[0.0] Using These Rules
New gaming terms, when initially defined, appear in dark red lettering for quick reference. You will also find many of these terms defined in the Thunder in the East Reference book.
The rules are organized into three major Sections, each with a distinctive purpose:
- The Standard Rules are comprised of non-highlighted text (see below) and present all of the rules necessary to play and enjoy the myriad scenarios provided in this game. These are the core rules.
- The Optional Rules are comprised of text highlighted in yellow as seen here, and are not necessary to play the scenarios. They cover useful systems and mechanics not broadly applicable to scenario play but are very much a part of the Frank Chadwick's ETO games system. These rules include Reserves, Naval, additional Air Missions, and Partisans. We recommend you use them all when playing a Campaign Game.
- The Campaign Game Rules are comprised of text highlighted in orange as seen here, and are not used to play the scenarios. The Campaign Game Rules link the scenarios for a longer, continuous game. These rules provide systems covering National Morale, Disbanding and Demobilizing units, and Seasonal Economic activities.
The rules are organized into Parts, Rules, Cases, and Subcases. An example of a Part, is this introduction being part of section Part A: Getting Started.
The Rules are in Small Caps and numbered using decimal points to show how each rule is structured. For example, rule 4.0 is the introduction to the 4th rule. Rules explain the game's components, procedures for play, the game's core systems and mechanics, how to set it up, and how to win.
Within each rule, there can be Cases that further explain its general concept or basic procedure. Cases might also restrict the application of that rule by denoting exceptions to it. Cases (and Subcases) are an extension of a rule shown in the way that they are numbered. For example, rule 4.1 is the first case of the 4th rule; and rule 4.1.2 is the 2nd subcase of the 1st case of the 4th rule.
Important information is in red text.
References to examples of a Rule or Case in this book are in blue text.
Text highlighted in gray, like this, provides the voice of the game's designer or development team. They are addressing you to explain an idea or concept that is not, itself, a Rule or a Case.
Key Rules: Critical ideas such as this will be in a boxed section of text in the main body of the rules or in a separate sidebar note.
Conflicting Rules and Concepts: Finally, when there is a conflict in the rules, later-numbered rules take precedence over earlier rules, and rules on the cards takes precedence over everything.
[2.0] An Initial Tour of the Components
Please take a moment to examine the components for Thunder in the East and let us give you an overview as you inspect them.
The Books: First, there is this Rules book, which explains what makes the game go, letting you know how things work and what is, and is not, permitted. The Reference book extends that knowledge by means of definitions and examples. The Scenario book explains the various starting and ending circumstances by which you can play, and how to win the game for that scenario; thus, it explains how the Scenarios and Campaign Game start and stop. Between them, you have the game's start, go, and stop.
The Counter Sheets: The sheets of counters provide the playing pieces. You will need to punch these out and sort them, for the moment just study them. There are two basic types of pieces: units that maneuver about and engage in combat with the opponent's units; and markers denoting the status of something (How many? What condition? Where is it? When does it arrive or repair? etc.).
The Map: Dig past the loose player aid sheets and dice, and take a look at the maps. There are four sections which overlap slightly when assembled. Together, they make one large map of western Russia where many titanic battles and campaigns took place during WWII. When assembled, the playing area is approximately 50" x 43."
Covering the map are hex-shaped spaces called "hexes," shown informally by only the presence of their corners ("vertices") with the "hexsides" removed except where a hexside feature is shown.
You will see cities dotting the landscape, some of which have special features such as economic objective symbols (e.g., a factory or an oil field, etc.) and, for coastal cities, a port symbol. Connecting them are Railroad lines that often cut through the various types of terrain on the map (e.g., forest, swamps, hills, etc.). Upon this mosaic your units in play will move and fight.
Major Ports and Naval Bases have Naval boxes in the Ocean hexes near them. While not used in Thunder in the East, these apply the greater ETO Campaign Game system.
The Theater Boundary: Crucial to Frank Chadwick's ETO series and, by extension, Thunder in the East (the first volume of that series), are the Theater Boundary Lines, one near the top of the map where above it is a small patch of the Arctic Theater, and the other near the southern edge of the map. The larger portion of the map above that line is the East Europe Theater, and below that line is the Mid-East Theater (which also includes the Black Sea and the Caucasus regions).
The Arctic Theater is out of play in Thunder in the East. "Big" East Europe: Normally, Theaters manage their own Resource Points, Air units, and Reserves. In Thunder in the East, however, we have combined the Mid-East Theater aspects into the East Europe Theater. All RP, Air Recovery, and Theater Reserve functions use the East Europe mats. The Mid-East Theater maintains its own weather and, in the Winter, its own calendar. Out of Bounds: The maps for this game link up to others in the system. Because of that, in Thunder in the East, the following areas are out of play: Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia/Croatia, and the few hexes of Albania in the bottom-left corner of the Balkans map.
Sheets and Mats: Let us look through the player aids next. These come in two basic types: sheets and mats. A Player Aid mat lies on the table and pieces are placed and organized on it (i.e., in the mat's various boxes and tracks to denote the location, quantity, and/or status of the pieces residing there). A Player Aid sheet contains game information, rule summaries, and flow charts to aid the player during game play.
- Theater Mats: From an ETO series perspective, the main focus of Thunder in the East is the East Europe Theater. Each Theater mat is unique to the specific game within the ETO series identified by its background color (for Thunder in the East the background color is green). A key concept in Frank Chadwick's ETO is that Air units do not reside on the map! Instead, they "live" on the Air Unit Theater Display mat and "visit" the map only when conducting Missions there. You will discover the East Europe Theater has its own (optional) Theater Reserves mats (one for each side).
- Economic Map Mat: You use this aid to keep track of the economic ebb and flow of the war when playing a Campaign Game. On it, players will see their Seasonal production capabilities for Personnel Points (PPs), Equipment Points (EPs), Fuel Points (FPs), etc.
- Casualty Mat: You place Campaign Game casualties on the Casualty mat before returning them to their Force Pool to account for their Morale impact as combat losses mount.
- Game Charts and Tables: The various reference sheets include two copies each (one for each Faction) of the Combat Results Tables and Air Missions Summary, the Sequence of Play, Morale Summary, the Terrain Effects chart, and the Build Cost chart.
- The Turn Track & Weather Tables: Each Game Turn represents from 7.5 days, to 11.5, to 15 days of real time (depending upon the Theater and Season). As these "Weekly" Game Turns progress, new Months will commence (during their first Week, certain Monthly matters take place), and when a new Season arrives there is a Season Start Phase when crucial economic matters take place. You roll for the weather in each Theater each Game Turn on the different Weather Tables.
- The Faction Display Mats: The Axis Display and Soviet Display mats are the game's essential war organizers (you can call them "warganizers," if you like). Each divides horizontally into three sections as follows:
- The Top Section – Time Boxes: In the top section, reinforcement units, withdrawals, substitutions, and special events that occur or end at certain times. This is a great place to arrange your pending reinforcement units during setup.
- The Middle Section – Tracks: Here you will track your various Resource Points (you spend them steadily across the Weekly turns) and other assets such as National Morale and Air Defense ratings.
- The Bottom Section – Force Pool, Change, Corps Remnant, and Other Boxes: This will be the busiest part of your Faction Display mat. Operating out of your Force Pool are your eliminated and some newly-received units; you can bring these into play through Replacements. You cannot replace units in the Change or other boxes. The Change box holds only pieces that have assembled into larger formations or broken down into smaller ones with the "change" units kept separately in this box (to avoid commingling with available Force Pool units). When your best 2-step Corps units are eliminated from the map, they may spawn their "third step" Corps Remnant unit; these have a Holding box. Your Faction's Partisan Detachments, Divisions, and Corps are held in their Holding box awaiting placement on the map.
Dice: The standard six-sided dice have nothing to do with movement. They determine the weather and the outcomes for random occurrences such as combat and supply attrition.
The three Support dice are used to assist in Ground Battles where one side has a Support advantage.
And thanks to this game's wonderful Kickstarter backers, it also includes Supply dice. These garish three-dimensional markers are not dice to be rolled, they are visual aids for easily and quickly locating your Supply sources and their radii on the map.
The remainder of this rule is an illustrated, labeled diagram of the physical counters, markers, mats, and charts (unit anatomy, formation-size symbols, nationality colors, headquarters markers, air mission designations, the Economic Map states, etc.) rather than prose; consult the physical components or the Reference book for that visual key.
[3.0] Setting up the Game
There are multiple ways to play Thunder in the East. In addition to the different scenarios, a Campaign Game connecting them is also available. The Scenario book provides all of the setup details.
Setup Sequence of Deployment
[3.1] SEQUENCE OF SETUP DEPLOYMENT: Unless otherwise stated for that scenario, the player whose turn is first in a given scenario (usually the Axis) has an advantage in that they set up second.
For example, in the Barbarossa scenario, the Soviets move second, and so deploy their units first, and then the Axis deploys their units.
Generally, the sequence that units deploy on the map is:
- Player moving second sets up their Front Line units
- Player moving first sets up their Front Line units
- A) Player moving second sets up their Partisan units and Detachment markers, if any; B) Player moving first sets up their Reserve units
- A) Player moving first sets up their Partisan units and Detachment markers, if any; B) Player moving second sets up their Reserve units
Exception: In the Bagration Scenario, the Soviets move first and set up first! Having just completed an exhausting campaign to reconquer Ukraine, the Red Army paused to prepare Operation Bagration. The Axis, for their part, remained watchful and kept their best forces facing known threats. Thus, the Axis set up after the Soviets deploy in that scenario.
Setting Up Front Line Units
[3.2] FRONT LINE DEPLOYMENT: Ground units listed as "Front Line" forces (i.e., in an Axis Army Group or a Soviet Strategic Direction) are set up on the map on their side of the Scenario Front Line (i.e., the Axis to the west of the Front Line; the Soviets to the east of it). The Scenario Setup booklet lists each side's Ground units in distinct, historical groupings; however, you are free to deploy your Front Line forces as desired, provided:
- Every hex along your opponent's side of the Front Line sector has your Ground units' Zones of Control (see Rule 5.0) extending into it. Exception: One-hex-only sections on your side of the Front Line (e.g., a besieged hex such as Odessa, Sevastopol or hex 8728, etc.) are relieved of this ZOC setup requirement, but at least one Ground unit must occupy these hexes.
- Your Front Line HQ markers are set up in Balanced mode (see 10.3) unless otherwise indicated, in a friendly City hex within six hexes of their side of the Front Line.
- With the above two obligations filled, place your remaining Front Line Ground units, within the stacking limit (see 11.0), in hexes that: share a hexside with the Front Line; OR are one hex behind your Front Line row; OR are in any friendly City hex behind your Front Line.
For a more historic setup, use your Front Line units' distinct historical groupings and deploy them in order, by group, from one end of your Front Line to the other (i.e., either start setting up along the northern end of the Front Line and finish on the southern end or vice-versa). You may place the provided rectangular Sector Boundary markers on the map over hexsides between each adjacent Strategic Direction / Army Groups units to help you visualize their distinctive "sectors."
[3.3] FRONT LINE REORGANIZATION: Per the scenario's setup instruction, players might be able to Reorganize their Front Line units (i.e., adding and remove steps). Players can always freely combine their Front Line component Corps units into larger formations during setup at this time, if desired (see 12.5). See the organization illustrated on your Faction's Display mat.
Setting Up Reserves
[3.4] RESERVES DEPLOYMENT: Ground units listed as General Reserve Rear Area forces set up as follows (enemy Partisans are always set up immediately prior to setting up friendly Reserves).
- One Rear Area Ground unit, only, must set up in each unoccupied friendly Supply City hex (i.e., those showing their intrinsic 6-hex Supply Radius).
After occupying every friendly Supply City hex, set up remaining General Reserve units as follows:
- In non-Supply City hexes, one Rear Area Ground unit per City hex, maximum, and that City hex must be at least three hexes away from that player's side of the scenario setup line (i.e., the hex adjacent to the border counting as the first hex), OR
- In a box on that side's Theater Reserve mat (see Optional Rule 102.0).
Ground units listed as General Reserve Garrisons and Defensive Works forces set up as follows.
- Place Garrison Infantry units, within the stacking limit (11.1), in a supplied (7.0): A) City or Rail hex; or B) Coastal hex; or C) Land hex that is also adjacent to another supplied Garrison Infantry unit (allowing you to "build a line" from it).
- Place Improved Defense markers in friendly hexes that are In Communication (7.0), but there can never be any more than one per hex, maximum (11.1).
Just prior to the Axis setting up their Reserves, the Soviet player must place Soviet Partisan Division units and Detachment markers on the map (per 107.1). The Axis player gets to know where Partisan activity is located before deploying Reserves to counter it.
[3.5] INITIAL SUPPLY: Finally, after the setup is complete, the player whose side goes second checks the first player's supply status (see 7.0) before commencing play.
[4.0] How to Win
There are two types of Victory in Thunder in the East: Automatic and Scenario End.
Scenario Automatic Victory
[4.1] AUTOMATIC VICTORY: In Thunder in the East, the Axis player achieves an immediate automatic Decisive Victory when:
- Government Collapse: Moscow or Kuybyshev is captured and the Stalin marker is present there; OR
Campaign Game Automatic Victory: See Campaign Game Rule 202.5.
[4.2] SCENARIO END VICTORY: When the final turn of the scenario is complete, count the number of Axis-controlled Soviet Objective cities (Moscow and Leningrad each count as two) and compare it to that scenario's Victory Conditions to determine the winner.
Objective Hexes: Any City hex having one or more of the following features is an "Objective" hex. You can identify these on the map by their red hex vertices. The Campaign Game Economic Map mat also highlights each of these.
- Capitals: Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest, Helsinki, Kaunas, Moscow, Riga, Sofia, Stockholm, Tallinn, Warsaw
- Factories: Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Leningrad, Lodz, Stalingrad, Stalino
- Oil Fields: Grozny, Maikop, Ploesti, Tbilisi
- Personnel: Gorki, Kazan, Kiev, Kuybyshev, Lwow, Minsk, Odessa, Rostov, Voronezh
- Supply: Chisinau
- Major Port: Constantia, Danzig, Novorossiysk, Varna
- Naval Base: Hango, Gdynia, Sevastopol
- Other Strategic Location: Astrakhan, Orel, Smolensk
Part B: Big Ideas, Part 1
[5.0] Zones of Control
Each Major (i.e., Large and Medium size) Ground unit exerts a Zone of Control ("ZOC"), consisting of the six hexes surrounding that unit (see diagram), including hexes occupied by enemy Ground units. Enemy Zones of Control ("EZOCs") affect combat, movement, supply, and replacements.
- Minor (i.e., Small) Ground units and markers do not exert ZOCs.
- A Ground unit in an overrun hex (see 17.0) does not exert a ZOC (but all its friendly neighboring Ground units do normally).
- ZOCs do not extend across Prohibited, Impassable, Lake, or All-Sea hexsides (even if the water is frozen).
[5.1] ZOCS AND MOVEMENT: A unit entering an EZOC must immediately cease its movement for that Movement Step (see 15.2 and 16.2). Units may freely leave EZOCs without penalty. Thus, a unit can, with one exception, move directly from one hex in an EZOC into another hex in an EZOC, and immediately cease its movement.
- Exception: A unit cannot move directly from one EZOC into another if it crosses a Major River, Strait, or Ice Strait hexside while doing so.
[5.1.1] SPECIAL MOVEMENT: During your Special Movement Step (15.2), your Leg units in an EZOC cannot move.
[5.1.2] RAIL MOVEMENT: Also during your Special Movement Step, a unit's Rail Movement (15.4) from, to, or through a hex in an EZOC is prohibited. The Stalin marker's Rail Movement is prohibited only into or through enemy occupied hexes.
[5.2] ZOCS AND COMBAT: Each EZOC hex Retreated into causes that unit or stack to suffer one step loss (see 21.7) by their owner with this exception: Heavy units (i.e., those with an Armored oval in their unit symbol box) ignore this penalty when Retreating exclusively into EZOCs of Light units (i.e., those without an Armored oval in their unit symbol box).
[5.3] ZOCS AND SUPPLY: Zones of Control affect tracing a Line of Communication (see 7.1).
- A friendly unit in a hex negates EZOCs there for purposes of tracing Lines of Communication only.
- Motorized units (only; i.e., those with white Movement Allowances) ignore the EZOCs of enemy Leg units (only; i.e., those with black Movement Allowances) when tracing a Line of Communication.
[6.0] Sequence of Play
Play in Frank Chadwick's ETO is procedural. That is, you play the game's "Weeks," Months, and Seasons in Phases, organized into Steps, divided into Segments, in their exact order.
Rules Coloring Note: Air unit activities appear in blue shading in this Rule to make them distinctive. Opponent's activities during your Player Turn appear in italic type. Optional Rule procedures are in yellow shading. Campaign Game procedures are in orange shading.
[6.1] CAMPAIGN GAME SEASON START PHASE: See Campaign Game Rule 201.0.
[6.2] WEEKLY GAME TURN SEQUENCE
Each Weekly Game Turn (these typically represent approximately 7.5 days, but sometimes roughly 11.5 days, or even 15, depending upon the Theater and Season) consists of two Player Turns, in order, Axis and Soviet, and ends with a Housekeeping Phase to prepare the next Game Turn.
Each Player Turn consists of four Phases performed in the exact sequence listed below. First, the Axis completes their entire Player Turn, and then the Soviets conduct their entire Player Turn. When the Soviets go first, only the "last half" (i.e., the Soviet half) of the first Game Turn is played.
- Logistics Phase:
- Supply Step: Determine your opponent's Ground units' status (7.0): 1) Move opponent's Isolated HQs to the rear (10.2.2 + Booty). 2) Mark your opponent's other Unsupplied and Isolated units (7.3). 3) Roll for attrition of your opponent's Isolated units (7.5.3). 4) Remove your opponent's Air Supply and "abandoned" Defense markers from the map (7.6).
- Repair & Recovery Step: "Behind the scenes" activities take place (8.0): 1) Repair (improve) by one (e.g., from -4 to -3, etc., or remove from the map and return to the stock a -1) each of your on-map Countdown markers in hexes with an RLoC or NLoC (7.1). (During these Segments of the Soviet turn, only half of their aircraft in the Flown box (Soviet player's choice) recover, regardless of weather.) 2) Recover your Ready Flown aircraft by moving them to the Available box. 3) Recover (i.e., flip) your Damaged Flown aircraft by improving them to Ready Flown. 4) From among your recovering Air units, remove half of their Suppressed markers. 5) Advance Damaged Destroyed aircraft to Damaged Flown for 1 Fuel Point (FP) each (10% of Air units there, maximum per turn). 6) Opponent may Rush Recover their Flown aircraft one readiness level each (maximum), paying 1 FP per Air unit to do so. 7) Theater Reserve Administration: Move Ground units in the Newly Arrived Units Holding box on your Theater Reserves mat to a Theater Reserve space or the Air Transport Holding box per 102.2 (making them available for deployment).
- OOB (Order of Battle) Step: Place Reinforcements and spend your Resource Points (9.0): 1) Event Card(s): You may select 1 Major OR up to 2 Minor cards from your faction's deck and place them in your Hand per 25.0 (it is usable immediately, if applicable). 2) Perform withdrawals (Axis only; on the first turn of indicated Months). 3) Perform substitutions/mandatory disbandment (on the first turn of indicated Months). 4) Place reinforcements units in your Force Pool or on the map, as instructed. The Soviets may place one Improved Defense (1) marker for free (per 9.4) each Soviet Turn. The Axis may similarly place one Improved Defense (1) marker OR improve (per 9.3.4) for free (i.e., 0 RPs) one German Korpsgruppe unit each Axis Turn. Soviets receive one free Partisan Detachment marker (per 107.1). 5) Spend Resource Points to build/rebuild units, purchase markers and OPs, and replace depleted units on the map (per 9.3). Speed Limit: Maximum Personnel Points (PPs) and Equipment Points (EPs) per OOB Step = 10% of pool with a 2 minimum and a 10 maximum. Elite Time: Only on the first Week of that Month, you may spend up to 1 PP, maximum, to build/rebuild Specialist units for each Nationality (9.3.5) (this does count against its PP spending "speed limit" that turn), and the Soviets can promote one Corps unit to Guards status (13.3).
- HQ Mode Step: Determine the status of your HQ markers (10.0), expending 1 Offensive Point (OP) per HQ you put into Attack mode (see 10.3).
After the Axis Player Turn is complete, the Soviet player performs these four Phases. After the Soviet Player Turn is complete, conduct the...
- Housekeeping Phase:
- Game Turn Step: Advance the Weekly Game Turn marker and, when a new Month commences, the Month Turn marker or, if the last turn of the game was played, stop and determine the winner per 23.1.
- On the First Week of Each Month: Note any Monthly reinforcements, withdrawals, and substitutions as noted on the top of the Faction mats. During each faction's first Week's OOB Step that Month, you select cards, build/replace Specialist units, and the Soviets promote Soviet Guards.
- Weather Step: The Soviet player rolls for next turn's weather per 23.2.
Key Concept: Timing — During your turn's Supply Step, you determine your opponent's supply status (not your own, and vice versa)! You remove your opponent's Isolated HQ and "abandoned" Defense markers, mark their Unsupplied Ground units, and roll for attrition of your opponent's Isolated units (marking those that survive). Note: Your opponent may, of course, assist in evaluating the supply state of their units. The core concept here is that "each player keeps the other honest." This greatly simplifies and speeds up the Supply Step. Advice: You should place "Supply dice" on your opponent's supply sources near the front lines. When placed, these dice will stand out visually and make your Supply Step proceed quickly and smoothly.
Key Concept: Move – Fight – Move — The European Theater of Operations (ETO) series features a "Move-Fight-Move" Sequence of Play. That is, Special Movement occurs before Combat and Regular Movement occurs afterward. In many other wargames, it is the opposite: Regular Movement occurs before combat and Special Movement follows. Reversing this order shows the greater offensive agility of mobile troops (including Cavalry). Infantry can attack if already in position and ready, but cannot move very far and still put in an attack on the same turn. So infantry can hammer a fixed, static position, but motorized troops (and to an extent Cavalry) can move and then attack, which makes them ideal for counterattacks and sustaining an offensive after the situation becomes fluid.
How to Tell Time in a Wargame: Each Game Turn in Thunder in the East represents between one and two weeks of real time, depending on the month. That is, months with generally worse weather have fewer turns to simulate the difficulty of operating under adverse conditions. As you play each Game Turn, it is basically broken down into two "halves" which we call Player Turns (Axis and then Soviet), and ends with a final Housekeeping Phase which prepares things so the next Game Turn can commence. During your Player Turn, you perform its four Phases in this exact sequence: Logistics, Special Movement, Combat, and Regular Movement. Each Phase is subdivided into Steps that must be performed in their listed order; doing so completes that Phase. Some Steps are further subdivided into Segments that must be performed in their listed order; doing so completes that Step. So… Game Turns have Player Turns; Player Turns have Phases; Phases have Steps; and Steps have Segments.
Part C: The Logistics Phase
[7.0] Supply Step
Supply affects Ground unit movement, combat, and replacements. It does not affect a Ground unit's ability to build up or break down in any way.
[7.1] SUPPLY AND COMMUNICATION SOURCES: When they can trace a Line of Communication to an Ultimate Supply Source (see Key Concept below), friendly-controlled Supply and Anchorage City hexes and friendly HQ markers are sources of Communication and Supply. Friendly map edges are also sources of Communication for City hexes and HQ markers, Supply. Air Supply markers are a limited-range, short-duration logistical enhancement (see 104.3).
Communications Sources: Communications require tracing an unblocked (see 7.3) Line of Communication (LoC) of any length (no matter how circuitous) from the hex tracing this line (inclusive) to a source.
- Overland Line of Communication (OLoC): Ground units and Defense markers typically use this type of LoC. It is a single unblocked (7.3) line of any length that does not cross Impassable (e.g., Lake, Peak, etc.) hexsides or enter Prohibited (e.g., All-Sea) terrain. It is traced to a functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) friendly-controlled Supply or Anchorage City hex, or a friendly HQ marker, that can itself trace its own Rail LoC or Naval LoC (below) to an Ultimate Supply Source.
- Rail Line of Communication (RLoC): This is an unblocked (7.3) line of any length, traced exclusively along Railroad hexes and hexsides. City hexes and HQ markers are In Communication if they can trace an RLoC to a functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) friendly-controlled Supply City or Major Port hex that can itself trace its own Rail LoC or Naval LoC (below) to an Ultimate Supply Source. You cannot trace an RLoC to a Minor Port or a Naval Base having an NLoC; units and HQ markers must occupy those 0-range Anchorage hexes to be able to trace an NLoC.
- Naval Line of Communication (NLoC): This is an unblocked (7.3) line of any length, traced exclusively along passable, unfrozen (7.3) All- or Partial-Sea (i.e., Coastal) hexes. Anchorage hexes are In Communication if they can trace an NLoC to a functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) friendly-controlled Major Port or Naval Base hex that can itself trace its own Rail LoC to an Ultimate Supply Source. The lone port on the Caspian Sea, Astrakhan, always has an NLoC for the Soviets and never for the Axis.
Home territory includes only cities in the contiguous land territory of a nation containing its national capital and is further elaborated upon in the sidebar near Rule 9.4.
Key Concept: Line of Communication (LoC) — A Line of Communication (LoC) is an unblocked (7.3) chain of hexes consisting of one Overland LoC (for Ground units only), a Rail LoC (for a City or HQ), or a Naval LoC (for an Anchorage) connected to an Ultimate Supply Source.
Key Concept: Ultimate Supply Sources — To function as a Communication or Supply Source, that location must be an Ultimate Supply Source or be able to, itself, trace a Rail or Naval LoC to one. Ultimate Supply Sources are: 1) A friendly map edge (i.e., the West map edge for the Axis; the East map edge for the Soviets. The South map edge is also friendly if on that faction's same side, West or East, of the Black Sea). 2) A functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) friendly Supply City that can, itself, trace a Rail or Naval LoC to a friendly map edge or to another functioning friendly Supply City in that unit's home territory. 3) A functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) friendly Capital City in that unit's home territory.
Sorry, We're Closed: Supply, Major Port, and Naval Base Cities are not friendly logistical centers after you conquer them (see 22.0); at least, not right away! Instead, they are Disrupted and immediately receive a Countdown marker which, each turn, improves by one until it is ultimately removed. While Disrupted, that Major Port or Naval Base operates as only a Minor Port; Disrupted Supply cities and HQ markers do not radiate supply (although HQ markers can still operate Theater Reserves while Disrupted per 102.0). It takes time to change the rail gauges, rebuild infrastructure, move stockpiles forward, and otherwise advance the military's logistical tail.
Supply Sources: Supply sources are distinctive for bearing a green (land) or blue (naval) hexagon symbol with a number in it. When these supply sources are In Communication, that number is the distance in hexes that it projects its Supply Radius.
- Supply Cities: A Supply City hex is a supply source for whichever side controls it, provided it is: A) Functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker), and B) In Communication. On-map Supply City hexes have a symbol showing their fully-operational Supply Radius of 6 hexes. City hexes that are not Supply Cities are not supply sources.
- Anchorages: An Anchorage hex is a supply source for whichever side controls it, provided it is: A) Functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker), and B) In Communication. Major Port hexes appear on the map with a symbol showing their Supply Radius of 6 hexes. Minor Ports and Naval Bases (logistically, these are identical) have a symbol showing their Supply Radius of 0 hexes. In other words, units in the Minor Port or Naval Base hex itself are In Supply, but other units can only trace an OLoC to it, not draw supply from it.
- Headquarters: A functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) HQ marker that can trace via an RLoC and NLoC to an Ultimate Supply Source becomes, itself, a supply source for all other Ground units in its Faction (even ones its Ground units cannot stack with; 11.2) within its Supply Radius. Exception: Treat Strategic HQ markers that must trace a Naval LoC through a Minor Port or Naval Base as Stressed due to its "limited pipeline" (see 10.1).
[7.2] THE SUPPLY ROUTINE: When determining their supply status, Ground units and City hexes first must trace an LoC.
- Those that cannot trace an LoC are Isolated (see 7.5.3).
- Ground units that can trace an LoC are In Communication (see 7.5.2).
- HQ markers and City hexes that can trace an LoC are Supplied (see Rule 7.5.1).
- Anchorage hexes that can trace an LoC (such as an NLoC) are Supplied (see 7.5.1).
For Ground units that are In Communication (i.e., those that are not Isolated), they next check to see if they are within the Supply Radius of a friendly, functioning supply source (i.e., an HQ marker, Supply City, or Anchorage hex that, itself, is In Communication, without a Countdown marker, etc.). If so, and if the unit can trace an OLoC (of any length) to that supply source, raise the unit's status from In Communication to Supplied.
[7.3] TRACING LOCS: An OLoC, RLoC, or NLoC can be of any unblocked (see below) length. Trace it from the hex tracing this line (inclusive) to a communications source.
Timing: When you determine supply status is important:
- Ground units check their supply status during the opponent's Supply Step (only).
- City, Anchorage and other hexes check their supply status the instant they wish to serve as a supply or communications source, a Reinforcement/Replacement/Rebuilding location, etc.
Blocking LoCs: Each Scenario's Special Rules (see the Scenario book) states where NLoCs are blocked. You cannot trace an OLoC or RLoC into or through enemy units, EZOCs, or enemy transportation lines (i.e., any Rail Line or Road hex directly connecting two enemy-controlled City hexes) except:
- Motorized units (only; i.e., those with white Movement Allowances) can ignore the EZOCs of enemy Leg units (only; i.e., those with black Movement Allowances) when tracing an OLoC.
- The presence of any friendly Ground unit in a hex allows you to trace an OLoC or RLoC into or through it; that is, friendly units negate EZOC and an enemy transportation line hexes that they occupy when tracing an LoC.
Weather Closures: During the Winter Season (January – March), Winter Ice hexes are frozen and cannot trace an NLoC or perform Naval Movement. During Snow, Extreme Cold, and Mud weather, OLoCs are untraceable into or through Mountain hexes except along a Railroad or Road.
Communication and Supply — Note: An Overland LoC (or a Rail LoC) is a line that you trace through all hazards and over any distance. An HQ marker or Supply City hex that is In Communication is, in fact, In Supply and becomes a supply source with a supply radius. So, to function fully, Communications is all HQ markers and Supply City hexes require. For Ground units, an LoC is only a "halfway" supply state. If that is the best that Ground unit can achieve, it is only In Communication and, therefore, Out of Supply. If, however, a Ground unit In Communication is also under a Supply Radius projected from an HQ marker, a Supply City hex, etc., that it can trace an OLoC back to, then it is better than In Communication, it is In Supply.
[7.4] SUPPLY RADIUS: A Supply Radius from a friendly functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) Supply City hex, Anchorage hex, or HQ marker is a "distribution umbrella" covering all friendly units with an OLoC to that supply source within that range.
