Tide of Iron: Normandy Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
• Component Overview
  • Components
  • British Plastic Figures
  • German Plastic Figures
  • American Plastic Figures
  • Unit Reference Sheets
  • British Tokens
  • Normandy Map Boards
  • Map Overlay Tiles
  • Beach Terrain Tokens
  • Destroyed Terrain Tokens
  • Cratered Terrain Tokens
  • Charge Tokens
  • Weather Check Tokens
  • Specialization and Campaign Specialization Tokens
  • Weather Cards
  • Operations Cards
  • British Initiative Card
  • 29th Infantry Initiative Card
  • Commander and Leadership Cards
• Game Additions
• Normandy Map Boards
• Terrain
  • Road Over Stream
  • Bunkers
  • Hedgerows
  • Beach
  • Forest Stream
  • Swamp
  • Graveyard
  • Supply Depot
• Terrain Tokens
  • Crater
  • Ruins
  • Breach
• The British Forces
  • British Units
• New German and American Units
• Specialization Token
  • Demolitions
    • Charges
• Destructible Buildings
• Weather
  • Weather Deck Construction
  • Weather Checks
• Commanders (Optional)
• Normandy Scenarios
  • Introduction

Game Overview

The Normandy expansion expands on the already epic Tide of Iron ("TOI") game experience by adding an entirely new way to play (the campaign game), new American and German vehicles, new terrain features (beaches and hedgerows), new scenarios, and more. All of these new components can be used to play the included scenarios, as well as future scenarios, both official and player-made, which will be available online at www.fantasyflightgames.com. Detailed descriptions of these new components, as well as how they are used, are included on the following pages.

Component Overview

Below you will find illustrations and brief descriptions of all the components found in this expansion.

Components

• This Rulebook and Scenario Guide
• 29th Infantry Campaign Book and Scenario Guide
• 42 British Plastic Figures, consisting of:
  • 27 Standard Infantry
  • 6 Elite Infantry
  • 3 Officers
  • 3 Mortar Crews
  • 3 Machine Gun Crews
• 14 Squad Bases, consisting of:
  • 7 Light Tan British Bases
  • 7 Dark Tan British Bases
• 16 German Plastic Figures, consisting of:
  • 4 StuG III Tanks
  • 4 Panther Tanks
  • 4 Jagdpanzer IV Tanks
  • 4 King Tiger Tanks
• 4 American Plastic Figures, consisting of:
  • 4 M10 Tank Destroyers
• 2 Unit Reference Sheets
• 6 British Control Markers
• 2 British Concealed Squad Markers
• 4 British Command Objectives (various values)
• 1 British Victory Point Token
• 10 Ruins/Breach Tokens
• 16 Tank Trap/Barbed Wire Beach Tokens

British Plastic Figures

These 42 detailed plastic figures represent British military personnel. Also included are 14 British squad bases in two different shades of tan.

German Plastic Figures

These German plastic figures represent four types of German tanks.

American Plastic Figures

These four American plastic figures represent the American M10 Tank Destroyer.

Unit Reference Sheets

These sheets provide players with the combat values and special abilities for each of the new plastic units.

British Tokens

A variety of British tokens are provided. These include British control markers, concealed squad markers, command objective markers, and a victory point token. These tokens function exactly as their American and German counterparts.

Normandy Map Boards

These nine thick, double-sided map boards are used to build the game board for each Normandy scenario. Rules governing new terrain features can be found on page 5 (and a summary of such can be found on the back of the Campaign Book and Scenario Guide included in this box).

Map Overlay Tiles

New map overlay tiles are provided for use in the Normandy scenarios. These overlays include a large variety of different terrain. As with the overlay tiles provided in the main game, these new overlays are placed on top of the map boards, adding to or altering their terrain features.

Beach Terrain Tokens

New tank trap/barbed wire tokens are included for aesthetically appropriate use on the beach map boards. These obstacles function the same as their non-beach counterparts.

Destroyed Terrain Tokens

Ruins/breach tokens are used to indicate when a building or a hedgerow has been destroyed.

Cratered Terrain Tokens

The cratered terrain tokens modify the statistics of existing terrain features, reproducing the effects of heavily bombarded terrain.

Charge Tokens

Charge tokens represent a variety of explosives utilized by demolitions squads. The particular kind of explosive is defined by the scenario.

Weather Check Tokens

Weather check tokens are placed on the turn track and remind the players when they need to make a weather check.

Specialization and Campaign Specialization Tokens

Normandy introduces a new type of specialization token, the demolitions unit. Also introduced are new campaign specializations called advancement tokens.

