3rd Fleet: Modern Naval Combat in the North Pacific, Caribbean, and Atlantic Oceans
3rd Fleet: Modern Naval Combat in the North Pacific, Caribbean, and Atlantic Oceans Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 2.0 Game Equipment
- 3.0 Sequence of Play
- 4.0 The Action Phase
- 5.0 Movement
- 6.0 Stacking
- 7.0 Strategic Air Missions
- 8.0 Combat Air Patrol (CAP)
- 9.0 Detection
- 10.0 Combat
- 11.0 Damage
- 12.0 Mines
- 13.0 Aircraft Carriers
- 14.0 Basic Game Scenarios
- 15.0 Darkness and Weather
- 16.0 Logistics (Optional)
- 17.0 Random Events
- 18.0 Tactical Nuclear Warfare (Optional)
- 19.0 Deep Mode (Optional)
- 20.0 Optional Rules
- 21.0 Unloading
2.0 Game Equipment
2.1 Game Components
3rd Fleet contains:
- One rulebook
- Three 56cm x 81cm maps
- Two sheets of 192 counters
- One sheet of 96 counters
- One sheet of 260 game markers
- Two identical charts and tables booklets
- One Allied logistics tracking roster
- One Soviet and Neutral logistics tracking roster
- Three scenario deployment cards
- Two identical Strategic Air Display cards
- One Allied Display card
- One Soviet Display card
- One ten-sided die
Note: The game uses a ten-sided die. When a 0 is rolled, it is treated as 0, not as 10 as in many other games. In addition, a result of 0 is always treated as an even number.
2.2 Game Questions
If you have a question about the rules, you may write to Victory Games with a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and a staff member will attempt to answer it.
2.3 Playing Pieces
In 3rd Fleet, at the start of the game one player is chosen as the Allied player, and the other as the Soviet, Cuban, or Latin American player. Each player controls the game's counters, drawn from among 22 nations:
The Allied player controls the counters of:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- France
- Spain
- Portugal
- Canada
- Thailand
- Belgium
- West Germany
- Denmark
- Norway
- Sweden
- Honduras
- Netherlands
The Soviet player controls:
- Soviet Union
- Poland
- East Germany
- Cuba
- Nicaragua
The Latin player controls the counters of:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Venezuela
The reverse sides of the counters are printed with a small explosion symbol and reduced values, indicating that these units have been damaged. Each player also has a set of markers that are used to track game information. Some markers are printed in the Allied color, some in the Soviet color, and others in a neutral color.
Summary of counter types
- Surface Combat Units
- Non-Combat Surface Units
- Submarine Units
- Air Units
Note: A submarine always has an "N" as its Anti-Air value. Note: Air units have no defense values. Their movement capabilities are numbers of 1, 2, or 3 digits.
Summary of Game Markers
Note: An "N" in place of the SSM, ASW, Anti-Air, or Close Combat values indicates that the unit cannot perform that form of combat. If a unit has either a close or an area anti-air combat value, but not both, a "0" indicates which value is used.
Note: Apart from victory point values, all other values on these units are identical to those of surface units. Except for AA units, victory point values are lower on the damaged sides of units than on their undamaged sides.
Note: Apart from the mine-laying value, all other values on a minesweeper are identical to those of a surface unit.
2.4 Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in the game, and are listed on reference cards for 3rd Fleet, 6th Fleet, 2nd Fleet, 7th Fleet, and 5th Fleet.
3.0 Sequence of Play
All actions that occur during a game turn take place in a strict sequence of play. The game turn is made up of a number of phases, which — like the turns themselves — may be made up of a number of segments. They must be carried out in the order listed below.
One day of real time is represented by three game turns: AM (Morning), PM (Afternoon), and Night, each representing 8 hours of real time. Certain phases in the sequence of play occur only in AM or Night turns, and are skipped in the other turns.
Strategic Cycle (AM Game Turns Only)
A. Random Events Phase (advanced game; not in Game Turn 1)
The Allied player rolls a die and both players consult the Random Events table (17.0).
B. Weather Phase (advanced game)
The Allied player rolls a die and both players consult the Weather table on the map on which the scenario is being played (15.0). For Squall or Storm results, another die is rolled and the Zone table is consulted to determine which zones are affected.
C. Submarine Mode Phase (advanced game; optional)
Players may place Deep markers on any submarine with a movement capability of 2 or more. Players may also remove Deep markers from their submarines (19.0).
D. Strategic Air Phase
- Allocation Segment: Both players secretly assign strategic missions to air units on the Strategic Air Display (7.1).
- Interception Segment: Opposing air units on interception missions in the same zone may fight an air combat (7.2).
- Bounce Segment: Surviving interceptor air units fight an air combat against enemy air units in the same zone that are on missions other than interception (7.2).
- Mine Segment: Air units on mine-laying missions place Mine markers in coastal water, shallow water, and restricted water hexes (12.0).
- Strategic Detection Segment: For each reconnaissance air unit in a zone, the controlling player may place a strategic detection marker on an enemy surface unit (or stack), or may attempt to place a strategic detection marker on an enemy submarine in that zone (9.2).
Activity Cycle (All Game Turns)
E. CAP Phase: Both players assign air units to Combat Air Patrol (8.0).
F. Replenishment Phase (advanced game; optional): Both players may carry out replenishment in port and at sea (16.0).
G. Local Detection Phase: Local detection markers may be placed on surface units or submarines occupying enemy Limited or Extended Detection zones (9.2).
H. Tactical Coordination Phase: Air units on tactical coordination missions may be assigned to surface units or submarines on the map (7.4).
I. Action Phase
- 1st Action Segment: A die is rolled to determine the active player. On an even result, the Allied player is active; on an odd roll, the Soviet player is active. The active player announces which type of unit he will activate: Surface, Submarine, or Air.
- 2nd Action Segment: The die is rolled to determine the active player. That player announces the type of unit he will activate (he may not select the unit type chosen in the 1st Action Segment).
- 3rd Action Segment: The die is rolled to determine the active player. That player announces the type of unit he will activate (he may not select a unit type already chosen in a previous segment).
- 4th Action Segment: The die is rolled to determine the active player. That player announces the type of unit he will activate (he may not select a unit type already chosen in a previous segment).
- 5th Action Segment: The die is rolled to determine the active player. That player announces the type of unit he will activate (he may not select a unit type already chosen in a previous segment).
- 6th Action Segment: The die is rolled to determine the active player. That player announces the type of unit he will activate (he may not select a unit type already chosen in a previous segment).
J. Local Detection Removal Phase: Surface and submarine units that do not occupy enemy detection zones may have their Local Detection markers removed (9.5).
K. CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing Phase: All units flying CAP return to the airfield or carrier from which they departed (8.4). Air units on Tactical Coordination missions on the map are placed on the Strategic Air Display in the Return to Base box (7.4).
Terminal Cycle (Night Turns Only)
L. Fuel Phase (advanced game; optional): Fuel expenditures of combat units are updated on the Logistics Rosters (16.0).
M. Repair Phase: Damage 1 markers are removed from ports and airfields. Damage 2 markers are flipped to their Damage 1 side. Damage 3 markers are replaced with Damage 2 markers (11.0). Destroyed markers are not removed.
N. Strategic Air Mission Termination Phase: Air units on the Strategic Air Display are returned to their carrier or airfield of origin (7.6).
O. Strategic Detection Removal Phase: Strategic Detection markers may be removed from units, or they may be flipped to their Local Detection side (9.5).
Game Turn Indication
The game turn is now over. The Game Turn marker is advanced one space on the Game Turn Track. The players again carry out the Strategic Cycle if the next turn is an AM turn, or the Activity Cycle if the next turn is a PM or Night turn. This process repeats until the end of the game.
4.0 The Action Phase
Most of the game's activity takes place during the Action Phase, which is made up of six Action Segments. During each Action Segment, a player moves and fights with units of a single type (surface, submarine, or air). When he has finished activating the announced unit type, he states so aloud.
4.1 The Action Segments
To determine who goes first in each Action Segment, the Allied player rolls a die. If the result is even (including 0), the Allied player activates his units first in that segment; if the result is odd, the Soviet player activates his units first. This is done at the start of each of the six Action Segments.
In each Action Segment, the active player announces which type of unit he will activate: surface, submarine, or air. He may then activate all or some of the units of the announced type. A player may not announce a unit type that has already been chosen in a previous Action Segment of the current phase. For example, if the Allied player is the active player in the 1st Action Segment and chooses air units, he may not activate air units again in any later Action Segment of the current phase; in the next segment in which he becomes active, he must choose surface or submarine units to activate.
Once a player has activated all three unit types during an Action Phase, it is not necessary to roll a die to determine the active player for the remaining Action Segments of that phase — the opposing player is automatically active for all remaining segments. For example, if the Soviet player was active in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Action Segments, the Allied player is automatically active for the 4th, 5th, and 6th Action Segments.
The second player then announces which type of unit he wishes to activate in the segment; he is not required to activate the same unit type as the first player.
A player must always select one of the three unit types when he becomes active at the start of an Action Segment. He is not permitted to pass. However, an active player is not required to take any action with the chosen unit type; he may, in fact, do nothing at all if he wishes. (Note that in some scenarios, one or both players do not have all three unit types on the map. In that case, the scenario's special rules specify that the Action Phase consists of fewer than six Action Segments.)
4.2 Unit Activation
To be selected for activation, a unit must belong to the unit type selected for the current segment (surface, submarine, air), and must not have already been activated in that segment. For example, if a player announces "Air" at the start of an Action Segment, he may only activate air units in that segment. A player must finish a unit's (or stack's) actions before activating another unit (or stack). To keep track of which units have already been activated in a segment, players may turn units 90 degrees after activation. At the end of the segment, they may be returned to their normal position.
Air units aboard aircraft carriers are kept off the map, on the Aircraft Carrier Display sheet. When such units are activated, they are considered to occupy the same hex as the carrier transporting them. Movement of air units between the map and the sheets holding the Displays occurs only when they are activated in an Action Segment.
4.3 Limitations on Activation
Activation of units in an Action Segment is entirely voluntary. A player is not required to activate units in his surface, submarine, or air segments. Units occupying different hexes may not be activated together.
Surface Units: A player may activate all or part of his surface units occupying the same hex at the start of an Action Segment. All surface units within a hex do not have to be activated at the same time; a player may choose to activate some surface units in a hex at one point in the Action Segment, and activate the others later. However, all units that are activated together must carry out their actions together as a stack (6.0).
Friendly units of different nationalities may be activated together without restriction.
Submarines: Submarines must be activated individually. A submarine must finish its actions before another submarine may be activated.
Air Units: A player may activate a maximum of 4 INT, ATK, and/or BMB air units at the same time, and there is no limit on the activation of RCN, AEW, or EW units stacked together in the same hex. A player may activate a maximum of 3 INT, ATK, or BMB units within the same stack, but never more.
Friendly air units of different nationalities may be activated together without restriction.
Air units of a carrier are considered stacked together. These units may be activated individually or as a stack, with a maximum of 4 INT and/or ATK units per activation. If two or more carriers occupy the same hex, air units from the different carriers may be activated as part of the same force (with a maximum of 4 INT/ATK).
4.4 What activated units can do
Once a player has announced the type of unit he is activating in the Action Segment, he may move and fight with each of his units (or stacks) of that type. A unit or stack must finish its actions before another unit or stack may be activated. In addition, a unit may only be activated once per segment. While a unit is carrying out its actions, no other unit — enemy or friendly — may move or attack, except for enemy units flying CAP (8.2).
Air or surface units that are stacked together and activated as a single force are treated as one unit for resolving the activation; they may not be split up, and they must carry out the same types of attacks. If an attack is made, not all units in the stack are required to take part in the attack.
Surface Units: A surface unit or stack may move and/or attack in an Action Segment, subject to the following restrictions:
- It may move without attacking.
- It may move and carry out one or two attacks.
- It may carry out one or two attacks and then move.
- It may carry out one or two attacks and not move.
- It may carry out one attack, move, and then carry out a second attack.
A surface unit may never carry out two attacks of the same type in the same segment. Thus, in a surface Action Segment, a surface unit may carry out one or two of the three attack types (but never more than one of each): ASW, SSM, and Cruise Missile (10.0).
Example: A player has a stack of 4 surface units and decides to activate them together. First, he carries out an ASW attack; then he moves the stack; finally, he carries out a Cruise Missile attack.