[7.5] SUPPLY STATES: Every Ground unit, City hex, or Anchorage hex is always in one of the following supply states:
[7.5.1] SUPPLIED: A Ground unit is In Supply if it can trace an OLoC (see 7.3, above) to, and is within a valid friendly Supply Radius from, a Supply City, Port, HQ marker, or Air Supply marker. So, for Ground units, an Overland Line of Communication + a functioning Supply Radius from that supply source = Supplied.
HQ markers and City hexes are Supplied when they have a valid RLoC. Anchorage hexes are Supplied when they have a valid RLoC or NLoC.
Effects of Being In Supply:
- A Supplied Ground unit has its normal Attack Strength, Defense Strength, and Movement Allowance, and can receive Replacement Improvements (9.5) if its hex is In Communication.
- A Supplied City hex can serve as an Air Base, can receive Reinforcements (see 9.0), and can receive Replacement Rebuilt units (9.5).
- A Supplied Supply City hex or an Anchorage hex becomes, itself, a supply source for Ground units (see Rule 7.1).
- A Supplied HQ marker becomes, itself, a supply source (see Rule 7.1).
- Motorized Units: A Supplied Major nation HQ marker in Attack mode (only) allows Motorized units (i.e., those with a white Movement Allowance) to draw Supply from it at double that Major Power HQ marker's Supply Radius (non-Motorized units always use the printed Supply Radius of an HQ marker). This Supply Radius extension does not apply for that HQ marker's Attack Bonus!
Motorized Logistics: When you combine Motorized units' abilities to trace their LoC through the ZOCs of enemy Leg units, and benefitting from a double Supply radius from Major Power HQ markers in Attack mode (i.e., with white print), their ability to sustain an offensive is profound.
Small Nation HQs: Small Nation (e.g., Hungary and Romania) HQ markers are not only Operational in their capabilities, but they also do not project a double Supply Radius to Motorized units (as shown by their solid black 4s on their Attack mode sides). They are behind the modern warfare curve.
[7.5.2] IN COMMUNICATION (ONLY; A.K.A. "UNSUPPLIED"): A Ground unit is In Communication (but not Supplied) if it can trace an unblocked LoC of any length to a communications source but cannot trace an OLoC to a nearby friendly supply source (within its Supply Radius).
HQs, Cities, and Anchorages require only an LoC to be In Supply. Thus, they are never merely In Communication; they are either In Supply or Isolated (7.5.3).
Effects of Being Out of Supply (i.e., only "In Communication"):
- A Ground unit In Communication but not In Supply has its normal Defense Strength and Movement Allowance, however its Attack Strength is halved. It can receive Replacement Improvements (9.5) if its hex is also In Communication.
- During your Supply Step, mark your opponent's Ground units that are In Communication, but not In Supply, with an Out of Supply marker (checking for Air Supply first, see 104.3). The Out of Supply marker denotes that Ground unit's Attack Strength is halved.
[7.5.3] ISOLATED: A Ground unit is Isolated if it cannot trace an unblocked OLoC of any length to a supply/communications source. HQs and City hexes are Isolated if they cannot trace an RLoC, and Anchorage hexes are Isolated if they cannot trace an LoC (such as an NLoC), to a friendly Ultimate Supply Source.
Effects of Isolation:
- Isolated hexes cannot serve as Reinforcement, or Replacement/Rebuild/Improve locations, nor do Isolated Supply City hexes act as supply sources. Isolated City hexes can be Air Bases (18.0).
- During an enemy's Supply Step, Isolated Soviet Factory City hexes with a Working (1 EP) Factory marker immediately commence the Soviet Factory Evacuation procedure (per 207.4).
- Isolated Ports cannot serve as supply sources or be used for Naval Transport (106.1).
- An Isolated Ground unit cannot attack and retains its normal Defense Strength, but its Movement Allowance is reduced to 1 hex per Movement Phase.
- An Isolated HQ marker involuntarily dissolves and the opponent collects Booty (10.2.2).
- During your Supply Step, mark your opponent's units that are neither In Supply nor In Communication with an Isolated marker (checking for Air Supply first, see 104.3) and make a single Attrition Roll for all of the enemy Ground units in that Isolated hex: On a roll of 1, 2, or 3, one unit (not every unit!) in that Isolated hex suffers a 1 step loss chosen by the owning player (removing its last step immediately eliminates that unit to the Casualty mat). On a roll of 4, 5, or 6, there is no effect.
Ignore the "/D1" text on Isolated markers. It refers to the effects of Isolation to ships at sea in future ETO games.
Air Supply: See Optional Rule 104.3.
[7.6] REMOVE "ABANDONED" DEFENSE MARKERS: You may remove from the map and return to the stock your opponent's Improved and Fortified Defense markers in hexes that are unoccupied by their Ground units and either: A) in your Ground unit's ZOC or B) more than 6 hexes away from your nearest Ground unit; exception: "chains" (not extending across impassable hexsides) of one or more adjacent Defense markers cannot be removed if at least one of them is occupied by a friendly Ground unit.
[8.0] Repair & Recovery Step
During this Step, several "behind the scenes" activities take place supporting your war effort. In order, these Segments are:
- Repair: Adjust the Countdown markers on your units, markers, and hexes having an RLoC or NLoC (7.1) to indicate that each is now one digit closer to 0 (when they are removed and returned to the stock); e.g., a -4 Countdown marker improves to a -3 Countdown marker this turn. Those without an appropriate LoC do not count down; they remain paused at their current value. Effect: While a Countdown marker is present, that location, marker, or unit is Disrupted and "not functioning" (i.e., its functionality is restricted or lost). For example, a Disrupted Supply City hex (22.0) is no longer a Supply source; a Disrupted Major Port or Naval Base hex (22.0) functions as only a Minor Port; a Disrupted Minor Port hex (106.5.4) cannot use its port ability for movement or supply (except to repair itself); an HQ marker bearing a Countdown marker (10.2) is "turned off" and cannot serve as a supply source, etc. When its Countdown marker is removed (i.e., reaches 0), its capabilities are fully restored and it is considered "functioning." When incurring additional delay, Countdown markers reset; time delays are not cumulative! Only locations, units, and markers not inflicted with a Countdown marker are considered "functioning" (as they are not "under repair").
Note: During these three Air Segments of the Soviet turn, only half of their aircraft in the Flown box (Soviet player's choice) recover, regardless of the weather.
- Air Available: Recover your unsuppressed Ready Flown aircraft by moving them to the Available box (noting 8.2 during Inclement weather).
- Air Repair: Recover your unsuppressed Damaged Flown aircraft by flipping them to Ready Flown (noting 8.2 during Inclement weather).
- Air Base Repair: From among your recovering Air units (only), remove half of their Suppressed markers. This is your time to fix those "cratered" runways and bombed aerodromes.
- Air Replacement: Advance Damaged Destroyed aircraft to Damaged Flown for 1 FP each (but never exceeding 10% of your Destroyed Air units, rounded up). Here you are replacing your air combat losses or introducing newly built Air units into play, but there is a speed limit out of this box!
- Rush Recovery: Your opponent may Rush Recover their Flown aircraft one readiness level each (maximum), paying 1 FP per Air unit to do so. To recover a readiness level, that Rush Recovered Air unit must perform one of #4, #3, OR #2 (above), in that (reverse priority) order, for 1 FP. Skip this Rush Recovery Segment during Overcast, Snow, and Extreme Cold weather (23.0).
Half-Recovery Example: During the Soviet R&R Step, 13 Soviet Air units are in the Flown box in various states: Available, Damaged, and Suppressed. The Soviet Player chooses any 7 of them (half) to improve their lot by a single level each (selecting an odd number of Suppressed units, as they recover separately at half) while the remaining 6 languish unattended.
Airfield Suppression: The stickiest thing for Air units to shake off is suppression, typically as a result of Airfields Attacks (18.4.3) and Partisan activity (107.2.4). While recovering Flown Air units repair Damage or, if Ready, leap to the Available box in a single turn, only half of Air units "recovering" that turn have their Suppressed markers removed. It could take quite a while to untangle things when your Air Force is buried under Suppressed markers.
Soviet Ground Crews: Although the Soviet Union built vast numbers of aircraft for the war effort, often in improvised factories in the Urals, meeting factory production quotas came at the expense of tight quality control. Many aircraft deteriorated quickly in service and required extra maintenance just to keep them flying. So, yes, the Soviet player has plenty of Air units in the Flown box of the Air Display, but maintains them at the inefficient "Inclement weather half speed" rate year-round.
[8.1] AIR UNIT REPAIR & RECOVERY: Air units on the Air Display mat are always in one of these different Readiness Levels. From highest readiness to lowest, these are:
- Available, Ready (it is in the Available box showing its Ready side; there are never any Damaged or suppressed Air units in the Available box).
- Flown, Ready (it is in the Flown box showing its Ready side, and not suppressed).
- Flown, Damaged (it is in the Flown box showing its Damaged side, and not suppressed).
- Flown, Ready, suppressed (it is in the Flown box showing its Ready side, and has a Suppressed marker on it).
- Flown, Damaged, suppressed (it is in the Flown box showing its Damaged side, and has a Suppressed marker on it).
- Destroyed, Damaged (it is in the Destroyed box showing its Damaged side; there are never any Ready or suppressed Air units in the Destroyed box).
[8.2] AIR UNIT RECOVERY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER: Mud, Snow, Extreme Cold, and Overcast weather hinder Axis Air Recovery. The Soviets suffer this all the time.
- During Mud weather (23.3), only half of each player's Short Range [S] aircraft in the Flown box recover (owning player's choice). All other non-Short Range aircraft (i.e., [M], [L], and [X]) recover normally during Mud weather.
- During Overcast, Snow, and Extreme Cold weather (23.0), only half of your aircraft in the Flown box can recover one level of readiness, and your opponent's Rush Recovery Segment is skipped entirely! Note: Only Air units designated as "recovering" their readiness that turn can have their Suppressed markers removed, and only half of them, at that!
[8.3] THEATER RESERVES: See Optional Rule 102.2.
[9.0] Order of Battle (OOB) Step
During your OOB (Order of Battle) Step, you take care of any withdrawals, substitutions (for the Axis only), mandatory disbandments (Soviet only), place your reinforcements, and finally spend your Resource Points (RPs, the generic term collectively referring to Personnel Points, Equipment Points, Fuel Points, etc.) on critical purchases. Many card events occur during your OOB Step, as well.
Pay special attention to events occurring during the first Week of that Month (i.e., withdrawals, substitutions, and reinforcements), as well as selecting cards to add to your Hand.
Card Selection: If it is the first Week of a Month, select your new card(s) for your hand (see 25.0). During the Event Card(s) Segment of your OOB Step of the first Week of each Month, you select your new card(s) per 25.0. You can immediately play cards selected during that OOB Step, if applicable.
Axis Withdrawals: The scenario listings (and the top third of the Axis Faction mat) indicate the comings and goings of Axis units. Always perform Withdrawals on the first Week of their listed Month.
Air Unit Withdrawals: When there is more than one unit of the Model listed to be withdrawn, take the one that is closest to Available (per 8.1) and place it in the Axis Force Pool. If no units of that Model are on the Air Display, your opponent may choose any Air unit to remove in its stead. When withdrawn in May 1942, the Stuka (Ju-87) unit later returns to play, so place it ahead on the Axis Display mat at its next entry Month (June 1943).
Ground Unit Withdrawals: The Axis must withdraw two types of German Ground units: Airborne Divisions and Panzer Corps.
- When withdrawing the Airborne Division, remove that exact unit from its present location. If its location is not on the map with a Line of Communication (7.1) or in the Theater Reserve, place it on the next Month of the Game Turn Track, at which time you owe ½ of a Specialist PP to pay for its Replacement before permanently removing it from play.
- When withdrawing a Panzer Corps, any full-strength (12-9-[6]) German Panzer Corps unit on the map with a Line of Communication (7.1) will do. Place the non-SS Panzer Corps withdrawn (i.e., the 14th Panzer and 47th Panzer Corps or their substitutes) in the Force Pool. When withdrawn, the second SS Panzer Corps (2 SS) later returns to play (and later withdraws and returns again!), so place it ahead on the Axis Display mat at its next entry Month. If you have no qualifying Panzer Corps on the map to withdraw, remove an otherwise-qualifying reduced-strength Panzer Corps and pay 1 EP (to build it back up to full strength) immediately (or at your first opportunity when you again have 1 EP). If you have no qualifying Panzer Corps in play, pay 2 EPs immediately (or at your first opportunity).
Give no such care when withdrawing the Italians in April of 1943. Simply remove everything Italian from play in whatever state it is in and that's that.
Unit Substitutions / Mandatory Disbandment: Always perform Substitutions/Mandatory Disbandment on the first Week of the Month shown on their Faction mat wherever these units might be located (e.g., on map, in their Force Pool, Change box, etc.).
- Soviet Early Mech Corps: In October 1941, the Soviet player must disband all Early Mechanized Corps units on the map per Rule 15.1. Their experiment has officially ended.
- German Motorized Divisions: In January 1943, immediately flip all German 2-[6] Motorized Infantry Division units to permanently show their 3-[6] Panzergrenadier Division sides for the duration; all Panzer Corps henceforth break down to two Panzer plus one Panzergrenadier (instead of Motorized) Division. Designer's Note: Panzergrenadier Divisions are Heavy, which generally helps on the battlefield, but now you must replace them for ½ EP instead of ½ PP each.
- Hungarian Motorized Corps: In August 1943, remove the Hungarian 4-[4] Semi-Motorized Infantry Corps unit from play and replace it with the Hungarian 6-4-[5] Armored Corps unit (if it was on the map reduced, reduce its substitute). Also upgrade the Hungarian 1st Armored Division and 1st Cavalry Division (to show its 2nd Armored Division side).
Reinforcements: The scenario listings (and the top third of the Faction mats) also list the arrival and placement location of reinforcements. When instructed to add them to your Force Pool, do so. Always perform Reinforcements on the first Week of the Month they arrive.
Free Stuff: On your turn, you receive certain below-the-economic-scale-of-the-game things for free first:
- Digging for Victory: Place one Improved Defense (1) marker (per 9.4); every turn for the Soviets, and every turn the Axis have a choice between one Improved Defense (1) marker (per 9.4) OR one free (i.e., 0 RPs) German Korpsgruppe unit improvement (per 9.3.4).
- Partisan Activity: The Soviets place one Partisan Detachment marker every Soviet turn (per 107.1).
On Map Placement Procedure: Reinforcements enter play either on the map or in their Force Pool. Each Reinforcement Ground unit entering play on the map does so at full-strength at either:
- A supplied (7.0) friendly City hex in the country of the owning nation (with Polish cities counting as part of Germany), even if it is in an EZOC, and within the stacking limit (11.1), but no more than one per City per Reinforcement Step; OR
- A friendly map edge hex, not in an EZOC, but within the stacking limit (11.1) and no more than one per map edge hex per Reinforcement Step; OR
- Directly into your Newly Arrived Units Holding box on your Faction's Theater Reserves.
A reinforcing HQ marker arrives with a -3 Countdown marker on it.
Purchases With Resource Points: Managing your Resource Point expenditures is essential for success. You may perform all of your activities during this Segment in any convenient order.
Accounting: Card RP Reinforcements: Add in Resource Point (RP) additions from cards before calculating your OOB Step's spending level for PPs and EPs.
[9.1] RECEIVING AND SAVING RESOURCE POINTS: When instructed (i.e., as listed among the scenario's reinforcements or Seasonally during a Campaign Game), add Resource Points (RPs) to your Display mat's Resource track by adjusting their respective markers; place them in the boxes that represent their current values. For many resources, if you acquire more than its marker(s) permits, flip that marker over to its "+½", "+10", or "+100" side as a reminder that you have that many more points than the box that marker is located in indicates.
Tracking RP Markers: The Germans have 14 ½ PPs (i.e., Personnel Points). The Germans have placed their "tens" PP marker in the 10 box, and their +½ PP marker in the 4 box: (4 + ½) = 4½; + 10 = 14½. If the Germans spend ½ PP, they flip their "ones" PP marker over to show its "x1" side: (4 x 1) = 4 + 10 = 14. If they spend 1 PP, they move their "ones" PP marker to the 3 box: (3 + ½) = 3½; + 10 = 13½.
[9.2] OOB PHASE SPENDING RESTRICTIONS: There is a geographic and per turn limit on spending a nation's PPs and that faction's EPs during the OOB Step (only; cards allowing you to spend RPs for various gameplay effects at other times are not subject to this restriction):
- How Fast: You can spend no more than one tenth (10%), with a 2 minimum and a 10 maximum, for each type of your available PPs or EPs during your OOB Step. There is no limit to the number of FPs or OPs that you can spend per turn. For example, if the Soviets have 41 PPs at the start of their OOB Step, they can spend up to 5 PPs during it (i.e., 10% of 41, rounded up = 5).
- On Whom: The Axis have several nationalities (e.g., German, Hungarian, etc.). Each can only spend PPs of their own nationality for their Ground or Air units. Other Resource Points spent on Axis allies (i.e., EPs, FPs, and OPs) must come from the common Axis stockpiles.
- How Much: No Ground unit can receive more than 1 Step of improvement per friendly OOB Step.
[9.3] RESOURCE POINT COSTS: When spending Resource Points, refer to the Build Cost chart to find the exact costs for things, with these Subcases applying:
Build Cost Chart (9.3)
Ground Units
| Item | PPs | EPs | FPs | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build from the Force Pool a Motorized (white Movement Allowance) Major unit (Medium or Large), in addition to the following step cost: | 0 | 0 | +1 | Turn |
| 1 Step of Major unit (Medium or Large) Standard Heavy troops | 0 | 1(M) | 0* | Turn |
| 1 Step of Minor unit (Small)(A) Standard Heavy troops | 0 | ½(M) | 0 | |
| 1 Step of Major unit (Medium or Large) Standard Light troops | 1 | 0 | 0* | Turn |
| 1 Step of Minor unit (Small)(A) Standard Light troops | ½ | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 Step of Second-Line and/or Garrison Infantry troops | ½(B) | 0 | 0 | Turn |
| 1 Step of Major unit (Medium or Large) Specialist Light troops | 1(C) | 0 | 0* | First turn of the Month only |
| 1 Step of Minor unit (Small) Specialist Light troops | ½(C) | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 Strategic (Army Group) Headquarters unit | 2 | +2 | +2 | With a -3 Countdown marker |
| 1 Operational (Army) Headquarters unit | 1 | +1(M) | +1 |
* marked cells are the Major-unit step cost's FP column, which is 0 unless the unit being built is Motorized, in which case add the +1 FP Motorized surcharge from the row above (per 9.3.2).
Air Units
| Item | PPs | EPs | FPs | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Air unit from Force Pool to Destroyed box, Damaged | 2 | +1(M) | 0 | Turn |
| 1 Air unit from Destroyed box to Flown box, Damaged (10% per Turn, maximum) | 0 | 0 | 1 | Turn |
| 1 Air unit from Force Pool to re-equip an Air unit currently in play (D) | 0 | 1(M) | 0 | Turn; -1 Readiness |
| 1 Air unit Rush Recovery (one Readiness Level per Air unit, maximum) | 0 | 0 | 1 | Opponent's Repair & Recovery Step |
Special
| Item | MPs | PPs | EPs | FPs | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Offensive point | — | 0 | ½ | +½ | Turn |
| 2 Improved Defense markers | pay ½ MP, OR ½ PP, OR ½ EP(B) (owner's choice) | 0 | Turn | ||
| Faction's Air Defense marker increases to its next higher value (N) | — | N | +N | 0 | Turn; Payable over time |
| +1 Morale Point (per desired nation in Faction; +2 MPs max per nation) | — | 0 | ½ | 0 | Season Start Phase |
A = One German (only) Corps Remnant unit's improvement step per turn is free in non-Isolated friendly City hexes and Theater Reserve boxes. B = Each Faction can spend a total of only 1 PP, maximum, per OOB Step on any combination of Garrison Infantry units and/or Improved Defense markers, although EPs and MPs are spendable on the latter without restriction. C = One PP per Month per Nationality, maximum. D = The re-equipped Air unit is placed in its Force Pool. M = A Small Nation also immediately gains that many Morale Points (MPs) when these EPs are spent on their forces (202.1).
[9.3.1] DON'T EVER CHANGE: You cannot purchase any units from your Change box with RPs! You may only spend RPs on units in your Force Pool or in play.
[9.3.2] MOTORIZED UNITS: As highlighted on the Build Cost chart, it also costs 1 FP when building a Major (i.e., Large or Medium size) Ground unit from the Force Pool if it is Motorized (i.e., has a white Movement Allowance). This is in addition to its normal cost of 1 EP or 1 PP! Do not pay this FP cost to improve Motorized units already in play, nor when building a Minor (i.e., Small size) unit from the Force Pool.
[9.3.3] "HALF PRICE" EXPENDITURES: Some units cost only ½ Resource Point (RP) each. ½ RP is indicated on the track by showing the "+½" side of that RP's "x1" marker in the ones boxes.
- Minor Units: Small size (i.e., Minor) units cost only ½ RP of the appropriate type (PPs for Light units, EPs for Heavy units) to Build/Rebuild (or Improve, for Corps Remnants, per 9.5). Note that Minor units do not require any FP expenditure (per 9.3.2).
- 2nd-Line Infantry: 2nd-Line Infantry Corps and Garrison Infantry units (both of which have an empty circle in the middle of their Unit Symbol as a reminder) also cost only ½ PP each.
- Improved Defense Marker: These cost only ½ PP, or ½ EP, or ½ MP (202.0) per pair to place up to two of these (1) markers (if you like, you can think of them costing ¼ RP each). An Improved Defense marker cannot be "fortified" (which is done via card play) during the same OOB Step it was placed.
- Time Value of Defense: Each Faction can spend a total of only 1 PP, maximum, per OOB Step on any combination of Garrison Infantry units and/or Improved Defense markers (although EPs and MPs are spendable on the latter without restriction).
Dig Those Trenches, People!: In the Campaign Game, you can pay ½ of a Morale Point to create a pair of Improved Defense markers. This represents conscripted labor forced to "volunteer" in an emergency.
[9.3.4] CORPS REMNANTS IMPROVEMENT DISCOUNT: Improving a Corps Remnant unit (per 9.5) comes at a "discount price" in RPs. The cost is ½ PP or EP each (as appropriate for its remnant type). One supplied German Corps Remnant unit per turn can be improved for free (i.e., 0 RPs) in City hexes with an OLoC (7.1) or their Theater Reserve boxes during their OOB Step.
[9.3.5] SPECIALIST UNITS: Specialist units have their formation size highlighted with an oval shape. These include Airborne, Cavalry, and Mountain Corps and Divisions. Other Specialist units include Soviet International units (i.e., Polish and Czech using USSR PPs), and Axis ally nation Motorized Infantry Corps. You can only spend 1 Specialist PP per Month per Nationality, and only on the first turn of that Month (and this does count as part of that nation's PP spending limit for that turn).
[9.4] BUILDING/REBUILDING MARKERS AND UNITS FROM YOUR FORCE POOL: Building/Rebuilding essentially means taking a reduced, 1-step (i.e., Small or Medium size striped) Ground unit, or an Air unit, from your Force Pool and placing it into play (i.e., on the Air Display mat, the map, or into your Theater Reserve).
- Be sure to pay the additional Major Motorized +1 FP cost when purchasing such units from your Force Pool.
- Place units with an Untried Strength (i.e., a "?" Strength) side showing their Untried side.
- You can only place one newly built/rebuilt Ground unit per hex (which must be within the stacking limit; 11.1) per OOB Step.
Take these pieces from your Force Pool (or Theater Reserve, see 102.3) and:
- Place a Major Ground unit or HQ marker (with a -3 Countdown marker on it) in a supplied (7.0) City hex in its home territory, even if it is in an EZOC, and within the stacking limit (11.1), but no more than one per City per friendly OOB Step.
- Place a Minor Ground unit in a supplied (7.0) City hex in that theater, even if it is in an EZOC, and within the stacking limit (11.1), but no more than one per City per friendly OOB Step.
- For the Hungarians and Romanians only, that City hex must be either: A) in their home territory; or B) within the Supply Radius (7.1) of their National HQ marker on the map.
- Place a Ground unit in a friendly map edge hex, not in an EZOC, but within the stacking limit (11.1), and no more than one per map edge hex per friendly OOB Step.
- For the Soviets only, place a Ground unit in Moscow, regardless of its supply status, but no more than one per Soviet OOB Step.
- Place Garrison Infantry units, within the stacking limit (11.1), in a supplied (7.0) friendly hex as follows: A) City or Rail hex; or B) a Coastal hex; or C) Land hex that is also adjacent to another supplied Garrison Infantry unit (allowing you to "build a line" from it).
- Place newly-built Air units on the Air Display mat in the Destroyed box, Damaged (from whence they can be Replaced on a future turn per 8.1).
- Place Improved Defense markers in friendly hexes that are not abandoned (7.6) and are In Communication (7.0). There can never be any more than one per hex, maximum (11.1).
Working with Axis Ally Nations: Proud Axis ally nations work a little differently on the map, especially when trying to cooperate with each other: They do not like stacking their Ground units together (11.2). Spending RPs on Hungarian and Romanian Ground units requires them to be in their home territory, Theater Reserve, or within the Supply Radius of their National HQ marker on the map (9.4 and 9.6). Spending EPs on their units also increases their Morale Points by double that amount (202.1 and the Build Cost Chart). Because they have Operational National HQ markers, when in Attack mode, they do not have a double Supply Radius for Motorized units (except Italy, 7.5.1) and the single Attack Bonus it provides can only support a Battle that includes at least one of their Ground units (10.3.1). They do, however, generously extend normal supply to all countries in their faction.
Defining "Home Territory": A unit's country is its "home territory." In Thunder in the East, "Germany" includes the "General Government" region of occupied Poland (e.g., Warsaw, Lodz, Krakow, etc.), in addition to East Prussia. Hungary includes the Transylvania region. In scenarios, Romania includes N. Bucovina and Bessarabia except for the Barbarossa scenario (where it is part of the USSR). The USSR includes the Ukraine region plus the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia).
[9.5] IMPROVING YOUR GROUND UNITS AND MARKERS: You add Resource Points (RPs) to your Ground units in play, even those in an EZOC, for the costs listed on the Build Cost chart.
Improving your Ground unit in play means increasing it by one step (typically, by flipping it from its reduced strength side to show its full-strength side).
Improving a Soviet Major Infantry Corps forms a reduced strength Soviet "Raised" Infantry Army.
- Example 1: If it receives 1 PP as a Replacement, replace a 1-step Soviet ?-4 Infantry Corps (revealed or unrevealed) with a 2-step 4-5-4 Soviet Infantry Army from the Soviet Force Pool and return the Infantry Corps unit to the Untried Soviet Rifle Corps units pool.
- Example 2: If it receives 1 EP as a Replacement, replace a 1-step Soviet ?-4 Infantry Corps (revealed or unrevealed) with a 2-step 7-5-4 Soviet Shock Army from the Soviet Force Pool and return the Infantry Corps unit to the Untried Soviet Rifle Corps units pool.
- Example 3: If it receives 1 PP as a Replacement, replace a 1-step Soviet 4-4 Guard Infantry Corps with a 2-step 7-4 Soviet Guards Army from the Soviet Force Pool and return the Guards Infantry Corps unit to the Soviet Force pool (except for the 1Gd Corps, which is instead returned to the Untried Soviet Rifle Corps units pool from whence it came).
Improving your Garrison Infantry unit flips it to show its Hardened Garrison side (via cards only).
Improving an Improved Defense marker flips it to show its Fortified Defense side (via cards only).
Improving a Corps Remnant unit (per 9.3.4) means replacing it on the map with another unit from your Force Pool (only; not your Change box) in that Corps Remnant unit's same category (e.g., Leg, Motorized, Mountain, Heavy, etc.). Specifically, it must be either:
- The weakest reduced-strength Medium (i.e., Corps XXX) Ground unit of its nationality having a (silver) Medal icon in its upper-right corner, OR
- A Small (i.e., Division XX) Ground unit of its nationality in that category.
After making this exchange, return the Corps Remnant unit to the Holding box on its Faction's Display mat.
Corps Remnant Improvement Example: A non-Isolated (7.5.3) German 1-3 Leg KG unit is in a vital frontline hex confronting a desperate situation. The Axis player opts to improve it by spending ½ PP and inspects in the Axis Force Pool to find the substitute unit to replace it with on the map. There are a variety of German Leg Infantry units there; on their 1-step (reduced-strength) sides they include: 1-2-3s, 2-4s, 2-3-4s, and 3-4s (including the German Mountain Corps unit), and a 3-[6] Panzergrenadier Division. The German player selects a 2-3-4 Infantry unit. Why? The 2nd-Line Infantry 1-2-3 and 2-4 Corps units do not have a Medal icon in their top-right corner. The German Mountain Corps is a Specialist Ground unit, so as nice as it would be, it cannot be selected. The 3-[6] Panzergrenadier Division is a Heavy unit and cannot be selected to replace a Leg KG unit. You must choose the weaker 2-3-4 Infantry Corps units in preference to the stronger 3-4 units (although, if there were no 2-3-4s cluttering up the Axis Force Pool, you could have snagged a 3-4 unit, if available). If that German 1-3 Leg KG unit were in a supplied City hex, improving it could cost 0 RPs as the Axis "Free Stuff" for their turn! Frugal players want to reorganize Corps Remnant units for free, while desperate players might not have the leisure to shuffle Corps Remnant units that far to the rear when the enemy is pressing hard and every unit is needed at the front to stave off disaster!
[9.6] GROUND UNIT REPLACEMENT LIMITS: These restrictions apply:
- Important: Replacements can neither Improve, nor build new Ground units, in hexes that do not have an OLoC (7.1). They can do so for units in their Faction's Theater Reserve (102.1.1).
- A built/rebuilt Ground unit can only recover up to 1 step per friendly OOB Step. That is, you cannot spend more RPs on it to create a new, full-strength, multi-step unit from nothing.
- For the Hungarians and Romanians only, its improvement hex must be either: A) in their home territory; B) the Theater Reserve; or C) within the Supply Radius (7.1) of their on-map, functioning National HQ marker.
[9.7] AIR UNIT REPLACEMENTS: For upgrading or activating Air units during your OOB Step, the following applies:
Upgrading (a.k.a. "re-equipping") an Air unit on the Air Display mat means spending 1 EP to swap it with an Air unit (of the same nationality) in your Force Pool and, if not in the Destroyed box, lowering its Readiness Level by one (see 8.1; you cannot lower the Readiness Level of Destroyed Air units). Re-equipping gives you the option to upgrade your existing Air units as new Models become available, rather than paying the heavy price to increase the size of your Air Force by building new Air units from scratch.
Replacing an Air unit in the Destroyed box means spending 1 FP (during Segment #7 of your Repair & Recovery Step; 8.0) to move it up to the Flown box, Damaged. You can only replace a maximum of 10% of your Destroyed Air units per turn.
[9.8] SPECIAL PURCHASES: Spending RPs to purchase markers or Offensive Points (OPs) are "special purchases."
Offensive Points (OPs): These allow you to place HQ markers in Attack mode (10.3.1). Each costs ½ EP plus ½ FP. Add these points to the Resource track on your Faction Display mat.