Weather Cards

These cards alter the weather conditions during a given scenario.

Operations Cards

The new Operations cards provide a variety of rules to their assigned scenarios, mostly pertaining to the Normandy theater of warfare.

British Initiative Card

The British initiative card functions the same as its American and German counterparts.

29th Infantry Initiative Card

The 29th Infantry initiative card is only used in the 29th Infantry Division campaign, instead of the normal initiative card used by the Americans.

Commander and Leadership Cards

These cards are used with the "Commanders" option and allow players to customize their strategy based on their nation's commander.

Game Additions

Normandy includes many new components, most of which are governed by both new and old rules. All components provided in this expansion follow the standard TOI rules unless otherwise stated. All new rules for these components are described in the sections that follow.

The sections that follow are modular in nature. Each different rule section can be applied to a given scenario independently of all the others. In this way, players can decide which rules are best suited for their own scenarios.

Normandy Map Boards

The nine Normandy map boards featured in this expansion are used in the scenarios provided in this book (starting on page 8) and in the campaign book. Also, there are new terrain types, which are described in detail below. Note that all terrain types, overlays, and obstacles that follow that also appear in the core TOI game function the same as they do in the core game.

Terrain

All terrain types, overlays, and obstacles below that also appear in the core TOI game function the same as they do in the core game. (The new terrain types are described in detail below.)

Road Over Stream

• Blocking Terrain: No
• Movement Cost: 1
• Cover: 0

Counts as a road hex for contiguous road movement.

Bunkers

• Blocking Terrain: Yes
• Movement Cost: 2 for squads, vehicles cannot enter
• Cover: 8

Representing strong fortifications, bunkers take up an entire hex. However, like pillboxes, bunkers can contain only one squad. A unit in a bunker is immune to suppressive attacks. Bunkers are considered to be at level two elevation unless noted otherwise.

Hedgerows

• Blocking Terrain: Yes
• Movement Cost: 2 for squads, vehicles cannot enter
• Cover: 3 (no cover versus area attacks)

It is possible for certain vehicles to cause a breach in a hedgerow. The breach token is then placed on the hedgerow hex that has been breached. This hex is no longer considered to be a hedgerow but is instead considered to be clear terrain.

Beach

• Blocking Terrain: No
• Movement Cost: 2 for squads, 1 for vehicles (trucks cannot enter)
• Cover: 0

Forest Stream

• Blocking Terrain: Yes
• Movement Cost: Movement depends on water depth (specified by each scenario).
• Cover: 2

Swamp

• Blocking Terrain: No
• Movement Cost: 3 for squads, vehicles cannot enter
• Cover: 1

Graveyard

• Blocking Terrain: No
• Movement Cost: 2 for squads, vehicles cannot enter
• Cover: 1

Supply Depot

• Blocking Terrain: Yes
• Movement Cost: 1 for squads, 2 for vehicles (only trucks may enter)
• Cover: 1

Terrain Tokens

Crater

The presence of at least one crater token modifies existing terrain hexes as follows:

• Movement Cost: +1
• Cover: +2

Note that trucks cannot enter terrain with a crater token.

Ruins

Ruins tokens are used on building terrain to show that a building is destroyed. A hex containing a Ruins token is considered to be rough terrain.

Breach

Breach tokens are placed in hedgerow hexes as a result of the "Hedge Breakers" Operations card. Hexes containing this token are treated as clear terrain.

The British Forces

First introduced in the Days of the Fox expansion set, some British forces are also included in Normandy.

In addition to their plastic pieces, the British also receive nation-specific tokens and Commander cards. All British pieces can be identified by their tan nation color.

It is also important to note that the British and Americans were allied during World War II, and they often shared equipment and fought side-by-side on the battlefield. Therefore, American and British pieces are always considered friendly. Certain scenarios assign American vehicles to the British. These are considered to be British units.

British Units

All British units function just like their American counterparts and are summarized on the unit reference sheet.

New German and American Units

This expansion introduces three new German tanks: the Jagdpanzer, the King Tiger, and the StuG III. Since the Panther (which made its first appearance in Days of the Fox) saw action in Normandy, it is also included in this expansion. The expansion also introduces a new American tank destroyer, the M10.

These five tank types are used in the included scenarios and can be used by players when creating their own scenarios. The capabilities for all new units can be found on the new unit reference sheets.

Specialization Token

One new type of specialization token is included in this expansion. The rules for using this new token is as follows:

Demolitions

A squad with the Demolitions specialization is trained to eliminate enemy structures and buildings through the use of explosives.