Submarines: Each submarine is activated individually. A submarine may move and carry out an attack, in either order, during an Action Segment.
Air Units: An air unit or stack may move and carry out an attack at any point during its movement. Air units are the only units that may interrupt their movement to attack. Air units must always begin and end their activation at an authorized airfield (or a carrier, 13.0).
4.5 The Action Segment Track
Each player has 3 Action Segment markers labeled "Air," "Surf" (Surface), and "Sub" (Submarine). So that players remember which unit types they have selected during the six segments of the Action Phase, players must place these markers on the Action Segment Track. When each player selects a unit type to activate during an Action Segment, he must place the appropriate marker in the box corresponding to the current segment. At the end of the Action Phase, the markers are removed from the track.
5.0 Movement
There are several types of hexes on the map. Sea hexes are made up entirely of water. Land hexes are made up entirely of land. Coastal hexes are made up of a combination of land and water (including island hexes), and are divided into 3 types: Restricted Water hexes, Fjord hexes, and hexes that are neither restricted water nor fjord (non-restricted water/fjord). There are also two special types of hexes: Shallow hexes and Shoal hexes, which can affect surface unit movement, detection, and combat against submarines. See the Terrain Key for a list of all hex types.
Activation example: During the first Action Segment, the US player rolls a die and gets a 2, so he becomes active. He announces "Air" and activates as many air units as he wishes, after which he places the US Air Action Segment marker in the 1st Action Segment box of the Action Segment Track. At the start of the second Action Segment, the US player rolls a 4 and again becomes active. He announces "Sub" and activates as many submarines as he wishes, after which he places the US Sub Action Segment marker in the 2nd Action Segment box of the track. At the start of the 3rd segment, the US player rolls a 3, so the Soviet player becomes active. The Soviet player announces "Air" and activates his air units, placing the Soviet Air Action Segment marker in the 3rd Action Segment box. The US player rolls a 6 and becomes the active player for the third (and last) time. He must announce "Surface" since he has already announced "Air" and "Sub." After activating his surface units, he places the US Surface Action Segment marker in the 4th Action Segment box. There is no longer any need to roll a die to determine the active player for the 5th and 6th Action Segments, since the US player can no longer become active. So, at the start of the 5th Action Segment, the Soviet player announces "Sub" and activates as many submarines as he wishes, then places the Soviet Sub Action Segment marker in the 5th Action Segment box. In the 6th Action Segment, the Soviet player must announce "Surface" since he has already activated his air units and submarines. After activating as many surface units as he wishes, the Action Phase is over.
Note: 3rd Fleet uses a new map, with more naturalistic artwork than the earlier games in the series. Sometimes more than one type of sea appears within the same hex. In that case, the hex is treated as being of the predominant type contained within it. For example, if a small amount of sea appears in a hex that is predominantly shallow water, the hex is treated as a Shallow hex.
No unit may ever leave the map, regardless of the scenario.
5.1 How Units Move
Each unit's movement value (printed directly on the counter) represents the maximum number of hexes a unit may travel when it is activated. A unit may move less than the value shown on the counter, but never more. When a unit moves, the player moves it across hexes adjacent to one another. Note that certain units may not move into certain types of hexes.
When a stack is activated, its air or surface units may move a number of hexes equal to the movement capability of the slowest unit in the stack. A stack that is moving may not drop off a unit and continue moving. The stack must move, attack, and stop together.
5.2 Surface Unit Movement
A surface unit may enter any sea, coastal, or shallow water hex. It may never enter a land hex. During movement, surface units may pass through a hex occupied by friendly or enemy units. Likewise, they may move through enemy Base hexes without restriction. However, surface units may never end their movement stacked in the same hex as an enemy unit or Base (even if it is destroyed). Surface units may end their movement in a coastal defense hex.
A surface unit may never enter a hex by crossing a hexside made up of land. For example, a surface unit in hex 1212 on the Caribbean map may not move directly into hex 1213. It must first pass through hexes 1112 and 1113.
Shoal Hexes: PC and CO units are the only units capable of entering Shoal hexes. This is forbidden to all other surface units.
Blocked Hexside: Surface units may never cross a blocked hexside.
Docking: An active unit or stack occupying a friendly port may spend 2 points of its movement value to dock. A unit that occupies a port without having spent 2 points to dock is considered undocked.
The player must keep the docked and undocked units in a port separated using the "Docked" marker. All units under the Docked marker (including submarines) are considered docked; the others are undocked.
A docked unit that is activated does not spend a movement point to become undocked. After leaving the dock, it may move normally and may be activated as part of a stack with other undocked units in the hex.
Docked units are subject to several special combat rules (10.0). Units may dock in damaged or destroyed ports.
Fjord Hexes: Fjord hexes appear only on the North Atlantic map. If a surface unit enters a Fjord hex, it must stop in that hex and may not move any further during the current Action Segment. If a surface unit begins its movement in a Fjord hex, its movement capability is halved (round up).
5.3 Submarine Unit Movement
Submarines are subject to the same restrictions as surface units, including blocked hexsides and docking. A submarine with a movement capability of 2 may dock by paying only 1 movement point (not 2), and a submarine with a movement capability of 1 pays nothing to dock.
Shoal hex: Submarines may never enter a Shoal hex.
Full speed: When a submarine is activated, the player may announce that his submarine is advancing at full speed. Activating a submarine at full speed adds 1 movement point to it. However, moving at full speed may affect the placement of a Strategic Detection marker on the submarine (9.2). A player may not activate a submarine at full speed if it is located in a restricted water or shoal hex. Likewise, a submarine moving at full speed may not enter a restricted water or shoal hex.
5.4 Air Unit Movement
Air units may enter and move through any hex on the map, regardless of hex type (including hexes with blocked hexsides) or the presence of friendly or enemy bases. Air units have only one movement restriction: they must begin and end their activation at a friendly airfield or carrier.
The following restrictions apply to activating an air unit:
- (3rd Fleet) US and Soviet air units may begin and end their activation at any friendly airfield.
- All other air units must begin and end their activation at an airfield of their own country, unless otherwise specified in the scenario.
Changing airfields: In light of the restrictions above, an air unit is not required to end its activation at the airfield from which it departed. It may move to another airfield, within its movement capability. However, if it changes airfields, it may not be activated (or fly strategic missions or CAP) for the next 8 game turns. On the 9th turn following the change of airfield, it may be activated again. (To help remember that a unit may not be activated after changing airfields, players may place it on the Game Turn Track, 8 boxes ahead of the current turn, noting on a slip of paper under the counter which airfield it is on. At the start of the turn on which it was placed, it returns to its airfield, ready for activation, CAP, or strategic missions.)
Aircraft Carriers: Air units that begin the game aboard a carrier (CV) must remain aboard that carrier for the entire game. Air units assigned to a CV are destroyed if their carrier is sunk. (Remove the units from the Aircraft Carrier Display. However, CAP and strategic air missions already underway continue until the aircraft are forced to land, at which point they are destroyed.) Air units that do not start the game aboard a carrier may never end their activation aboard a carrier.
A US AV-8 air unit assigned to an AA unit may not leave the surface unit it is attached to, and is destroyed if that AA unit is also destroyed.
International Borders: Air units may move across the hexes of any country without restriction.
5.5 Base Hexes
There are 3 types of Base hexes: airfields, ports, and combined port/airfield bases. Bases belong to either the Allied player, the Soviet player, or are neutral. Each base has a Close Anti-Air value, which is used when attacks are made against the base (10.0).
6.0 Stacking
A maximum of 12 friendly surface units (CV, CG, CL, DD, FF, BB, CO, and PC) may end their Action Segment activation stacked together in the same hex. Non-combat surface units do not count toward this limit. Groups (6.2) may end an Action Segment in the same hex as long as the limit of 12 combat surface units per hex is observed.
There is no limit on stacking friendly submarine units at the end of a submarine Action Segment. Submarines may end their activation stacked with friendly surface units (and vice versa), and they are not counted toward the surface unit stacking limit.
A maximum of 4 friendly INT, ATK, and/or BMB air units may occupy an airfield hex at any point in a turn. Air units may pass through an airfield in violation of the restrictions above. RCN, EW, and AEW air units do not count toward the maximum number of air units at an airfield. Air units at an airfield located in a coastal hex may occupy the same hex as surface units or submarines.
Friendly units of different nationalities may occupy the same hex. Opposing units may never occupy the same hex at the end of an Action Segment.
Notable Exception: If the Tactical Nuclear rule is in use (18.0), players may stack as many combat surface units as they wish.
6.1 Stacking Restrictions
Movement: A player may activate all or part of his surface units in a hex as a stack, except for Groups (6.2), which must be activated separately. A maximum of 4 INT, ATK, and/or BMB air units, plus as many RCN, AEW, and EW units as desired, may be activated from an airfield or a CV at one time. Submarines must be activated individually.
Position: The position of surface units within a stack does not matter until the opponent declares a Bombing or SSM (surface missile) attack against the stack. Once combat resolution has begun, it may not adjust the position of its ships. The position of air units within a stack never matters.
If there are several Task Forces and/or Task Groups in a hex, or Groups stacked with other surface units that are not part of a group, the groups do not benefit from the anti-air values of other groups or units during a defensive combat (10.4 and 10.6).
6.2 Groups
Groups are collections of surface units that carry out actions together. There are two types of groups: Task Groups and Task Forces.
Creating Groups: At the start of a player's surface Action Segment (before any unit is activated) and at the end of that segment (after all units have been activated), a player may create groups from available stacks of surface units and adjust the status of existing groups. Creating and maintaining groups is voluntary. A player is never required to form a group, and he may break up his groups at the start or end of his surface Action Segment if he wishes (and must break them up if they no longer meet the required size). Units of different nationalities may belong to the same group.
Each player has a number of markers printed with "Task Force" on one side and "Task Group" on the other. Creating a group is not limited by the number of markers in the game. Players who have run out of markers may still create groups using blank markers to represent them.
To create a group, a player designates a stack of surface units and indicates which units in that stack are included in the group. These units are removed from the map and replaced by a Task Group or Task Force marker of the appropriate side (Allied or Soviet). If 2 or 3 combat units (CV, CL, CG, DD, FF, BB, CO, PC) plus any number of non-combat units are chosen, players use the Task Group side of the marker. If 4 or more combat units, plus any number of non-combat units, are chosen, players use the Task Force side of the marker. More than one group may be formed from the same stack of surface units.
When surface units are chosen to form a group, the player places them on his Task Group/Force Display, in the box corresponding to the number of the Task Group/Task Force marker representing them. On the display, one surface unit is placed per box — the order of placement is treated as the order in which the units are stacked (box 1 being treated as the top of the stack). If a group contains more units than there are boxes, place the extra units at the end of the row of boxes.
Surface units docked in a port hex may form a group, but they may never form one with undocked units occupying the same hex. Stacks of docked and undocked units must be kept separate.
Enhancement of Groups: At the start and end of a surface Action Segment, a player may add surface units to an existing group as long as they are located in the same hex. Remove from the map the units being added to the group and place them on the Task Force/Group Display in the box corresponding to their new Task Force/Group. If adding ships upgrades a Task Group to a Task Force, the marker on the map must be flipped to the correct side.
Disbanding Groups: At the start or end of a surface Action Segment, a player may disband any groups he wishes. To do so, he removes the Task Group/Force marker and places that group's surface units on the map. If, due to combat losses, a group falls below the minimum required size, the player must adjust his group (see below).
Combining Groups: At the start or end of a surface Action Segment, a player may combine all or part of his groups occupying the same hex. The combined group is represented by a single Group marker (all other group markers are removed), and the placement of surface units on the Task Group/Force Display is adjusted to reflect the new group structure. If the new group has 4 or more combat units, use the Task Force side of the marker.
Special Group Restrictions: Surface units that began a surface Action Segment in the same hex, and were activated separately, may not, at the end of that Action Segment, regroup to form a group with all or part of the units with which they were stacked at the start of that Action Segment.
Groups and Combat Losses: If, due to combat losses, a Task Group falls below 2 combat units, the player must immediately adjust that group's status by removing the marker and placing the remaining units on the map. (If a Task Force falls below 4 combat units, it is adjusted by simply flipping the marker to its Task Group side, provided it still has 2 or more combat units.) Task Groups and Task Forces that are adjusted due to combat losses may not combine with other friendly Groups occupying the same hex until the next start or end of the player's surface Action Segment.