Improved Defense markers: These are defensive works. For a cost of ½ PP, or ½ EP, or ½ MP (202.0), you may place up to two Improved Defense markers (1; per 9.4). An Improved Defense marker cannot be "fortified" (see below) during the same OOB Step it was placed.
Fortified Defense markers: These are upgraded versions of the above. Through card play (see 25.0), you can flip over a certain number of Improved Defense markers to show their Fortified Defense marker sides (2).
Other Special Purchases: In the Campaign Game, you can also purchase: Increased Air Defense during the OOB Step (see 208.4.1); National Morale during the Gain Morale Step of the Season Start Phase (see 202.0).
[10.0] Headquarters Mode Step
Both sides have Headquarters (hereafter referred to simply as "HQ") markers that approximate the logistical and operational center of gravity of nearby military operations.
HQ markers are always in one of two modes: Attack or Balanced (i.e., A or B). You can change your HQ's mode during the HQ Mode Step of your Logistics Phase:
HQ a la Mode: Determine your on-map HQ markers' modes; expend 1 Offensive Point (OP) per HQ you put into Attack mode (see 10.3). Balanced mode, the default setting, is free.
[10.1] HQ CHARACTERISTICS: There are two types of HQ markers, Strategic and Operational.
Strategic HQs (with five XXXXX at their top) represent the largest organizations in Frank Chadwick's ETO, namely Army Groups (or, for the Soviets, "Strategic Directions") and have the greatest capabilities (except when tracing a Naval LoC per 7.1).
Operational HQs (with four XXXX at their top) have more limited capabilities and typically represent single Armies assigned to larger, distant areas; and the National Armies of smaller nations. In Thunder in the East, the only Operational HQ markers belong to Small and Medium Nation armies.
"Stressed" HQs: HQ markers in Mud or Extreme Cold weather, or tracing their NLoC overseas through other than a Major Port, become Stressed as follows:
- Stressed Strategic HQs suffer the same limitations as unstressed Operational HQ markers.
- Stressed Operational HQ markers cannot enter Attack mode (10.3.1). This also happens to Strategic HQ markers suffering "multiple stress" (e.g., tracing an NLoC via a Minor Port during Mud weather).
HQ Marker Effects: Because they are markers (not units), all HQs share these characteristics: they do not count for stacking purposes in their hex for either side, have no ZOC, no Combat Strength, and no Movement Allowance.
Operational HQs are restricted in that they provide their Attack Bonus combat shift (10.3.1) to only one Battle within their Range (which must include an attacking unit of its nationality) instead of all Battles within their Range, and are not a conduit for Theater Reserves (102.3).
[10.2] HQ "MOVEMENT:" Your HQ markers do not move per se; you relocate them. At any time during your Special Movement Phase, you may pick up HQ markers in supplied friendly City hexes and place them in another such hex for free. After relocating, it arrives in Balanced mode with a -3 Countdown marker (see 8.0, #1) on it. It takes this long to reorganize it and relocate its logistical tail.
[10.2.1] VOLUNTARY RELOCATION: You can voluntarily relocate your HQ marker even if it currently has a Countdown marker, but doing so resets its Countdown marker to -3.
[10.2.2] INVOLUNTARY RELOCATION: Your opponent can force your HQ markers to dissolve in two ways, and gain a reward for doing so!
Dissolving: If an enemy Ground unit enters a hex where your HQ marker is alone (i.e., without a friendly Ground unit protecting it) OR if, during your opponent's Supply Step, your HQ marker is not In Communication (7.0), that HQ marker dissolves. That is, its owner traces an Overland LoC (7.1) from there to any other supplied, friendly City hex and places it there. Because it must reform in (rather than relocate to) that hex, it is in Balanced mode and also acquires a -4 Countdown marker (like a newly conquered Supply City or Major Port per 22.0).
Booty: When an enemy HQ marker dissolves, you immediately gain (but your opponent does not lose) one Fuel Point (+1 FP) as "booty."
Elimination: If your HQ marker is unable to reform (because it cannot trace an OLoC to escape, see above), return that HQ marker to its Force Pool. You can rebuild it from there as usual.
Counting Down HQs: When relocated or purchased from your Force Pool, your HQ markers acquire a -3 Countdown marker. This represents one "logistical bound" of time that is necessary to re-establish advancing and retreating HQs. Historically, fast-moving operations paused for about three weeks to re-establish the logistical and combat support that HQ markers provide before proceeding.
[10.3] HQ MODES: HQ markers have two sides, each representing a different mode (either Attack mode or Balanced mode) indicated by the face-up side of that marker. During your HQ Mode Step, you may put your Supplied (see 7.1), functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) HQ markers in Attack mode by spending 1 Offensive Point (1 OP) for each desired; otherwise, place your HQs in Balanced mode (their free, default setting).
[10.3.1] ATTACK MODE: While in Attack mode, an HQ marker has the following characteristics:
- Supply Radius: Its Supply Radius is shorter in Attack mode and is also printed in white for Major Power HQ markers because Motorized units (i.e., those with a white Movement Allowance) are Supplied from that Attack mode HQ at double its printed Supply Radius. This is not true for receiving that HQ's Attack Bonus (below)! Small Nation HQ markers do not project this Supply Radius bonus.
- Attack Bonus: When at least one of your Ground units initiating a Battle is In Supply and within the printed Supply Radius of one or more of your HQ markers in Attack mode, that Battle receives one (maximum) Attack Bonus odds shift (or shifts) with the following instructions:
- A Strategic HQ marker in Attack mode provides an unlimited number of "Broad Front" (1) Attack Bonus support shifts that turn, providing each supported attack includes at least one qualifying unit participating in it.
- Alternately, a Strategic HQ marker in Attack mode can provide a single "Narrow Front" double shift (2) Attack Bonus that turn (instead of multiple Broad Front shifts). Announce if you are exercising this option during your Battles Declaration Step (19.1).
- An Operational HQ marker's Attack Bonus only provides a single Broad Front (1) shift Attack Bonus to a single attack that turn, and that attack must include at least one Ground unit of that Operational HQ marker's nationality.
Note that while Motorized units can draw Supply at twice the printed Supply Radius from a Major Power HQ marker in Attack mode; this does not apply to that HQ's Attack Bonus!
- Theater Reserves: Strategic HQ markers in Attack mode cannot add on-map units to the Theater Reserve. They can deploy any or all available Theater Reserve units during either friendly Movement Step (see 102.0).
Shift It: The option to conduct a single Narrow Front double shift (2) "Hammer Blow" attack is a vital consideration when placing your Strategic HQ markers in Attack mode. Sometimes a key hex requires such a focused effort. Historically, the Axis attack on Sevastopol was such a Hammer Blow.
[10.3.2] BALANCED MODE: While in Balanced mode, an HQ has the following characteristic:
- Better Supply Radius: Its Supply Radius is two hexes greater.
- Theater Reserves: Strategic HQ markers in Balanced mode can receive units entering the Theater Reserve. They can place only one Theater Reserve unit during their Opponent's Reaction Movement Step (see 102.0). Critically, this is just prior to the opponent's Regular Movement Step, allowing you to "plug the holes" in your line before they can be exploited.
Part D: Ground Unit Stacking & Organization
[11.0] Ground Unit Stacking
More than one Ground unit can remain in a hex at the end of each Phase or at the end of a Retreat. This Rule applies only to Ground units, not to other units or markers.
[11.1] THE PHYSICAL STACKING LIMIT: A maximum of 3 friendly Ground units can stack together in a hex (excluding markers – even HQ markers, which are always "stack free"), within these restrictions:
- Each hex can have a maximum of 1 Large (i.e., Army [XXXX] size) Ground unit.
- Each hex can have a maximum of 2 Major (i.e., Large or Medium) Ground units.
Therefore, a hex's maximum (3) Ground unit stacking limit must look like one of these combinations:
- 1 Large + 1 Medium + 1 Small Ground unit; OR
- 1 Large + 2 Small Ground units*; OR
- 2 Medium + 1 Small Ground unit; OR
- 1 Medium + 2 Small Ground units*; OR
- 3 Small Ground units*.
* No more than 1 of which can be a Garrison or Hardened Garrison unit.
The stacking limit is essentially one Large (Army) unit, one Medium (Corps) unit, and one Small (Division) unit, but you can always substitute a smaller unit for a larger one.
[11.2] AXIS POLITICAL STACKING LIMIT: The Ground units of different Axis nationalities cannot voluntarily stack with any other Axis nationality except the Germans (who are able to stack with any other Axis nationality without problem); they otherwise cooperate normally with each other when tracing supply from their National HQs or attacking the same hex. The presence of a German unit does not allow two different Axis nationalities to stack together with it.
Different Axis nationalities' Ground units involuntarily stacked together (e.g., due to a Retreat) are not immediately eliminated, but the Axis player must rectify this situation at their next opportunity.
[11.3] WHEN THE STACKING LIMIT APPLIES: Apply the stacking limit for both sides at the end of each Phase and at the end of every Retreat (21.7). While in motion, stacking is malleable, but everyone must be seated properly when the music stops!
[11.4] OVERSTACKING PENALTY: A hex's units in violation of the stacking limit when the stacking limit applies (see 11.3, above) must conform to the stacking limit. Their owner removes (eliminates) sufficient units (only) from that hex to bring the units in that hex to within the stacking limit.
[11.5] STACKING, COMBAT, AND ZOCS: As you move and arrange your units, you will want to keep the Zone of Control (5.0) and combat effects of stacking (21.1) in mind:
- Minor (Small) Ground units do not exert a Zone of Control (ZOC) into adjacent hexes, even if you have 2 or 3 of them stacked together in a hex!
- The number and size of Ground units that can attack out of a hex is limited. No more than 2 Ground units (total) can attack across a single hexside, and of those, no more than 1 can be a Major (i.e., Large or Medium) unit. An advantage of Small units is that, when stacked with a Major unit, they can attack together across a single hexside and provide some extra punch.
- All Ground units defending in a hex have their Combat Strengths combined; you cannot attack individual Ground units in a targeted hex's ground Battle.
Why Build Up and Break Down Units? (see 12.5 and 12.6): Voluntarily breaking down a larger unit into smaller ones allows it to occupy more space. Furthermore, each smaller component unit is individually easier to stack (11.1) with Minor units being able to assist Major units attacking across a single hexside (21.1). Combining smaller units into larger ones concentrates and/or improves their total Attack Strength, making it easier for them to project that strength through a single hexside in combat (i.e., building a better "battering ram"). Combining Small Ground units into Medium ones might also increase their total Attack Strength (their whole often being greater than the sum of its parts). By creating a Major unit, it will have a ZOC that the Minor units do not have. Combining Corps units into larger Army units tends to reduce their total Defense Strength (creating a "glass cannon" effect).
[12.0] Ground Unit Organization
Your Faction Display mat has a Change box from which you can break down certain units into a number of smaller component units and assemble component units together and build them up into a single, larger unit. Units can only build up or break down into other, specific units exactly as illustrated on your Faction Display mat.
[12.1] MANAGING THE CHANGE BOX: Generally, Frank Chadwick's ETO is a "Corps level" game; that is, Ground units going into and out of your Force Pool are usually Medium-size Corps units.
- Until needed, keep component Army buildup and Division break down units in the Change box.
- You cannot purchase units in the Change with RPs; "Change" units exist only to substitute for units in play (swapping those units through the Change box such that things always "balance").
- Note: The Change box illustrates the organization of all units that can build up or break down through it.
Assembled Armies: Assembled Armies are those formed by combining two or three component Corps units, and swapping those Corps units with their corresponding Army unit from the Change box (i.e., the Corps units go into, and the Army unit comes out of, the Change box).
[12.2] MANAGING THE FORCE POOL: Generally, the Force Pool is where you place eliminated units awaiting their chance to reappear onto the map via purchase with RPs.
Raised Armies: While all Axis Armies in Thunder in the East are Assembled Armies (see 12.1, above), and this is also true of Soviet Tank Armies and Cavalry-Mechanized Groups, the Soviets also have three varieties of Raised Armies (Rifle Infantry, Shock Infantry, and Guards Infantry).
Raised Armies and their component Infantry Corps units always reside in the Soviet Force Pool (not the Change box). The Soviet player raises them by paying one RP and swapping an existing (revealed or unrevealed) Soviet Rifle (including Militia and Conscript) Infantry or Guards Infantry Corps unit on the map with an appropriate 2-step (i.e., striped) Raised Army unit in the Force Pool (where allowable exchanges are illustrated).
Raising Soviet Armies: For a cost of 1 RP each, the Soviet player can swap Soviet Infantry Corps units in play with 2-step Armies in the Soviet Force Pool.
Healing the Division: Place eliminated Minor units in their Force Pool (not their Change box). They can be purchased for ½ RP each and thus returned to play (per 9.3.3).
Organization Time: Your larger formations can voluntarily break down at convenient times during your turn (and may be forced to do so, involuntarily, during your opponent's Resolve Ground Battles Step). Building up smaller formations into larger ones only occurs during your Regular Recovery & Reorganization Step.
- Special Movement Step: Your larger formations may voluntarily break down into smaller ones.
- Advance After Combat: Your larger formations may voluntarily break down into smaller ones immediately prior to Advancing After Combat.
- Regular Reorganization Step: Your smaller formations may build up into larger ones.
- Regular Movement Step: Your larger formations may voluntarily break down into smaller ones.
[12.3] THE ELEMENT OF SUPPLIES: Units can always build up or break down regardless of their supply status.
[12.4] ALLOWABLE ORGANIZATION: Only the specific types of Ground units illustrated in the Change box on their Faction's Display mat are permissible for building up and breaking down units.
[12.5] BUILDING UP: Your units can only combine ("build up") into larger formations during the Regular Recovery & Reorganization Step of your Regular Movement Phase. Only full-strength units stacked together in the same hex can build up, and only the specified types as illustrated in the Change box on their Faction Display mat.
Procedure: Swap the combining units on the map and with their corresponding Major unit from the Change box (only; not the Force Pool).
Assembling Soviet Armies: The unit combinations for building up Soviet Corps units into Armies (and Groups) — the reverse is also how these units break down once again into their component parts.
[12.6] VOLUNTARY BREAK DOWN: You can voluntarily break down your units prior to moving them during your Movement Steps and immediately prior to their Advancing After Combat (21.9).
- Your Corps units break down into their component Division units. Your Assembled Army and Cav-Mech Group units break down into their component Corps units.
- You can break down an Army into its component Corps and then immediately break down those Corps into their component Divisions, if permissible. The Stacking Limit (11.1) does not apply until the end of that Phase.
Procedure: Swap that Corps unit or Army unit on the map with its component Divisions or Corps from the Change box (only; not the Force Pool!). There is no Movement Point cost (14.3).
Voluntary Corps Break Down: Only full-strength Corps and Cav-Mech Group units can voluntarily break down into their component units.
Voluntary Army Break Down: Army units break down as follows:
- A full-strength 4-step Assembled Army unit breaks down into its two component Corps units via the Change box; each Corps unit is placed on the map at full-strength.
- A full-strength Soviet 3-step Assembled Army unit breaks down into its three component Corps units via the Change box; each Corps unit is placed on the map at full-strength.
- A reduced-strength 4-step Assembled Army unit (e.g., a 4-step Army unit currently reduced to its striped, 3-step side) still breaks down into its two component Corps units via the Change box, but one of those Corps units (the strongest if they are different strengths) is placed on the map at reduced strength.
- A reduced-strength Soviet 3-step Assembled Tank or Guards Tank Army unit (e.g., a 3-step Army unit currently reduced to its striped, 2-step side) voluntarily breaks down via the Change box into two component Corps units: 1 Mechanized Corps unit and 1 Tank Corps unit; the other Tank Corps unit is eliminated and moved from the Change box to the Force Pool.
- Soviet Raised (i.e., Rifle Infantry, Shock, and Guards) Army units and reduced-strength Soviet Assembled Cav-Mech Group units cannot voluntarily break down.
The Axis Change Box: When your 3-step Army unit on the map is voluntarily broken down, swap it with its component Corps, placing the one shown with a red border at reduced-strength. When involuntarily broken down (this occurs when it loses a step), swap it with only its black bordered component Corps unit; its red border component Corps is eliminated and moved from the Change box to the Force Pool without forming a Corps Remnant unit.
[12.7] INVOLUNTARY BREAK DOWN: Certain reduced-strength (i.e., striped) units that suffer a step loss for any reason are not completely eliminated, but involuntarily break down instead. All other units are unable to break down thus and suffer their step loss normally per 21.6.
Involuntary Corps Break Down: Corps units with gold/silver Medals involuntarily break down as follows:
- Last Stand: A reduced-strength Corps unit with a silver Medal icon in its top-right corner that is eliminated by a step loss (e.g., from Isolation, a combat result, or retreat through EZOC) may involuntarily break down. You may place it on the map (where it can still be subject to retreat and elimination into your Force Pool) by a bronze Medal Corps Remnant unit from its Faction Display mat (either the Corps Remnant Holding box or, in extremis, from the Force Pool). Place the Corps unit in its Force Pool.
- Shattered: Any Corps unit with a gold or silver Medal icon in its top-right corner that is Eliminated by a DE or BT (or Overrun or failure to retreat) may involuntarily break down. You may then move a Corps Remnant unit from the Corps Remnant Holding box (if available) to your Force Pool. Since Corps Remnants are small units you can buy them out of your Force Pool for ½ RP each and place them in friendly City hexes abroad. Place the Corps unit in its Force Pool.
Involuntary Army Break Down: Army units break down:
- A reduced-strength 4-step Assembled Army unit (e.g., a 4-step Army unit currently reduced to its striped, 3-step side) involuntarily breaks down via the Change box into one full-strength component Corps unit; the other one (the strongest if they are different strengths) is eliminated without forming a Corps Remnant unit (even if it would normally do so) and moved from the Change box to the Force Pool.
- A reduced-strength Soviet 3-step Assembled Tank or Guards Tank Army unit (e.g., a 3-step Army unit currently reduced to its striped, 2-step side) involuntarily breaks down via the Change box into its one component Mechanized Corps unit; its two component Tank Corps units are eliminated and moved from the Change box to the Force Pool.
- A reduced-strength Soviet 3-step Raised (i.e., Infantry, Shock, and Guard) Army unit (e.g., a 3-step Army unit currently reduced to its striped, 2-step side) involuntarily breaks down via the Soviet Force Pool into its one component Infantry Corps unit. A Guards Infantry Corps, if any are available in the Soviet Force Pool, would replace a Guards Infantry Army; in all other circumstances, draw a ?-4 Infantry Corps from the Untried pool to replace the involuntarily broken down Soviet Army unit on the map.
- Place an eliminated reduced-strength 1-step Soviet Cav-Mech Group unit in the Change box and move its component Corps units into the Soviet Force Pool.
[13.0] Soviet Organization
The organization of Soviet ground forces is different than that of Western nations (including the Axis powers). With an emphasis of higher-echelon formations (Army units organized into Fronts and "Strategic Directions"), players will discover that wielding the Red Army on the map is a very different experience than marshalling the Wehrmacht and its allies. In addition to this, the Red Army was constantly evolving during the war, as you will discover when playing Thunder in the East.
[13.1] THE STALIN MARKER: At the beginning of each scenario, the Stalin marker sets up in Moscow. Stalin's presence in Moscow affects the victory conditions (4.1) and Soviet Morale (202.0).
Stalin's Last Stand: If the Axis conquers a city while the Stalin marker is there, the Soviet player immediately loses the game.
The Better Part of Valor: During any Soviet Special Movement Step, the Soviet player may evacuate the Stalin marker (i.e., the Soviet government) by Rail Movement (only) to the eastern city of Kuibyshev where it remains for the duration.
- It costs 2 Rail Moves to evacuate Stalin and the Soviet government. It is a Major Heavy party.
- There is no Soviet Combat Phase that turn. The Generals have lost communication with The Boss.
[13.2] UNTRIED INFANTRY AND MECHANIZED CORPS: Soviet regular Rifle Infantry Corps units always set up and enter play showing their Untried ("?" Combat Strength) side. Also, at the beginning of Thunder in the East (i.e., during the Barbarossa scenario), the Soviet experiment with their Early Mechanized Corps is ending, and thus those units are also Untried.
Revealing Untried Soviet Corps Units: Untried (unrevealed) ?-4 Rifle Infantry and ?-[5] Soviet Early Mechanized Corps units in play have their strength values hidden from all players (yes, even from the Soviet player!) until revealed under one of the following circumstances:
- That unit's hex is overrun (per 17.0).
- During Step 1 of the Battle Sequence when that unit attacks.
- During Step 2 of the Battle Sequence when that unit is attacked.
- In addition, for Soviet Early Mechanized Corps units only, when an enemy Heavy unit Retreats through its ZOC (per 21.7) OR when Disbanded (per 15.1).
Once revealed, that unit remains so while in play; it is again hidden when returned to its Force Pool.
Early Soviet Mech Corps: The early version of the Soviet Mechanized Corps was a bold and far-sighted experiment in mechanized warfare; each included two robust Tank Divisions, one Mechanized Infantry Division, plus many supporting arms. On paper, it was stronger than any German Panzer Corps in 1941. However, the speed with which the Soviets tried to assemble the units far outstripped their ability to equip them and man them with trained personnel; there was no time to train the unit itself to cooperate or function as a coherent unified whole. As a result, these early Soviet Mechanized Corps quickly collapsed in combat. It became clear that the Soviets needed time to begin again, this time with small, and working up to larger, mobile formations. In the meantime, these early Soviet Mechanized Corps contained a larger and very well-equipped command staff. The rapid formation of new Infantry Armies during this period left many of them short of exactly that sort of command infrastructure, and so as these Mechanized Corps disbanded their command staffs were assigned to the many newly-forming Infantry Armies.
Managing Untried Rifle Infantry Corps:
Shuffle Me In: When removed from play, return Soviet Rifle Infantry Corps units to the Soviet Force Pool showing their ?-4 side and mix them with their brethren to randomize them. When selected from the Force Pool, Untried ?-4 Rifle Infantry Corps units are placed in play, unrevealed, at random.
Deal Me Out: The Soviet player can remove the understrength Soviet Militia and Soviet Conscript Rifle Infantry Corps units that arrive via Soviet card play (25.0) from the Soviet Force Pool (and thus cease "polluting" it). When revealed and removed from the map for any reason, the Soviet player can either return that unit (face-down) to the Soviet Force Pool OR set it aside, out of play, in the "Undesirables" box (at the top-right of the Soviet Display mat). These units, along with Soviet Early War Mechanized Corps, have the "removable" orange unit symbol background color as a reminder.
Calling All Guards: Note that one ?-4 Rifle Infantry Corps unit is the 1st Guards [1Gd] Infantry Corps unit; it can be used as the building block to form a Guards Army unit if any are available in the Soviet Force Pool. When removed from play, it is mixed back in with the other unrevealed ?-4 Rifle Infantry Corps units. It is not set aside in the Force Pool with other "regular" Guards Infantry Corps units.
Trading Untried Mechanized Corps for Infantry Armies:
Trading Places: When removed from play for any reason, do not place Early Mechanized Corps in the Soviet Force Pool. Instead, place them in the Trading Places box at the top of the Soviet Display mat; each immediately "morphs" into one 8-4 Rifle Infantry Army unit which is moved from there to the Soviet Force Pool. Thus, there are always exactly 27 units in the Trading Places box. Once placed there, Early Mechanized Corps units are out of the game.
[13.3] THE RED ARMY CONTINGENTS: Elaborated here are other interesting aspects about the Soviet Order of Battle:
Guards Corps Conversion: On the first Week of each Month, the Soviets can promote one Force Pool or supplied, on-map regular Cavalry, Rifle, Tank, or Mechanized Corps unit into its Guards version by flipping it over to show its Guards side.
Note that Regular Rifle Infantry Corps do not "flip" into Guards as other Soviet Corps units do. Instead, when available, introduce a Guards Infantry Corps unit from its Holding box at the top-left of the Soviet Display mat into play by placing it in the Force Pool OR replacing a Regular Rifle Infantry Corps (and sending it, Untried, to the Force Pool). Once brought into play thus, Guards Infantry Corps units cycle through the Soviet Force Pool normally for the duration and can be purchased from there normally with PPs.
Guards conversion is permanent. Take care that Soviet Corps units do not inadvertently change their Guards status as they transition between hexes and boxes in play!
Late Mechanized Infantry Corps: These 1-step, 3-Strength units costing 1 EP + 1 FP each to build from the Soviet Force Pool (see the Build Cost chart) are the key building block for organizing the larger, stronger Assembled Motorized Army units from the Soviet Change box.
Mechanized Cavalry ("Cav-Mech") Groups: These units set up in the Soviet Change box. The Soviet player forms these 2-step Heavy units by combining a Guards Cavalry Corps unit component with a Tank (or Guards Mechanized) Corps unit component. When at full-strength it can voluntarily break down into its component Corps units (12.6). When reduced strength, it cannot break down and costs 1 EP to improve (per 9.5) as it is a Heavy unit.
Soviet Ally National Units: Czech and Polish national Soviet Corps and Army units arrive per their listings at the top of the Soviet Display mat via play of the Soviet Liberation Ideology card (per 25.0). These are Specialized units; thus only one step can be rebuilt or replaced (using USSR PPs), and then only on the first Weekly Game Turn of the Month.
Part E: The Movement Phases
[14.0] Ground Movement (Both Steps)
Your Special and Regular Movement Steps are when you conduct the general movement of your forces. These Movement Phases are very similar, with their differences noted in this Part.
Two Different Movement Steps:
- Special Movement: You conduct your Special Movement Step just before combat (per 15.0).
- Regular Movement: You conduct your Regular Movement Step just after combat. All of your Ground units can conduct ground movement normally (i.e., can spend up to their full Movement Allowances, per 16.0), whether they moved in the Special Movement Step or not.
"Special" Movement?: Your first (i.e., Special) Movement Step is "Special" for several reasons: Overland Ground unit movement is more restricted; Rail and HQ movement occurs; Air Missions move to their target locations; Naval movement embarks; Partisan Detachments reposition to nearby enemy-controlled City hexes; Battles are "set up" during this Step by moving forces into position prior to the Combat Phase.
Ground Unit Movement Procedure: Each unit has a Movement Allowance (expressed in terms of Movement Points) representing the distance it can move in each friendly Movement Step, subject to Terrain Effects and other restrictions.
During a friendly Movement Step, you may move some, none, or all of your eligible units.
You move each Ground unit individually, from hex to hex, in any direction or combination of directions desired, spending its Movement Points as it transits the map, and stopping when its Movement Points are exhausted, OR it enters an EZOC (5.1), OR you simply desire to cease moving it.
If not otherwise prohibited, a Ground unit with a Movement Allowance can always move one hex, even if it lacks sufficient Movement Points to enter that hex.
[14.1] MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS: Enemy Ground units restrict the movement of your (friendly) Ground units thus:
- Enemy Units: Ground units cannot enter a hex containing an enemy Ground unit (exception: Paradrops and Amphibious Landings; see 105.1 and 106.5.1).
- Enemy HQ Markers: If your Ground units enter a hex containing an enemy HQ marker via Movement (including an Overrun), that enemy HQ marker involuntarily dissolves and you collect your Booty (see 10.2.2).
- EZOCs: A Ground unit entering an EZOC must immediately cease its movement for that Movement Phase. There is no penalty or effect for leaving an EZOC. Your unit can move directly from one hex in an EZOC to another during your Movement Phase, but it must then immediately stop.
You Can't Stop Me!: Remember, Minor (i.e., Small) Ground units do not exert a Zone of Control (5.0). If they are by themselves, enemy Ground units can whiz right past them!
[14.2] "ROAD" MOVEMENT BONUS: A Ground unit moving along a Railroad (i.e., moving from one Railroad hex to another, adjacent, Railroad hex that is connected by a rail line through their shared hexside) pays only one Movement Point to enter that hex, regardless of the normal terrain costs to enter it. In effect, that Ground unit is using the rail line as a "road" through that terrain.
[14.3] GROUND UNIT BREAK DOWNS: As it begins its movement, there is no Movement Point cost to break down a unit voluntarily.
A Fair Interpretation: Tiny little spits of land oozing into a hex do not make it fully playable. Neither does a fleck of terrain make a hex that terrain type. Please allow for a little "artistic license" when interpreting the map and use the hex's clear intent!
[15.0] Special Movement Phase
Your Special Movement Phase has two Steps: the Special Reorganization Step (removing units from play to reclaim some of their value in RPs) followed by the Special Movement Step (when you move your units).
[15.1] SPECIAL REORGANIZATION STEP: During this Step, you may voluntarily remove your units from play to recover some of their RP value as follows:
- In the Campaign Game, you may Demobilize, Disband, and/or Scrap your forces (see 203.0).
- The Soviet player may Disband (revealed and/or unrevealed) Early Mech Corps units (and must do so during their OOB Step of the first Week of October 1941) as follows: Replace it on the map with a random ?-4 Rifle Infantry Corps unit and place that removed Early Mechanized Corps in the Trading Places Box at the top-left corner of the Soviet Display, placing one of the 8-4 Infantry Army unit from there into the Soviet Force Pool. In addition, the Soviets immediately gain one Equipment Point (+1 EP) for preserving that unit's equipment if it can trace a Line of Communications (7.0) when disbanded.
What You Don't Know: You may inspect anything that is not deliberately unknown. That is, you can examine units in stacks, but not peek at untried units' real values; you can inspect discard piles, but not an opponent's deck or hand, etc.
[15.2] SPECIAL MOVEMENT STEP: During this Step, perform all special movement of your forces. Your Ground units move overland (with restrictions) and by rail, air, and sea (104.0 and 106.0). The Special Movement Step is also when you relocate HQ markers (10.2) and you fly your Available Air units on Missions (18.0) and position Partisan Detachment markers to nearby enemy-controlled City hexes.
[15.3] SPECIAL GROUND MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS: During your Special Movement Phase, your Ground units might be able to conduct overland movement (14.0); those that can may enter EZOCs normally.
Your Ground units have the following Special Movement restrictions based upon the class of their mobility. From lowest to highest, these are:
- Leg Units: Your Leg units (those with a black Movement Allowance) that begin your Special Movement Step in an EZOC cannot move. Your Leg units that do not begin your Special Movement Step in an EZOC can move up to half their Movement Allowance.
- Mounted Units: Your Mounted units (those with a yellow Movement Allowance) that begin your Special Movement Step in an EZOC can move up to half their Movement Allowance. Your Mounted units that do not begin your Special Movement Step in an EZOC can move their entire Movement Allowance.
- Motorized Units: Your Motorized units (those with a white Movement Allowance) can always move during your Special Movement Step, and do so up to their entire Movement Allowance.
[15.4] RAIL MOVEMENT: Any unit beginning its Special Movement Step on a Railroad hex that is not in an EZOC can use "Rail Movement." That is, it can move along any number of connected friendly-controlled Railroad hexes. Rail Movement must be that unit's entire move. A Railroad hex is friendly-controlled if it is between two friendly-controlled City hexes (inclusive) and that specific Railroad hex has no enemy unit or EZOC on it. The Stalin marker Rail Moves similarly along friendly rails, however they can ignore EZOCs; it cannot enter or move through hexes containing enemy units.