Explosives: During the Action Phase, a demolitions squad can place and detonate charges, which in turn can damage enemy units and buildings.

The process of using explosives is as follows:

1. Place the charge. A demolitions squad can place a charge during one of that squad's Advance actions. For 2 movement points (MP), the player may place a charge token in the squad's current hex (unless specified otherwise on an Operations card) with the squad's nation color faceup. Note that the British will use the Americans' green side.

2a. Detonate the charge (action). The first way a charge can be detonated is using a fresh demolitions squad or a fresh squad containing an officer in line of sight of one of that nation's charges. As a special action, that nation's player fatigues the squad in order to detonate the charge and apply damage to targets within the charge's hex. Note that players may not detonate charges that would damage friendly units.

2b. Detonate the charge (Op Fire). The second way a charge can be detonated is by having a demolitions squad or squad containing an officer on Op Fire in line of sight of one of that nation's charges. As an Op Fire attack, the player fatigues the squad (even if a machine crew is present) on Op Fire in order to detonate the charge and apply damage to targets within the hex.

Note that players may not detonate charges that would damage friendly units.

3. Apply damage from the charge. Damage from a detonation is specified by the Operations card governing the explosives used in a particular scenario or by the general charge stats (see the "Charges" sidebar on this page). The damage is automatic, although armor/cover dice are still rolled to avoid damage (the attack is considered to be an area attack). Damage affects buildings, vehicles, squads, and equipment. In the case of placing the charge in a hex with a pillbox, the detonation will either affect all units outside of the pillbox or all units inside of the pillbox, depending on where the charge is placed (this is determined by whether the player's demolitions squad was inside the pillbox or in the terrain hex surrounding the pillbox at the time of charge placement). The pillbox is not damaged since it is not considered building terrain.

Example: On his turn, James decides to activate his demolitions squad containing American regular infantry. He declares an Advance action and moves two spaces towards the enemy line. He has two MP remaining after using two for movement. He then places a charge in the space containing his demolitions which uses his remaining MP. The charge is placed green side up since he is playing the Americans. On his opponent's turn, James's squad is assaulted and forced to retreat. However, an American squad containing an officer on Op Fire is in line of sight of the charge. James fatigues this squad to detonate the charge and damage the assaulting squad.

Charges

Charge tokens are used to mark hexes when a demolitions squad places an explosive. The number of charges a nation can use is stated in the division setup when a unit has the demolitions specialization.

The charges a nation has are not assigned to any one demolitions squad. Instead, the charges form a supply that any of that nation's demolitions squads may use. Note that the Americans and the British should use the green side and the Germans should use the grey side of the charge token.

Although most scenarios call upon an Operations card to define the kind of charge being used, a scenario that does not specify has charges with the following stats:

Explosive Charge

Charges can be set for 2 MP in the same space as the squad setting the charge.

Each charge does 3 hits of damage to each unit (rolling for armor/cover as normal) in the hex or pillbox when detonated.

Destructible Buildings

Buildings are now able to be destroyed if under fire from an eligible unit or subject to a normal area attack. A scenario states in the terrain features whether it utilizes destructible buildings.

The process for attacking a building is as follows:

1. Determine if the attacking unit is eligible to attack the building. The attacking unit does not count the firepower of regular infantry, elite infantry, officers, or machine gun crews. However, squads can still trigger charges which affect the building.

1a. Target a building hex without a squad. A unit may target a building for destruction within range and in line of sight. If there is no squad in the target building hex, the attacking player uses the firepower and range used when attacking vehicles.

1b. Target a building hex with a squad. A unit may target a building for destruction within range and in line of sight. If there is a squad in the target building hex, the attacking player must declare whether his attack will target the squad or the building. If he selects the squad, the building will be unaffected. If he selects the building, the squad will be unaffected unless the building is destroyed. When attacking the building, the attacking player uses the firepower and range used when attacking vehicles.

1c. Hit a building hex with a normal area attack. If a building hex is targeted by a normal area attack, the building automatically has a chance to be destroyed (along with other possible targets). The attacker rolls for the attack against the building separately after rolling for damage against any squads within the building.

Example: James directs a normal area attack at a building hex containing two squads. The attack does eight dice of damage to the building and its occupants. James rolls once to determine damage against the two squads in the hex. Next, James rolls a separate attack roll against the building itself since the scenario specified that buildings are destructible.