Movement: A Group marker behaves like a surface unit. It may move a number of hexes equal to the lowest movement value among the group's units. Groups stacked in the same hex must be activated individually. Once a group is activated, it must move and attack as a stack; no unit may separate from a group until the end of the surface Action Segment. Remember that whenever units of the group carry out combat, the participating units must all carry out the same type of combat. (For example, some units may not carry out SSM combat while others carry out ASW combat at the same time.)
Defense Combat Benefit: Units within a Task Force that are attacked by torpedo, SSM, or Bombing attacks receive a +2 modifier to their defensive die rolls (10.0). Units of a Task Group receive no such benefit. Docked units that are part of a Task Force receive this modifier.
7.0 Strategic Air Missions
Air units may be assigned to Strategic Air Missions during the Strategic Air Phase, which occurs during AM game turns. A unit assigned to a strategic mission may not be activated during the next 3 Action Phases (AM, PM, and Night). While carrying out strategic missions, air units are placed on the Strategic Air Display.
7.1 Mission Eligibility
There are 4 types of strategic missions to which air units may be assigned in the basic game:
- Interception
- Reconnaissance
- Tactical Coordination
- Mining
Strategic air mission eligibility chart: This chart shows which kinds of strategic missions each type of air unit may be assigned to. There are 6 types of air units: Interceptor (INT), Attack (ATK), Bomber (BMB), Reconnaissance (RCN), Electronic Warfare (EW), and Airborne Early Warning (AEW). There is also a special unit type called Aerial Refueling (AR). Certain missions are forbidden to certain types of air units. For example, an INT unit may never be assigned to a Mining mission.
Strategic Air Display: Each player has a Strategic Air Display on which air units are placed while on strategic missions. The display is divided into several named zones. Each zone is also marked off with borders on the map, corresponding to the layout of the Strategic Air Display.
Each zone has 4 mission boxes, as well as additional Return to Base boxes (7.6).
During the Allocation segment of the Strategic Air Phase, each player secretly assigns all or part of his air units to strategic missions. Air units are placed on the map in the desired mission boxes. To assign an air unit to a strategic mission:
- Decide what type of mission the unit will fly.
- Decide the zone in which it will be placed.
- Take the unit from its airfield or carrier and place it in the desired mission box of the Display.
Damaged air units may not fly missions normally. Friendly air units of different nationalities may fly missions in the same zone.
False Mission Assignment: During the Allocation segment, a player is allowed to deceive his opponent by removing one or more air units from the map that will not actually be assigned to strategic missions. (If a player knew exactly how many enemy air units were removed from the map to fly missions — even though the current mission assignments are secret — this could greatly influence his own assignments.) At the end of the Allocation segment, air units that have not been assigned any strategic mission are returned to the airfield from which they were removed.
Zone range of air units: Air units occupy the zone in which their airfield or carrier is located. Some air units can fly missions at extended range, while others cannot fly strategic missions at all. An air unit's movement capability determines the range (in zones) at which it can fly a mission:
| Movement capability | Range |
|---|---|
| 71 or more | 3 zones |
| 51-70 | 2 zones |
| 26-50 | 1 zone |
| 11-25 | Occupied zone only |
| 10 or less | Cannot fly strategic missions |
Off-Map Airfields: All off-map airfields are treated as being one zone further from the zone to which they are connected by arrows on the map, if the distance shown in the off-map airfield box is 15 hexes or less. An airfield is treated as being 2 zones further if the distance shown is 16 or more. For example, the Caribbean map is treated as being 1 zone further than the Bahamas zone. The Lajes off-map airfield (18 hexes) in the North Atlantic is treated as being 2 zones further than the Bay of Biscay zone.
Special strategic air mission restrictions: The restrictions listed below apply to strategic missions.
- A friendly airfield or carrier with no INT air unit that is located 4 hexes or less from an undamaged enemy airfield or carrier that has at least 1 INT air unit may not fly strategic missions with its air units. (Exception: if at least 1 friendly INT unit is currently located at least 4 hexes from that CV or airfield, this restriction is ignored.)
- On the Atlantic map, Soviet air units occupying Norway or the Baltic Sea zones may never fly strategic missions into the English Channel zone, nor transit through that zone while flying a strategic air mission. For example, a Soviet air unit with a range of 3 zones occupying the Baltic Sea zone may not fly a strategic mission into the Bay of Biscay zone, because it would have to transit through the English Channel zone to get there.
Example: A US F-18C unit (movement capability: 20) and a P-3 unit (movement: 70) occupy Key West in the Florida zone. The F-18C may be assigned to a reconnaissance or interception mission only in the Florida zone, since its movement capability is between 11 and 25. The P-3 may be assigned to reconnaissance, tactical coordination, or mining missions in the Florida zone or any zone up to 2 zones away (the Panama Canal zone, for example).
Ending Strategic Air Missions: An air unit remains on its strategic mission until it is destroyed, forced to return to base (7.5), or until the Strategic Air Mission Termination phase of the next Night game turn.
Solitaire Mission Assignment (optional): To simulate the uncertainty of mission assignment when a player is playing solitaire, he may use the following rules:
- Roll a die. On an even roll, the player may assign Allied air units to strategic missions as he wishes; on an odd roll, the player may assign Soviet (or Latin American) air units to strategic missions as he wishes.
- Once the player has assigned air units to strategic missions for the side determined in step 1, he rolls the die again to determine mission assignment for the opposing side. This second die roll is divided by 2 (round down). The result is the number of air units of that side the player may assign to strategic missions. If this second die roll was even, the player may assign the indicated number of air units to strategic missions anywhere on the map (subject to the air units' range restrictions); if the second roll was odd, the player may assign the indicated number of air units to strategic missions only in the zones occupied by the selected air units — not in zones that are one or two zones within range of their airfields. (In this case, air units at off-map airfields may not fly strategic missions at all.)
7.2 Interception Missions
Air units on Interception missions may attack enemy units on strategic missions in the same zone.
Interception Segment: During this segment of the Strategic Air Phase, opposing units on interception missions within the same zone must fight an air combat. First, players must check their Strategic Air Displays zone by zone. A combat must be held in a given zone if both players have assigned units to interception missions there. If only one player (or neither) has assigned air units in that zone, there is no air combat. Thus, anywhere from 0 to 16 air combats may occur in this segment. When a combat is fought in a given zone, a player's intercepting units must be combined into a single force for the combat (even if they are of different nationalities). See 10.8 for an explanation of air combat resolution.
After the air combat has been fought, all air units that are allowed to continue their interception missions (that is, that are not required to return to base as a result of combat) may initiate air combats in the Bounce segment. Air units that receive an "r" result in combat are placed in one of the Return to Base boxes on the Strategic Air Display (7.6).
Bounce Segment: During this segment, air units still on interception missions may initiate combat against all enemy air units in the same zone that are on missions other than interception — Reconnaissance, Tactical Coordination, and Mining. To resolve this combat, the intercepting player rolls the die and consults the Bounce column of the Air-to-Air Combat Results table (no ratio is calculated). The result (10.8) applies to all enemy air units currently on a mission other than interception in that zone, regardless of number or type. Air units on interception missions that initiate this combat may never suffer a result from the opponent when they attack units in a Bounce. At the end of the Bounce segment, all units on Interception are placed in one of the Return to Base boxes on the Strategic Air Display (7.6).
Interception example: During the Strategic Air Phase, the Allied player assigns 2 units to interception missions in the Norway zone. In the same zone, the Soviet player assigns 1 unit to interception, 1 to reconnaissance, and 1 to mining. During the Interception segment, an air combat is fought between the Allied and Soviet interception units. Suppose the Allied player wins; his 2 units remain on interception and the Soviet unit returns to base. In the Bounce segment, the Allied units attack the Soviet reconnaissance and mining units. The Allied player rolls a die and consults the Bounce column of the Air-to-Air Combat Results table. The result indicates 1 Soviet unit eliminated, while the other returns to base. At the end of the Bounce segment, the 2 Allied units return to base.
7.3 Reconnaissance Missions
Air units on reconnaissance missions affect the detection of enemy units during the Strategic Detection segment of the Strategic Air Phase (9.0). At the end of that segment, all reconnaissance air units are placed in one of the Return to Base boxes of the zone they occupy (7.6).
7.4 Tactical Coordination Missions
Air units on Tactical Coordination missions are used to improve attacks against enemy units. During the Tactical Coordination phase of AM, PM, or Night turns, both players may remove all or part of their air units from the Tactical Coordination boxes on their Strategic Air Display and assign them to enemy submarine or surface units occupying a hex in the zone where they are flying their Tactical Coordination mission.
To assign a Tactical Coordination air unit to an enemy submarine or stack of surface units, place the air unit directly on top of the enemy stack. The air unit stays with the enemy unit or stack it is assigned to, even if that enemy unit or stack moves during the following Action Phase. If several enemy submarines occupy the same hex, a Tactical Coordination air unit may only be assigned to one submarine in the hex. If a stack of enemy surface units splits up during the surface Action Segment while under a Tactical Coordination air unit, the player who owns the air unit must decide which unit or stack to follow: he cannot follow all the enemy surface units to their different destination hexes.
If a Tactical Coordination air unit is assigned to an enemy unit or stack, 2 is added to the attacker's roll on each (not just one) attack made against that unit or stack in the following Action Phase (10.0). However, a maximum of 1 Tactical Coordination air unit may be assigned to each enemy submarine or stack of surface units, so a maximum of +2 may be added to each attack roll for this reason.
During the CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing Phase, all Tactical Coordination air units on the map are removed and placed back on the Strategic Air Display in the Return to Base box of the zone in which the air unit was operating. There, they may take no further action until they return to their airfields during the Strategic Air Mission Termination phase (7.6). A player is not required to use all his Tactical Coordination air units in the AM turn; he may hold them in reserve to use in the PM or Night turns if he wishes.
Tactical Coordination Restrictions: The following restrictions apply to Tactical Coordination missions:
- A Tactical Coordination air unit with an ASW value of "N" may not be assigned to an enemy submarine unit.
- A Tactical Coordination air unit may not be assigned to an enemy surface unit or submarine if the hex occupied by those enemy units is 4 hexes or less from an enemy INT air unit at an undamaged airfield. If the surface unit or submarine to which the Tactical Coordination unit has been assigned later moves to within 4 hexes of a friendly INT air unit, the Tactical Coordination unit continues its mission.
- If the Tactical Coordination air unit moves with an enemy unit or stack and enters a hex beyond its normal range, it stays with the enemy unit or stack and continues to provide the die roll modifier for combat. It is placed in the Return to Base box of the zone in which it is flying its Tactical Coordination mission, and returns to its base normally (unless it changes airfields).
Notable exception: In the advanced game, a Tactical Coordination air unit does not provide a combat die roll modifier if the unit or stack to which it is assigned moves into a storm zone (15.2).
7.5 Mining
Air units on mine-laying missions may place a Mine marker on the map during the Mine segment of the Strategic Air Phase (12.0). At the end of that segment, all mine-laying air units are placed in one of the Return to Base boxes of the zone in which they are flying their mission (7.6). Note that an RCN air unit with an ASW value of "N" may not fly a mine-laying mission.
7.6 Returning to Base
Air units that receive an "r" result in air combat during the Strategic Air Phase are placed in one of the Return to Base boxes of the zone they occupy on the Strategic Air Display. A unit placed in one of these boxes may perform no function.
Return to Base Boxes: There are 4 Return to Base boxes in each zone on the Strategic Air Display. Each box corresponds to the zone from which an air unit moved to fly its mission. Units that began a mission in the zone they occupy are placed in the "Occupy" box when forced to return to base; units that moved 1 zone away to fly their mission are placed in the "1 zone" box when forced to return to base; and units that moved 2 or 3 zones away are placed, respectively, in the "2 Zones" or "3 Zones" box when forced to return to base. Each of these 4 boxes bears the initials of the zone the air unit left to fly its mission. When an air unit is placed in a Return to Base box, turn the counter so its nose points toward the original zone it came from.
Interception, Reconnaissance, and Mining missions occur during the Strategic Air Phase: players must be able to remember which zones their units came from. Tactical Coordination air units return to their bases or carriers during the CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing phase: players who have trouble remembering their units' zones of origin may note it on a slip of paper placed under the counter.