Rail Movement Costs: It costs 1 Rail Capacity to move each unit by rail, except it costs 2 Rail Capacity to move each Heavy Major (i.e., Medium or Large size) Ground unit by Rail. See the separate Transport & Cargo sheet.
Rail Movement Capacity markers: Each side has a scenario-defined maximum number of Rail Moves that it can make during each "Weekly" Game Turn, represented by placing their Rail Capacity per Turn marker in the corresponding-numbered box on the tracks of their Faction Display mat.
[16.0] Regular Movement Phase
Your Regular Movement Phase has four Steps, as follows:
- The Opponent's Reaction Movement Step (102.3).
- Your Regular Recovery & Reorganization Step.
- Your Regular Movement Step.
- The Opponent's Morale Step (see 202.2).
Where's My Supply, Again?: Your Regular Movement Step is your last opportunity to "tidy up your lines" and ensure your units will be In Supply during your opponent's upcoming Supply Step (when your units' supply is checked). Advice: At this time, you should place Supply dice on your supply source (see 7.1) hexes near the front line to indicate where and how far their supply umbrella extends. This will greatly assist you as it provides a strong visual cue so that your units do not wander out of supply because you did not pay attention. Leaving those Supply dice in place for your opponent's upcoming Supply Step makes things go very quickly, indeed.
[16.1] OPPONENT'S REACTION MOVEMENT STEP: The non-phasing player may commit via Movement up to one available Theater Reserve unit from each of their Strategic HQ markers in Balanced mode (see Optional Rule 102.3).
[16.2] YOUR REGULAR RECOVERY & REORGANIZATION STEP: First, your Ground units recover from interdiction, and then they can build up into larger formations.
Rail Capacity Reset: Reset your Rail Capacity Used marker to the 0 box.
Recovery from Interdiction: Remove all Interdiction markers from your Ground units (thus ending their effects).
Reorganize / Build Up: Now you may combine your on-map, stacked Ground units into larger formations available in your Change box per 12.5.
[16.3] YOUR REGULAR MOVEMENT STEP: All your units move normally (i.e., can spend their full Movement Allowances per 14.0) whether they moved in the Special Movement Phase or not. Your Ground units may also break down at this time (12.6).
[16.4] OPPONENT'S MORALE STEP: Your opponent suffers Morale Point (MP) losses from casualties you have inflicted this turn (i.e., placed on the Casualty mat; see 202.2).
[17.0] Overruns
Overruns are a function of Ground unit movement; they are not a function of combat per se.
During either of your Movement Phases, and even during Breakthrough Advance After Combat (see 21.9), your single Motorized Ground unit with an Attack Strength of 10 or greater (only, after halving for any supply or terrain effect) can overrun a hex containing a single, 1-step enemy Ground unit by spending one additional (+1) Movement Point to enter that hex (this is in addition to the normal cost to enter that hex); then immediately roll a die (z) to determine the result of that overrun.
If an overrunning unit can continue to move (i.e., it did not enter an EZOC in the overrun hex; see 5.0), and has Movement Points remaining, it may do so (even conducting another overrun if circumstances and its Movement Allowance permit).
[17.1] OVERRUN MOVEMENT: When conducting an overrun:
- You cannot perform overruns during Mud, Snow, and Extreme Cold weather.
- The overrunning unit ignores the EZOC of the unit in the overrun hex only; EZOCs from other, adjacent enemy units apply normally (see 5.0).
- If the overrunning unit does not have sufficient Movement Points to enter the overrun hex and pay the +1 Movement Point cost to initiate the overrun, it cannot overrun that hex.
- After paying the extra Movement Point to overrun an Untried Corps unit, reveal it.
Overrun Playtesters Note: Although overrunning enemy units potentially removes them during your Movement Steps (both before and after your Combat Phase), the attrition to your Ground units is typically higher than if you had conducted a set-piece Battle during your Combat Step. That is something to keep in mind!
[17.2] OVERRUN OUTCOME ROLL: Roll a die (z) using the following modifiers:
- +1 if the Overrunning unit was Heavy.
- +1 if the Overrunning unit has an Attack Strength of twenty or more.
- -1 if the Overrun unit was Heavy.
- -1 for each defensive terrain shift in that hex.
Treat results of less than 1 as 1; treat results greater than 6 as 6.
Overrun Success: If the modified result is greater than the overrun unit's Defense Strength:
- Eliminate the overrun unit and Defense marker in that hex, if any; if there is also an HQ marker in that hex, it involuntarily dissolves and you collect Booty (see 10.2.2), and
- The overrunning unit suffers no losses and may continue moving.
Overrun Failure: If the modified result is less than the overrun unit's Defense Strength:
- The overrun unit remains in place, unaffected (losing the 1 Improved Defense marker in that hex, if any).
- The overrunning unit suffers one step loss, does not enter the overrun hex (i.e., it is stopped in the hex it attempted to overrun from), and must end its movement for that Movement Step.
Overrun Option: If the modified result is equal to the overrun unit's Defense Strength, then one player (see below) chooses between the following two options:
A. The overrun unit is Eliminated; the overrunning unit suffers one step loss and may continue moving; OR B. The overrun unit is Retreated two hexes (21.7) by the overrunning player (eliminating the HQ per 10.2.2 and/or 1 Improved Defense marker in that hex, if any); the overrunning unit must end its movement for that Movement Step in the overrun unit's vacated hex.
If the overrun unit was a Leg unit, the overrunning player chooses A or B (above). If the overrun unit was Mounted or Motorized, the overrun player makes this choice.
[17.3] ABANDONED POSITIONS: Immediately return to the stock a hex's 1 Improved Defense marker, if it has one, when that hex suffers a step loss or Retreat during an Overrun or Ground Combat.
Overrun Examples:
Example 1: A 12-9-[6] German Panzer Corps overruns a Medium size 1-step Soviet ?-[5] Mechanized Corps which is revealed to be a 6-3-[5] Mechanized Corps (there is no DRM as the +1 DRM for the overrunning unit being Heavy is negated by the -1 DRM for the overrun unit being Heavy). On a roll of 1 or 2, the overrun is a failure (the German Panzer Corps loses a Step and stops moving); on a roll of 3, the overrun is the Soviet player's option (for defending with a Motorized unit); and on a roll of 4 to 6, the overrun is a success (the Soviet Mechanized Corps is Eliminated and the Panzer Corps can spend its remaining Movement Points, if any). If that Soviet unit had been revealed to be a 2-[5] Motorized Corps (+1 DRM for the overrunning unit being Heavy), then a roll of 1 = failure; 2 = Soviet option; and 3 to 6 = success.
Example 2: A 24-16-[5] German Panzer Army overruns a 1-step Soviet 2-4 Airborne Division (+2 DRM for: A) the overrunning unit being Heavy, and B) for it having an Attack Strength of 20 or higher); the overrun automatically succeeds as the German Panzer Army cannot roll less than a modified 3 result. However, if that Soviet 2-4 Airborne Division were defending in a Forest hex with an Improved Defense marker (for a total of two defensive terrain shifts for a net of No DRM), then a roll of 1 = failure; 2 = German option (because the Airborne division is a Leg unit); and 3 to 6 = success.
Example 3: A 24-16-[5] German Panzer Army is halved for whatever reason (e.g., it is out of supply, interdicted, it is overrunning a Swamp or Mountain hex, or overrunning across a Major River hexside, etc.), but it still has at least the 10+ required, overruns a 1-step Soviet 3-1-[6] Tank Corps (No DRM as the +1 DRM for the overrunning unit being Heavy is negated by the -1 DRM for the overrun unit being Heavy). A roll of 1 = Soviet option; and 2 to 6 = success.
Example 4: A 10-6-[6] Soviet Tank Army overruns a reduced (to 1-step) German 2-3-4 Infantry Corps (+1 DRM for the overrunning unit being Heavy). A roll of 1 or 2 = failure; 3 = Soviet option; and 4 to 6 = success.
Part F: Air Missions
[18.0] Air Missions
Key Concept: Air units in play are never physically "based" on the map. Instead, they rest in the different boxes of the Air Display mat and, from there, fly Missions on the map. These boxes are Available, Flown, and Destroyed; and each Air unit in them is in one of two states, either Ready (face up) or Damaged (face down showing an explosion). An Air unit in the Flown box can have an additional status: Suppressed (i.e., bearing a Suppressed marker).
Air Unit Status on the Air Display Mat: Only Ready Air units in the Available box can fly Air Missions. When flying an Air Mission, remove that Air unit from the Available box and place it where it is performing its Mission, marking it with a Mission marker as a reminder if desired.
After Dogfighting (20.0) and/or completing a Mission, return Air units to the Flown box (Ready) OR, if so instructed, to the Flown box (Damaged) or the Destroyed box (Damaged).
During the Air Return Step at the end of the Combat Phase, the targeted player applies Suppressed markers from your successful Airfields Attack Missions.
Air Bases on the Map: Every friendly City hex not in an EZOC (5.0) is also an Air Base (those are, broadly speaking, the centers of aircraft basing). Each Air unit traces its Mission Range from any friendly Air Base. There is no limit as to how many of your Air units can trace their Mission Range from a single friendly Air Base on any given turn.
[18.1] AIRCRAFT RANGES: All Air units have a Range, shown as a letter in the lower-right corner. This Range is the distance from a friendly Air Base that Air unit can operate:
- [S] Short Range: 6 hexes; cannot cross Theater Boundary Lines.
- [M] Medium Range: 12 hexes; can cross Theater Boundary Lines.
- [L] Long Range: Entire Theater or 18 hexes when crossing Theater Boundary Lines.
- [X] Extreme Range: Entire Theater or 36 hexes when crossing Theater Boundary Lines.
[18.2] AIRCRAFT STACKING: On the Air Display mat, there is no stacking limit.
Aircraft operate on the map in Packets that consist of one or two Air units (both of which are flying together to the same location and conducting the same Mission).
There are three types of Packets; they, and their stacking limit in a hex, are listed here:
Mission Packets: These are composed of up to two Air units fulfilling a Strike, Bombing, or Transport Mission. Up to two total Mission Packets can fly to the same hex provided they are doing different things there (e.g., one Packet might be conducting a CAS Strike while the other is Bombing an enemy Supply City in that same hex; Interdicting two different target units in that hex, etc.).
Escort Packets: These are composed of one Air unit (maximum) contributing its Air-to-Air Combat Strength to the defense of the Mission Packet it is escorting, and then counterattacking enemy interceptors. One Escort Packet may accompany each Mission Packet (so if there are two Mission Packets going to a hex, so too can there be two Escort Packets, one specifically escorting each Mission Packet).
Intercept Packets: These are composed of up to two Air units using their Air-to-Air Combat Strength to hinder enemy Mission Packets. One Intercept Packet can intercept each enemy Mission Packet (so if there are two Mission Packets going to a hex, so too can there be two Intercept Packets, one specifically intercepting each Mission Packet).
Even though they are on the same side and flying to the same hex, until they engage in Air-to-Air Combat (20.0), a Mission Packet is separate from its Escort Packet. Thus, for example, a Mission Packet could have up to two Bomber or Transport Air units in it, and be escorted by a separate Escort Packet of only one Fighter Air unit. Together, we call them a "Mission Group."
[18.3] TYPES OF MISSION PACKETS: There are different Packet types available depending on your level of play. In addition to those that follow, the Optional Rules provide Air Transport and additional Bombing Missions, and the Campaign Game rules add Strategic Bombing and Night Missions.
Types of Air Missions: Air-to-Surface Mission Packets come in three basic varieties: Strike, Bombing, and Transport (104.0).
Air Mission Markers: When you fly your Air unit Packets onto the map, it can help you and your opponent to visualize their specific purposes if you place appropriate Air Mission (including Night and/or ½ Range x2) markers on them. While not required, we included these markers as they proved very useful for helping keep track of things.
Strike Missions: Strike Missions perform their Air-to-Surface attack using the bombing player's choice of either their colored Strike Strength (shown as one or two colored lightning bolts in their lower-left corner) OR their Bomb Strength (shown as a quantity of Bomb symbols, from ½ to 2, in their upper-right corner), determined separately for each Air unit in that Strike Mission.
Using Strike Strength is prohibited in Mud, Snow, or Overcast weather (see 23.0), or to support a Battle where their side has Partisan units only (107.3).
Some Strike Missions can only use their Strike Strength, and cannot use their Bomb Strength.
Close Air Support ("CAS") Strike Mission: The Close Air Support (CAS) is the most common and special Air-to-Surface Mission as it employs the custom Support dice to determine its variable effects.
[18.3.1] CLOSE AIR SUPPORT: This Strike Mission influences land Battles.
Air units with any color Strike Strength (only; Bomb Strength is never used for Close Support) can conduct an offensive Support Mission in support of their attacking Ground units within their Range.
Only Air units with red Strike Strength can conduct a defensive Support Mission within their Range in support of their defending Ground units during the Opponent's Reaction Step of the Combat Phase (and only the red Strike Strength provides support). That is a very important distinction!
Place CAS Strike Packets on the map in their assigned Battle hexes.
Resolving Mutual Close Support: When both sides have Support at a Battle, compare their total Strike Strengths. If they are equal, they cancel each other out and neither side receives any Support dice. If either side has more Strike Strength, the player with the advantage (i.e., the "Advantaged" player) receives their difference in Support dice at that Battle. These count as red Strike symbols if the Advantaged player brought any to the Battle that survived Air-to-Air combat.
Benefits of Close Support: When your side enjoys an advantage in Strike Strength contributed to a Battle, for each point of your advantage up to three (maximum) the Attacker rolls one Support die (in addition to the normal die generating the combat result) to determine the Battle's Support-adjusted final odds column shift(s). The effects of multiple Support dice at a Battle are cumulative; their specific result outcomes are as follows:
- Each Blank or single Partial Effect outcome has No Effect and contributes nothing.
- For each Full Effect outcome (defined below), or for each pair of Partial Effect outcomes (also defined below), the Advantaged player receives one favorable odds column shift applied before determining the result.
- The two die faces showing only the red and white shift arrows are always Full Effect.
- The die face showing the Heavy (i.e., Armor) symbol is Full Effect only if the Advantaged player has a Heavy Ground unit participating in that Battle; otherwise, it is Partial Effect.
- The die face showing the Red Strike Die symbol is Full Effect only if the Advantaged player has at least one Support Mission unit (that was not Aborted or Killed) with a red Strike symbol in that Battle; otherwise, it is Partial Effect.
- The die face showing the Airplane silhouette is Full Effect only if the Advantaged player has one or more undamaged CAS Mission units in that Battle – if so, the Advantaged player must immediately flip one (either, but Vulnerable if available) to its Damaged side; otherwise, it is Partial Effect.
[18.4] OTHER AIR-TO-SURFACE MISSIONS: Other Air-to-Surface Mission Packets use a standard 6-sided die and the following common procedure. Perform these Strike and Bombing Missions by computing their Damage Value, rolling a die, and comparing its result to that Damage Value.
[18.4.1] DETERMINING A MISSION'S DAMAGE VALUE (DV): Compute the Air-to-Surface Damage Value (DV) using the Strike or Bomb Strengths, as appropriate, for each Air unit performing that Mission by following these Segments in order:
- Double the Bomb value for certain Half-Range Bombing Missions (103.0) and then halve it for Non-Night Capable Bombers conducting a Night Mission (208.2.2).
- Sum the Strike and/or Bomb Strengths of both Bombers in a two-Air unit Mission Packet;
- Multiply that sum by that Mission's Target Type (i.e., Soft x3, Average x2, or Hard x1);
- Round any fraction down.
The result is that Air-to-Surface Mission's Damage Value. If the final DV is less than 1, that attack automatically Fails; if it is 6 or more, consider it a 5 (the maximum, see below).
Halve the final DV in Overcast, Mud, Snow, and Extreme Cold weather. Therefore, if you garner a 5 DV attack, it is only a 3 DV attack during Inclement weather.
Air Mission Target Types:
- SOFT targets multiply the DV x3: Small unit Interdiction Strike; Airfields Strike; Logistics Bombing; Minor Port Bombing.
- AVERAGE targets multiply the DV x2: Medium unit Interdiction Strike; Major Port Bombing; vs. a Naval unit.
- HARD targets multiply the DV x1: Large unit Interdiction Strike; Naval Base Bombing; vs. a Naval unit; Strategic Bombing target.
Missions Success or Failure: After computing the Mission's Damage Value, roll a die and compare its result to that DV:
- That Mission Succeeds if the result is less than or equal to that Mission's Damage Value; Successful Missions that inflict a variable quantity of Hits inflict a number of Hits equal to that die roll's result (e.g., a roll of 1 inflicts 1 Hit; a roll of 2 inflicts 2 Hits, etc.).
- That Mission Fails (and no Hits are inflicted) if the result is greater than that Mission's Damage Value, or a 6.
- A 6 always misses, regardless of that Mission's Damage Value. If the weather is Hazardous (Mud, Snow, and Extreme Cold) apply a "D" (Damaged) result to one Mission Aircraft.
[18.4.2] INTERDICTION: This Strike Mission hinders enemy Ground units.
Air units with a Strike or Bomb Strength can conduct an Interdiction Mission within their Range.
Place each Interdiction Mission Packet on the map in the hex where the opponent's designated target unit is located.
Computing the Interdiction DV: The hardness of the target unit varies by its size. A Mission Air unit surviving Air-to-Air Combat has a Target Type multiplier of x3 (Soft) vs. a Small; x2 (Average) vs. a Medium; and x1 (Hard) vs. a Large size Ground unit.
Applying Interdiction Strike Damage: If Successful, place an Interdiction marker on the targeted enemy Ground unit.
Effects of Interdiction: An Interdicted unit cannot move during its Special Movement Step and its Attack Strength is halved when attacking during its Resolve Land Battles Step.
Removing Interdiction Strike Damage: During the Regular Recovery & Reorganization Step of your Regular Movement Phase, remove all Interdiction markers from your units and end their effects.
[18.4.3] AIRFIELDS ATTACK: This is a Mission to suppress enemy airfields and therefore hinder their planes "on the ground."
Air units with a Strike or Bomb Strength can conduct an Airfields Attack Strike Mission (but note that Strike Strength is unusable in Mud, Snow, or Overcast weather, per 23.0).
When using a card (25.0) to conduct an Air Offensive, your Fighters may conduct this Airfields Attack Missions that turn as if they had one white Strike Strength each, and your Major Air unit-exclusive Airfields Attack Mission Packets receive +1 DV (giving them a greater range to inflict more Hits).
Place each Airfields Attack Mission Packet (and their Escort Packet, if any) on a different, on-map enemy Air Base within its Range.
Computing the Airfields Attack DV: Airfields are Soft targets. A Mission Air unit surviving Air-to-Air Combat has a Target Type multiplier of x3 (Soft).
Applying Airfields Attack Damage: If Successful, your opponent places 1 Suppressed marker per Hit achieved.
Suppression Procedure: The targeted player allocates inflicted Suppressed markers to their own Air units during the Air Return Step at the end of your Combat Phase as follows. If you were the targeted player, then:
- First, you must select from among your unsuppressed units in the Available and Flown boxes. When suppressed, immediately move an Available unit to the Flown box.
- Second, if all of the above are now suppressed, commence harming. First, the owning player flips their suppressed Ready Air units to suppressed Damaged Air units. When they are all currently suppressed Damaged, if there are still more Suppressed markers to place, then, second, he moves their suppressed Damaged Air units from the Flown box to the Destroyed box and removes their Suppressed markers. (Only units in the Flown box can have Suppressed markers.)
Selection Priority: When selecting which of your specific Air units next suffers the ill effect of an Airfields Attack Mission, you must target a different Air unit Model (e.g., LaGG-5, Me-109F, etc.) than one just affected, if possible; i.e., you cannot target the same Model Air unit "twice in a row" if you can help it.
Effects of Suppression: Essentially, Suppressed Air units take longer to rise back to the Available box on the Air Display mat (see 8.0).
Suppression Example: It is the second turn of the Barbarossa scenario. The Axis Blitzkrieg! card did not leave much left of the Red Air Force, but the Axis want to keep it from recovering and launch a couple of Airfields Attack Packets that deliver one 3 DV and one 5 (reduced from 6 for a x3 Stuka unit) DV strike. The Axis player rolls a 1 and 3, respectively, for a total of 4 Hits and, during the Air Return Step, the Soviet player picks through the remains of their undestroyed Air units to place 4 Suppression markers on them. The Soviet player places the first Suppression marker on a Flown, Damaged I-153 Fighter; the second one on a Flown, Ready I-16 Fighter, and their last surviving Air unit must be selected next, an Available, Ready SB-2 which is not only tagged with a Suppression marker, but also moved to the Flown box. Since there are Suppression markers waiting to be placed, they are used to damage Ready units. With one Suppression marker remaining, the Soviet player takes the suppressed, Flown, Ready I-16 Fighter and flips it to its Damaged side, and returns the last Suppression marker to the pool.
Bombing Missions: Bombing Missions perform their Air-to-Surface attack using only their Bomb Strengths (shown as a quantity of Bomb symbols, from ½ to 2, in their upper-right corner).
[18.4.4] BOMBING LOGISTICS: This Bombing Mission targets Ground units' supply and its faction's Rail Capacity.
Range: Air units with a Bomb Strength can conduct a Logistics Bombing Mission within their Range to target a functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker), enemy-controlled Supply City hex or enemy HQ marker.
Computing Logistics Bombing DV: Logistics are Soft targets. Mission Air units surviving Air-to-Air Combat have a Target Type multiplier of x3 (Soft).
Applying Logistics Bombing Damage: If Successful, each Hit achieved places one Out of Supply marker and, if two or more Hits were achieved, consume the enemy's Rail Capacity Available for their next turn.
- Cutting Front Line Supply: The targeted player must place one Out of Supply marker per Hit achieved on hexes (affecting every unit in those hexes) containing that faction's supplied Ground units within the bombed target hex's Supply Radius; if possible, these hexes must be in EZOCs. When no eligible units remain to receive them, cease placing Out of Supply markers.
- Rail Capacity: If that Mission's Hits achieved are two or more (2+), then increase the target faction's Rail Capacity Used This Turn marker by one (but never higher than one less than its Rail Capacity Available marker; i.e., you cannot bomb away their last point of Rail Capacity Available). The Rail Capacity Used This Turn marker resets during its owner's Recovery & Reorganization Step of their Regular Movement Phase.
[18.5] ESCORTS: These Packets (of only one Air unit, maximum, each) provide your Mission Packets protection from enemy Interceptors. Fly an Escort Packet when you anticipate Air-to-Air Combat at that hex (or wish to prevent it with your show of Escort Strength).
Any Air unit with an Air-to-Air Combat Strength can form an Escort Packet and fly within its Range.
[18.6] INTERCEPTORS: You dispatch Intercept Packets (of up to Two Air units each) to harass enemy Mission Packets (and their Escort, if any) during your Reaction or Interception Step of a Combat Phase. Intercept Packets cannot intercept enemy Intercept Packets.
Where Intercept Packets fly, Air-to-Air Combat ensues. Any Air unit with an Air-to-Air Combat Strength can form an Intercept Packet and fly within its Range.
Strategy Pays in Combat: As you build and replace your units during your OOB Step and maneuver them during your Special Movement Step, you will be preparing and positioning your forces to conduct (hopefully) successful Battles during your Combat Step. The art of strategic planning is to position your forces in such a way that by the time the fighting is upon them, you have given them every advantage you could to ensure their success on the battlefield. It is here where wargames like Thunder in the East shine. Your careful forethought preparing the battlefield should yield rewards and write the story of your victory (assuming average luck in Battle).
Part G: Combat
[19.0] The Combat Phase
During your Combat Phase, Air units will Dogfight, Strike, and Bomb targets, Partisan Detachments "throw their bombs" (107.2.1), and afterward your Ground units conduct Battles against enemy Ground units. When completed, Air units return to the Air Display mat receiving any Airfields Attack Bombing (18.4.3) suppressions inflicted on them during this Phase.
Your Combat Phase has six Steps, as follows:
- Your Battles Declaration Step
- Your Opponent's Reaction Step
- Your Interception Step
- The Air Combat Step
- Your Ground Battles Step
- The Air Return Step
[19.1] YOUR BATTLE DECLARATIONS STEP: On your turn, you are the Attacking player (or "Attacker") and your opponent is the Defending player (or "Defender"). You begin your Ground Combat Phase by declaring all of your Battles – that is, you must declare in advance which enemy units you will be attacking and exactly which of your own units are doing so (remembering the per hexside attacking limit; 11.5), and if an HQ marker is supporting them (with a single Broad Front shift, unless you declare that HQ is providing a Narrow Front double shift; 10.3.1). Use the Odds markers to help you remember how you arranged your attacks. You cannot change your mind by adding or canceling declared Battle commitments as the outcome of your attacks becomes known!
Battle Markers: Often, you will move your Ground units during the Special Movement Step in such a way as to carefully arrange your upcoming ground attacks. To help you remember what initial Battle odds you have achieved, place the Odds markers on the map (pointing from the attacking hex to the defending hex). If the battle includes a unit with an Untried Strength ("?"), use a "?:1" Odds marker. You can also factor in the odds shifts for Attack Support, terrain, weather, card effects, etc. – everything but Close Air Support Missions should be discernable at this time.
Once Only: A single friendly Ground unit can attack (excluding Overruns, which are a part of Movement, see 17.0) only once per friendly Ground Combat Step. Likewise, a single enemy Ground unit can only be attacked once per friendly Ground Combat Step.
Note and declare all your Air Missions (except Intercept Missions); assign a Mission marker to each of your Mission Packets on the map.
Partisan Attack Declaration: Also note and declare your Partisan Detachment "bomb throwing" attacks at this time (107.2); these should be obvious from their repositioning to their target enemy-controlled City hexes during their Special Movement Step and the addition of a garish Partisan Attack! marker there as a visual reminder.
[19.2] YOUR OPPONENT'S REACTION STEP: The Non-phasing player may commit:
- Intercept Packets (18.5) vs. your Missions to initiate Dogfights (20.0).
- Flak markers (208.4).
- Defensive CAS Missions (18.3.1) and their Escort Packets (18.5) to your declared Battles (19.1).
[19.3] YOUR INTERCEPTION STEP: If your opponent flew any Defensive CAS Missions (18.3.1), you can fly Intercept Packets (18.6) against them to initiate Dogfights (20.0).
[19.4] THE AIR COMBAT STEP: Non-CAS/non-Paradrop Strike and Bombing Missions' Dogfights (20.0) and Flak (208.4.3) are resolved, with the Phasing player choosing their order. As non-CAS/non-Paradrop Mission Air units complete their on-map Missions, return them to the Flown box as instructed (20.0).
[19.5] YOUR GROUND BATTLES STEP: Resolve all your declared Battles (19.1) in whatever order you desire (per 21.0), completing one before commencing the next.
[19.6] THE AIR RETURN STEP: It is time to put the Air units away until next turn.
- Tidy up any Air units still on the map: return each to the Flown box (Ready) OR, if so instructed, in the Flown box (Damaged) or the Destroyed box (Damaged).
- If you conducted any successful Airfields Attack Missions this turn, your opponent now places the Suppressed markers that were generated.
Look! A Distraction!: During WWII, many "coordinated offensives" did not work. In Thunder in the East, for example, the great Soviet counteroffensives that trapped the German 6th Army at Stalingrad (Operation Uranus) was launched in coordination with attacks in the Caucasus (Operation Saturn) and against the German's Army Group Center (Operation Mars). In game terms, the Soviet player declared many Battles (19.1) for these various offensives, but not all were successful. Operation Mars, in this case, merely served as a distraction for the main event, Operation Uranus.
[20.0] Air-to-Air Combat ("Dogfights")
Air-to-Air Combat only takes place when an Intercept Packet moves to where an enemy Mission Packet is located, thus initiating an Air Battle. When this occurs, the Intercept Packet attacks that Mission Packet and its Escort (an Escorted Mission Packet is a single target in Air-to-Air Combat called the Mission Group).
Should the Mission Group's Escort Packet survive the Intercept Packet's air attack, then those surviving Escort counterattacks the Intercept Packet. Unescorted Mission Packets never counterattack Interceptors. After this single round of Dogfighting, the entirety of an Air Battle is finished.
Dogfight Setup Procedure:
One-on-One: Although a hex might have multiple different Packets of Air units present, Dogfighting involves only two entities: a Mission Packet (or, if Escorted, a Mission Group), and the Intercept Packet attacking it.
We are One: Intercept Packets attack as a single entity. Mission Packets or Groups defend as a single entity when attacked. A surviving Escort Packet can target either or both (combined) Air units when counterattacking an Intercept Packet.
- Intercept Packets always attack the Mission Packet (or, if Escorted, the Mission Group) first. Thus, the Intercept Attack is resolved and inflicts any losses on the targeted Mission Packet/Group before its Escort gets a chance to return fire. Add together all of the defending Air units' Air-to-Air Combat Strengths in that Mission Packet/Group. Note that when operating as an Escort or Mission Packet, Fighter-Bomber Air units always contribute their Air-to-Air Strength when defending in a Dogfight.
- If the Escort Packet from a Mission Group survives (i.e., it was neither Aborted nor Killed during #1, above), it then "returns fire" and attacks the Intercept Packet – either or both (combined) Air units can be targeted as desired. Use the Dogfight Sequence (below) and substitute the words "Escort" for "Intercept" and vice-versa. Note that Fighter-Bomber Air units assigned to the Mission Packet do not return fire!
My Turn First: If both sides have Intercept Packets in the same hex attacking enemy Mission Packets (typically when one side is conducting an offensive CAS Mission and the other reacted with a defensive CAS Mission), the Dogfight targeting the Mission Packet/Group belonging to the Phasing player is conducted first (i.e., the offensive CAS Mission is the first target and, if Escorted, fires back), followed by the Dogfight involving the Non-Phasing player's (defensive) Mission Packet/Group.
Dogfight Sequence: Air Battles are resolved one at a time, in any order the Phasing player desires. For each Air Battle, perform the following Dogfight Sequence:
- Total the Intercept Packet's Air-to-Air Strength.
- Subtract the target Packet's total Air-to-Air Strength, summing all of the defending Air units' Air-to-Air Combat Strengths (its Escort plus any Fighter-Bombers' Strength in the Mission Packet). An Air unit with no Air-to-Air Strength = 0. Vulnerable targets contribute -1 Strength each when defending. Tough targets contribute +1 Strength each when defending.
- Subtract the Target's net Strength value from the Interceptors' and locate the proper differential column on the Dogfight Table. Treat differentials that are less than -2 as -2; and treat differentials greater than +5 as +5.
- The Intercepting player rolls the die and consults the Dogfight Results Table.
- Apply the Combat Result to your affected Air units: Damaged Aircraft complete their Missions before applying those results. Killed and Aborted Air units do not complete their Missions; apply their results immediately.