2. Roll for possible building destruction. After determining how many dice the attacker is rolling in the attack against a given building (attack strength), he rolls to see if the building is destroyed. Note that when rolling, the attacker should be sure to include two red dice for the defense strength of the building hex.

3. Assess whether the building has been destroyed. In order to destroy a building, the attack must deal six hits at one time. If, after determining hits, the building did not sustain six or more hits, the building remains intact and sustains no damage. The building is either destroyed by the attack or it is undamaged. Note that some buildings take up more than one hex. In this case, a successful attack will only destroy the targeted hex.

If a building is destroyed, a Ruins token is placed on the building hex to show the building has been eliminated. A hex with a Ruins token is treated as rough terrain.

Squads in a building when it is destroyed take four dice of damage, where 4–6 are treated as hits. The squad is also automatically pinned. Surviving squads remain on that hex, as well as any tokens that were on that hex.

Note that if a scenario relies on control of a building hex for victory, the hexes the objective building(s) occupies still remain the objective whether the building is destroyed or not.

Weather

A new flexible weather system affects the areas of movement, combat, communications, and supply. Each scenario that uses weather describes the composition of the Weather deck and how often it should be checked in that scenario. Players should also feel free to use the Weather deck when creating their own scenarios.

Weather Deck Construction

In scenarios designed to use weather, the scenario setup rules instruct players how many of each type of card to include in a facedown Weather deck. One player assembles the required cards and places them near the round track. Scenarios state which rounds players should check to see if the weather changes. Players place a weather check token on each of the indicated rounds during setup to serve as a reminder of when to check for weather changes. The effects of weather are stated on the Weather cards themselves.

Weather Checks

A weather check takes place before the Action Phase in the rounds that have a weather check token present on the round track. To perform a weather check, one player shuffles the Weather deck, including the currently revealed Weather card (if any), and places it facedown. That player draws the top card, places it faceup on top of the deck, and then discards the weather check token from the round track. That Weather card remains faceup until the next weather check. Until that time, the effects of the new Weather card are in effect for all players.

Commanders (Optional)

The following rules can be applied to any scenario unless the scenario specifically states in the special rules section of the scenario that the Commanders option must be used or must be ignored.

Eight Commander cards (three each for the Germans and Americans, two for the British) allow players to further customize their strategies by letting each side select a battlefield commander for that side. This commander allows that side to replace one of the Strategy decks used in a scenario with one of the 10-card Leadership decks associated with that commander. When a player would normally draw a Strategy card, he may instead draw a card from his side's chosen Leadership deck. Note that when Leadership decks are used in a scenario, cards that affect Strategy decks affect the Leadership decks as well.

In order to use Commander cards and Leadership decks, players must do the following:

1. Both sides must agree to use the Commander cards. If the players controlling these sides do not agree, neither side can employ a Commander card.

2. If all players agree, the next step is for each side to choose its Commander card and Leadership deck. The Division 1 player of the side without initiative selects first, choosing which Commander card his side will use along with one of the two Leadership decks listed on that card. A player may only select a commander of his nation.

3. The Division 1 player of the side with the initiative card now selects his side's Commander card and Leadership deck. If the player selects a commander that uses the Leadership deck selected by his opponent, he must use the other Leadership deck option on the Commander card

Example: Both players decide they will play with commanders, and they decide to play the Breakout Through St. Lo campaign scenario. Since the Americans have the initiative, the German player chooses first and selects Walter Model and his Watchdog Leadership deck to take the place of his Ground Support I deck. The American player then selects James Earl Rudder and his Assaulter Leadership deck to take the place of the American Air Support deck..

Players should keep the scenario goals in mind when deciding whether to implement this option. The "Air Raider" deck, in particular, uses numerous cards that utilize air supply drops/paratroopers that can cause a game imbalance in scenarios where the goal is to capture a particular hex. Also, if the scenario calls for a particular card to be removed (like "Paratroopers"), then a Leadership deck with that card in it should not be used.

Normandy Scenarios

Introduction

This booklet contains four scenarios. The 29th Infantry Campaign Rules booklet contains an additional four scenarios, for a total of eight new scenarios. Additional scenarios will be made available online at www.fantasyflightgames.com. Players can also create scenarios from the wealth of materials included in the game.

Note that British objectives and starting hexes are represented in orange.

Missing from the source: the four Normandy scenarios that follow this introduction in the printed book are not present in the copy transcribed here (PDF page 9 ends after this introduction, and no obtainable copy of the file contains them). They are not transcribed and must be consulted in the printed book. The scenarios in the 29th Infantry Campaign Rules booklet are a separate publication and are likewise not included.