Strategic Air Mission Termination Phase: During this phase, which occurs during Night turns, all air units on the Strategic Air Display are returned to the airfields or carriers they came from. (Besides slips of paper under the units, players can also refer to the scenario's setup to remember the original airfield or carrier of each unit.)
Air units that cannot land on a carrier may return to an airfield different from the one they came from, as long as the new airfield is in the same zone and stacking restrictions are not violated. However, if air units change bases at the end of their mission, they may not be activated, fly CAP, or fly another strategic mission for 8 full game turns starting from the current turn (5.4). If an air unit's original airfield has been destroyed, the unit must return to a different airfield if possible, subject to the restrictions above. If no friendly airfield is available, the air units are destroyed.
Air units based on a carrier must return to the same Aircraft Carrier Display after the mission (the carrier may have moved to another zone — this does not affect its units' return). If the carrier is destroyed while its units are on a strategic mission, all of its air units are destroyed during the Strategic Air Mission Termination phase.
Return to Base box example: A US air unit based at Shemya airfield (in the West Aleutians zone) is assigned to an interception mission in the Bering Sea zone. After the mission, the unit is placed in the "1 Zone" box of the Bering Sea zone's Return to Base area, with the counter's nose pointing toward the initials WA (West Aleutians). During the Strategic Air Mission Termination phase, the unit is returned to Shemya airfield.
8.0 Combat Air Patrol (CAP)
CAP is a special role for air units that allows them to stand guard from an airfield or a carrier.
8.1 How to Perform CAP
During the CAP phase, players may assign all or part of their INT, AEW, or EW air units that are not on strategic missions to CAP missions. At the start of the CAP phase, one of the players rolls a die. On an even roll, the Allied player announces his CAP missions first; on an odd result, the Soviet player announces his CAP missions first. (Units of different nationalities may be combined within the same CAP mission.) Units on CAP may not be activated during the Action Phase.
Each airfield or carrier may assign a maximum of 4 INT, plus as many EW and AEW as desired, to a CAP mission. If 2 or more carriers occupy the same hex, or a carrier is in an airfield hex, all units on CAP missions there must be combined into a single mission. As long as airfields or carriers do not assign more than 4 INT to a CAP mission, each mission may contain an unlimited number of air units. If carriers separate while jointly supplying units to a combined CAP mission (or one leaves an airfield from which it was flying a CAP mission jointly), the player must stop the mission and provide a CAP marker for each carrier or airfield supplying units to the CAP.
CAP markers at an airfield may never be moved. CAP markers on carriers move with the carrier.
Special EW and AEW Restriction: A CAP mission with no INT unit may never initiate an attack.
CAP Display: Each player has a CAP Display to track his air units on CAP missions. The Display consists of a series of numbered boxes; CAP markers corresponding to these boxes are provided to the players. Air units on CAP missions are removed from the map and placed in one of the boxes of the Display. The CAP marker corresponding to that box is placed on the map in the hex from which the air units were removed. A hex may contain only one CAP marker. The number of CAP boxes on the Display is not limited; a player who flies more CAP missions than there are boxes may use blank markers to create new CAP markers.
8.2 CAP and Air-to-Air Combat
A CAP marker allows friendly air units to interfere with the movement of enemy air units during the Action Phase.
AEW and CAP: If a carrier flying a CAP mission has no AEW unit in the mission, use the front (CAP) side of the CAP marker. If the mission includes an AEW unit, use the other side (CAP & AEW). Always use the CAP & AEW side of the marker for CAP missions flown from an airfield.
Range of CAP missions: A CAP mission has a range of 4 hexes (excluding the hex containing the CAP marker). When an enemy air unit or active stack moves into a hex within range of the CAP mission, the enemy air unit's movement is temporarily halted. The CAP player has a choice: he may engage the enemy air units in air combat in that hex, or do nothing at all. In the first case, the air combat is immediately resolved between all units (10.8). In the second case, no combat occurs and the enemy units continue their movement.
A CAP mission may make a maximum of one attack against a particular enemy unit or stack during an Action Segment; however, it may carry out other attacks against different air units in that segment. (There is, however, a negative die roll modifier if a CAP mission makes more than one attack during an Action Segment; 10.8.) The CAP player may choose to attack enemy units at any moment when they move or activate within range of the CAP marker. If he does not attack at a range of 4 hexes, he may do so at 3, 2, or 1 hex. He may not attack enemy units in the hex occupied by the CAP marker.
An enemy air unit or stack that is activated from an enemy airfield or carrier 4 hexes or less from a CAP mission may be attacked in the hex where the activation occurs, as soon as possible.
The ranges of friendly CAP missions may overlap. If enemy units are activated in, or enter, a hex within range of 2 or more CAP missions, the CAP player may either combine his CAP missions to attack the enemy units, or attack them separately with each available CAP mission. Enemy units may be attacked an unlimited number of times by CAP missions during the Action Phase, but they may not be attacked more than once by the same CAP mission. In addition, enemy units may not be attacked more than once per hex.
Under certain circumstances, a player whose units are attacked by an enemy CAP mission may use his own CAP missions in the resulting air combat; 10.8. In addition, CAP missions only affect enemy air units moving or activating within their range — never enemy CAP missions.
CAP missions may be assigned to off-map airfields. However, off-map CAP units never affect the movement of enemy air units on the map, nor do they combine in any way with CAP missions on the map.
Limitations to CAP Attacks: A CAP mission may initiate an unlimited number of combats against different enemy air units or stacks during the Action Phase, as long as the CAP mission does not suffer an "r" (return to base) combat result. Units in the Return to Base box of the CAP Display may not initiate combat.
Air combat between a CAP mission and enemy air units is resolved before enemy air units initiate any combat in the hex into which they have just moved. If enemy air units survive an air combat, they may initiate an attack from that hex, or may continue their movement and attack later.
CAP Mission Attack Markers: After the first air combat has been fought by a CAP mission, assuming it does not return to base, the player places an Attack marker on top of those units on the CAP Display. If a CAP mission fights a 2nd air combat in the same Action Segment, the marker is flipped to its 2+ Attacks side and remains on that side until the CAP mission is forced to return to base, or until the end of the Action Phase, when the marker is removed. A CAP mission that makes more than one attack per Action Segment suffers a negative die roll modifier (10.8).
CAP Combat Values: Air units on CAP missions at airfield hexes use their full anti-air values when initiating an air combat against air units, regardless of range, up to a maximum of 4 hexes.
Air units on CAP missions aboard a carrier may have their anti-air values modified. The range at which a carrier's CAP mission engages, and the presence of a US or non-US AEW unit in the mission, can affect this modification. The Aircraft Carrier CAP Chart lists the modifications to the anti-air values of CAP units aboard carriers. To use the table, cross-reference one of the 3 columns corresponding to the mission's current AEW status with one of the 4 rows corresponding to the distance (in hexes) from the carrier to the point where the CAP units are fighting their air combat. The combined minimum anti-air value of air units on a CAP mission is 1, even if that value would normally be modified to 0 by the CAP table.
Notable exception: When an aircraft from a carrier and one from an airfield are combined in a single CAP mission, all CAP units in that mission always use their full anti-air values regardless of range. In this case, the Aircraft Carrier CAP table is not consulted.
Example: The Allied player has a CAP marker in hex A (an airfield). The Soviet player activates an air unit in hex F and moves it into hex E. Since this hex is within range of the CAP mission, the unit's movement is halted and the Allied player has the choice of attacking the Soviet unit or not. The Allied player decides not to attack, so the unit continues its movement. The air unit moves into hex D and the Allied player again has the choice to attack — and again decides not to. The Soviet player moves into hex C and the Allied player declines the opportunity to attack. When the Soviet player moves into hex B, the Allied player decides to attack, and an air combat is resolved there. After the combat is resolved, the Soviet player, if his unit survives, is allowed to continue the mission. He has the option of continuing his movement or initiating an attack.
Now suppose hex A is not an airfield but a carrier holding a CAP marker with no AEW unit. The combined anti-air value of the Allied air units in the mission is 19. If the Allied player engages the Soviet unit at a range of 4 hexes, the CAP mission's anti-air value modifier will be 2 (19 x 1/8 = 2, rounded down). At a range of 3 hexes, the CAP anti-air value modifier will be 4 (19 x 1/4 = 4, rounded down). At a range of 2 hexes, the modifier will be 9 (19 x 1/2 = 9, rounded down). At a range of 1 hex, the CAP mission uses its full value of 19.
8.3 CAP and SSM Combat
If a CAP mission contains an AEW air unit, or a US F-14A or F-14D INT unit, in the same hex as a surface unit that is attacked by an enemy SSM combat, the CAP mission may help defend the surface unit (10.4). This support is granted as long as the CAP units are not forced to return to base. A CAP mission that helps defend against an SSM attack does not have a CAP Mission Attack marker placed on it.
8.4 Returning to Base
Air units attacked by a CAP mission that suffer an "r" result are immediately returned to their original airfield or Aircraft Carrier Display. (They may not be activated for the rest of the Action Phase.) If they had moved more than half their movement capability before suffering an "r" result, they must be able to reach a friendly airfield within their remaining movement capability, or else they are destroyed.
If CAP units suffer an "r" result in air combat, all air units in that mission are placed in the Return to Base box of the CAP Display, directly below their normal CAP box. Units in the Return to Base boxes may perform no function for the rest of the Action Phase.
CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing Phase: During this phase, all units on the CAP Display, including those in the Return to Base boxes, are returned to the airfields or carriers occupied by their CAP markers. The CAP markers are then removed from the map.
CAP units may return to damaged airfields or carriers. If an airfield or carrier holding a CAP marker was destroyed during the Action Phase of the current cycle, the air units of that CAP mission are destroyed during the CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing Phase. (They continue flying their CAP mission during the Action Phase in which their airfield or carrier was destroyed.)
8.5 CAP vs. US Stealth Attacks
US F-117 air units may carry out Stealth Attacks (10.6). If an enemy CAP mission attacks a US F-117 unit while it is carrying out a Stealth Attack, a special column on the Air-to-Air Combat Results table is used to resolve this combat (10.8).
9.0 Detection
Detection is used to determine the location of enemy surface units or submarines, which makes it possible to attack them. A unit or stack that has been detected has a Detection marker placed on it. There are 2 types of Detection markers: Strategic and Local. Air units and bases never need to be detected.
9.1 Detection Zones
There are 2 types of detection zones: Limited Detection zones, which represent the hex occupied by the unit plus the 6 adjacent hexes; and Extended Detection zones, which add the 12 hexes surrounding the Limited Detection zone. Only surface units and submarines have Detection zones; air units and bases do not.
Example: In the diagram above, unit A has a Limited Detection zone in the hex it occupies plus the 6 pale pink hexes around it. It also has an Extended Detection zone in the 12 dark red hexes surrounding the limited zone.
Determining Detection Zones: All submarines exert a Limited Detection zone. All surface units or stacks have both zones — a Limited Detection zone and an Extended Detection zone.
9.2 Placement of Detection Markers
When a Soviet unit is detected, place a Soviet Detection marker on it; when an Allied unit is detected, place an Allied Detection marker on it. Once a Detection marker is placed on a unit, it stays with that unit and moves with it until the Strategic or Local Detection Removal phase, during which it is removed. Each submarine, surface unit, or stack may receive only one Detection marker (Strategic or Local) at any given time.
Strategic Detection segment: This segment occurs during the Strategic Detection phase during AM turns. For each air unit currently on a reconnaissance mission in a given zone (7.3), the player has a choice during the Strategic Detection segment (the Soviet player first, the Allied player second).
- He may place a Strategic (Strat) Detection marker on an enemy surface unit or stack occupying the zone in which the reconnaissance mission is taking place. (If the unit or stack already has a Local Detection marker, flip it to its Strategic Detection side.)
Notable exception: He may not place a Strategic Detection marker on enemy surface units if those units occupy, or are adjacent to, a hex containing an enemy INT unit at an undamaged airfield (whether or not it could be activated). However, French ATL air units, the US E-2, and the Soviet Tu-95D are not affected by this restriction, and may place Strategic Detection markers on enemy surface units regardless of the proximity of enemy INT units.
- He may attempt to place a Strategic Detection marker on any enemy submarine occupying the zone in which the reconnaissance mission is taking place.