Dogfight Sequence Example: A ground Battle is brewing as the Axis prepare to attack Kharkov, and here come the Air units! Axis Special Movement Step: The CAS Packet consists of two Bomber units, while the Escort Packet has the one Fighter unit (its maximum); together, they defend as a single Mission Group. Opponent's Reaction Step: Intercepting the Axis' CAS Mission Group are two Fighter units. Flying Defensive CAS is a Packet of one Bomber unit; note that the Il-2 Fighter-Bomber cannot fly this Mission, as it requires a red Strike symbol. Instead, it is lending its (weak, but better-than-nothing) Air-to-Air Strength as the Escort Packet. Axis Interception Step: The Axis held this Fighter unit for just such a contingency, and uses it to Intercept the Soviets' Defensive CAS Mission Group.
[20.1] DOGFIGHT RESULTS: Apply only the first result if there is only one Air unit in the target Packet. If there are two or more Air units in the target Group, only two of them are affected.
Dogfight results are as follows, and occur before Mission Air units complete their Mission:
- No Effect: That Air unit is unaffected. After completing its Mission, place it, Ready, in the Flown Box.
- Damaged: That Air unit suffers but presses on. Flip it over to show its Damaged side. After completing its Mission, place it, Damaged, in the Flown Box.
- Aborted: That Air unit suffers and immediately leaves before its destruction. Immediately place it, Damaged, in the Flown box.
- Killed: That Air unit suffers its immediate destruction. Immediately place it, Damaged, in the Destroyed box.
[20.2] SELECTING LOSSES: The owning player determines which of their Air units in an Air Battle suffer adverse combat results, subject to the following selection restrictions:
Take Them in Order: When there are more results than target Air units, apply the Dogfight results in the order given. When there are more Air units than results, the excess Air units suffer No Effect.
Aircraft Type Priority: When a Mission Group takes losses, as a first priority you must inflict at least one adverse result on a Mission Air unit before inflicting any on an Escort Air unit.
Aircraft Vulnerability Priority: As a second priority, if there is a choice, you must inflict at least one adverse result on a Vulnerable Air unit before inflicting any on a non-Vulnerable Air unit.
[20.3] RETURNING FIRE: Should an Escort Packet survive the Intercept Packet's attack, then any surviving Escort counterattacks the Intercept Packet (unescorted Mission Packets do not counterattack enemy Interceptors). Follow the Dogfight Sequence, substituting the words "Escort" for "Intercept" and vice-versa.
Why Don't Bombers Shoot Back At Enemy Fighters?: It is true that the role of machine guns on Bombers was to sweep enemy Fighters from the sky. However, soon after the war broke out, everyone quickly learned that fantasy was not coming true! In ETO, the practical effect of Bomber machine guns is to force Fighters to exercise more discretion (thus making it harder to knock those Bombers down). We show this by rating Bombers with lots of machine guns as Tough, those with fewer but still sufficient machine guns as having no rating, and those with inadequate defenses as Vulnerable. If we had Bombers take a "parting shot" at intercepting Fighters, it would add a lot more die rolls for very little effect; consequently we have neatly abstracted it thus in the game.
Dogfight Sequence Example (continued) — Let the Dogfights Begin!: The Phasing (Axis) Mission Group is resolved first. The Interceptors have a combined Air-to-Air Strength of 4 minus the Mission Group's combined strength of 1 (2 - 1 Vulnerable symbol on the Ju-87 Stuka) for a Differential of +3 on the Dogfight Results Table. A roll of 2 Aborts one Air unit from the Mission Group, and the Axis player must choose a Mission Air unit (i.e., one that is Striking or Bombing), and a Vulnerable one at that! Therefore, the Stuka unit is flipped to show its Damaged side and immediately returned to the Flown box before it can Strike. Returning fire and choosing to target both Interceptors, the Axis Escort's strength is 2 minus the Soviet Interceptors' 4 (4 + 1 Tough symbol - 1 Vulnerable symbol) for a -2 Differential. A lucky roll of 6 inflicts a Damaged result; the Soviet player must Damage the MiG-3 (because it is Vulnerable) and, since both Soviet Interceptors and the Axis Escort PZL-P.11 Fighter unit have done their duty, they are all placed in the Flown box (joining the Stuka unit already there). Now the Non-Phasing (Soviet) Mission Group is resolved. The Interceptor has a Strength of 3 minus the Mission Group's combined strength of 0 (1 - 1 Vulnerable symbols) for a Differential of +3 on the Dogfight Results Table. A roll of 4 Damages one Air unit and Aborts another from the Mission Group. The Mission Air unit (i.e., the Su-2 Ground Attack Bomber) must suffer the first listed result and will thus contribute its CAS die before returning to the Flown box (Damaged) after the ground Battle. The Il-2 Fighter Aborts immediately (Damaged) to the Flown box (joining the many others now piling up there) before it can "return fire" against the Bf-109F Interceptor. The German He-111 Bomber unit and the (Damaged) Soviet Su-2 Ground Attack Bomber linger in the hex waiting to contribute their Strike Strength to the ensuing Battle of Kharkov. Since each side is bringing one CAS "die" to the battle, their effects cancel each other out, so both can return to the Flown box (the He-111 Ready, the Su-2 Damaged).
[21.0] Conducting Ground Combat
The main event in Thunder in the East is ground combat. The battles between the Ground units on the map show the ebb and flow of military events in stark territorial and attritional terms. Battle outcomes, and their aftermaths of retreat, advance, and conquest, are where you see your plans unfolding.
During your Ground Battles Step, your Ground units may attack adjacent enemy Ground units. Attacking is completely voluntary; there is no compulsion for units to attack.
Note that, overall, the Ground Combat Results Table favors attacking, so even when your side is on the strategic defensive you should seek to make well-placed attacks of your own to hammer overextended enemy units or create traps and pockets of your own devising to thwart advancing enemy Ground units.
A Battle is an attack following the Battle Sequence (below) against a single enemy-occupied hex (the Battle hex) by the attacking player's designated units adjacent to it making that attack.
Ground Combat Step: Resolve your Battles, one at a time, in any order you desire (per the Battle Sequence, below). For each Battle, follow this Battle Sequence. Complete one Battle before starting the next.
Conduct your next declared Battle still awaiting resolution. When all of your declared Battles are resolved, your Ground Combat Step is over.
The Battle Sequence:
- Determine Attacker's Strength: Total the Combat Strength of all the Attacking Ground units in that Battle, taking weather, terrain, and other effects into account (i.e., Swamps, Mountains, Major Rivers, Out of Supply, Interdicted, etc.). Units halved twice cannot attack. Reveal this Battle's Attacking unrevealed unit(s) at this time.
- Determine Defender's Strength; Initial Battle Odds: Divide that total by the Combat Strength of the Defending unit(s). Reveal this Battle's Defending unrevealed unit(s) at this time. Drop any remainder (i.e., fractions) to get one of the odds levels (typically shown on the Ground Combat Results Table, but "invisible" odds columns higher or lower than those shown do apply at this time). This yields the initial Battle odds.
- Determine the Initial Net Odds Shifts: Shift the initial Battle odds column for all influences from Terrain Effects (e.g., Forest, Swamp, River, etc.), HQ marker Attack Bonus, card effects, etc. Again, "invisible" odds columns higher or lower than those shown on the Combat Results Table can be achieved.
- Determine Support Dice and Paradrop Mission Final Shifts: Apply these final ground combat shifts (18.3.1 and 105.1), if any, to obtain the Final Battle Odds. If the Final Battle Odds is less than 1:2, that attack is cancelled (No Effect); if it is greater than 8:1, resolve that Attack on the 8:1+ column.
- Ground Combat Air Missions Return: Return that Battle's CAS and Paradrop Mission Air units to the Flown box showing their current sides (either Ready or Damaged, depending on the results of any Dogfighting).
- Determine the Combat Result: Cross-index the Attacker's die roll with the Final Battle Odds column on the Ground Combat Results Table to obtain the Combat Result. When there are two Combat Results, use the Clement (top-left), yellow-shaded result when attacking into an Open hex and the defender has no terrain benefits during Clear or Overcast weather (only); otherwise, use the Inclement (bottom-right) brown-shaded result (see 21.2).
- Apply Combat Result: Apply that Combat Result (per 21.5).
- Advance After Combat: If no units remain in the Battle hex (i.e., they have all been eliminated or forced to Retreat), the Attacker may immediately move one Ground unit that attacked it into the Battle hex per 21.9. (Exceptions: A Stalemate prohibits advance, while a Breakthrough allows more than one unit to advance.)
Conduct your next declared Battle still awaiting resolution. When all of your declared Battles are resolved, your Ground Combat Step is over.
Basic Combat Odds Example: At a Battle, the Attacker musters 15 total Attack Strength Points versus a Defending hex with the indicated total Defense Strength, the initial Battle odds would be: vs. 16 = 1:2 odds; vs. 11 = 1:1 odds; vs. 10 = 3:2 odds; vs. 7 = 2:1 odds; vs. 4 = 3:1 odds.
Half Attack Strength: Various things cause a unit's Attack Strength to be halved. A unit with its Attack Strength halved twice cannot attack (nor, for that matter, would it have enough strength to conduct an Overrun to meet the 10 Attack Strength point minimum requirement).
Hindered: Ground units that are Out of Supply and/or Interdicted have their Attack Strength halved for each of these conditions.
Terrain: Various terrain effects halve a unit's Attack Strength. All units attacking across a Major River, Strait, or Ice Strait are halved. All non-Mountain units attacking a Mountain hex are halved. All Heavy units attacking a Swamp (which is pretty much everywhere during Mud weather) or Hard City hex are halved.
[21.1] STACKING EFFECTS: Stacking works differently for Attacking and Defending units.
Attacking units: Only one Major (i.e., Large or Medium size) Ground unit can Attack through each hexside. In addition, one Minor (Small size) unit can Attack through that same hexside as a Major unit. Alternately, up to two Minor units can attack through a single hexside. That is, while more than one unit can occupy the same hex, only two Minor units, or one Major and one Minor unit, can attack across each hexside they are stacked in.
A unit's Strength is indivisible. A single unit cannot Attack two different Battle hexes, nor can it divide its Attack Strength between multiple Attacks during your Ground Combat Step.
Defending units: You must Attack the total, combined Combat Strength of all Defending units together in the Battle hex.
[21.2] WEATHER AND TERRAIN EFFECTS ON COMBAT: These effects are cumulative; use all that apply:
- Split Results: When two Combat Results appear, use the Clement (top-left), yellow-shaded result when attacking only if both of these apply: 1) during Clear or Overcast weather; AND 2) into a hex where the Defender has received no terrain and/or Defense marker benefits (e.g., column shifts, halving); otherwise, use the Inclement (bottom-right) brown-shaded result.
- In Mud weather, treat defending terrain as Swamp except for Mountain hexes.
- In Extreme Cold weather, Minor River and Ice Strait hexsides are frozen and have no combat effect.
- If the Battle hex is a Forest, Hill, Swamp, Mountain, or Hard City hex, reduce the odds one column (e.g., a 4:1 Attack becomes a 3:1, a 3:2 Attack becomes 1:1, etc.).
- If the Battle hex has an Improved Defense marker, reduce the odds one column.
- If the Battle hex has a Fortified Defense marker, reduce the odds two columns.
- If every Attacking unit is across a River or Strait hexside from the Battle hex (regardless of a Rail Line running through it), reduce the odds one column.
- If the Battle hex is a Swamp or Hard City hex, halve Attacking Heavy units only. This is in addition to the odds column shift!
- If the Battle hex is a Mountain, halve the Combat Strengths of all Attacking non-Mountain units. This is in addition to the odds column shift!
- Halve the Strength of all Ground units attacking across a Major River or Strait hexside.
Any Ground unit that is halved twice (e.g., a Heavy Ground unit Attacking into a Swamp hex while Out of Supply, or an Unsupplied and Interdicted Ground unit, etc.) cannot Attack.
Extreme Shifting!: You can achieve columns that go beyond the highest or lowest on the Combat Results Tables before column shifts are applied; e.g., an 11-1 attack with a net 1 is a 10:1 (truncated to an 8:1) attack or a 1:4 attack with a net 3 is a legitimate 1:1 attack, etc.
[21.3] HQ MARKERS AND SUPPLY EFFECTS: These conditions also affect ground combat thus:
- Unsupplied (a.k.a. In Communication) Ground units use their normal Defense Strength, but their Attack Strengths are halved.
- Isolated Ground units use their normal Defense Strength, but they cannot Attack.
- An HQ marker in Attack mode providing its Attack Bonus (to a Supplied Attacking Ground unit in that Battle) increases the odds by one (1) or perhaps two (2) columns (see 10.3.1).
The Hammer: A Strategic HQ marker in Attack mode provides either one double shift (2) Attack Bonus or an unlimited number of single shift (1) Attack Bonuses. Be sure to declare at which Battle "The Hammer" (2) will fall if using it!
[21.4] CLOSE AIR SUPPORT: CAS Air units surviving any Dogfight in the Battle hex contribute their effect(s; see 18.3.1).
[21.5] COMBAT RESULTS: These ground combat outcomes can occur:
- AL = Attacker Loss: Reduce one Attacking unit (Attacker's choice) 1 step.
- AP = Attacker Pressed: The Attacking player must choose one of the following outcomes: 1) One Attacking unit (Attacker's choice) is reduced 1 step, all Defending units are Retreated two hexes (by the Defending player), and then one Attacking unit may Advance After Combat into the Battle hex; OR 2) No effect (nothing happens).
- DP = Defender Pressed: The Defending player must choose one of the following outcomes: 1) All Defending units are Retreated two hexes (by the Defending player) and then one Attacking unit may Advance After Combat into the Battle hex; OR 2) Reduce one Defending unit (Defender's choice) 1 step; there is no Retreat or Advance After Combat even if hexes are left vacant.
- NE = No Effect: Nothing happens; no units are reduced or Retreat.
- ST = Stalemate: One Defending unit (Defender's choice) is reduced 1 step, and then one Attacking unit (Attacker's choice) is reduced 1 step. No units Retreat and, in this case, there is no Advance After Combat even if no Defending unit remains in the Battle hex.
- EX = Exchange: One Defending unit (Attacker's choice) is reduced 1 step, and then all Defending units are Retreated two hexes (by the Defending player); next, reduce one Attacking unit (Defender's choice) by 1 step; finally, one surviving Attacking unit may Advance After Combat.
- DR = Defender Retreat: All Defending units are Retreated two hexes (by the Attacking player); then one Attacking unit may Advance After Combat.
- DL = Defender Loss: One Defending unit is reduced 1 step (Attacker's choice); next, all Defending units Retreat two hexes (by the Attacking player); finally, one Attacking unit may then Advance After Combat.
- DE = Defender Eliminated: Eliminate all Defending units; one Attacking unit may then Advance After Combat.
- BT = Breakthrough: Eliminate all Defending units. Attacking units may then Advance After Combat up to the stacking limit; then any Motorized units (i.e., those with a white Movement Allowance) may Advance After Combat one additional hex from there.
Combat Considerations: There are many Attacker and/or Defender decisions inherent in applying Battle results. Which player chooses the step loss? In an Exchange result, for example, both sides suffer a step loss chosen by the enemy. In a Stalemate, both sides choose their own step loss. Which player conducts the Defending units' Retreat? The Defender does so to a hex that is most advantageous for keeping the Attacking units bottled up during their ensuing Movement Phase, while the Attacker Retreats the Defending units in such a way as to open opportunities for exploitation or, at the very least, to hinder the Retreated units' options during their owner's ensuing player's turn. The Attacker and Defender Pressed results allow that player to consider the question: how much is it worth to take/hold the Battle hex? That is, an Attacker Pressed allows the Attacking player to choose to take a step loss and clear the Battle hex by Retreating the enemy units from it – or just ignore them and accept a No Effect result. Similarly, a Defender Pressed result allows the Defending player to choose to take a step loss to hold the Battle hex or just Retreat away (presumably without losses; if there would be losses from Retreating into EZOCs, most players would just hold the Battle hex at all costs).
[21.6] TAKING A STEP LOSS: When instructed to reduce a unit by 1 step, do the following:
- Flip a full-strength multi-step unit to show its reduced-strength (striped) side.
- Place a reduced-strength (striped) Small or Medium size unit in its Force Pool or Holding box on its Faction Display mat, as appropriate. This is called a Last Stand Elimination. Note: If an on-map Medium [Corps XXX] Ground unit with a Medal icon in its upper-right corner is eliminated, replace it on the map with a Corps Remnant unit of the same type (e.g., Leg, Motorized, or Heavy), if one is available in the Corps Remnant Holding box or Force Pool.
- Involuntarily break down a reduced-strength (striped) Large multi-step (i.e., Army size) units as shown on its Faction Display mat. Raised Soviet Armies revert to a ?-4 Rifle Infantry Corps as their final step. Assembled Armies are replaced by their weakest full-strength component Corps unit; placing that Army unit in its Change box and then move its eliminated component Corps unit(s) from the Change box to the Force Pool. See rule 12.7.
No Retreat!: Hardened Garrison units die last and never Retreat. Hardened Garrison units cannot suffer a step loss (regardless of which player is choosing) until and unless they are the only step in their hex that can be lost. Hardened Garrisons must always "die last."
If a unit is Eliminated without taking a step loss (e.g., DE and BT results, Overrun, failure to Retreat two hexes), that unit is Shattered and all of its component parts are removed from the map. Apply Involuntary Break Down rules to Armies and Soviet Cav-Mech Groups. Such Elimination of a Corps with a Medal icon (or Armies with a remnant Corps that has a Medal icon) will permit the player to move a Corps Remnant unit from its Holding box to the Force Pool (12.7).
[21.7] RETREATING: When instructed to Retreat, move Ground units exactly two hexes (not into or across prohibited terrain) by the indicated player within the following restrictions:
- They must remain stacked and end their Retreat a full two hexes from the Battle (i.e., they cannot be Retreated in such a way that they double back and end up only one hex away from the battle). Exception: They can end up adjacent to their original hex if: A) no other retreat route is available, and B) their final hex is separated from the Battle hex by an Impassable hexside (e.g., Peak, Lake, All-Sea, etc.).
- Retreat the unit(s) two hexes without passing through prohibited or enemy-occupied hexes. If more than one such Retreat route is available, you must use this priority order: 1) Not ending the Retreat overstacked (11.0) or in another still-designated Battle hex; 2) Into no EZOCs and ending closer to the nearest friendly supply source; 3) Into no EZOCs; 4) Into EZOCs of Light units only; 5) Into EZOCs that include Heavy units.
- Retreating the Distance: Eliminate any units that cannot Retreat the required full two hexes.
- Garrison Infantry units forced to Retreat are Eliminated instead.
- Hardened Garrison units never Retreat and remain, defiantly (even if alone), in the Battle hex.
Retreating into EZOCs: A unit or stack Retreating into a hex in an EZOC loses one step. Not each individual unit in a Retreating stack; just one step loss from among that Retreating stack. This is in addition to any other step loss sustained from that Battle's combat result. So, if the first hex Retreated is through an EZOC, and the second-and-final hex Retreated into is also in an EZOC, that Retreating unit or stack will suffer two (additional) step losses, one for each occasion.
Exception: When assessing the above penalty, Retreating Heavy units (only) may ignore the EZOCs of enemy Light units (only). If an enemy Heavy unit retreats into the EZOC of an unrevealed Soviet Mechanized Corps, immediately reveal it to determine if it is a Heavy or Light unit for the purposes of applying this exception.
Retreating Exception: Heavy Units — The ability of Retreating Heavy units to ignore Light units' EZOCs means, for instance, that many German Heavy units will Retreat unscathed from Battles where they would pay dearly were it otherwise. Cunning Soviet traps to surround overextended advancing German panzers and punish them by forcing them to Retreat through Soviet ZOCs will not be enough without Heavy ZOCs among the attackers. This is a conundrum for the Soviets, as their Medium size Heavy units are few and dwindling in number at the outset of the war. Since only Major (i.e., Medium and Large size) Heavy units, and not the Minor Heavy units that immediately replace them (i.e., Soviet Tank Corps), have Zones of Control, when the Soviets make this transition is a matter of consequence for this very reason.
Whither Retreating Units?: Although the rules for Retreat are constant, each player will exploit them differently when it is their turn to Retreat Defending units, leaving them in the most/least desirable hex for themselves/their opponent.
[21.8] ABANDONED POSITIONS: Immediately return to the stock a hex's 1 Improved Defense marker, if it has one, when that hex suffers a step loss or Retreat during an Overrun or Ground Combat.
[21.9] ADVANCE AFTER COMBAT: Usually, when no Defending units remain in the Battle hex because they have all been eliminated (except due to a Stalemate or Defender Pressed step loss result) or forced to Retreat (which Hardened Garrison units never do), a single Attacking Ground unit has the option to immediately move into the just-vacated Battle hex; this is a special, now-or-never opportunity called "Advance After Combat."
Advance After Combat is not Movement, per se; Advancing units spend no Movement Points.
Break Down Before Advance: Note that the unit performing Advance After Combat (only; not units that participated but did not exercise the option to Advance) may voluntarily break down first (per 12.6) if it has its required break down components available in the Change box. A single unit is still all that can Advance, however!
Breakthrough Advance: When the Attacker achieves a Breakthrough (BT) result, a number of Attacking units up to the Stacking Limit (11.1) may Advance After Combat into the Battle hex and, afterward, any Motorized units that just Advanced may do so again one additional hex (which can be Overrun per 17.0).
HQ Dissolution: Advance After Combat causes an HQ marker in that hex to involuntarily dissolve and award the opponent Booty (see 10.2.2).
Break Down Example: A defending German Infantry Army unit, reduced to its 3-step 8-3 side, suffers a step loss. As illustrated in the Axis Change box, you must place that 8-3 Infantry Army in the Axis Change box and replace it on the map with its (weakest) component 4-6-4 Corps unit from the Change box, and then move its eliminated component 6-4 Infantry Corps unit from the Change box to the Force Pool (per 12.1) without forming a Corps Remnant unit (if it would normally do so).
Part H: Big Ideas, Part 2
[22.0] Capturing Objectives
At any time during your Movement Phases, or as a result of Advance After Combat, when your Ground unit captures an enemy Objective City hex (4.2), the resource(s) at that City hex are affected thus:
- Air Bases: You can immediately use a captured City hex as an Air Base (18.0).
- Supply Cities: When you capture a Supply City, immediately place a -4 Countdown marker on it to denote that it does not yet function as a supply source (i.e., project a 6-hex Supply Radius). It will not function as a full, 6-hex radius supply source again until completely repaired (see 8.0, #1).
- Anchorages: When you capture a Major Port or Naval Base, immediately place a Countdown marker on it to denote that it is only functioning as a Minor Port. Captured Naval Bases require two turns to mend (i.e., they receive a -2 Countdown marker). Captured Major Ports follow the same procedure as Supply Cities for their repair (i.e., they receive a -4 Countdown marker). Captured Minor Ports are immediately available for use.
- Personnel, Factory, Oil Field, and Capital: These Objective City hexes only matter when playing a Campaign Game (see 207.0).
Repair Procedure: During your Repair & Recovery Step (8.0), improve the Countdown markers in play on your units and markers to indicate that each is now one digit closer to 0 (where they are immediately removed and returned to the stock); e.g., a -4 Countdown marker improves to a -3 Countdown marker this turn.
Example: Lwow Falls! Historically, Lwow falls to the Axis on the first turn (June IV, 1941). At that time, the Axis player places a -4 Countdown marker there. During the June IV Soviet Supply Step (when Axis supply lines are checked), Lwow is not a part of the Axis' supply network. During the July I Axis Repair & Recovery Step, this marker is flipped to show its -3 Countdown side. During the July I Soviet Supply Step, it is still not a part of the Axis' supply network; during the Axis' July II Repair & Recovery Step, a -2 Countdown marker replaces it. During the Axis' July III Repair & Recovery Step it is flipped to show its -1 Countdown side. Finally, on the Axis July IV Repair & Recovery Step, it is removed from the map and Lwow is at last a functioning, 6-hex radius Axis supply source for the July IV Soviet Supply Step!
[23.0] Weather Effects
Weather is determined on a Week-by-Week (i.e., turn-by-turn) basis, according to the Monthly weather tables on the Game Turn mat, during the Housekeeping Phase (24.0).
Each possible weather type has its own color on the Terrain Effects chart: Clear (ivory), Overcast (light gray), Mud (brown), Extreme Cold (blue), and Snow (white), and has these effects:
[23.1] CLEAR: Fair weather with dry ground and acceptable atmospheric conditions.
- Combat Results: When there are two Combat Results, use the Clement (top-left), yellow-shaded result when attacking into a hex where the Defender has no terrain benefits; otherwise, use the Inclement (bottom-right) brown-shaded result.
Overrun Weather: Overruns (17.0) are only permitted during Clear and Overcast weather. You cannot conduct Overruns during Mud, Extreme Cold, and Snow turns.
Clement Weather (On the Ground); Inclement Weather (In the Air)
[23.2] OVERCAST: Represents persistent heavy cloud cover and fog.
- Air Recovery: During the Axis Repair & Recovery Step, only half of their recovering aircraft do so. Opponents cannot spend FPs to Rush Recover.
- Air Missions: Aircraft cannot conduct Transport Missions except for Air Supply (104.3). Bombing ½ DV.
- On Strike: Strike Strengths (i.e., all of them) are unusable in this weather.
- Combat Results: When there are two Combat Results, use the Clement (top-left), yellow-shaded result when attacking into a hex where the Defender has no terrain benefits; otherwise, use the Inclement (bottom-right) brown-shaded result.
Inclement Weather
[23.3] MUD: The result of rapidly melting snow in the spring or heavy autumn rains.
- Supply: OLoCs (7.1) cannot be traced into or through Mountain hexes except along Rail/Roads.
- Movement: Reduce all overland moves in both Movement Phases to 1 hex per Phase (excluding Rail Movement, which is normal). Movement Allowances are unchanged. Overruns are prohibited.
- Air Recovery: During the Axis Repair & Recovery Step, only half of their recovering Short Range [S] aircraft do so (per 8.2). Other aircraft ([M], [L], and [X]) recover normally.
- Air Missions: Aircraft cannot conduct Transport Missions except for Air Supply (104.3). Bombing ½ DV and Hazardous (18.4.1).
- On Strike: Strike Strengths (i.e., all of them) are unusable in this weather.
- Combat: HQs are Stressed. Treat all non-Mountain defending terrain as Swamp.
- Combat Results: When there are two Combat Results, use the Inclement (bottom-right) brown-shaded result.
[23.4] EXTREME COLD: Often a precursor to snowfall, this has other impacts on military operations.
- Supply: OLoCs (7.1) cannot be traced into or through Mountain hexes except along Rail/Roads.
- Movement: It costs two (2) Movement Points to enter non-Mountain terrain. Units can still use Road Movement through non-Mountain terrain hexes. Overruns are prohibited.
- Naval: Amphibious landings are prohibited.
- Air Recovery: During the Axis Repair & Recovery Step, only half of their recovering aircraft do so. Opponents cannot spend FPs to Rush Recover.
- Air Missions: Bombing/Strike ½ DV and Hazardous (18.4.1).
- Combat: All Minor River hexsides in the East Europe Theater freeze over and therefore have no effect.
- Combat Results: When there are two Combat Results, use the Inclement (bottom-right) brown-shaded result.
- Frostbite: During the Typhoon scenario (and when playing the December 1941 and January 1942 Months during a Campaign Game), apply that scenario's special Frostbite rule on Extreme Cold weather turns.
About Frostbite in Combat: When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, they famously prepared for a relatively short Blitzkrieg campaign. Transport assets intended to bring forward materiel for a prolonged campaign (i.e., winter clothing, cold weather lubricants, extreme weather anti-freeze, etc.) were pressed instead to keep the assault troops well supplied with food, ammunition, and fuel. Even as it became clear that the war in Russia would continue into the winter, the decision to keep pushing supplies for the offensive forward in hopes that one last push might finally take Moscow (and therefore "win the war") became the stuff of history. Faced with one of the coldest winters in decades, tens of thousands of German soldiers froze to death or fell victim to severe frostbite during that terrible first winter from December 1941 to January 1942. When the campaign extended into its second winter, the Germans had learned their lesson and their troops were better prepared to deal with the extreme cold that Russia is famous for.
[23.5] SNOW: Intense snowfall, often accompanied by deep accumulations of snow on the ground.
- Supply: OLoCs (7.1) cannot be traced into or through Mountain hexes except along Rail/Roads.
- Movement: It costs two (2) Movement Points to enter non-Mountain terrain. Units can still use Road Movement through non-Mountain terrain hexes. Overruns are prohibited.
- Naval: Amphibious landings are prohibited.
- Air Recovery: During the Axis Repair & Recovery Step, only half of their recovering aircraft do so. Opponents cannot spend FPs to Rush Recover.
- Air Missions: Aircraft cannot conduct Transport Missions except for Air Supply (104.3). Bombing ½ DV and Hazardous (18.4.1).
- On Strike: Strike Strengths (i.e., all of them) are unusable in this weather.
- Combat Results: When there are two Combat Results, use the Inclement (bottom-right) brown-shaded result.
[23.6] WINTER: During the Months of January, February, and March:
- Ice Straits: Their movement and combat effects change during Winter (see Terrain Effects chart).
- Winter Ice: Naval Transport and Fleet Movement (106.0) are prohibited.
[23.7] WEATHER LINES: When Ground units move across the Mid-East Theater Boundary line, apply the weather effects for both the hex they are exiting and entering. When determining which weather occurs along hexsides between Theaters experiencing different weather, apply the most severe weather effect. At Battles, each involved unit's hex location determines the weather affecting it. Only the weather in East Europe affects Air Recovery (8.2).
Counting the Weeks: Note that Spring and Summer Months have four Weekly turns each; Autumn Months have three Weekly turns each, and Winter Months have only two Weekly Turns each (but see Optional Rule 101.0).
Part I: Prepare Next Game Turn
After completing the Soviet Regular Movement Phase, players must perform certain housekeeping matters to prepare for the next Game Turn.
[24.0] The Housekeeping Phase
At the conclusion of the Soviet Player Turn (i.e., after both players have conducted their Player Turn for that Game Turn), perform the Housekeeping Phase.
[24.1] GAME TURN STEP: Advance the Weekly Game Turn marker.
- Season Start Phase: If you are playing a Campaign Game and a new Season has commenced, conduct the Season Start Phase before launching into the next Game Turn.
- On the First Week of Each Month: Note any Monthly reinforcements, withdrawals, and substitutions as noted on the top of the Faction mats. Selecting a card (or cards), building/replacing Specialist units, and Soviet Guards promotions, also occur on a Month's first Week's OOB Steps.
- Weather Step: The Soviet player rolls for next turn's weather in each Theater.
[24.2] WEATHER STEP: Weather effects are determined on a turn-by-turn basis. The Soviet player determines the next Game Turn's weather in each Theater, making a separate die roll on each Theater's Weather Table.
As a reminder of the weather's location and effects, place the corresponding Weather card somewhere conspicuous in that Theater where it is not an immediate obstacle to play.