Notable exception: He may not attempt to place a strategic detection marker on an enemy submarine if that unit is located within 4 hexes of an enemy INT unit at an undamaged airfield.
To attempt to place a strategic detection marker on an enemy submarine, the player states aloud which submarine he wishes to detect and determines its owner (Allied or Soviet) and type (SS, SB, SN, noisy SN, or deep-driving SN). He consults the Submarine Detection table and rolls a die, then checks the column corresponding to the submarine's owner and type against his result. Do not confuse deep-driving SNs with Deep Mode; see 19.0. (This roll may be modified; see below.) On a result of "D," a Strategic Detection marker is placed on the submarine (if it already has a Local Detection marker, flip it to its Strategic Detection side). On a result of "-," the attempt fails and no marker is placed.
Notable exception: Air units with ASW values of "N" may never attempt submarine detection.
Once a reconnaissance unit has placed (or attempted to place) a strategic detection marker on an enemy unit, it is placed in one of the Return to Base boxes of the zone it occupies on the Strategic Air Display (7.6).
Strategic Detection Restriction: A maximum of one strategic detection attempt may be made against each submarine in the Strategic Detection segment. However, several air units may combine in a single attempt to detect enemy submarines. The detection roll is modified accordingly.
Local Detection Phase: This phase occurs in every game turn. Only Local Detection markers are placed in this phase — never Strategic Detection markers.
- In this phase, a Local Detection marker is placed on each enemy surface unit or stack that occupies the limited or extended zone of a friendly surface unit or stack, or the limited detection zone of a friendly submarine.
- If an enemy submarine occupies a limited detection zone during this phase, and the friendly surface units or submarines exerting that limited detection zone have a combined ASW value of 6 or more, the player must roll a die and consult the Submarine Detection table to determine if his submarine is detected. Cross-reference the die roll result with the column corresponding to the type and owner of the submarine. (This die roll may be modified; see below.) On a result of "D," a Local Detection marker is placed on the submarine. On a result of "-," the attempt fails and no marker is placed. A maximum of one detection attempt may be made against a given submarine during a Local Detection phase — even if the submarine occupies the limited detection zone of several enemy units.
- All submarines occupying a shoal or restricted water hex in the Baltic Sea zone (on the Atlantic map) during the Local Detection phase automatically receive Local Detection markers.
Units that already have a Strategic or Local Detection marker are not affected during this phase, even if they meet the conditions for local detection. Their current detection status remains unchanged.
Action Phase: There are 4 opportunities to place detection markers on units during the Action Phase:
- If a surface unit or stack makes an SSM, Cruise Missile, or ASW attack and is located in an enemy unit's limited detection zone after the attack is resolved, place a Local Detection marker on the surface unit or stack. If a submarine makes a torpedo, Cruise Missile, ASW, or SSM attack and is located in an enemy unit's limited detection zone after the attack is resolved, the submarine's player must roll a die and consult the Submarine Detection table to determine if his submarine is detected. (This is done the same way as in the Local Detection phase; see above. There is also an automatic modifier to this die roll; see below.) On a result of "D," a Local Detection marker is placed on the submarine; on a result of "-," no marker is placed.
- When an enemy surface unit or stack moves directly from a limited or extended detection zone exerted by one or more friendly units into another limited or extended zone exerted by the same unit(s), a Local Detection marker is placed on the enemy unit or stack. If an enemy submarine moves from a limited detection zone exerted by a friendly unit with a combined ASW value of 6 or more into another limited detection zone exerted by the same unit, the submarine's player must roll a die and consult the Submarine Detection table to determine if his submarine is detected. (This is carried out exactly as in the Local Detection phase; see above.) On a result of "D," a Local Detection marker is placed on the submarine; on a result of "-," no marker is placed. A maximum of one detection attempt per submarine is allowed in each Action Phase for this reason, even if a submarine moves through more than one limited detection zone.
- A Strategic Detection marker is placed on a submarine moving at full speed (5.3) if it begins its movement, or enters any hex during its movement, within 5 hexes of an enemy surface unit or submarine.
- When a surface unit or stack enters a hex containing an undestroyed coastal defense hex, an enemy base, or a hex adjacent to a coastal defense hex or enemy base, place a Strategic Detection marker on it. Submarines are not affected by enemy bases or coastal defense hexes.
If a unit already has a Strategic Detection marker, it can no longer be detected during the Action Phase. If it has a Local Detection marker, it can no longer be detected unless it meets the requirements for strategic detection, in which case its Local Detection marker is flipped to its Strategic side.
Submarine Detection Table Modifiers: There are several modifiers to die rolls on the Submarine Detection table (all modifiers are cumulative):
- -4: A detection attempt against an SN that has just made an SSM or Cruise Missile attack. (A noisy Soviet SN making an SSM attack is automatically detected.)
- -4: A detection attempt against any submarine that has just fought a combat.
- -3: A detection attempt against any submarine in a restricted water hex, or against an SN or SB in a shallow water hex.
- -2: A detection attempt against an SN that has just made a torpedo or ASW attack.
- -3: A detection attempt against a submarine during the Activity Cycle while the submarine is located in a limited detection zone exerted by enemy units with a combined ASW value of 26 or more; or a detection attempt against a submarine during the Strategic Detection segment by enemy air units with a combined ASW value of 8 or more.
- -2: A detection attempt against a submarine during the Activity Cycle while the submarine is located in a limited detection zone exerted by enemy units with a combined ASW value between 18 and 25; or a detection attempt against a submarine during the Strategic Detection segment by enemy air units with a combined ASW value of 6 or 7.
- -1: A detection attempt against a submarine during the Activity Cycle while the submarine is located in a limited detection zone exerted by enemy units with a combined ASW value between 10 and 17; or a detection attempt against a submarine during the Strategic Detection segment by enemy air units with a combined ASW value of 4 or 5.
- +2: A detection attempt against a submarine in Deep Mode (advanced game only; 19.0).
9.3 Detection Restrictions
Submarines: The detection status of submarines is determined individually. If several submarines in the same hex are detected, each must be assigned its own detection marker. Undetected submarines entering a hex containing a detected submarine remain undetected. Thus, it is possible for a hex to contain both detected and undetected submarines. A submarine may never have more than one detection marker.
Surface Units: Detection of surface units is determined by hex. When a detection marker is placed on a surface unit, all surface units in that hex are immediately detected. If an undetected surface unit or stack ends its Action Segment in the same hex as a detected surface unit or stack, the undetected unit or stack is immediately detected. (Likewise, if a surface unit or stack with a Local Detection marker ends its Action Segment in a hex with a surface unit or stack holding a Strategic Detection marker, the Local marker is removed and all units in the hex are strategically detected.) The reverse is also true: a detected surface unit or stack ending an Action Segment in the same hex as an undetected surface unit or stack immediately causes that unit or stack to be detected. If a stack of detected surface units is activated as separate forces, all separating units are also detected, and detection markers are placed in every hex in which those units end their movement.
Undetected surface units that end an Action Segment in the same hex as a detected submarine are not detected, and vice versa. A submarine's detection status does not affect the detection status of surface units.
If a group is detected, all units making it up (and every other unit in the hex) are detected. A surface unit or stack may never have more than one detection marker.
Bases: Bases are always detected. However, submarines and surface units occupying bases must be successfully detected in order to be attacked.
9.4 Effects of Detection
Surface units or submarines must have a detection marker (either Local or Strategic) in order to be attacked. If a detected submarine occupies a hex with an undetected submarine, only the detected one may be attacked. All surface units in a hex bearing a detection marker may be attacked.
9.5 Removing Detection Markers
Detection markers may be removed at 2 points during a game turn.
Strategic Detection Removal Phase: This phase occurs only during Night turns. In this phase, Strategic Detection markers are removed from surface units and submarines, with the following exceptions:
- If a surface unit with a Strategic Detection marker is located in an enemy limited or extended detection zone, flip the Strategic Detection marker to its Local Detection side.
- If a submarine with a Strategic Detection marker is located in a limited detection zone exerted by enemy units with a combined ASW value of 6 or more, flip the Strategic Detection marker to its Local Detection side. (Do not consult the Submarine Detection table.)
- If a surface unit with a Strategic Detection marker is located 3 hexes or less from a coastal defense hex or an enemy base, the Strategic Detection marker remains in place.
Local Detection Removal Phase: This phase occurs every game turn. In this phase, Local Detection markers are removed from surface units and submarines, with the following exceptions:
- If a surface unit with a Local Detection marker is located in an enemy limited or extended detection zone, the Local marker remains in place.
- If a submarine with a Local Detection marker is located in a limited detection zone exerted by enemy units with a combined ASW value of 6 or more, the Local marker remains in place. (Do not consult the Submarine Detection table.)
- If a surface unit with a Local Detection marker is located 3 hexes or less from a coastal defense hex or an enemy base, the Local marker remains in place.
Detection example: Unit A is an Allied surface unit with an ASW value of 4, exerting a limited and extended detection zone as shown. Assume the Allied unit already has a Strategic Detection marker, so it cannot be detected further. Units B and E are Soviet surface units; units C, D, and F are Soviet submarines.
In the Strategic Detection segment of a morning turn, assume the Allied player has an air unit on reconnaissance in this zone. It attempts to detect submarine C and succeeds. A Strategic Detection marker is placed on that unit. In the Local Detection phase of the morning turn, a Local Detection marker is placed on surface unit B because it occupies an Allied unit's extended detection zone. The Allied player cannot attempt to detect submarine F because it is not located in a limited detection zone exerted by Allied units with a combined ASW value of 6 or more.
In the Action Phase, Soviet submarine D moves along the path shown at full speed, gaining a Strategic Detection marker because it moves at full speed within 5 hexes of an Allied unit. Surface unit E moves along the path shown, gaining a Local Detection marker because it moved directly from one Allied extended detection zone into another. Finally, submarine F launches a torpedo attack against the Allied unit. Assuming the Allied unit survives the attack, the players must immediately consult the Submarine Detection table to see if submarine F is detected. If it is, a Local Detection marker is placed on it.
10.0 Combat
There are 6 types of combat:
- Torpedo
- Surface-to-surface missile (SSM)
- Cruise Missile
- Bombing
- Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
- Air-to-Air
The first five forms of combat are resolved using the Combat Results table, and the last type using the Air-to-Air Combat Results table.
10.1 Initiating Combat
Only an active unit or stack may initiate combat. To do so, the player states the type of attack and the target.
Surface Units: Enemy surface units must have Detection markers before they may be attacked. A surface unit may carry out a maximum of 2 attacks during its activation, each of a different type. Surface units activated together are treated as a single unit for combat resolution — regardless of how many units are in the stack, it is still limited to 2 attacks per activation. Units of different nationalities may fight together.
Submarines: An enemy submarine must have a Detection marker before it may be attacked. Each submarine attacks and is attacked separately.
Air Units: Air units may never have Detection markers. They may be attacked by defensive fire during a Bombing combat, and by air units flying CAP.
Bases: Bases never have Detection markers. They may be attacked by Bombing and Cruise Missile combat. Units at a base must be detected before they may be attacked.
10.2 Combat Values
The values printed on surface, submarine, and air units are described below.
Movement Allowance: The maximum number of hexes a unit may travel during its activation.
Defense Value: A measure of a unit's ability to withstand damage. Air units have no defense value.
SSM Value: The measure of a unit's SSM capability. Units also have an SSM range, which is the maximum distance in hexes at which an SSM attack may be launched against a target (not counting the hex occupied by the attacking unit). An SSM attack must take the most direct route to the target (it may not zigzag).
Some units have an "S" preceding their SSM range, indicating that their SSMs are "sea-skimmers." Some units have a "fast SSM" indicator next to their SSM range. Some units have both "sea-skimmer" and "fast SSM." Some units have their SSM values in parentheses, indicating limited SSM ammunition.
ASW Value: The measure of a unit's ASW capability. Some Soviet submarines have a special "Noisy" indicator (a colored circle) on their ASW values. Other Soviet SNs are "Deep-diving" and have a colored square on a "D" behind their ASW value.
Anti-Air Value: A measure of a unit's anti-air capability. An air unit has a single anti-air value. A surface unit has 2 values: Close and Area.
Some surface units have a special symbol (a colored box) on their anti-air value, indicating that they have a "long-range" capability.
Special Value: A measure of a unit's capability in a combat type tied to its unit type. Air units have a bombing value; combat surface units have a close combat value (20.0); and submarines have a torpedo value.
Victory Point Value: AA, SC, FC, ET, FT, and MP units have a victory point value. This value is never used in combat.
Minesweeping Value: All minesweepers have a mine-laying value.
Cruise Missile Indicator: Some surface units, submarines, and air units have a cruise missile silhouette on their counters, indicating that the unit can fight a Cruise Missile combat.
Interceptor Air Units: Before activating INT air units, the player specifies the role he wants his INT units to perform in combat. This declaration affects the INT unit's combat values. (Non-INT units always use their printed values.) There are 3 possible choices:
- Fighter: The INT unit uses its anti-air value, but its Bombing and SSM values are 0. (If a player does not specify a role for one of his INT units before activation, it is automatically used as a Fighter.)
- Bomber: The INT unit uses its Bombing and SSM values, but its anti-air value is 1.
- Fighter-Bomber: The INT unit's anti-air value is equal to half its printed value (rounded down); its Bombing and SSM values are also halved (its SSM range is not affected).
Air Units with Limited SSM Ammunition: Air units with values in parentheses have limited SSM ammunition.
Land-Based Air Units with Limited SSMs: An air unit based at an airfield with limited SSM ammunition may make 2 SSM attacks per game. Alternatively, a unit may make a single SSM attack for the entire game using its SSM value multiplied by 2. For example, a US P-3 unit (SSM value: 20) based at Key West can make 2 SSM attacks of value 20 each during the game, or it can make a single SSM attack of value 40. (Note: F-18C units based at airfields cannot make SSM attacks at all, even though their SSM value is shown in parentheses.)
Carrier-Based Air Units with Limited SSMs: Air units with limited ammunition based aboard a carrier may make SSM attacks, but only a total of 2 attacks per carrier (not per unit) may be made during the game. Alternatively, air units based aboard a carrier may make a total of one SSM attack per carrier for the entire game, using the attacking unit's SSM value multiplied by 2. For example, if the US carrier Gwash has F-18C, A-6, and S-3 air units aboard — all of which have their SSM values in parentheses at a value of 40 — the US player may make 2 SSM attacks of value 40 from the Gwash during the game using any of the eligible units; or he may make a single attack of value 80 from the Gwash using one of the eligible air units.
Recording SSM Expenditure: When a land-based air unit with limited SSM ammunition makes an SSM attack, place a "1 SSM Attack" marker on that unit. When that unit makes a 2nd attack — or makes a single SSM attack using double its value — place an "Out of SSM Ammo" marker on that unit, indicating it can no longer make SSM attacks for the rest of the game.
When a carrier-based air unit with limited SSM ammunition makes an SSM attack, place a "1 SSM Attack" marker on that unit. When that unit makes a 2nd attack — or makes a single SSM attack using double its value — place an "Out of SSM Ammo" marker on top of the carrier, indicating that no air unit aboard that carrier can make SSM attacks for the rest of the game.
Carrier air units bearing the Out of SSM Ammo marker may not be replenished, even if the advanced game's Logistics option is in use.
10.3 Torpedo Combat
A torpedo combat may be carried out under certain circumstances:
- The attacking unit is an active, undocked submarine.
- The target must be a detected surface unit or stack that is not docked.
- The attacking submarine must be adjacent to the target.
- The attacking submarine may attack only one hex, even if it is adjacent to several hexes occupied by the enemy.
Notable exception: A surface unit may not be attacked if it is separated from the attacking submarine by a land hex or a blocked hexside.
Resolving Torpedo Combat: Follow the procedure below to resolve a torpedo combat.
Preparing the attack
- The attacker determines the torpedo value of his attacking submarine.
- The attacker may choose 1 or 2 surface units in the hex as targets. A surface unit may be the target of a torpedo combat only once.
- The attacker may divide his torpedo value as he wishes. He tells the defender how many points he is applying to each target. If there is only one target, the entire value applies against it.
Defensive die roll
- The defender selects a maximum of 3 units in the target hex (including submarines, if any) and adds up their ASW values. (Exception: if 8 or more combat surface units occupy the target hex, the defender selects a maximum of 4 units and adds up their ASW values.)
- The defender rolls the die and consults the Combat Results table, reading the value where the Defense column and the Combat Value column corresponding to the ASW value calculated in step 4 intersect. The following die roll modifiers are applied (all cumulative):
- If at least one (not necessarily both) of the targets chosen in step 2 is part of a Task Force, the defender adds 2 to his defensive roll.
- If none of the targets chosen in step 2 are part of a Task Force or Task Group, the defender subtracts 4 from his defensive roll.
- If the attacking submarine occupies a restricted water or Fjord hex (or is an SN in a shallow water hex), the defender adds 2 to his defensive roll.
- If the attacking submarine has a Strategic or Local Detection marker, the defender adds 2 to his defensive roll.
A result between 0 and 11 will be found. This is the defense modifier, and it must be noted for use in the following steps.
Notable exception: If all units in the target hex have ASW values of "N," no defensive roll is made. Skip steps 4 and 5.
Resolving the attacks
- The attacker states a target unit and the number of points of his torpedo value he is concentrating on it, as declared in step 3. He rolls the die and subtracts the defense modifier (calculated in step 5) from his roll. (Note that this modifier applies to each of the attacker's rolls, not just the first attack.) The following modifier is applied to the die roll:
- If the hex occupied by the enemy target unit has a Tactical Coordination air unit assigned to it, the attacker adds 1 to his die roll (7.4).
- If the target is a PC or MS unit, the attacker subtracts 3 from his die roll.
- If the target has Torpedo Decoys, the attacker subtracts 1 from his die roll.
The attacker looks up the modified die roll value in the Attack column, cross-referenced with the Combat Value column corresponding to the number of points applied to the attack. The combat result will be a number between 0 and 11.
- The combat result is compared with the target unit's defense value. Damage or destruction is applied immediately (11.0).
The attacker carries out steps 6 and 7 for each target declared in step 2.
- Once all targets declared in step 2 have been attacked, the combat is over. If necessary, the players consult the Submarine Detection table to see if the attacking submarine is detected (9.2).
Torpedo combat example: The detected Soviet submarine Zimin (torpedo value 22) uses its torpedoes against a detected US stack containing the Gwash (defense value 9; ASW 8), the Cnole (defense 3; ASW 4), and the Ptsrn (defense 3, ASW 3). None of the US units are in a group. The Gwash and the Cnole are selected as targets, with 3 points allocated against the Cnole and 19 against the Gwash (3 + 19 = 22, the Zimin's torpedo value).
The Allied player adds up the ASW value of his 3 units (15) and rolls a die, getting a 4. Since none of the targets are in a Task Force or Group, 4 is subtracted from this roll. Since the Zimin is currently detected, 2 is added, giving a final die roll of 2 (4-4+2=2). Reading 2 in the Defense column against the 14-to-18 Combat Value column gives a defense modifier of 3. The Zimin now attacks the Cnole with 3 points. The Soviet player rolls a 0. Subtracting the defense modifier of 3, plus another 1 for the Cnole's torpedo decoys, the final die roll is -4. Reading -4 in the Attack column against the 3 Combat Value column gives a result of 0. So the Cnole is undamaged.
The Gwash is now attacked with 19 points. The Soviet player rolls a 4, which is reduced by 1 due to the defense modifier (-3), reading 1 in the Attack column against the 19-to-24 combat value column produces a final result of 2. The Gwash suffers no damage and the combat is over.
10.4 Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM) Combat
An SSM combat may be carried out under certain circumstances.
- The force initiating the combat is an active surface unit, submarine, or air unit (or a stack of surface or air units). The attacking unit must not be docked.
- The target of the attack is a detected, undocked enemy surface unit or stack. Bases may not be attacked by an SSM attack.
- The target must be within SSM range (in hexes) of the attacking unit.
- Surface units and submarines may not attack across land hexes or blocked hexsides. The path between the attacker's hex (exclusive) and the target's hex (inclusive) may not cross a restricted water hex. Air units are exempt from these restrictions.
- The unit (or stack) carrying out an SSM combat may attack targets in only one hex. If a stack of units carries out an SSM combat, not all units in the stack need to take part.
Positioning of Defending Units: Immediately before the SSM combat is resolved, the defender may adjust the positions of his units within the defending stack if he wishes. Units of different groups must be kept separate from those of other groups, and from any other units not belonging to a group in the same hex. Once combat resolution has begun, the defender may no longer reposition his units.
Resolving SSM Combat: The SSM combat procedure is described below.
Preparing the attack
- The attacker determines the SSM value of all units taking part in the attack and announces the target hex.
- If more than half of the units contributing their SSM values to the attack have a sea-skimmer SSM, the attack is treated as a sea-skimmer attack. If only one unit is attacking, it is a sea-skimmer attack if that unit has a sea-skimmer SSM value.
- If more than half of the units contributing their SSM values to the attack have a fast SSM, the attack is treated as a fast SSM attack. If only one unit is attacking, it is a fast attack if that unit has a fast SSM.
- An SSM attack can be both sea-skimmer and fast.
- The defender may reposition his units in the target hex.
- The attacker rolls the die to determine which units may be selected as targets.
- On an even roll (not counting 0), only units in the top half of the defender's stack may be chosen as targets; on an odd roll (not counting 9), only units in the bottom half of the stack may be chosen as targets. In stacks containing an odd number of units, the top half of the stack gets the middle unit. (For example, in a stack of 3 units, the second unit from the top is considered part of the top of the stack.) If there is only one unit in the defender's stack, it can still always be chosen as a target, but the attacker must still roll the die. The attacker may choose one or all of the units in the selected half of the defender's stack as targets.
- If the attacker rolls a 0 or a 9, the SSM attack ends immediately with no harmful effect on the defending units. If the Logistics option is in use (16.0), the attacking units are considered to have expended SSM ammunition.
- The attacker distributes the SSM value as he wishes and tells the defender how many SSM points he is directing against each target. If there is only one target, the entire value is applied against it. A given target may be attacked only once per SSM combat, but it may be attacked multiple times by different active enemy units in the same Action Segment.
The defender rolls a die
- The defender adds up the anti-air values of his units as follows:
A. Add together the Area Anti-Air values of all units in the hex. If the attack is a sea-skimmer attack, the Area Anti-Air values of all surface units are multiplied by 1.5 (rounded down). If air units are carrying out an SSM attack and they do so from a hex adjacent to the target hex, all surface units in the target hex with a long-range Area Anti-Air characteristic (marked with a colored box) have their values multiplied by 6.
Notable exception: Skip step A if the target is in a restricted water hex.
B. Add together the Close Anti-Air values of all surface units that are targeted by the SSM attack (as determined in step 3). If the attack is a fast attack, this sum is multiplied by 0.5 (rounded down).
C. Add the Close Anti-Air values of units stacked directly beneath the target units. If the attack is a fast SSM attack, this sum is multiplied by 1.5 (rounded down).
Notable exception: If a unit beneath a target is also a target, do not add its Close Anti-Air value again. A unit's Close Anti-Air value may only be added once per SSM combat. Also, a unit at the top of a stack is considered stacked beneath the unit at the bottom of the stack — every unit in a stack has a unit stacked beneath it. If there are several groups in a hex, they cannot support each other as described in step C. Finally, if a unit stacked directly beneath a target has an anti-air value of "N," it does not contribute to the target's defense.
D. Add the anti-air values of all surface units in hexes crossed by the SSM attack (the path taken to reach the target). In addition, if an enemy SSM attack passes through any hex within 2 hexes of a friendly surface unit with a long-range anti-air capability, add that unit's value as well. A unit may contribute its anti-air value under this step only if it does not occupy the target hex, and only if the SSM attack is launched from a range of more than one hex. Eligible units may contribute their values a maximum of once per attack.
- The defender adds up the value from step 5. He rolls the die and consults the Combat Results table, cross-referencing the die value in the Defense column with the Combat Value column corresponding to the sum from step 5. (If the sum in step 5 is 0, no defensive roll is made.)
The following modifiers are applied to the die roll (all cumulative):
- If at least one (not necessarily all) of the targets chosen in step 3 is part of a Task Force, the defender adds 2 to his defensive roll.
- If none of the targets chosen in step 3 are part of a Task Group or Task Force, the defender subtracts 4 from his defensive roll.
- If the attack is not a sea-skimming attack and the Allied player has a CAP mission over the target hex containing at least one F-14A or F-14D INT unit, he adds 1 to his defensive roll. If there is a CAP mission over the target hex containing at least one friendly AEW air unit, the defender adds 2 to his defensive roll.