Part J: Event Cards
The Event card system in Thunder in the East represents political, territorial, and economic adjustments occurring outside the scope of the game's core systems.
[25.0] Event Cards
Each faction has an Event Deck of cards (i.e., those available for selection). Place selected cards in that faction's Hand (selected cards ready to play). There are three "sizes" of events: Large, Medium (as with Ground units, these two sizes together are "Major"), and Small (or "Minor") events; these sizes affect when/how many Event cards to select and how much space they take up from the Hand Size limit.
[25.1] SETUP: The scenario listing will indicate the status of your faction's cards, either: Removed from play; Set Aside or Discarded (i.e., not available for selection); in your Deck (i.e., available for selection); or in Hand (ready to play).
[25.2] CARD SELECTION RATE: During your OOB Step's Event Card(s) Segment of the first Week of the first Month of a Season, you may select 1 Major or up to 2 Minor Event cards and add them to your hand. Other first Weeks of a Month, you may select 1 Medium OR up to 2 Minor Event cards (i.e., you can only select a Large Event card on the first Month of each Season).
[25.3] PRECONDITIONS: You cannot play a card's event if you do not meet its precondition (indicated on that card by underlined text).
[25.4] HAND SIZE LIMIT: Your Hand Size limit is the same as the Ground unit stacking limit (11.1); that is: a maximum of 3 total cards; a maximum of 1 Large Event; and a maximum of 2 Major Events.
Therefore, a hand's maximum (3) Size Limit can look like this: 1 Large + 1 Medium + 1 Small Event card; OR 1 Large + 2 Small Event cards; OR 2 Medium + 1 Small Event card; OR 1 Medium + 2 Small Event cards; OR 3 Small Event cards.
Hand "Overstacking": When your hand is overstacked, you have until the end of that (Logistics) Phase to play cards to reduce it down to the Hand Size limit. If it still exceeds this limit at that time, you must return to your Event Deck your choice of excess cards.
[25.5] PLAYING EVENT CARDS: You may play any or all of the cards in your hand that you desire as explained on that card. (Cards played concurrently can combine their effects.) Each card instructs when in the Sequence of Play it can be used, where it is placed after use, its RP cost to implement (if any), and what its specific gameplay effects are. Card rules text supersedes all other rules text.
Used Card Dealer: After use, that card will indicate how it is disposed per these key words:
- Remove from play completely; return this card to the box. That is, they are never reusable.
- Discard into a separate Discard Pile; this card returns to the Deck each New Year's (Winter) Season Start Phase when playing a Campaign Game (201.0), or year-ending Housekeeping Phase (i.e., after December III) when playing a scenario. That is, they are reusable annually.
- Set Aside into a separate Set Aside Pile; this card returns to the Deck each Season Start Phase when playing a Campaign Game (201.0), or season-ending Housekeeping Phase (e.g., after December III or June IV) when playing a scenario. That is, they are reusable seasonally.
Accounting: Cards that add Resource Point (RP) directly to your pool do so before calculating your OOB Step's spending level for PPs and EPs (see 9.2).
Duration: Unless otherwise specified, that event's effects are temporary (lasting only on the turn, and often only during the Step, in which it was played).
Example Cards (illustrating the card format and its historical notes):
AIR OFFENSIVE (Large/Major Event, acquisition rate 1 per Season, first week): "Discard this card during your Special Movement Step to: A) Perform again your Repair & Recovery Step's Air Segments 2 through 5, and B) This turn: 1) Your Fighters can conduct Airfields Attack Missions (with one Strike Strength each), and 2) Increase the final Damage Value by one (+1) for exclusively Major Air unit Airfields Attack Mission Packets." Flavor text: Soviet Air Offensives were conducted in support of Ground Offensives. For example, the Jassy-Kishinev Strategic Offensive saw the 5th and 17th Air Armies achieve a 3.3:1 superiority over Luftflotte 4 and the Royal Romanian Air Force over eastern Romania in August, 1944.
PARTISAN OFFENSIVE (Medium/Major Event): "Remove this card during your Battle Declarations Step to both: A) Apply up to two different Detachment Attack results achieved during 'bomb throwing' (if able, instead of just one; your Detachment losses are unaffected), and B) Gain 1 (shift) to all your Battles conducted exclusively by Partisan units." Flavor text: Large operations took place particularly against Axis railroad communications to disrupt Axis reinforcements and supplies. Concentrated actions by more than 100,000 partisan fighters over large areas were particularly vital around the Kursk battles.
ROMANIA ANNEXES BESSARABIA AND N. BUCOVINA (Small/Minor Event, acquisition rate 2 per Month, first week): "If Chisinau is Axis controlled, Remove this card during your OOB Step to immediately give Romania 4 MPs. Bessarabia and N. Bucovina are considered part of Romania until their two City hexes are Soviet controlled during a Housekeeping Phase (at which time this territory is again part of the USSR)." Flavor text: The Soviet takeover was marked by political persecutions, arrests, deportations to labor camps, and executions. In July 1941, when Romania, with German troops, recaptured Bessarabia, its "liberated" Jewish population was soon executed or deported.
Prerequisite text is underlined on the physical cards.
[26.0] Blitzkrieg Card
The Blitzkrieg! Event card has a strong benefit for Axis on offense.
[26.1] BLITZKRIEG TYPES: A Sneak Attack occurs only when the Axis player uses the Blitzkrieg! card and invades a neutral nation that turn.
A Major Offensive occurs when the Axis player uses the Blitzkrieg! card but does not invade a neutral nation that turn.
Historic Blitzkriegs: Historic examples of a Sneak Attack are the invasions of the Low Countries in 1940 and of the Soviet Union in 1941, which is how Thunder in the East begins. Historic examples of Major Offensives are Case Blue (1942), Kursk (Citadel, 1943), and the Battle of the Bulge (1944).
BLITZKRIEG! (Large/Major Event, acquisition rate 1 per Season, first week): "Discard this card during your OOB Step to conduct a Sneak Attack or a Major Offensive, as appropriate (see 26.0)." Flavor text: Each year, the German military would hurl a mighty bolt and launch a major blitzkrieg ("lightning war") offensive. It became the hallmark of a rapid military to cause the rout and collapse of enemy armies and nations.
Sneak Attacks (Operation Barbarossa)
[26.2] SNEAK ATTACKS: The following applies on the turn the Axis conducts a Sneak Attack using the Blitzkrieg! card (historically, this was the first turn of the Barbarossa scenario):
Stockpiles: During the OOB Step, the Axis receives two free Offensive Points (+2 OPs) in the Theater where the Sneak Attack occurs.
Political Restriction: Non-German Ground units cannot enter (or Overrun, Attack, or extend their ZOCs into) the territory of the victim nation during the Sneak Attack Game Turn. They can contribute their Air and Naval units during a Sneak Attack, but not their Ground units.
Scope: The benefits of a Sneak Attack apply to German Ground units within the Supply Radius of all German HQ markers in Attack mode within the Sneak Attack Theater:
- Initiative: In their Special Movement Step, these German Ground units can move their full Movement Allowance (including Mounted and Leg units that begin the Ground Movement Step in an EZOC).
- Infiltration: In their Special Movement Step, these supplied German Motorized Ground units ignore all EZOCs in the first EZOC hex they enter.
- Ferocity: In their Ground Battles Step, Ground combat against the victim nation within the printed range of HQ markers involved in that Sneak Attack also receive one (additional) white Strike symbol.
- Impetus: In their Ground Battles Step, treat affected German units' Advance After Combat option as a Breakthrough instead. That is, the German units can advance up to the stacking limit; then any Motorized units (i.e., those with a white Movement Allowance) may Advance After Combat one additional hex from there.
- Exploitation: During their Standard Movement Step, these German units ignore all terrain movement cost penalties (i.e., it costs only 1 Movement Point to enter non-prohibited terrain) in the territory of the victim nation and ignore all ZOCs of the victim nation's units — this includes for Overruns. Watch out; here they come!
- Shock: Skip the Opponent's Reaction Movement Step for the victim nation during a German Sneak Attack.
Surprise Air Raids: This turn: 1) Axis Fighters in that Theater can conduct Airfields Attack Missions; 2) Each Major Air unit conducting an Airfields Attack Mission automatically causes 2 Hits and each Minor Air unit causes 1 Hit; and 3) For every Hit achieved, the Axis player freely places any one of the victim nation's Air units in the Destroyed box, Damaged (instead of suppressing it).
Supply Bonus: During your opponent's Supply Step on the enemy turn immediately following the Sneak Attack, German units ignore the victim nation's EZOCs for purposes of tracing an LoC.
Muted Reaction: During your Sneak Attack, your opponent cannot fly Air Missions or play a card until the next Axis Player Turn.
The Blitzkrieg Decision: For the Axis player, the Blitzkrieg! card begins many scenarios as the logical first play of the first Axis Player Turn. That is, at the beginning of the Barbarossa scenario, the Sneak Attack bonus is what made the German Blitzkrieg so devastating and caused Hitler to remark that when it was launched "…the world will hold its breath." Similarly, the major Offensives during the summer of 1942 (Case Blue) and 1943 (Operation Citadel) were both greatly enabled by using the Axis Blitzkrieg! card on their first turn. It is a mighty card that greatly assists that turn's endeavors. In other scenarios, the Blitzkrieg! card is not available, setting up in the Discard Pile. When playing a Campaign Game, the Axis player has flexibility about the timing of this killer card, and also the choice about forgoing a Blitzkrieg attack at all and choosing a card that provides more defensive benefits. Employing cards thus is "counter-factual," but this makes it an interesting "what if?" to explore.
Major Offensives (Case Blue and Operation Citadel)
[26.3] MAJOR OFFENSIVES: The following applies on the turn the Axis conduct a Major Offensive using the Blitzkrieg! card (historically, this commenced the Case Blue and Operation Citadel scenarios):
Stockpiles: During the OOB Step, the Axis receives one free Offensive Point (+1 OP) in the Theater where the Major Attack occurs.
Scope: The benefits of a Major Offensive are limited to Axis Ground units within the Supply Radius of a single German HQ marker that is in Attack mode.
- Initiative: In their Special Movement Phase, these Axis Ground units can move their full Movement Allowance (including Mounted and Leg units that begin the Ground Movement Step in an EZOC).
- Infiltration: In their Special Movement Step, these supplied German Motorized Ground units ignore all EZOCs in the first EZOC hex they enter.
- Ferocity: In their Ground Battles Step, Ground combat within the printed range of the HQ marker involved in that Major Offensive also receive one (additional) white Strike symbol.
- Impetus: In their Ground Battles Step, treat affected German units' Advance After Combat option as a Breakthrough instead. That is, the German units can advance up to the stacking limit; then any Motorized units (i.e., those with a white Movement Allowance) may Advance After Combat one additional hex from there.
Air Raids: This turn: 1) Axis Fighters in that Theater can conduct Airfields Attack Missions (with one Strike Strength each); 2) Increase the final Damage Value by one (+1) for Major Air unit-exclusive Airfields Attack Mission Packets.
Part K: Miscellaneous
Thunder in the East features certain special unit types with unique capabilities as detailed here.
[27.0] Special Capabilities
[27.1] GARRISON INFANTRY AND HARDENED GARRISON UNITS: Garrison Infantry units cost only ½ RP each. They have only a Defense Strength (in parenthesis or brackets) and no Attack Strength. They are Minor units, counting as such for stacking and having no ZOC, but you can have no more than one (total) of these unit types in a hex.
Placement: When purchased with Replacements, place Garrison Infantry units, within the stacking limit (11.1), in a supplied (7.0): A) City hex; or B) Coastal hex; or C) Land hex that is also adjacent to another supplied Garrison Infantry unit (allowing you to "build a line" from it).
Garrison Infantry Strategic Movement: Instead of a Movement Allowance, Garrison Infantry units have a Railroad track symbol. This means that they cannot be moved overland by paying Movement Points to enter adjacent hexes, but they can be moved strategically (only) via Rail Movement, Naval Transport, and Air Transport. When flipped to show their Hardened side via card play, they lose this ability and cannot move at all.
No Retreat: Hardened Garrison (and Partisan Division, see 107.3) units have an "N/R" notation above their unit symbol. This means that they always and must ignore any combat result requiring them to Retreat. They are subject to results producing step losses (e.g., Exchange, Elimination, etc.), but must be the last step eliminated for their side. Other units stacked with them must Retreat normally even as these units remain in the Battle hex preventing the enemy's Advance After Combat or Breakthrough (21.9) there. But beware of an Overrun during the enemy's Regular Movement Phase!
Regular (unhardened) Garrisons that must Retreat are Eliminated instead (21.7).
No Isolation: The supply drums in the upper-right corner of Hardened Garrison units means that they are immune to supply effects, and so cannot be eliminated by an Isolation attrition die roll.
[27.2] DEFENSE MARKERS: Improved Defense and Fortified Defense markers are "stack free" (because they are markers, but note that they are limited to only one, total, per hex). These markers provide units defending in that hex a 1 or 2 defensive terrain shift bonus in Ground Combat, respectively, cumulative with other defensive terrain benefits. Remove those benefiting your opponent during your Logistics Phase if "Abandoned" (per 7.6). Immediately remove them when their hex is occupied exclusively by enemy units.
[27.3] MOUNTAIN TROOPS: Units with a Mountain designation (a small triangle) in their unit symbol only pay 2 Movement Points to enter a Mountain hex (instead of 3). Do not halve these units when attacking into a Mountain hex, but their attack suffers the 1 column Mountain terrain shift. In addition, Mountain Division units are Air Mobile (see 104.1).
[27.4] CORPS REMNANTS: German Corps Remnant units are Korpsgruppes (abbreviated KG above their unit type symbol). The Italian Mountain Corps unit forms a Raggruppamento (RG) remnant, and the Soviet Guards Rifle Infantry and Guard Mechanized Corps units form Boyevaya Gruppa (BG) remnants. Functionally, all Corps Remnant units work the same way except German Corps Remnant units also have the "free replacement" option (9.3.4).
A Corps Remnant in the Force Pool (due to 12.7) may be built for ½ RP per 9.3.3. Corps Remnants cannot be built from the Corps Remnant Holding box. When removed from play for any reason, do not place Corps Remnant units in the Force Pool. Instead, place them in the Corps Remnant Holding box on their Faction Display mat.
Section II: Optional Rules
[100.0] Introduction
This section of Optional Rules provides variations for play, increasing the realism of the game's simulation, but at a cost of necessary rules weight. They cover useful systems and mechanics that are not broadly applicable to every scenario, but are very much a part of the Frank Chadwick's ETO series games' system. These rules include Theater Reserves, Naval, and related Air Missions.
We recommend using all of the Optional Rules when playing a Campaign Game.
Part L: Theaters
[101.0] Theater "Time Zone" Boundaries
Thunder in the East has three Theaters: the Arctic, East Europe, and the Mid-East (which also includes the Black Sea and the Caucasus regions). The Theater Boundary Lines are at the very top of the map for the Arctic, and near the southern edge of the map to separate East Europe (above) from the Mid-East (below that line). These Theater Boundaries demarcate their own Weather Zones and have other specific gameplay effects.
Rule: About Boundaries — The Arctic Theater: This area is out of play in Thunder in the East. Do not go there. "Big" East Europe: Normally, Theaters manage their own Resource Points, Air units, and Reserves. In Thunder in the East, however, we have combined these Mid-East Theater aspects into the East Europe Theater. All RP, Air Recovery, and Theater Reserve functions use the East Europe mats. The Mid-East Theater: There are two things that are unique to the Mid-East Theater: it maintains its own weather and, in the Winter, its own calendar. Out of Bounds: The maps for this game link up to others in the system. Because of that, in Thunder in the East, the following areas are out of play: Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia/Croatia, and Albania.
Asynchronous Game Turns:
Inter-Theater Time Zones: During Winter, the East Europe Theater has only two Weekly (actually 15-day) turns while the Mid-East Theater has three Weekly (actually 10-day) turns each Month. To make the time zones synch up during these Winter Months, use this procedure:
Synchronizing Your Calendar: Play concurrent Game Turns in both Theaters until the East Europe Theater has exhausted both of its Weekly turns for that Month. Then the Mid-East Theater has its third Weekly turn alone: there is no Air Recovery that turn as that is a function of the "frozen in time" East Europe Theater, and no units from the Mid-East Theater can move into, nor make Ground attacks in, the East Europe Theater (as that Theater has already completed its activities for that Month).
[102.0] Theater Reserves
Headquarter markers are the gateway for Ground units to enter and leave the abstract Theater Reserve. The timely arrival of these reserve units can greatly impact events on the ground!
[102.1] WHO IS IN: The number and size of the spaces on a Faction's Theater Reserve mat indicates the quantity and size limits of Ground units there. Thus, the Soviets have a Theater Reserve Stacking Limit of up to ten units, all of which can be any size (Small, Medium, or Large), as Available Theater Reserve Ground units in East Europe (which also includes the Mid-East when playing Thunder in the East). The Axis has a Theater Reserve Stacking Limit of up to eight units, none of which can be Large (i.e., Medium or Small units only) as Available Theater Reserve Ground units.
[102.1.1] UNIT ORGANIZATION: Units can add Replacements to (9.6), build up (12.5), and break down (12.6) in the Theater Reserve. Like the Stacking Limit in a hex (11.3), you apply the above Theater Reserve Stacking Limit at the end of each Phase, so if you break units down and overcrowd your Theater Reserve mat, take care of it promptly!
[102.1.2] ADDING GROUND UNITS TO YOUR THEATER RESERVE: You can add or Improve (per 9.5) Ground units to your Theater Reserve only if you have a functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) Strategic HQ marker in that Theater and in Balanced mode:
- You can place Reinforcements and Rebuilt Replacement units directly into your Theater Reserve's Newly Arrived Units Holding box (including ally nation units).
- You can place your on-map Ground units into your Theater Reserve's Newly Arrived Units Holding box by moving them to your functioning (i.e., having no Countdown marker) Strategic HQ marker in Balanced mode and having that Ground unit either Rail Move to, or spend one additional (+1) Movement Point in, that hex. This prohibits units from entering the Theater Reserve at an HQ marker during Mud turns and when moving via the "One Hex Regardless" rule (14.0, last sentence), unless they begin that Movement Step stacked with the HQ marker or used Rail Movement.
How Do Theater Reserves Help Me and Hinder My Opponent?: With an HQ marker in Attack mode, releasing Theater Reserves during your Special Movement Phase can help you "magically" deploy extra units that are crucial for the success of your main attack. When released during your Standard Movement Phase, they can exploit any breakthroughs you achieve during your Combat Phase and support your advances by being deployed to help cover their flanks to make them secure from enemy counterattacks. With an HQ marker in Balanced mode, although you can only release, at most, a single unit from each at the end of your opponent's Combat Phase, that unit can plug a critical hole that your opponent just opened and help keep things from falling apart. Alternately, you could release it to block exploiting enemies from capturing unguarded positions in your rear or even helping to protect your HQ marker itself should it come to that!
[102.2] READY? SET?: During the Theater Reserve Segment of your Repair & Recovery Step, you may make your Ground units in Reserve ready for deployment by moving them from your Newly Arrived This Turn box to either empty Theater Reserve spaces (if available) or the Air Transport Holding box (placing a -3 Countdown marker on Airborne units when they reach this box, as they must refit before they can paradrop).
Reserve Mat Movement: The Newly Arrived Units and Air Transport Holding boxes are separate areas. Only the Theater Reserves have a stacking limit. During either Movement Phase, units enter the Newly Arrived Units Holding box from the map, Theater Reserves, and/or the Air Transport Holding box. Units cannot move directly between Theater Reserves and the Air Transport Holding box.
[102.3] WHO IS OUT: When you are able to deploy units from your Theater Reserve, and how many you can deploy at that time, depends on the mode of the Strategic HQ marker (10.0) releasing them. Theater Reserve units are in supply when newly-deployed.
- Attack Mode: Each of your Strategic HQ markers in Attack mode can commit as many units as desired from your Theater Reserve during each of your Movement Steps.
- Balanced Mode: Each of your Strategic HQ markers in Balanced mode (functioning or not) can commit one unit from your Theater Reserve during your Reaction Movement Step of your opponent's Regular Movement Phase.
- Operational HQ markers are not conduits for reserves; Ground units cannot enter or exit the Theater Reserve through Operational HQs!
- Just in Case: You can also place Theater Reserves as Reinforcements, if desired (per 9.0).
[102.4] WHERE TO: To deploy a Theater Reserve Ground unit via your Strategic HQ marker, place it on the map at that in-communication HQ marker's hex. From there, it may immediately conduct a Regular Move (per 16.3, regardless of when it was committed) to reach its placement hex. Once placed, play continues; when placed during a friendly Movement Step by an HQ marker in Attack mode that unit can still move if it did not deploy into an EZOC!
Part M: Air Transportation
[103.0] Half-Range, Double Bombload
Certain Bombers can double their Bomb Strength when flying Bombing Missions at half range.
Half Range Bombing Bonus: Only two types of Air units qualify to have their Bomb Strength doubled at half range. They cannot receive this benefit when flying from the Air Reserve (208.3).
- Air units that have a Bomb Strength of only ½, or
- Heavy Bombers units (i.e., Large Air units).
No other types of Air units receive this benefit when flying at half range!
Half Range is:
- For [M]edium-range Air units, within 6 hexes of a friendly Air Base.
- For [L]ong-range Air units, within 9 hexes of a friendly Air Base.
- For E[X]treme-range Air units, within 18 hexes of a friendly Air Base.
Half Range Bomber Example: If the Axis player wanted to fly their Do-17 Bomber unit on a Bombing Mission, it cannot contribute its Bomb Strength against a Hard (x1) target unless that Mission is flown at half-range (doubling its ½ strength up to a usable value of 1 full Bomb Strength). If the Soviet player wanted to fly their Pe-8 Heavy Bomber unit at half-range, it would have a Bomb Strength of 4!
[104.0] Air Transport Missions
Air Transport Missions deliver cargo (such as troops and supplies) via Transport capable Air units. Air units cannot fly Air Transport Missions (with Ground units) in Mud, Snow, or Overcast weather. Air Supply Missions can be Flown in Inclement weather.
Any Air unit with a Cargo symbol can conduct an Air Transport Mission.
Stacking: As Mission Packets, these are composed of up to two Air units fulfilling that Transport Mission. Up to two total Mission Packets can fly to the same hex provided they are doing different things there (e.g., one Packet might be conducting a Paradrop while the other is dropping supplies in that same hex).
[104.1] AIR TRANSPORT CAPACITY AND DESTINATION: Each Air unit with an Air Cargo symbol can conduct an Air Transport Mission to move one Air Supply marker OR one Garrison Ground unit in your Theater Reserve or a friendly Air Base OR one Small Air Mobile (i.e., Airborne or Mountain) Ground unit in your Theater Reserve or functioning (i.e., without a Countdown marker on it) in your Air Transport Holding box. Place each Air Transport unit, together with its assigned cargo, in the target hex where its cargo is landing. The target hex must be within range of the Garrison unit's Air Base or within range of any Air Base for other cargo.
[104.2] AIR TRANSPORT: After air landing an Air Mobile unit at a friendly Air Base during your Combat Phase, it has not "dropped" (so an Airborne unit is not in Airdrop mode). It can therefore move normally during your ensuing Regular Movement Phase.
[104.3] AIR SUPPLY: Airdropped Supply markers are a short-duration logistical enhancement.
Establishing Air Supply: If a Transport Air unit completes its Mission, place its Air Supply marker in its target hex showing it has a 0 Supply Radius. There is no additional benefit if two Transport Air units complete the Mission together.
Effect of Air Supply Availability: When your opponent checks the supply status of your units, improve by one level those in the same hex as an Air Supply marker (i.e., if they were Out of Supply they are Supplied, and if they were Isolated they are now only Out of Supply).
An Air Supply marker in a friendly City hex is also a Communication source, but not a Supply source, to all units (excluding HQ markers but including Airdrop mode markers) that can trace an OLoC to it (per 7.1).
Limited Duration: Your opponent removes your Air Supply markers at the end of their Supply Step (i.e., when also removing your abandoned Defense markers). If you want to keep your units in Air Supply, you need to keep the Transports flying!
[104.4] PARADROPS: Transporting Airborne units is explained in detail in Rule 105.0, next page.
Air Cargo Combat Losses: Losses from Dogfighting (20.0) can affect Transport Air units' cargo.
[104.5] SELECTING LOSSES: The owning player determines which of their Air units in an Air Battle suffer adverse combat results, subject to the following selection restrictions:
Cargo Losses: The Transport Mission's cargo is also at risk from Dogfights (20.0):
- If the carrying Transport Air unit is unscathed or Damaged: Its Air Supply marker successfully arrives; or its Air Mobile Ground unit successfully arrives; an Airdrop mode marker has a Surprise Value (SV) of 3 (see 105.1).
- If the carrying Transport Air unit is Aborted: Its Air Supply marker does not arrive; or return its Air Mobile Ground unit to its Air Transport Holding box; an Airborne unit returns with a -3 Countdown marker on it.
- If the carrying Transport Air unit is Killed: Its Air Supply marker does not arrive; or eliminate its Air Mobile Ground unit.
[105.0] Airborne Operations
Airborne operations are a special method of moving Airborne Ground units from the Air Transport Holding box of their Theater Reserve, via an Airdrop Mission and its Follow-up Air Landing, onto the map into their target (i.e., Drop) hex (typically behind enemy lines). A maximum of one of your Airborne units can attempt to Airdrop into a hex each friendly Player Turn.
Paratroop Preparation: When placed in its Air Transport Holding box on its Theater Reserve mat, Airborne units automatically receive a -3 Countdown marker (to refit before vertical deployment).
[105.1] PARADROPS: If a Transport Air unit survives to conduct its Paradrop Mission, its Airborne unit is "dropped" (i.e., flipped to show its Airdrop mode marker side) in the Drop hex (which cannot be a friendly Air Base) provided you have at least one functioning HQ marker in Attack mode in that Theater.
Airdrop Effects in Battle: Airdrop mode markers affect Battles in their Drop hex only (i.e., never into adjacent hexes) as indicated by its blue Combat Strength.
- They contribute their full Combat Strength to any combat in that hex (i.e., they drop supplied and ignore any Strength-halving terrain effects).
- Roll a die versus a Surprise Value (SV) of 3. Surprise is achieved on a 1, 2, or 3 with that many attack shifts awarded; on a roll of 4, 5, or 6 there is insufficient surprise and therefore no attack shifts are achieved.
- Treat any result clearing the hex of enemy units as a Breakthrough result; i.e., the victorious attackers may advance units into the hex up to the stacking limit (Airdrop mode markers are stack free) and motorized units may advance an additional hex (because the paratroops have "cleared the way").
- To the maximum extent possible, any step losses must come from Airdrop mode markers: return one Airdrop mode marker to its Force Pool (showing its Airborne unit side) for each step loss suffered. After all Airdrop mode markers are eliminated, apply that side's remaining step losses normally (if any).
- A Bridge Too Far: When left in coexistence in the Battle hex after Retreating but before Advancing After Combat, apply consecutive Stalemate results, one at a time, until this coexistence ends. Airdrop mode markers must be eliminated as steps first.
Retreating: If there are only enemy Airdrop mode markers in a hex, Retreats into and through that hex occur without penalty. Specifically:
- Lighter than Light: Enemy units that Retreat through such a hex completely ignore the Airdrop mode markers there; both sides suffer no losses in that hex (except via Retreat through EZOCs per 21.7).
- Keep Moving: Enemy units forced to end their Retreat in that hex must Retreat one additional hex; if they cannot, see "A Bridge Too Far," above.
Firm Footing: During any future friendly Supply Step (conducted during the opponent's turn), you may flip your Airdrop mode markers back to regular Airborne units if they are In Communication.
Hold Until Relieved: An Airdrop mode marker is a step for Isolation attrition purposes (7.5.3). It remains in Airdrop mode and cannot leave its hex; it is eliminated if it must Retreat. An Airdrop mode marker does not block enemy movement or Retreat through its hex (but enemy units cannot opt to end their movement or Retreat stacked with that unit, as per "Retreating," above).
[105.2] AIR LANDING FOLLOW-UP FORCES: If the hex with your Airdrop mode marker is cleared of enemy units (even if no Airdrop mode marker survived that Battle) and the Paradrop Mission's Air Transport unit returned to the Flown box Ready, then you may place in that Drop hex one additional Air Mobile unit from your Air Transport Holding box, during your Regular Movement Phase's Regular Movement Step. This follow-up unit is face-up and can move from the Drop hex upon its follow-up landing there.
Paratroop Survival Example: The Soviet player has two Airborne units in the Air Transport Holding box, their countdown over and ready to fly onto the map, and two Li-2 Transports Available and Ready to haul them. In a sagacious move during the Soviet Special Movement Step, the Soviet player flies both Transports to a hex across the Kerch Strait (an Axis-held position that the Soviets desire to breech). They fly a single Mission to that hex, carrying only one Airborne unit to a Drop hex (105.1). In Dogfighting, the Axis Intercept the Mission Packet and achieve an Abort result, so one of the Soviet Li-2s bails out immediately for the Flown box, Damaged, while the other safely drops the paratroops. And that is why the Soviet player brought along an extra Air Transport unit! A roll of 2 garners 2 Surprise Shifts from the drop. In the ensuing Battle, an Axis Hardened Garrison unit (which is always the last step eliminated for that side) with its No Retreat ability remained in the Battle hex, as did the Soviet Airdrop mode marker. Due to A Bridge Too Far (105.1), a Stalemate is therefore applied, eliminating both (and thus resolving this stacking conflict) before the Soviets Advance After Combat as per a Breakthrough result. However, the dropping Transport unit returned unscathed to the Flown box. This means the other Soviet Airborne unit can make a follow-up landing in the Drop hex (105.2). This secures it during the ensuing Soviet Regular Movement Phase and that follow-up Airborne unit can even move from there after landing!
Part N: Maritime Matters
There are three Sea Zones in Thunder in the East: the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Finland (excluding Lake Ladoga), and the Black Sea. Each has one Naval Base City hex that dominates naval activity there (Gdynia, Leningrad, and Sevastopol, respectively).
Naval Availability: As long as the Axis controls the Naval Base in Gdynia, it prevents the Soviets from projecting naval capabilities (including tracing a Naval Line of Communications) into the Baltic Sea.
Similarly, as long as the Soviets control their Naval Bases in Leningrad or Sevastopol, it prevents the Axis from conducting naval activity (including tracing a Naval Line of Communications) in the Gulf of Finland or the Black Sea, respectively.
After capturing an opponent's home Naval Base, once you get it functioning, both sides can conduct all naval activity in that Sea Zone for the rest of the game.
The TITE Naval System: The Naval system in TITE is an abstraction of naval warfare affecting the Russian Front during World War II. The real Naval system for Frank Chadwick's ETO will appear in the other games in the series. ETO has a robust Naval system – not dissimilar to the Air system – and Naval Orders of Battle for all of the participants in the European Theater. Note that the light blue boxes near Major Ports and Naval Bases are to hold an array of Naval units being released later in the ETO series.
Winter Ice Hexes: During Winter Months (i.e., January through March), it is prohibited to trace Naval Lines of Communication, Naval Transport, or Fleet movement into, out of, or through Winter Ice hexes.
[106.0] Naval Activities
Here are Naval Missions for transport, Fleet movement and combat, and related Air Missions.
Naval Transport Mission: Ground units and HQ markers move by sea using Naval Transport represented by the blue Naval Transport markers.
[106.1] NAVAL TRANSPORT CAPACITY: Both sides have an intrinsic Naval Transport capacity of one Small or Medium size Light, Leg Ground unit (including a Garrison unit) per turn in each of the Black and Baltic Seas. Note that the Baltic Sea Transport marker can operate in either the Baltic Sea or the Gulf of Finland.
[106.2] NAVAL TRANSPORT PROCEDURE: Your Light, Leg Ground unit conducting Naval Transport must begin your Special Movement Step in its port of embarkation (even in an EZOC) and end its movement for that Step either:
- In the closest All-Sea hex to its designated port of debarkation, stacked with that Sea's Naval Transport marker to indicate that it is cargo being transported, OR
- If Soviet, stacked with a friendly Fleet unit that is currently conducting an Amphibious Landing Mission (106.5.1). In this case, that Fleet unit is "the port" that Naval Transport marker is using.
At that landing preparation hex where the transported Ground unit is afloat, enemy Air and Naval units can challenge this, defensively, during the Opponent's Reaction Step of your Combat Phase.
Should your Ground unit using Naval Transport survive any attacks, then it disembarks during your Regular Movement Step. Before doing so, roll an unmodified die: if the result is a 1, it returns to its port of embarkation due to general hazards of the sea. On any other roll, place it in its designated disembarkation hex. It cannot move any further that turn.
The Rostov Estuary: An enemy Ground unit in hex A758 or A759 blocks naval movement and supply through Rostov.
Fleet Movement: In Thunder in the East, only the Soviet Union has two Fleet units, and they are immune from supply effects (but see 106.3). Fleet units have two sides: full-strength (with two strike symbols and a Naval Supply radius of 1) and reduced-strength (with one strike symbol, a Naval Supply radius of 0, and a stripe to indicate that it is reduced strength).
[106.3] FLEET AVAILABILITY: Soviet Fleet units operate freely where their sea's Naval Base hex is Soviet-controlled and In Supply (see 7.0).
When this is not the case, that sea's Soviet Fleet unit cannot move from its present location unless currently at sea, and then it must put into the nearest friendly supplied Anchorage hex where it remains, immovable, until it is operational again, evacuates, is sunk, or a card is played permitting it.
Fleet Evacuation: When a Fleet unit is in a just enemy-captured Anchorage hex, immediately move it to another friendly supplied Anchorage hex in its Sea Zone; if there are none, eliminate that Fleet instead. Also place a Countdown marker on it depending where it arrived (-3 at a Naval Base; -4 at a Major Port, or -5 at a Minor Port).
[106.4] SHOVING OFF: Voluntarily moving a Fleet unit occurs thus:
During the Soviet Special Movement Phase:
Fuel Cost to Sail: It costs 1 FP for a Fleet unit to move during the Soviet Special Movement Step.
Destination: Once sailing, it must move within its Sea Zone to an All-Sea hex, a Coastal hex, or another friendly Anchorage hex that it can move through or enter (i.e., it is not prohibited).
During the Soviet Regular Movement Phase:
Free Sailing: There is no FP cost for a Fleet unit to move during the Soviet Regular Movement Step. Typically, this is done to "return to port."
Return to Port: During its Regular Movement Step, a Fleet unit can only move within that sea to a friendly supplied Anchorage hex that it can enter (i.e., it is not prohibited).
The Final Port: If the Axis captures every on-map port on the Black Sea, that Soviet Fleet unit remains in play. It automatically bases out of and operates from Batumi, a Minor Port City hex just off the map in what would be hex B470.
[106.5] FIGHTING SHIPS AT SEA: Fleet units can conduct Amphibious Landings, provide Close Support, and intercept enemy Naval Transport Missions.
[106.5.1] AMPHIBIOUS LANDING MISSION: This requires moving that Fleet unit during the Soviet Special Movement Step (106.4; costing 1 FP), from its Naval Base hex to a Coastal hex that is not prohibited for the invading Ground unit to enter (called the Invasion Hex), even if there is an enemy Ground unit in that hex. Place your Fleet unit and Ground unit in the same hex as the enemy unit. The amphibiously assaulting units attack as if across a Strait hexside (i.e., those units are totaled, their combined Attack Strength is halved) if all attacking units in that battle are coming across the sea. If they remain in coexistence in the Battle hex, apply "A Bridge Too Far" (105.1).
The Fleet at Anchorage: While in the Invasion hex on this Mission, that Fleet unit's Anchorage symbol activates allowing it to provide its 1 or 0 hex Supply Radius (for full- and reduced-strength Fleet units, respectively), if it can trace an NLoC. Its Anchorage activation also allows Naval Transport Missions to move directly to and from it (106.2) until it leaves that hex for any reason.
Shore Bombardment: That Fleet unit automatically conducts Close Naval Support Missions (see below) while in the Invasion hex.
[106.5.2] CLOSE NAVAL SUPPORT MISSION: When a Soviet Ground unit attacks or defends in an Invasion hex or any other Coastal hex where it is stacked with a Fleet unit, that Fleet unit automatically performs a Close Naval Support Mission at that hex.
More Support: Close Naval Support works in exactly the same manner as, and combines with, a CAS Mission (18.3.1) and/or Event cards for contributing its Strike Strength dice symbols. Note that the Baltic and Black Sea Fleet units are different on their reverse sides.
Naval Air Attack Missions:
Anti-Shipping Strike Mission: Strike Missions perform their Air-to-Surface or Shore Bombardment attack using their color Strike Strength (shown as one or two colored lightning bolts in their lower-left corner) only (i.e., Air units' Bomb Strengths cannot be used in Anti-Shipping Strike Missions).
Using Strike Strength is prohibited in Mud, Snow, or Overcast weather (see 23.0), or to support a Battle where their side has Partisan units only (107.3).
Some Strike Missions can only use their Strike Strength, and cannot use their Bomb Strength.
[106.5.3] STRIKING NAVAL TARGETS: These Strike Missions target ships or their cargo.
Stacking: An Anti-Shipping Strike Mission Packet functions identically to other Mission Packets, with this exception: a Fleet unit can be one of the (up to two) units in that Mission Packet.
Anti-Shipping Missions: Multiply DV x2 for red Strike Strength versus a Naval unit, and Multiply DV x1 for white Strike Strength versus a Naval unit.
Range: Air units with a Strike Strength can conduct a Naval Strike Mission within their Range. A Soviet Fleet unit in a functioning Naval Base can Intercept a transported Ground unit in that Sea Zone by paying 1 FP to move to the target hex; return it to that Naval Base after the Battle.
Targeting: Each Anti-Shipping Strike Mission must specify if it is attacking the Fleet unit or a transported Ground unit in the target hex (these are two different Missions!).
Computing Anti-Shipping Strike DV: A Mission Air unit surviving Air-to-Air Combat, and Fleet units surviving interception, have a Target Type multiplier of x2 per red Strike Strength symbol, and x1 per white Strike Strength symbol.
Applying Naval Strike Damage: If Successful, depending on the target, either:
- Reduce the targeted Ground unit by 1 Step; if that merely reduces a 2-Step Ground unit, then it also immediately returns that surviving 1-Step Ground unit to its port of embarkation.
- Reduce the targeted Fleet unit by 1 Step thus: When a full-strength, 2-Step Fleet unit suffers a Step loss, flip it over to show its striped, reduced-strength 1-Step side; it remains in place on the map. Eliminate a reduced-strength, 1-Step Fleet unit that suffers a Step loss.
Anchorage Bombing Mission: Bombing Missions perform their Air-to-Surface attack using only their Bomb Strengths (shown as a quantity of Bomb symbols, from ½ to 2, in their upper-right corner).
[106.5.4] BOMBING HARBORS: This Bombing Mission targets Anchorages.
Range: Air units (only; this is not a Fleet Mission) with a Bomb Strength can conduct an Anchorage Bombing Mission within their Range.
Computing Anchorage Bombing DV: A Mission Air unit surviving Air-to-Air Combat has a Target Type multiplier of x3 (Soft) versus a Minor Port, x2 (Average) versus a Major Port, and x1 (Hard) versus a Naval Base.
Applying Anchorage Bombardment Damage: Bombing an Anchorage, if Successful, places a -3 Countdown marker on it. The specific effects are:
- A Minor Port does not function except to trace an NLoC to repair itself (8.0).
- A Major Port or Naval Base functions as a Minor Port while Disrupted.
- The targeted player may immediately spend ½ EP (for a Major Port) or 1 EP (for a Naval Base) not to have that -3 Countdown marker placed and keep that Anchorage fully functioning.
Disrupted Harbors: Ultimately, you address the disruption of a Major Port or Naval Base by building more ships, which is abstractly represented here as the option to spend EPs to cover that expense. If you do not urgently need that Major Port or Naval Base to function, its Countdown marker should start Repairing on the following turn. If you need it now, however, as the Soviets likely do for their Naval Bases in particular, then paying EP to save that time makes sense.
Part O: The Shadow War
[107.0] Partisans
Fighting the "war of occupation" generally occurs below the kinetic level of the game's Battles. Only the Soviet faction and USSR have Partisan detachments in Thunder in the East.
Partisan pieces come in three varieties:
- Partisan Detachment markers featuring an Untried ("?") bomb symbol for their "Strength" and have a Territorial Range of [3] hexes on their front sides, with their specific, hidden Partisan Attack result on their reverse sides. Partisan Detachment markers: Neither move nor fight like Ground units. They are markers; the enemy can do nothing about them (except via card play) until and unless those Detachment markers attack (107.2.1). Although they exist on the map, these markers do not have a "physical presence." They do not count for stacking (either side can freely enter their hex and ignore them completely), nor hinder units' supply lines, Battles, or Retreats in any way.
- A Small size 1-step 1-2-(1) Partisan "Division" unit: Is immune to supply effects (as indicated by the supply drum icon; see 27.1). Does not Retreat (like Hardened Garrison units; see 27.1). Can build-up (i.e., combine) to create either one Medium size ?-4 Rifle Infantry corps or....
- A Small size, 2-step 2-3-(2) Partisan "Corps" unit: Is immune to supply effects (as indicated by the supply drum icon; see 27.1). Is unique as the only Small 2-step unit (thus it can flip to take a step loss when required and revert back to a Partisan Division unit, instantly ending their ability to Retreat!).
Receiving and Placing Partisan Units
[107.1] GUERILLAS IN THEIR MIDST: In Thunder in the East, during the Soviet OOB Step, the Soviet player draws one Detachment marker at random from their Faction's pool on the Soviet Display mat and places it on the map. Card play can add additional Partisan Detachments to the pool (improving its overall quality) and also cause the placement of additional Partisan markers and units at other times. Partisan Detachment marker events might also trigger additional placement of Partisans.
Placement: Place Partisan Detachment markers on the map in enemy-controlled territory in the Soviet Union or as specified by its placement event. You must place Partisan Detachment markers in an empty Forest, Hill, Mountain, Tundra, Sand, or Swamp hex that is:
- Not adjacent to an enemy Ground unit, and
- Not within the Territorial Range [3] of another Partisan Detachment marker from that faction.
In hopes of making trouble at Vilnius (hex 8140), the Soviet player places a Detachment marker in the distant woods (hex 8438), where Vilnius is still within its Territorial Range. It cannot be placed next to Vilnius, as that is next to an enemy Ground unit; the Partisan Division unit nearby does not affect the placement of Detachments.
Place your Partisan units (Division or Corps) on the map in any empty, enemy-controlled hex in their nation that is not next to an enemy Ground unit (regardless of its terrain or their proximity to other Partisans) and, if possible, within six (6) hexes of another friendly unit (even another Partisan unit).
Movement: Detachment markers have no Movement Points and cannot move, per se; instead, they are simply placed on enemy-controlled City hexes they wish to attack within their Territorial Range of [3] hexes during their Special Movement Step. Partisan units have a small Mounted Movement Allowance.
Partisan Detachment Attacks
[107.2] PARTISAN ACTIVITY: Any or all Detachment markers can, in their country and within their Territorial Range of supplied enemy-controlled City hexes, be repositioned during their Special Movement Step to the nearby enemy-controlled City hexes they will attack (add a Partisan Attack! marker to help you remember this Attack during Combat Phase). After resolving ground combat, they "throw their bombs" at their declared target City hexes.
[107.2.1] Throwing Bombs: During their Combat Phase, your Partisan Detachment markers attack during the Partisan "Bomb Throwing" Step (i.e., before any declared Battles).
[107.2.2] "BOOM!": To resolve your Partisan Detachment Attacks, note which Partisan Detachment markers are in which targeted, supplied enemy-controlled City hexes and, at each targeted hex, one at a time, reveal all of those bomb-throwing Detachments. Then:
- For each attack, you may select any one of their results to apply (see below). Attacking a targeted supplied enemy City hex with multiple Partisan Detachments should yield a variety of potential outcomes, from which you may choose one. When only one Detachment attacks a target City hex, you have no choice as to which outcome to apply!
- Note how many Detachments were in that attack and where it took place (i.e., the targeted enemy controlled City hex). Then return them all to your Partisan pool and mix them back in. Return the Partisan Attack! marker to the stock.
- Finally, draw back that same amount of Partisan Detachment markers from your pool, minus [1 (for the attack) + the number of enemy Ground unit steps and functioning HQ markers in the attacked City hex; these represent the partisan's losses in personnel, materiel, and cohesion], but never fewer than 0. Place them normally (per 107.1), but also within the Territorial Range (i.e., 3 hexes) of the attacked City hex (i.e., in the vicinity of their attack). They need not return to their previously-located hexes (this is, in effect, how Partisan Detachment units "move"). Eliminate any returning Partisan Detachment markers that cannot be legally placed.
Blowing Up Rail Capacity: Your Soviet Detachments score a Rail Hit at Minsk. As Minsk has four Rail hexsides, it is a Rail Hub and you would immediately increase the Axis Rail Capacity Used marker by one.
[107.2.3] THAT'S ENOUGH: A given Detachment marker can only attack, and a given supplied enemy City hex can only be attacked by Detachment markers, once per friendly Combat Step.
[107.2.4] BOMB DAMAGE: After determining your Detachment attack outcomes, you may immediately apply the selected result as follows:
- No Effect: Nothing happens.
- Rail Capacity: When targeting a Rail Hub (a City hex having four or more Rail hexsides), increase the target faction's Rail Capacity Used This Turn marker by one (but never higher than one less than its Rail Capacity Available marker; i.e., you cannot bomb away their last point of Rail Capacity Available). Targeting a non-Rail Hub City hex has no effect.
- Out of Supply: Place one Out of Supply marker on a Small or Medium enemy Ground unit within the Territorial Range (i.e., 3 hexes) of the attacked City hex.
- Interdicted: Place one Interdiction marker on a Small or Medium enemy Ground unit within the Territorial Range (i.e., 3 hexes) of the attacked City hex.
- Suppressed: When targeting an enemy Air Base, your opponent places one (additional) Suppressed marker during the ensuing Air Return Step.
- The Knives: You choose a nationality from among the enemy Ground units within the Territorial Range (i.e., 3 hexes) of the attacked City hex, and then your opponent loses ½ PP (if available) or ½ MP (their choice) from that nationality.
- Recruit: Draw up to two Detachment markers and place them normally, but also within the Territorial Range (i.e., 3 hexes) of the attacked City hex.
- Organize: Place one Partisan Division unit normally, but also within the Territorial Range (i.e., 3 hexes) of the attacked City hex –OR– draw up to three Detachment markers and place them normally, but also within the Short Range (i.e., 6 hexes) of the attacked City hex.
[107.3] PARTISAN DIVISIONS & CORPS: A Partisan Division is a Small, 1-step [1-2-(1)/No Supply/No Retreat] unit. A Partisan Corps is a Small, 2-step [2-3-(2)/No Supply] unit.
- Mobilization Limit: You cannot have more Partisan units in play than those provided. Note that Partisan Detachment markers cover an entire faction, while specific nations have Partisan units.
- Operational Limit: Partisan units cannot leave their nation; they cannot voluntarily move across an active international border, and they are destroyed if Retreated outside their nation. In Thunder in the East, the USSR nation includes the territory of the Baltic States and Ukraine.
- Control Limit: Where a Partisan unit resides there is disorder; that specific hex and its facilities (Rail, Anchorage, Air Base, etc.) are unusable by any Faction. Control of that hex and its facilities revert back to their most recent owner the instant Partisan units are no longer present there.
- Combat Limit: Support Missions (18.3.1) cannot be performed in support of a Battle conducted exclusively by Partisan units.
- Combining Partisan Divisions: If two Partisan Division units are stacked together during their Regular Movement Phase, Step 3 (when you buildup stacked units), you may either: Flip one to show its 2-step Partisan Corps side and return the other to your Force Pool. Those two 1-step Partisan Divisions have combined to form one 2-step Partisan Corps; OR Nations able to do so may return them both to their Force Pool and replace them on the map with one untried, 1-step ?-4 Rifle Infantry Corps unit. This has the advantage of putting a (Major unit's) ZOC and normal hex control behind the enemy lines, but it is no longer automatically In Supply!
- Repurposing: When checking the stacking limit (11.0), immediately return to the stock all Partisan units stacked with a friendly non-Partisan Ground unit that can trace an Overland LoC (per 7.1). For each Partisan step so incorporated, the nationality absorbing it gains +½ PP.
Fighting Dirty: You cannot overrun a 2-step Partisan Corps unit (i.e., it is not a 1-step unit). When attacked and reduced 1 step, it becomes a Partisan Division unit and holds fast because, at that instant, it gains the No Retreat ability! Wiping out Partisan Corps units can be a real nuisance.
Section III: Campaign Game Rules
[200.0] Introduction
This section of Campaign Game Rules links the scenarios together for a longer, continuous game. These rules provide systems covering the Season Start Phase (as it ties together the many new elements added in the Campaign Game); National Morale and a new resource to track, Morale Points (MPs); Disbanding and Demobilizing units; Seasonal Economic activities; and Strategic Air Warfare.
We recommend using all of the Optional Rules when playing a Campaign Game.
Setting Up the Campaign Game: Place pending Reinforcement units on the top third of both Faction mats. Position the markers illustrated on the Economic Map mat to reflect that scenario's Campaign Game economic situation at start.
Part P: Seasonal Activities
[201.0] The Season Start Phase
Insert this Season Start Phase into the Sequence of Play immediately prior to conducting the first Game Turn (i.e., Week I) of each new Season (i.e., in January, April, July, and October). Think of this as a "strategic cycle" where economic and strategic warfare effects are resolved (these will be explained in detail in the rules that follow this one).
Note: Only perform the Season Start Phase when playing a Campaign Game. Skip it on those turns when just playing a Scenario as its effects are "baked in" to that Scenario's setup and reinforcement schedule.
Do not begin the Typhoon, Case Blue, and Citadel scenarios with a Season Start Phase! This is already included in the setup instructions and the Campaign Game Economic Map mat.
After completing the Season Start Phase, proceed with the first Game Turn of that Season.
Gain Morale Step: For your "Happy Homefront." This is one of the few times where you can do something to increase the Morale Points (MPs) of nations in your faction. Of course, it is not easy or cheap…
- +1 MP for a nation for every 5 PPs stockpiled on the Resource track.
- +1 MPs for a nation spending ½ EP on "consumer goods" up to a maximum of 1 EP per Nation per Season.
Fix-it Step: Adjust Factory and Oil Well Status markers. Factories in ETO can be in many different states: Working, Relocated, Captured, Retooling, Integrated, or Restored. The status of Oil Wells seldom changes, but when it does it is a very big deal. As the founts of precious Equipment Points (EPs) and Fuel Points (FPs) each Season, you must always pay particular attention to them. When the Axis manages to capture and hold them long enough to start contributing to the Axis war effort, a whole new dynamic unfolds.
- Place arriving Relocated Factories in the Urals.
- Remove Retooling and replace with Restored (Soviet) or Integrated (Axis).
- Flip Captured Factories to Retooling, and Burning Oil Wells to Recovered. You cannot fix Oil Wells beyond Recovered; thus, they go down to producing just 3 FPs each for the duration.
Pay Day Step: Receive all PPs, EPs, and FPs. In the Campaign Game, it is sub-optimal to "spend yourself broke" each Season. Opportunities, particularly during Inclement weather, to "lull" the war and stockpile Resource Points will help you win "the long game."
- Conduct Soviet Production, add Allied LLPs (205.4), and set Soviet Rail Moves.
- Add Axis Resource Points.
Strategic Bombing Step: Resolve Bombed Objectives one at a time.
- Remove its 1/3 or 2/3 Ruined marker, if it has one.
- If it is Destroyed or Devastated, deduct the required PP, EP, FP, or MP penalty.
- Remove its Destroyed marker or flip its Devastated marker to Destroyed.
New Deal Step: At the start of a new Season, return to their respective decks each faction's Set Aside cards. At the start of a New Year, return to their respective decks each faction's Set Aside and Discarded cards. These are available for selection again (see 25.0).
Part Q: Morale
It was not easy boiling down something as deeply rooted as national psychology into a simple Morale system, but we have done it for you.
When Does Morale Crack?: The single hardest strategic question in war is what it takes to make your opponent throw in the towel. In the real world, you arrive at this answer experimentally and empirically: people try different things until one of them works. As often as not, after a country surrenders, historians argue for decades about what really triggered it. Game designers do not have the luxury of saying, "Well, it's hard to say for sure." ETO's answer is the National Morale system. Reduce your opponent's morale to 0 and they give up. The points we award, and their relative weight, partially reflect our considered judgement but also partly reflect the expectations of strategists at the time. Destroying enemy units in offensive operations damages the enemy morale much more than your losses during those offensives affect your own morale (people like to see the arrows moving in the right direction on the maps, and they will suffer a good many losses as long as they believe they are on offense and winning). Capturing cities, losing cities, allies surrendering or defecting, and strategic bombing campaigns (and later the commerce war conducted largely by submarines) all had an effect on the morale of the belligerents.
[202.0] National Morale
Nations have a National Morale, measured in Morale Points (MPs), established in each scenario's Campaign Game setup instructions and tracked with Morale markers. The Soviet Union, Hungary, and Romania (only) track Morale in Thunder in the East. Morale is increased and decreased for these nations by the events listed below. When reduced to 0 MPs, that nation collapses (202.7).
Qui Bono?: The Suffering player is the one losing MPs from that event. The Benefiting player is the one gaining MPs from that event.
Note that German and Italian Morale is not represented in Thunder in the East. German Morale losses and gains are not applicable to this game (but will be in a full ETO Campaign Game). Italy automatically collapses in April 1943.
Timing: Note that some Morale Events are resolved immediately as they occur, while other Morale Events are tended to during a specific (Weekly or Seasonal) Morale Step.
[202.1] IMMEDIATE MORALE EVENTS: You debit and credit these Events the instant they occur:
Home Territory Objective Lost: When the enemy captures an Objective hex in your home territory, in addition to its possible degradation of utility (see 207.0):
- –4 MPs to the Suffering nation (unless it was the Soviets losing Leningrad, which is -8 MPs, or that nation's Capital hex, see below).
- –10 MPs to the Suffering nation if that Objective hex is that nation's National Capital.
Home Territory Objective Regained: When you recapture an Objective hex in your home territory, in addition to its possible degradation of utility (see 207.0):
- +4 MPs for the Benefiting nation (even if more MPs than that were lost when it was captured).
Capital Bombed to Destruction & Devastation: Each time a nation's Capital City hex is Destroyed, and again when it is Devastated (208.1.2):
- –2 MPs to the Bombed nation AND…
- +1 MP for the Benefiting nation (attacker's choice if more than one nationality was involved in bombing that Capital this turn).
Stalin Evacuates Moscow: If the Stalin marker moves from Moscow to Kuybyshev, in addition to the 2 Rail Capacity Used cost and loss of the Soviet Combat Phase that turn (13.1):
- –8 MP to the Soviets.
Axis Allies Equipment: When an Axis ally nation (i.e., Hungary, Romania, and Italy) has Equipment Points (EPs) spent on its military, it immediately gains a like number of Morale Points (MPs) per the Build Cost chart. Conversely, Demobilizing (203.2) and voluntarily returning EPs to the Axis pool causes that nation to lose a like number of MPs.
Axis Allies Reconsider: When an Axis ally (i.e., Hungary, Romania, and Italy) collapses or defects to the other side (202.7):
- –2 MP each to the other Axis nations, AND…
- +2 MP for the Soviets (if defects).
Miscellaneous: Spending or gaining MPs is based on events such as card play (25.0) or Partisan Detachment attacks (107.2.4; The Knives).
[202.2] WEEKLY MORALE EVENTS (NON-PHASING PLAYER CASUALTIES): During the Opponent's Morale Step at the end of your Regular Movement Phase, settle accounts for your opponent's unit casualties suffered during your Player Turn. Your own casualties suffered do not affect your Morale. It is up to your opponent to inflict Morale crushing losses upon you during their turn!
Eliminated Non-Phasing Units: During your turn, place your opponent's eliminated units here, on the Casualty mat. During the Opponent's Morale Step at the end of your Regular Movement Phase, settle accounts for their enemy Morale Point (MP) losses. After this accounting, place them appropriately on the opponent's Faction Display mat and pass this Casualty mat to your opponent; they are going to want it for payback!
[202.3] USING THE CASUALTY MAT: When eliminated, do not place the non-Phasing player's units in their Force Pool, Change box, etc. Instead, place them on the Casualty mat; on it, they will accumulate and await their reckoning during the Opponent's Morale Step at the end of your Regular Movement Phase.
After accounting for MP losses from these casualties, place them appropriately on the opponent's Faction Display mat and pass the Casualty mat to the opponent; they are going to want it for payback!
- 0 MPs per destroyed enemy Air units and most Small size (e.g., Division [XX]) units.
- -1 MP per Airborne unit eliminated for any reason (the exception to the above).
- -1 MP per Fleet unit eliminated (even though, in the Campaign Game, it returns later, see 209.1).
- -1 MP per Large size (e.g., Army [XXXX]) unit removed from the map, when it is not being replaced by a surviving Corps unit, due to step losses from a single Battle. To indicate this magnitude of loss, place that Army unit face up (showing its full-strength side) on the Casualty mat. Typically, these losses happen when an Army unit suffers a DE or BT combat result or Retreats into EZOCs (thus eliminating multiple steps).
- -½ MP per Large size (e.g., Army [XXXX]) unit removed from the map, when replaced by a surviving Corps unit, due to step losses (including ground combat losses, Isolation attrition, etc.). To indicate this minor loss, place that Army unit face down (showing its reduced-strength side) on the Casualty mat. Reminder: When removing an Army unit to the Casualty mat, place its indicated component Corps on the map, if appropriate. When an Assembled Army unit returns to the Change box from the Casualty mat, move its eliminated component Corps [XXX] unit(s) from the Change Box to the Force Pool.
- -½ MP per Medium size (e.g., Corps [XXX]) unit removed from the map after suffering any step loss(es). Reminder: If a Medium [Corps XXX] Ground unit with a Medal icon in its upper-right corner is eliminated, replace it on the map with a remnant KG unit of the same type (Leg, Motorized, or Heavy), if one is available in the Korpsgruppe Holding box.
- -Double MPs to Small Nations for each Ground unit MP loss that was suffered outside the Supply Radius of their National HQ marker and outside their home territory. To indicate this, rotate these units 180 degrees on the Casualty mat.
Watch Where You're Going!: Just to remind you, face-up Large size (Army [XXXX]) units on the Enemy Losses mat count as -1 MP each, while Large size units that are face-down count as only -½ MP each. Your opponent will be watching to make sure you get the accounting correct!
Double Minor Morale Losses: No "political rule" prevents the Axis player from spreading the Hungarians and Romanians all over the map, but in the Campaign Game, if they begin taking losses while not serving under their own commanders, there is a stiff Morale Point price to pay!
[202.4] SEASONAL MORALE EVENTS: The Campaign Game introduces Seasonal activities performed during the Season Start Phase (201.0). You can add Morale to make war-weary populations happy, and might lose Morale when suffering the consequences of Strategic Bombing (208.1). These Seasonal Morale activities include:
Keeping the Boys Home: Stockpiling a nation's Personnel Points is good for Morale: +1 MP for every 5 PPs that nation has stockpiled at this time (i.e., it must have at least 5 PPs accumulated before any Morale benefit is realized). Also see Demobilize, Disband, & Scrap (203.0) as ways to reclaim PPs in play to increase a nation's stockpile.
The Happy Homefront: There are few opportunities to increase a nation's Morale. Keeping the boys home typically means a huge reduction in on-map Infantry units, and when can you spare such absences from the front? The alternative, purchasing consumer goods, means spending precious EPs. These you will need to have saved that entire Season or demobilized a Heavy Ground unit (as paying for consumer goods comes before receiving income). Since you may want to do that to increase multiple nations' Morale markers, this could add up to a real EP drain affecting your war effort!
Producing Consumer Goods (Guns and Butter): A direct economic infusion of consumer goods into a nation's economy also improves its Morale: +1 MP for spending ½ EP (1 EP for 2 MPs, maximum) for that nation at this time. If you can afford it, you may do this for any or all nations in your faction each Season.
Strategic Bombing Destruction & Devastation: For each target on the Economic Map that is Destroyed or Devastated: –2 MPs OR –1 RP of any type (i.e., PP, EP, or FP) of the Suffering player's choice.
Morale: Victory & Collapse
Campaign Game Additional Victory Conditions: In addition to the Victory Conditions in Rule 4.0, the Campaign Game also features:
[202.5] CAMPAIGN GAME VICTORIES:
Campaign Game Automatic Victory: During a Campaign Game, the instant Soviet Morale drops to 0 (or less), the game ends in an Axis Automatic Victory.
Campaign Game Victory Checkpoints: Also, during a Campaign Game, when you reach a scenario's end turn (as shown on the Game Turn track) check to see if, at that time, either player has achieved a scenario Decisive Victory; if so, the Campaign Game ends and that player has won; otherwise, you may agree to end the Campaign Game at that point using that scenario's victory conditions or continue playing that Campaign Game.
Campaign Game Exhaustion Victory: TitE Campaign Games must end at the completion of the Bagration scenario (August IV, 1944) and use its victory conditions to determine the winner.
[202.6] MILITARY COLLAPSE: When all of the City hexes in an Axis ally nation's home territory are no longer friendly controlled and its Morale is greater than 0, if it suffers a Military Collapse. At the end of the Soviet Morale Step (unless 202.7 applies), remove its units and markers permanently from play.
Axis Ally Morale Collapse: Most Axis ally nations whose Morale failed during the war did not simply surrender; they switched sides!