- If the attacker has at least one EW air unit in the attacking stack, the defender subtracts 2 from his defensive roll.
The result on the Combat Results table is the defense modifier, which is noted for later use.
Resolving the attacks
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The attacker now resolves his SSM attacks one at a time (as declared in step 4). For each attack, he rolls the die and immediately subtracts the defense modifier from his result. (The modifier is subtracted from every attack die roll during the combat, not just the first.) He consults the Combat Results table, cross-referencing the modified roll in the Attack column with the Combat Value column corresponding to the number of points of SSM value applied to the attack. The combat result will be a number from 0 to 11.
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There are several possible modifiers to the die roll in step 7 (in addition to the defense modifier):
- If the hex occupied by the enemy target units has a friendly Tactical Coordination air unit assigned to it, the attacker adds 2 to his die roll (7.4).
- If the target units occupy a restricted water or Fjord hex, the attacker subtracts 4 from his die roll.
- If the target units occupy a coastal hex (that is not restricted water or Fjord), the attacker subtracts 2 from his die roll.
- If an SSM attack is launched at a range of 2 hexes or more against a target, and at the time of combat there are no attacker combat surface units or submarines in a hex adjacent to the target hex, the number of hexes between the attacking unit (exclusive) and the target (inclusive) is subtracted from the attacker's die roll. This modifier is never applied to SSM attacks launched at a range of one hex, even in an SSM attack by air units.
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Compare the result on the Combat Results table with the target unit's defense value. Damage and Sinking results are applied immediately (11.0).
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The attacker carries out steps 7, 8, and 9 once for each target declared in step 3. After each target has been attacked, the combat ends. If necessary, a Local Detection marker is placed on the attacking units. (If a submarine carried out the attack, the players may need to consult the Submarine Detection table; see 9.2.)
SSM combat example: US frigates FF Tdale, Grove, and Curts (each with SSM attack: 8; SSM range: 2; all sea-skimmers) are located 2 hexes from a detected Soviet Task Group comprising the CG Tmshk (Area anti-air: 4; Close anti-air: 6) and the DD Gremy (Area anti-air: 5; Close anti-air: 6; defense: 4). The Allied player declares an SSM attack. The combined US SSM value is 24. The Allied player rolls the die and gets a 1, indicating he may attack only the Gremy (the unit at the bottom of the stack). All 24 SSM points are applied against the Gremy.
The combined Soviet Area anti-air value is 9. Since this is a sea-skimmer attack, this number is multiplied by 0.5, giving 4 (rounded down). The sum of the Soviet Close anti-air value is 12. (Even though the Gremy is at the bottom of the stack, the Soviet player may use the Close anti-air defense value of the Tmshk because it is at the top of the stack.) So the Soviet player's total defense value is 16 (4 + 12 = 16). The Soviet player rolls a die and gets a 0. Cross-referencing 0 in the Defense column with the 14-to-18 Combat Value column gives a defense modifier of 2.
The Allied player now attacks the Gremy with 24 points. He rolls the die and gets a 9. The defense modifier of 2 is subtracted from this result, and 2 more is subtracted because the attack is at a range of 2 hexes and there are no Allied units currently adjacent to the target hex. The final die roll is 5 (9-2-2=5). Cross-referencing 5 in the Attack column with the 19-to-24 Combat Value column gives a result of 4. The Gremy is therefore sunk (11.0). The combat is now over.
10.5 Cruise Missile Combat
A Cruise Missile combat may be carried out under certain circumstances:
- The force initiating the combat is an active surface unit (or stack) containing at least one unit with a Cruise Missile capability (that is, it has a Cruise Missile indicator on its counter). The initiating force may also be a submarine or an air unit with a Cruise Missile capability.
- The target of the attack is an enemy airfield, port, or coastal defense hex. (Enemy surface units or submarines may not be attacked by a Cruise Missile combat.) If a player attacks a hex containing a combined port/airfield, he must specify whether he is attacking the port or the airfield. Off-map airfields may be attacked by Cruise Missiles.
- US Cruise Missile attacks may be made against targets up to a distance of 25 hexes. Soviet attacks may be made against targets at a maximum distance of 18 hexes. The path between the attacker and the target does not have to be the most direct one possible, and it may pass through any hex type or hexside. In attacks against off-map airfields, the number of hexes between the map and the airfield must be counted.
- The attacking unit or stack may initiate a Cruise Missile combat against an enemy target even if it is at a range of more than one hex from the target. All Cruise-Missile-equipped units in a stack are not required to take part in an attack.
Cruise missile attack values of US units: A US Cruise Missile unit's attack value is equal to half its SSM value. If the unit is damaged, its Cruise Missile attack value is its damaged SSM value multiplied by 0.5 (rounded down). For example, the US cruiser Mispi's Cruise Missile attack value is 6, but 4 when damaged. If a stack of surface units carries out a Cruise Missile attack, one or all of the Cruise-Missile-equipped units in that stack may combine their Cruise Missile attack values into a single sum to carry out the attack.
Notable exceptions: The US battleship NJrsy's Cruise Missile attack value is equal to its printed SSM attack values (that is, 12 when undamaged and 9 when damaged). A US B-52G's Cruise Missile attack value is 18, and 12 when damaged.
Cruise missile attack values of Soviet units: The Cruise Missile attack value of all Soviet submarines is 9 (undamaged) and 6 (damaged). The Cruise Missile attack value of Soviet Tu-95H and Tu-160 air units is 12, and 9 when damaged.
Resolving Cruise Missile Combat: The Cruise Missile combat procedure is described below.
Preparing the attack
- The attacker determines the combined Cruise Missile attack value of all units taking part in the attack, and announces the enemy target hex (within range) to be attacked.
Defensive roll: There is no defensive roll in a Cruise Missile combat.
Resolving the attack
- The attacker rolls the die and consults the Combat Results table, cross-referencing the die value in the Attack column with the Combat Value column corresponding to the total Cruise Missile attack value determined in step 1.
- The following modifiers apply to the die roll:
- If the target hex has a CAP mission with a total anti-air value of 18 or more, the attacker subtracts 2 from his roll.
- If the target hex has a CAP mission with a total anti-air value of 9 to 17, the attacker subtracts 1 from his roll.
- The result will be a number from 0 to 11. Damage or destruction to the target is applied immediately (11.0).
The attack is now over. If necessary, a Local Detection marker is placed on the attacking unit. (If the attacking unit was a submarine, the players may need to consult the Submarine Detection table, 9.2.)
Cruise Missile Ammunition: In every scenario, the amount of ammunition available to Cruise Missile units is limited. In the basic scenarios, this information is given in each game's special rules. In the advanced game, players must track Cruise Missile expenditure even if the Logistics option is not in use. The number of Cruise Missile attacks a unit may make is shown on the player's Logistics Roster. Every time a unit takes part in a Cruise Missile attack, the player must check off one of the circles under the "CM" (Cruise Missile) heading. Once all CM circles have been checked off, it may no longer take part in a Cruise Missile combat for the rest of the game.
Cruise Missile combat example: A US stack of surface units comprising the battleship NJrsy and the cruiser Prctn carries out a Cruise Missile attack. The stack's total Cruise Missile attack value is 18 (12 + 6 = 18). (Remember that the Prctn's value equals half its printed SSM attack value on the counter.) The Allied player decides to attack Havana, which is located 24 hexes from his stack. The Allied player rolls a die and gets a 0. Using the Attack column with the 14-to-18 Combat Value column gives a result of 1. So Havana is undamaged and the attack is over.
10.6 Bombing Combat
A Bombing combat may be carried out under certain circumstances:
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The initiating force is an active air unit or stack.
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The target of the attack is an enemy airfield, port, coastal defense hex, or a detected surface unit (or stack). Off-map airfields cannot be attacked by Bombing.
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The attacking air unit must be in the same hex as the target.
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The attacking unit may initiate a Bombing attack against only one hex. It may not divide its Bombing value to attack different hexes. If a stack initiates a Bombing attack, not all units in the stack are required to take part.
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Once an air unit has completed its Bombing attack, it must return to a friendly airfield or carrier. If it does not have enough movement remaining to do so, it is destroyed.
BMB attack restrictions: BMB air units may not carry out Bombing attacks against enemy surface units. They may only bomb an enemy base or coastal defense hex. (If they have SSM values, they may carry out an SSM combat against enemy surface units.) INT and ATK air units may bomb enemy bases, coastal defense hexes, or surface units.
Attacks against bases: A Bombing attack against an enemy base or coastal defense hex may not be combined with an attack against surface units located in the same hex (and vice versa). The attack must be made against either the base/coastal defense hex or the surface units, not both. If a player attacks a hex with both a port and an airfield, he must specify whether he is attacking the port or the airfield.
Positioning Defending Units: Immediately before a Bombing attack against surface units is resolved, the defender may adjust the position of his units in the defending stack as he wishes. Units of different groups must be kept separate from each other, as well as from single units in the hex. In addition, docked units may never be repositioned together with undocked units, although docked and undocked units may be positioned within their own stacks separately. Once combat begins, the defender may no longer reposition his units.
US Stealth Attacks: The US F-117 air unit (Stealth Fighter) can make Stealth Attacks. A Stealth Attack may only be made against an enemy base — never against enemy surface units. A Bombing attack is considered a Stealth Attack only when a US F-117 — and no other Allied or US air unit — carries out the bombing of an enemy base. For an F-117's attack to be considered a Stealth Attack, no other US or Allied air unit — not even EW units — may be activated together with the F-117. Stealth Attacks affect the defensive combat die roll (see below). Stealth Attacks are also harder for enemy units on CAP to intercept (see 10.8). The F-117 may carry out non-stealth attacks if it is activated together with other US or Allied air units.
Resolving Bombing Combat: The Bombing combat procedure is described below.
Preparing the attack
- The attacker determines the total Bombing value of all participating units and announces the hex he is attacking.
- If the attack is against surface units, the defender may reposition his units in that stack.
- The attacker may choose one or all surface units in a hex as targets (including docked and undocked units in a port). If the attack is against a base, only the base may be the target.
- The attacker divides his Bombing value as he wishes, telling the defender how many points he is applying to each target. If there is only one target, the entire value is applied against it. A given target may be attacked only once per Bombing attack.
Defender's die roll
- The defender adds up the anti-air values of his units as follows:
A. Add together the Area anti-air values of all his air units in the hex.
Notable exceptions: If the target units occupy a restricted water or Fjord hex, skip step A. In addition, if the target is an enemy base or coastal defense hex, enemy surface units located at that base (whether docked or not) or in the hex may not contribute their Area anti-air values to the defense.
B. Add together the Close anti-air values of all surface units that are targets of the Bombing attack (declared in step 3), whether docked or undocked. If the target is a base or coastal defense hex, use only its Close anti-air value (printed directly in the hex); surface units located at that base may not contribute their Close anti-air values to the defense.
C. Add the Close anti-air values of units stacked directly beneath the target units.
Notable exceptions: If a unit beneath another target is also a target, do not add its Close anti-air value again. A unit's Close anti-air value may be added only once per Bombing attack. A unit at the top of the stack is considered stacked beneath the unit at the bottom of the stack. Thus, every unit in the stack has a unit stacked beneath it. Note that groups in the same hex cannot support each other in step C, nor can docked ships support undocked ships (and vice versa). In addition, if a unit stacked directly beneath a target has an anti-air value of "N," it contributes nothing to the target's defense.
D. If at least one of the targets is a docked surface unit (or stack) located in a port hex, the Close anti-air value of the port is added to the defense sum, even if the base itself is not being attacked. If all surface units are undocked, the port does not add its Close anti-air defense value.
E. Add the Area anti-air values of any friendly surface units in hexes crossed by the attacking air units on their route to the target. In addition, if the attacking air units pass through any hex within 2 hexes of friendly surface units with a long-range Area anti-air capability, add those units' values. A unit may contribute its Area anti-air value under this step only if it does not occupy the target hex. Eligible units may contribute their values a maximum of once per Bombing attack.