[202.7] MORALE COLLAPSE: At the end of the Soviet Morale Step, if an Axis ally nation's Morale is 0 (or less), roll a die with these die roll modifiers (treat results less than 1 as 1; treat results greater than 6 as 6):
Here is a breakdown of the historical Morale Collapse die roll results for the Axis ally nations: Hungary had a Pro-Axis Coup and continued to fight for the Axis. Slovakia quit the Axis and switched to fighting for their independence. Bulgaria, Finland, and Romania defected to the Soviets and took up arms fighting their former Axis allies.
- –1 if its Capital City hex contains one or more Axis Ground units.
- +1 if there are Partisan units anywhere in that country belonging to another faction.
On a result of 1 or 2, a Pro-Axis Coup occurs. Place its Morale marker in the Axis Force Pool as a reminder that it continues to fight for the Axis for the remainder of the game (without disruption and no longer concerned about its Morale for the duration).
On a result of 3 or 4, that nation Goes Independent, calling it quits and rising up on its own against the Axis. Remove its units and markers permanently from play; its territory defaults to uncontrolled (both sides can freely roll over it). Place one (plus one per Supply City hex in that country) Soviet Partisan Detachment marker in that country and the Soviet faction can place others there for the duration. All remaining Axis Nations suffer an immediate -2 MP loss.
On a result of 5 or 6, that nation Defects and joins the Soviets. Attend to all of the following:
- Place its Morale marker in the Soviet Force Pool as a reminder that it continues to fight for the Soviets for the remainder of the game (and is no longer concerned about its Morale for the duration).
- All remaining Axis ally nations suffer a -2 MP loss and the Soviets receive a +2 MP gain.
- Transfer its PPs (if any) to the Soviet Display mat.
- Control of that defecting nation's units and markers (both on- and off-map, including those in the Axis Force Pool which are immediately moved to the Soviet Force Pool) pass directly over to Soviet ownership. Eliminate all defecting Ground units stacked with Axis Ground units at this time.
- Default control of its territory passes to the Soviets. Either side occupying an Objective City hex in that nation at this moment "captures it intact" (i.e., there is no disruption from "capture" at that Objective).
Italian Defection: During the Axis OOB Step of April I 1943, Italy "defects" to the Western Allies. All Italian units and markers are removed (9.0). Apply the Axis Allies Reconsider (202.1) result (-2 MP to Hungary and Romania; +2 MP to Soviet Union).
[202.8] DIGGING IT: When purchasing Improved Defense markers, you can obtain two of them for a cost of ½ MP (in lieu of ½ PP or ½ EP). This is the only MP "build" available.
[203.0] Demobilize, Disband, & Scrap
During the Special Reorganization Step of your Special Movement Phase, you may voluntarily reduce your forces in play to recover some of their Resource Points. When so removed, place these units in their Force Pool.
[203.1] DISBANDING AIR UNITS: Remove Air units from any location on the Air Display mat (even the Destroyed box!) and recover 2 PPs each. Note that disbanding Air units never recovers the Equipment Points (EPs) or Fuel Points (FPs) invested in them!
[203.2] DEMOBILIZING GROUND UNITS: You can demobilize steps to recover that nation's PP and/or faction's EP costs required to build/replacing those demobilized steps. Thus, Partisan units cannot be demobilized (but see 107.3, Repurposing) and demobilizing Ground units never recover the Fuel Points (FPs) invested in them! You can demobilize your Ground units and HQ markers (functioning or not) only if they are currently in their national home territory and can trace an OLoC (per 7.1).
- Place a demobilized Small unit in its Force Pool.
- When demobilizing a full-strength, 2-step Corps unit, simply flip it over. When demobilizing the last step of any Corps unit, place it in its Force Pool.
- Assembled Armies and Groups (12.1) cannot be demobilized. They must first break down into their component Corps units (per 12.6 and 12.7) and may do so at this time; afterward, you must demobilize at least one step from among those component Corps units (see above).
- Demobilize Raised Armies (12.2) in the reverse order of how they were raised (see example below).
- Place a demobilized HQ marker in its Force Pool.
Ground Unit Demobilization Examples:
- Small Unit: The Axis demobilizes a German Motorized Infantry Division unit, returning it to the Axis Force Pool and recovering ½ German PP.
- Reduced-Strength Corps: The Axis demobilizes a non-isolated full-strength Panzer Corps unit in Germany (whose home territory includes Poland in Thunder in the East), flipping it to its reduced-strength side and recovering 1 EP. That is not enough for the Axis player, however, who then demobilizes it further, returning it to the Axis Force Pool and recovering an additional 1 EP. Note that the Axis do not recover the 1 FP it would take to resurrect that Panzer Corps unit from the Force Pool, as FPs are not recovered from demobilization.
- Raised Army: The Soviets demobilize one step from a non-isolated, full-strength Shock Army in the Soviet Union; they recover 1 USSR PP as that is the cost to raise a reduced-strength Shock Army to full-strength. If they had demobilized that full-strength Shock Army by two steps (returning the Shock Army to the Soviet Force Pool and placing a ?-4 Untried Rifle Infantry Corps unit from the Soviet Force Pool onto the map at its location), they would have recovered 1 USSR PP + 1 EP. If they had demobilized it completely, they would have received 2 USSR PPs +1 EP, its total cost to build from scratch.
Why Demobilize Your Forces?: During the war, Romania demobilized big time. In game terms, why would they stand down during a war? To build up their Morale Points (MPs) because each multiple of 5 PPs in the bank makes the home front happier. Romania's Morale is paper-thin – so is Hungary's – and if either collapses, it could start a cascade of problems. Thus, the Axis cannot use them as cannon fodder or they will surrender (or, worse, defect). It is important to be mindful of their MPs and, ideally, keep most of their army in the Force Pool instead of on the map. Historically, Romania suffered about 4 to 5 PPs in losses in 1941 and then demobilizes en masse to build up PPs so as to earn MPs each Season. Only the Romanian Mountain and Cavalry Corps, plus their Armored Division, are fighting alongside the Germans with a few left mobilized for the Odessa garrison and keeping the home fires lit. For the Summer of 1942, after Romania acquires a few MPs over the Seasons, they spend their banked PPs to rebuild their army for the Case Blue campaign. They march east in support of Army Group B and suffer grievously during the Soviet's Uranus offensive; Romanian losses from which include a reduction of about 2 MPs. The Romanians do not immediately replace their losses. In game terms, they stockpile their PPs instead to recoup their lost MPs over the Seasons. It is not until 1944, with the Soviets approaching their border, that the Romanians field a substantial force again. In the next ETO game, The Middle Sea, there is a very similar mass-demobilization of the Italian Army for similar game (and real world) reasons. This occurs just before the invasion of Greece – a wonderful example of the right hand not only not knowing what the left hand was doing, but also fairly confused about what the right hand should be doing as well. Demobilization to increase a nation's MPs makes good sense in ETO.
Part R: Economics
In a Campaign Game, you address economic matters (i.e., production) and effects of Strategic Bombing (208.1) seasonally. This is the frequency for generating Resource Points which you must make last, turn-by-turn, until next Season's allocation arrives. This is visually summarized by adjusting markers on the Economic Map mat (206.0).
[204.0] Axis Production
Germany's industrial might is largely off-map, and the war in Russia is only one (albeit the largest) front that the Axis are fighting on; abstractly representing the Axis economy is an "allowance" of gained RPs during each Season's Pay Day Step, supplemented by EPs and FPs captured in the Soviet Union and brought online.
Receiving Allowances:
- 1 Italian PP (through 1942; none are received beginning in 1943)
- 2 Hungarian PPs (from controlling Budapest)
- 2 Romanian PPs (from controlling Bucharest)
- 12 German PPs
- 9 Axis EPs plus ½ EP each per Axis Integrated Factory, including Lodz
- 7 Axis FPs = 2 from Germany + 5 from Ploesti, Romania (until burned) + whatever captured Oil Field hexes' FPs are produced
Axis Rail Capacity: As indicated on the Game Turn Track, the Axis' per turn Rail Movement Capacity is 4 until April 1943, at which point it decreases to 3 until April 1944, when it drops to 2.
[205.0] Soviet Production
The Soviet economy is largely on-map. Representing it are calculations made to produce RPs during each Season's Pay Day Step, supplemented by LLPs (Lend-Lease Points), plus EPs and FPs captured outside of the Soviet Union and brought online.
Note that Moscow is a "double economic" city (i.e., generating double the normal PP and EP amounts) in addition to being the Capital of the Soviet Union and a special Replacement location (see 9.4).
[205.1] ADDING PPS: The following are all 19 Soviet Personnel City locations:
On Map Personnel Cities (17): Dnepropetrovsk, Gorki, Grozny, Kazan, Kharkov, Kiev, Kuybyshev, Leningrad, Lwow, Minsk, Moscow (x2), Odessa, Rostov, Stalingrad, Tbilisi, and Voronezh.
Ural Resources Personnel Cities (2): Magnitogorsk, Sverdlovsk.
- Unscathed Soviet Personnel Cities produce 2 PPs each (or 4 PPs for Moscow).
- Captured Soviet Personnel Cities produce 0 PPs each.
- Recaptured Soviet Personnel Cities produce 1 PP each for the duration (unless captured again). Recaptured Moscow produces 2 PPs.
Total the PPs produced and increase the Soviet Display's tracks by that amount.
PP Production Example: The first turn of the Barbarossa scenario is over and a Season Start Phase (201.0) ensues before the second turn commences. During that Season's Pay Day Step, the Soviets have retained all 19 Soviet Personnel City hexes (i.e., Lwow did not fall on the first turn!), and so they receive 38 PPs that Season. The Axis need to get busy on the map and start knocking back the Soviet economy!
[205.2] ADDING EPS: The following are all 9 Soviet Factory locations:
On Map Factory Cities (7): Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Leningrad, Moscow (x2), Stalingrad, and Stalino.
Ural Resources Factory Cities (2): Magnitogorsk, Sverdlovsk.
- Working Soviet Factories produce 1 EP each (or 2 EPs for Moscow).
- Captured, Retooling, Relocating, and Integrated Soviet Factories produce 0 EPs each.
- Relocated and Restored Soviet Factories produce ½ EP each for the duration (unless captured again). Relocated and Restored Moscow Factories produce 1 EP each.
Total the EPs produced and increase the Soviet Display's tracks by that amount.
EP Production Example: Historically, as the Spring of 1943 gave way to the beginning of the Citadel scenario, the Summer's Season Start Phase's Pay Day Step would have produced the following: Working Soviet Factories (Moscow, Magnitogorsk, and Sverdlovsk) produce a total of 4 EPs (1 EP each; 2 EPs for Moscow). Integrated (into the Axis economy) Soviet Factories at Dnepropetrovsk and Stalino, plus the newly Integrated Factory at Kharkov, produce 0 EPs each for the Soviets, but 1½ EPs, total, for the Axis. Relocated Soviet Factories in the Urals including Kharkov, Leningrad, Dnepropetrovsk, Stalingrad, and Stalino produce a total of 2½ EPs (½ EP each). (Newly) Restored Soviet Factories at Leningrad and Stalingrad produce ½ EP each for a total of 1 EP. The total Soviet EP output this Season is 7½ EPs. Soviet Rail Capacity will be 4.
[205.3] ADDING FPS: The following are all 4 Oil Field locations:
On Map Oil Field Cities (4): Ploesti, Grozny, Maikop, and Tbilisi.
- Working Soviet Oil Wells produce 6 FPs each (Ploesti produces only 5 FPs for the Axis in Thunder in the East).
- Recovered Oil Wells produce 3 FPs each.
- Burning Oil Wells produce 0 FPs each.
Total the FPs produced and increase the Soviet Display's tracks by that amount.
Example: Typically, the Soviets have 3 working Oil Field Cities and from them produce 18 FPs per Season.
[205.4] WESTERN GIFTS: The Game Turn track indicates the amount of Lend-Lease Points (LLPs) received each Season going forward (starting at 1 per Season in Summer of '41; 3 in Autumn of '41, rising to 4 per Season in Winter of '42). When received each Season, the Soviet player must convert LLPs on a one-for-one basis into Soviet EPs, FPs, or a combination of both, not exceeding the number of LLPs gifted.
Example: The Soviet player could choose to convert that Season's 4 LLPs into 4 EPs, or 4 FPs, or 2 of each, or 3 of one type and 1 of the other.
U.S. and British Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union is another tidy abstraction in Thunder in the East representing the sum of Lend-Lease sent through the Arctic, Persian, and Pacific corridors. Use the above Lend-Lease marker on the Economic Map to reflect the current Lend-Lease gifting amount.
[205.5] SETTING SOVIET RAIL CAPACITY: Sum the number of Soviet EPs produced (205.2; excluding Allied LLPs gifted to the Soviet Union, 205.5); half of that total is the Soviet Rail Capacity for the upcoming Season. Adjust the Soviet Rail Capacity marker on the Soviet Faction mat.
During your Regular Repair & Recovery Step of your Regular Movement Phase, reset the Soviet Rail Used marker to the 0 box and count up as you conduct Rail Movement. You cannot exceed the value shown for the Soviet Rail Capacity marker on any given turn.
[206.0] The Economic Map
The Economic Map mat is a visual summary of current on- and off-map economic data. It provides a succinct Big Picture overview of these economies at war.
Place the various economic markers on it and adjust them here as the status of Objectives changes (particularly as Ruined Factories and Oil Wells mend during the Season Start Phase). Note the indication of the loss/gain of MPs for home territory Personnel Cities captured/recaptured on those markers' spaces.
Example progression — Kiev: Before the Axis conquest (2 PPs marker in place); Kiev falls: Remove the 2 PPs marker and the Soviets lose 4 MPs; Kiev retaken: Place a 1 PP marker and the Soviets gain 4 MPs; Kiev restored: 1 PP for the duration.
[207.0] Capturing Objectives
This is a Campaign Game extension of Rule 22.0 (and sharing the same title).
At any time during your Movement Phases, or as a result of Advance After Combat, when your Ground unit enters an enemy Objective City hex (capturing it), the resource(s) at that City hex are affected thus:
[207.1] OBJECTIVE CITIES: In addition to Disrupting Supply cities and Anchorage facilities (requiring time to Repair them), there is an immediate Morale effect when an Objective City hex changes ownership (per 202.1). Adjust the economic and control markers on the Campaign Game Map mat as these occur.
When the enemy captures an Objective City hex in your home territory:
- –4 MPs to the Suffering player (unless it was the Soviet's losing Leningrad, which is -8 MPs, or that nation's Capital City hex, see below).
- –10 MPs to the Suffering player if that Objective City is that nation's National Capital City hex.
When you recapture an Objective City hex in your home territory:
- +4 MPs for the Benefiting player (even if more MPs than that were lost when it was captured).
Supply City Capture: When captured, Disrupt a Supply City and apply the Morale impact to its nation: Objective City AND Leningrad OR Moscow = -4 MPs, -8 MPs, or -10 MPs respectively.
Note that German Morale is not represented in Thunder in the East. German Morale losses and gains are not applicable to this game.
[207.2] PERSONNEL CITIES: Captured Personnel Cities in another nation do not generate PPs for their conqueror. Conquered Personnel Cities have no PP marker in their box on the Economic Map as they produce no PPs for either side.
Once recaptured by their home nation, they produce only 1 PP each (instead of 2) for the duration. Replace that city's PP marker on the Economic Map showing its 1 PP side.
Recapture Exception: Do not permanently reduce that Personnel City from producing 2 PPs to 1 PP if its home territory owner recaptures it before removing its Supply City Countdown marker (if any) from the map. That is, you have four turns to reclaim that city before its population is gravely affected; historically, this occurred at Rostov in 1941.
[207.3] OIL WELLS: When you capture an Oil Field City hex, place a burning 0 marker in its box on the Economic Map. Prior to producing FPs next Season, this marker is repaired to show its recovered 3 marker side; it produces 3 FPs for its owner for the duration. You cannot improve Oil Wells beyond recovered; once captured, they never achieve their 6 FP production level again.
Oil Field City Capture: When captured, the Oil Wells are Burning, but do not worry. During the Season Start Phase's Fix-it Step, they Recover and will produce 3 FPs for as long as you control them.
[207.4] FACTORY CITIES: When capturing or recapturing a Factory City hex, place a Captured marker there. During the next Season Start Phase, that marker flips to show its Retooling side. During the following Season Start Phase, that Retooling marker is replaced with either an Integrated (if Axis-owned) or Restored (if Soviet-owned) marker there and immediately begins producing ½ EP each Season Start Phase for its owner.
Soviet Factory Evacuation: In addition to the above, when first captured or when Isolated during an Axis Supply Step (7.0), a Soviet Factory represented by a Working marker immediately evacuates to the Urals. To evacuate these imperiled Working Soviet Factories, follow this procedure:
- Flip its Working Factory marker over to show its Relocated side, and then
- Place that Relocated marker on the Game Turn track in the box for the first month of the second full Season following its capture.
Buoyant Soviet Industry: When captured, a Factory marker eventually retools and then turns out ½ EP per Season for its captor. When recaptured, by the same process, it will eventually produce ½ EP per Season for its former owner. Therefore, a captured Factory City hex loses half of its production forever; except for the Soviets. The Soviets can salvage that otherwise-lost production of ½ EP per Season by moving its Working Factory marker to the Urals, where it stays for the rest of the game. The Soviets still get back the other ½ EP if they retake the original Factory City hex; that does not change. Thus, only the Soviets can actually get back 100% of their original industrial production!
Isolated Incidents: A Soviet Working Factory that must evacuate due to Isolation (see 7.0) can still recover its "other half" (i.e., return as a Restored Factory marker) after its Isolation ends and an RLoC is again established. Use the same procedure as if its hex were newly conquered (i.e., Captured > Retooling > Restored) to bring it back online. This is why Leningrad appears as it does in the Campaign Game; even though the Axis never captured it, they did briefly isolate it:
Example: Historically, on the September I 1941 turn, the Axis capture hex 9028 (the Open hex southeast of Leningrad which is also a partial-Lake hex). The Axis are blocking the RLoC from Leningrad. Thus, Leningrad is isolated; its Working Factory marker flips to its Relocated side and finds its place in the January 1942 box on the Turn Track, coming back online in the Urals and producing its first ½ EP there starting in Winter of 1942. On the very next turn, the Soviets move units into hexes on both sides of the strait (i.e., 9027 and 9128), thus forging a chain of units negating EZOCs for OLoC purposes; however, Leningrad itself does not yet have an RLoC, and thus cannot commence its restoration. During the Winter of 1943, Soviet attacks reestablish an RLoC to Leningrad via hex 9028 (occupied by a Soviet Ground unit, of course). Therefore, that Season (Winter 1943), the Soviets place a Captured marker on the Economic Map. In Spring 1943 it flipped to a Retooling marker and, because this lifeline to Leningrad remains open for the duration, it is Restored and online producing its other ½ EP commencing in Summer 1943.
Lodz: The Axis begin with an Integrated Factory marker in Lodz, Poland, generating ½ EP each Season. If the Soviets capture Lodz, use the same rules as above: Captured, then Retooling, then (Soviet) Integrated. Remember, ½ Resource Points are tracked using the reverse ("+½") side of that resource's "x1" marker.
Ural Evacuation Example: The Axis captures Dnepropetrovsk in October of 1941 (during the Autumn Season). Do not place its Soviet Working Factory marker (now showing its Relocated side) in the January 1942 (Winter) box; that is too soon! Instead, place it in the April 1942 (Spring) turn box, the second full Season following its capture! During the Spring Season Start Phase, that Relocated Factory marker makes it to the Urals box and immediately commences producing ½ EP for the duration.
Part S: Campaign Air & Naval
This section of Campaign Game Rules provides for Air and Naval operations and tools that require a longer period of time to function than that afforded in a scenario.
[208.0] Campaign Game Air Operations
Represented in these Campaign Game Rules is the strategic air war. While, historically, not a centerpiece of events in the struggle for the Soviet Union, it could have been prominent and is provided here for you to experiment with. This will take on more significance as we release ETO games covering the other theaters.
Featuring the new Strategic Bombing Mission (and allowing you to play out the protracted campaigns required to have a sustained impact), we have added other supporting elements here as well including Night Bombing Missions and moving your planes further to the rear in Air Reserves. Finally, a new Resource is added to play, Air Defense, which you can purchase and then use each turn to "Flak" (take a shot at) your opponent's Mission Packets.
Campaign Game Bombing Mission: Bombing Missions perform their Air-to-Surface attack using only their Bomb Strengths (shown as a quantity of Bomb symbols, from ½ to 2, in their upper-right corner).
[208.1] VICTORY THROUGH AIRPOWER: These Missions bomb only enemy home territory Capital, Personnel, Factory, or Oil Field City hexes to decrease enemy Resources and Morale.
[208.1.1] COMPUTING STRATEGIC BOMBING DAMAGE: Strategic targets are Hard targets. A Mission Air unit surviving Air-to-Air Combat has a Target Type multiplier of x1 (Hard).
[208.1.2] ACCRUING AND APPLYING STRATEGIC BOMBING DAMAGE: Damage to an Objective accrues over a Season (and mends during the Season Start Phase). If Successful, each Hit achieved adds one level of ruination upon that target as follows:
- Place a 1 or 2 "Ruined" marker at that Objective's location on the Economic Map to show it has accumulated that many Hits. These have no effect and disappear during the Season Start Phase. Be sure to collect a full set of 3 Hits to take that target to the next level.
- When it accumulates its 3rd Hit, remove its Ruined marker and replace it with a Destroyed marker. It will suffer ill effects during the next Season Start Phase.*
- Add a 1 or 2 Hit "Ruined" marker at its location on the Economic Map to show it has accumulated its 4th and 5th Hits. Again, these have no direct effect.
- When it accumulates its 6th (or greater) Hit, remove its Ruined marker and flip its Destroyed marker to show its Devastated side. It will suffer ill effects during the next two Season Start Phases.*
* Each time a nation's Capital is Destroyed, and again when it is Devastated, that nation suffers an immediate loss of 2 MPs and the nation inflicting that loss immediately gains 1 MP (attacker's choice if more than one nationality was involved in bombing that Capital).
"Flatten Moscow!": Unable to capture Moscow by land, the Axis wage a Strategic Bombing campaign on that city during the Winter of 1942. On January II, the Axis score two Bomb damage and place a red, 2/3 Ruined marker on the Soviet's Working Factory marker in the Moscow box on the Economic Map. Later, on the March I turn, another two Bomb damage are added leaving a Destroyed and a 1/3 Ruined marker at Moscow. For the Capital city's destruction, the Soviets immediately lose 2 and the Germans immediately gain 1 Morale Point (but not in TITE where German Morale is not represented). During the Season Start Phase (just prior to the April I turn), Moscow still contributes its full 4 PPs and 2 EPs to the Soviet economy. But after that, as the Ruined and Destroyed markers are removed from Moscow, the Soviet player must pick their poison for their Strategic Bombing losses (202.4): either 2 MPs or 1 RP of the Soviet player's choice. Deciding that manpower and materiel are just too much in demand, the Soviet player subtracts 2 MPs for the effect of that Strategic Bombing loss (making 4 MPs, total, that having their Capital bombed this Season has cost them).
[208.1.3] EFFECTS OF STRATEGIC BOMBING DAMAGE: During the Strategic Bombing Step of the Season Start Phase (after collecting the full RP values from all production), the owner of Destroyed and Devastated Objectives must then pay, for each separately, either -2 MPs OR -1 RP of any type (i.e., 1 PP, EP, or FP) of the Suffering player's choice.
Facing the Losses: The targeted player can select to lose Morale ("let them eat cake") or lose PPs, EPs, or FPs instead. Expending those other commodities is not a reflection of bombs destroying factories or killing people, but of the government re-allocating those resources to shore up civilian morale by clearing rubble, repairing damage, building/improving bomb shelters, expanding firefighting capabilities, rescue, medical services, and restoring of non-essential infrastructure.
[208.1.4] REPAIRING STRATEGIC BOMBING DAMAGE: The ruin of an Objective via Strategic Bombing is reduced during the Strategic Bombing Step after assessing the losses it incurs. Remove Ruin and Destroyed markers from its location on the Economic Map, and then reduce its Devastated marker to Destroyed.
Night Missions
[208.2] NIGHT MISSIONS: You may declare any of your Bombing (or Paradrop) Missions to be Night Missions. Place a Night marker with its Mission marker to show this.
[208.2.1] NIGHT CAPABLE: Air units with a gray background and crescent moon behind their Bomb or Air-to-Air Combat Strength (and dark background hex behind their Range), are Night Capable; these Air units can perform Night Missions without penalty (see below).
[208.2.2] NIGHT BOMBING RESTRICTIONS: The following penalties apply to Night Bombing:
- Air units can only use their Bomb Strength or conduct Paradrops (104.4) on Night Missions.
- We're on a Mission: Day and Night Bombing doing the same thing cannot stack together at the same target hex (18.2). E.g., Day and Night Strategic Bombing of the same Objective hex cannot both occur on the same turn; only one or the other is allowed that turn.
- Night Bombing Damage Value: There are no penalties for Night Capable Bombers conducting Night Missions. During Segment #1 when calculating Damage Values, after any Half-Range Bomb Strength doubling (see 103.0), Non-Night Capable Bombers flying a Night Mission have their total Bomb Strength halved.
- Night Paradrop Surprise Value: Non-Night Capable Transports have the Surprise Value (SV) of the Paratroops they drop at night reduced by 1 (e.g., their 3 SV is reduced to 2 SV).
- Night Packet Cohesion: Individual Air units within a Packet cannot fly Night Missions; only entire Packets can do so.
- We're All Alone Up Here: You cannot Escort Night Bombing Missions (even with Night Fighters).
[208.2.3] NIGHT INTERCEPTION: All fighters in Thunder in the East are not Night Capable, but they can still Intercept Night Bombing Missions.
- Non-Night Fighter units cannot combine with any other Fighter unit when forming a Night Intercept Mission Packet. They must fly as a "Packet" of only one Air unit.
- When firing at Night Bombing Mission Packets, non-Night Fighters have an Air-to-Air Combat Strength of -2 (Vulnerable and Tough modifiers for targeted Bombers still apply, if any).
Fly By Night Operations Example: The Night-capable German Do-17 Night Bomber unit is conducting a Night Strategic Bombing Mission at half range (thus doubling its ½ Bomb Strength to 1) over Leningrad. The Soviets dutifully scramble a MiG-3 Fighter unit (which is not Night Capable). In the Dogfight, the MiG-3 fires on the Do-17 Bomber unit's Night Strategic Bombing Mission Packet on the -2 column, rolling a 3 which has no effect. For its part, the Do-17 Night Bomber DV of 1 sees a miraculous roll of 1 which leaves a 1/3 Ruined marker in its wake at the Leningrad box on the Economic Map. The British Night Bombing campaigns over Europe and Night Missions take on a whole new perspective in the complete Frank Chadwick's ETO series.
Air Reserves
[208.3] AIR RESERVES: An Air unit in the Available or Flown box can have an additional status: Air Reserve, as shown by placing an Air Reserve marker on it (these markers are located on the backs of the Suppressed markers).
[208.3.1] ENTERING AND LEAVING THE AIR RESERVE: Whenever your Air unit enters the Flown box, you may have it freely join or leave the Air Reserve by adding or removing an Air Reserve marker from it.
Note that you can move your Available Air units directly to the Flown box (Ready) as their "Mission" that turn. This would simply change their Air Reserve status, if you so desire.
The Air Reserve represents planes withdrawing to safer havens in the rear or to their national interior.
[208.3.2] EFFECTS OF BEING IN THE AIR RESERVE: While in the Air Reserve, that unit:
- Cannot be allocated with, nor receive, Suppressed markers.
- Cannot conduct Bomb Missions at half Range for double Bomb Strength (per 103.0).
- Operates as if its Range were one level shorter (e.g. Medium Range Air units can only fly Short Range Missions from the Air Reserve). Short Range Air units can only fly Intercept Missions, and only at Air Bases in their home territory (in effect, having a 0 Range), and only if that Air Base is not within 6 hexes (i.e., Short Range) of an enemy Air Base.
Campaign Game Air Defense
[208.4] AIR DEFENSE: In the Campaign Game, factions can improve their level of Air Defense and use it to harass enemy Bombing or Airfields Attack Missions. Your Air Defense value is the number of your faction's Air Defense markers you place on in the Available box of the Air Display mat and can use to "Flak" your opponent's incoming Bombing or Airfields Attack Missions with each turn.
[208.4.1] INCREASING AIR DEFENSE: Factions raise their Air Defense by one, to the next-higher number on its Resources track, by spending the value being obtained in PPs (from any nationality or nationalities in that faction) and that value also in EPs. On the Build Cost chart, this is shown as N plus N, where N = the number of the next-higher Air Defense rating you seek.
Example: Raising your faction's Air Defense from 2 to 3 would cost you 3 PPs plus 3 EPs.
Air Defense Installment Plan: Because higher values of Air Defense can be expensive to pay for all at once, you may instead pay for it "in installments" over time using that faction's Air Defense Being Built marker. Simply pay 1 PP + 1 EP to advance this marker one box and, when it exceeds your current Air Defense marker, reset the Being Built marker to the 0 box and increase your Air Defense marker by one.
[208.4.2] USING AIR DEFENSE: During the Opponent's Reaction Step of your opponent's Combat Phase, you may assign a maximum of one Flak marker (from a total equal to your Air Defense value) to each enemy Air Mission targeting your Objective, Anchorage, Air Base, or HQ marker hex (as indicated by the small Flak icons on those specific Mission markers).
After that enemy Mission Packet endures your Interceptor's Dogfighting (if any) but before it conducts its Mission (if able), you receive a Flak attack against that Mission Group.
[208.4.3] EFFECTS OF FLAK: When you Flak an enemy Mission Packet, you may select one Ready enemy unit from that Bombing or Strike Mission Packet and Damage it. If none are available, select one Damaged unit from that Mission Packet and Abort it.
[209.0] Soviet Fleet Loss and Repair
In the Campaign Game, the two Soviet Fleet units have more endurance.
[209.1] SOVIET FLEET ELIMINATION: In the Campaign Game, when eliminating a reduced-strength, 1-step Fleet unit that suffers a step loss or when there is no friendly Anchorage hex in its designated Sea Zone to house it, that Fleet unit is eliminated. Place it on the Casualty mat as this causes the Soviets to suffer a loss of 1 MP (202.1).
Instead of removing it from play afterward, roll a die and place it that many Seasons ahead on the Game Turn track. When it returns as a 1-step Reinforcement unit, place it in any friendly supplied Anchorage hex in its designated Sea Zone; if there are none, permanently eliminate that Fleet instead and the Soviets suffer another 1 MP loss.
[209.2] SOVIET FLEET REPAIR: When a Soviet 1-step (i.e., damaged) Fleet unit is in a friendly supplied Major Port or Naval Base hex, the Soviet player may, during the Soviet Special Movement Step, remove it from the map and roll a die, placing it that many Months ahead on the Game Turn track. When it returns as a 2-step (i.e., full-strength) Reinforcement unit, place it in any friendly supplied Anchorage hex in its designated Sea Zone; if there are none, permanently eliminate that Fleet instead and the Soviets suffer a 2 MP loss.