- The defender adds up the values from step 5. He rolls the die and consults the Combat Results table, cross-referencing the die roll with the Defense column and the Combat Value column corresponding to the sum from step 5. (If the sum in step 5 is 0, no defensive roll is made.) The following modifiers apply to the die roll (all modifiers are cumulative):
- If at least one (not necessarily all) of the target units chosen in step 3 is part of a Task Force, the defender adds 2 to his defensive roll. (This modifier does not apply to attacks against bases or coastal defense hexes.) Remember that docked surface units can form a Task Force.
- If none of the targets chosen in step 3 are part of a Task Force or Task Group, the defender subtracts 4 from his defensive roll. (This modifier does not apply to attacks against bases or coastal defense hexes.)
- If the attacking air unit stack has at least one EW unit, the defender subtracts 2 from his defensive roll.
- If the attack is a Stealth Attack, the defender subtracts 3 from his defensive roll.
The result is the defense modifier, which applies to each Bombing attack in step 7. In addition, the defense modifier can damage the attacking air units:
- If the number is between 0 and 3 (inclusive), the attacking air units are unaffected.
- If the number is between 4 and 6 (inclusive), the player controlling the air units rolls the die. On an odd roll, the attacking air units are unaffected. On an even roll (including 0), one air unit with a fighter-bomber or bomber role, chosen from the attacking stack by the enemy player, is immediately damaged. Flip it to its damaged side; if it is already damaged, it is destroyed instead.
- If the number is 7 or more, the player controlling the air units rolls the die twice. Even and odd results on each die roll affect the attacking air units as described above. For each even result, the enemy player flips one fighter-bomber or bomber air unit to its damaged side (and may eliminate a unit by assigning it 2 hits).
Resolving the attacks
- The attacker now resolves the Bombing attacks declared in step 4, one at a time. For each attack, he rolls the die and subtracts the defense modifier from the result. The following modifiers may also apply:
- If the hex occupied by the enemy target(s) has a Tactical Coordination air unit assigned to it, the attacker adds 2 to his die roll (7.4).
- If the attack is against surface units (not a base) in a restricted water or Fjord hex, the attacker adds 4 to his die roll.
- If the attack is against docked surface units, the attacker adds 6 to his die roll. (If the target is docked and in a restricted water hex, add only 6 to the die roll.) This modifier does not apply to undocked surface units being attacked in the same Bombing combat.
- If the target is a PC unit, the attacker subtracts 3 from his die roll.
- In Bombing attacks that occur at night, subtract 3 from the die roll (advanced game only; 15.1).
The attacker consults the Combat Results table, cross-referencing the modified die roll in the Attack column with the Combat Value column corresponding to the number of points of Bombing value applied to each attack. The result will be a number between 0 and 11.
Notable exception: If an attacking air unit is damaged as a result of the defensive roll in step 6, the attacker must adjust the number of points applied to each target from step 4 to reflect the reduced Bombing value. The attacker may reallocate the surviving bombing points as he wishes, as long as only the target units declared in step 3 are still chosen as targets (he must attack the same number of units originally declared). If the units damaged in step 6 did not take part in the attack, no adjustment is necessary.
- The result on the Combat Results table can damage or destroy surface units, bases, or coastal defense hexes (11.0).
- The attacker carries out steps 7 and 8 for each target declared in step 3; the combat then ends.
Bombing combat example: A US A-6 air unit (Bombing value: 90) carries out a Bombing attack against a detected Soviet Task Group comprising the CG Tmshk (Area anti-air: 4; Close anti-air: 6) and the DD Gremy (Area anti-air: 5; Close anti-air: 6; defense: 4). The Allied player states he will attack the Gremy, which is at the bottom of the stack, with all his Bombing points. The combined Soviet Area anti-air value is 9. The Gremy's Close anti-air value (6) is increased by the Tmshk's Close anti-air value (6), because the unit at the top of the stack is considered to be beneath the unit at the bottom.
The Soviet force's combined anti-air value is 21 (9+12=21). The Soviet player rolls a die and gets a 6, which, cross-referenced with the Defense column and the 19-to-24 Combat Value column, gives a combat modifier of 5. To determine if the A-6 is damaged, the Allied player rolls a die and gets a 0. Because this is an even number, the A-6 is damaged (it is flipped over), revealing a reduced Bombing value of 45.
Attacking the Gremy, now reduced to 45 points, the Allied player rolls a die and gets a 7. The defense modifier of 5 is subtracted, giving 2. Cross-referencing 2 between the Attack column and the 42-to-52 Combat Value column gives a result of 4. So the Gremy is sunk and the attack is over.
10.7 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Combat
An ASW combat may be carried out under certain circumstances:
- The force initiating the combat is an active surface unit, a submarine, or an air unit (or a stack of air or surface units). The attacking unit must not be docked.
- The target is a detected submarine unit. (The submarine may be docked.)
Notable exception: A docked submarine may only be attacked by another submarine. It may only be attacked by air units if the port in which it is docked is damaged or destroyed. A docked submarine may not be attacked by surface units. If a submarine occupies the same hex as a friendly surface unit with an Area anti-air value of 1 or more, it may not be attacked by air or surface units using ASW combat. It may only be attacked by enemy submarines.
- An attacking submarine or surface unit must be in a hex adjacent to the submarine; however, the attacker and defender may not be separated by a land hex or a blocked hexside. An attacking air unit must be in the same hex as the submarine.
- A unit carrying out an ASW attack may attack only one hex at a time.
- A submarine may be attacked only once per ASW combat during the enemy player's surface Action Segment, and once during the enemy player's air Action Segment. Once attacked by surface or air units, it cannot be attacked again in that segment. However, it may be attacked an unlimited number of times during the enemy player's submarine Action Segment.
Resolving ASW Combat: The ASW combat resolution procedure is explained below.
Preparing the attack
- The attacker may select a maximum of 3 active surface units, 4 active air units, or one active submarine to attack. He determines the combined ASW value of the participating units.
- The attacker may choose one detected submarine in a hex as the target.
Defensive die roll: There is no defensive die roll in an ASW combat.
Resolving the attack
- The attacker rolls a die and consults the Combat Results table, cross-referencing the die roll in the Attack column with the Combat Value column corresponding to the ASW sum from step 1. The following modifiers may apply to this roll (all modifiers are cumulative):
- If the target submarine has a Tactical Coordination air unit assigned to it, the attacker adds 2 to his roll (7.4).
- If the target submarine is in a restricted water or Fjord hex, the attacker adds 3 to his die roll.
- If the target submarine is docked, the attacker adds 3 to his die roll. (If the port is also in a restricted water hex, only 3 is added to the die roll.) Exception: if the target submarine is docked in a port that is not damaged or destroyed, and the submarine is the target of an ASW attack by enemy surface units, 3 is subtracted from the attacker's die roll. (Restricted water and Fjord are ignored.)
- If the target submarine is an undocked SB or SN (not SS) occupying a shallow water hex, the attacker adds 3 to his die roll.
- The combat result, which will be a number between 0 and 11, is compared with the target's defense value. Damage and destruction are immediately applied (11.0), and the combat is over. If necessary, a Local Detection marker is placed on the attacking units. If the attacking unit was a submarine, the players may need to consult the Submarine Detection table (9.2).
ASW combat example: The US SN Phila (ASW: 9) initiates an ASW attack against the detected Soviet SS Albts (defense: 6). An Allied Tactical Coordination air unit is currently assigned to the Albts. The Allied player rolls a die and gets a 9. 2 is added due to the presence of the Tactical Coordination air unit, giving a modified result of 11. Cross-referencing 11 with the Attack column and the 7-to-9 Combat Value column gives a result of 6. The Albts is sunk and the attack is over.
10.8 Air-to-Air Combat
An Air-to-Air combat occurs between opposing air units and is resolved on the Air-to-Air Combat Results table. It can occur at 3 points during a game turn.
Interception Segment: In this segment, which occurs only during the Strategic Air Phase, a combat must be fought between opposing air units on interception missions in the same zone (7.2). To determine who is the attacker, roll a die once for each zone in which a combat occurs. On an even roll (including 0), the Allied player is the attacker; on an odd roll, the Soviet player is the attacker.
Bounce Segment: In this segment, surviving units on interception missions may initiate combat against all enemy air units in the same zone that are on non-interception missions — reconnaissance, tactical coordination, and mining. To resolve this combat, the intercepting player rolls the die and consults the Bounce column of the Air-to-Air Combat Results table (no combat ratio is calculated). The intercepting player is the attacker. In the Bounce segment, a maximum of one "Bounce" combat may be fought per player per zone, regardless of how many surviving interception units that player still has in the zone.
Action Phase: Units on CAP from one or more CAP missions may interrupt the movement of enemy air units within range in order to initiate an Air-to-Air combat (8.2). CAP units that interrupt an enemy air unit's movement are always considered the attacker.
If a CAP mission attacks active enemy air units, enemy CAP missions can sometimes also take part in this combat (see below).
Defender's CAP: If a CAP mission interrupts the movement of active air units to attack them during the Action Phase, all of the enemy player's units on CAP missions (including EW units) within range of the hex where the combat is taking place may contribute their anti-air values to this combat. If the enemy CAP mission is from a carrier, the enemy air units' anti-air values are modified according to the range from their CAP marker to where the combat is taking place (8.2). A CAP mission bearing a "1 CAP Attack" or "2+ CAP Attacks" marker cannot support friendly active air units against enemy CAP attacks in this way. In addition, if a CAP mission supports friendly active air units as described above, it immediately gains a "1 CAP Attack" marker.
Resolving Air-to-Air Combat: The Air-to-Air combat procedure is described below (do not use this procedure for an air combat against Stealth Attacks):
- Combine the Anti-Air values of the attacker's air units. No unit may be omitted.
- Combine the Anti-Air values of the defender's air units. No unit may be omitted. If a CAP mission attacks active air units, the defender (the player controlling the active air units) may add the Anti-Air values of friendly units on CAP missions within range to the sum already counted (see below).
- Compare the sums from steps 1 and 2 and express this as a ratio: the attacker's Anti-Air value to the defender's Anti-Air value. Round this ratio down in the defender's favor to match one of the ratio columns on the Air-to-Air Combat Results table. There are 2 ratio rows: the Interception row is used for combats fought in the Interception segment, and the CAP row is used for combats initiated by CAP units. The Bounce column is used in the Bounce segment.
- The attacker rolls a die and modifies the roll if any of the following conditions are met (all modifiers are cumulative):
- If the attacker has at least one EW unit in his force, he adds 2 to his roll.
- If the defender has at least one EW unit in his force, the attacker subtracts 2 from his roll.
- If the attacking CAP mission has already made 1 attack in the current Action Segment (i.e., it has a "1 Attack" marker), 1 is subtracted from its roll.
- If the attacking CAP mission has already made 2 or more attacks in the current Action Segment (i.e., it has a "2+ Attacks" marker), 2 is subtracted from its roll.
- The modified die roll is cross-referenced with the ratio (or Bounce) column determined in step 3. The combat result is divided by a slash. Results to the left of the slash apply to the attacker; results to the right apply to the defender. Each result has a number, and some also have an "r."
- The numerical results indicate the number of damage steps inflicted on the affected player's units. For each step, one air unit is damaged (flip it; 11.0). A unit that is already damaged is destroyed if it suffers another step of loss. Undamaged units are destroyed if they suffer 2 steps of loss in one result.
In an air combat, the enemy player always chooses which of his own air units take the damage, but he must always apply damage first to INT units (if possible) playing the Fighter role within the affected force.
- If the combat result contains an "r," the affected player must Return to Base. If the result does not contain an "r," those units may continue their mission (see below).
- Once the results of an air combat have been applied, the combat is over.
CAP vs. Stealth Attacks: If a CAP mission attacks a US F-117 air unit that is carrying out a Stealth Attack, no combat ratio is calculated. Instead, the combat is resolved using the special "CAP vs. Stealth Attack" column on the Air-to-Air Combat Results table. US or Allied CAP missions that are 4 hexes or less from the hex in which the F-117 is being attacked cannot take part in the combat. The +2 die roll modifier for an attacking CAP mission that includes a participating EW air unit cannot be applied in this combat. The other modifiers, however, do apply. In addition, there are 2 special modifiers that apply in a CAP vs. Stealth Attack combat:
- If a CAP mission with a combined Anti-Air value of 10 or more attacks an F-117 unit carrying out a Stealth Attack, add 1 to the die roll.
- If a CAP mission with a combined Anti-Air value of 5 or less attacks an F-117 unit carrying out a Stealth Attack, subtract 1 from the die roll.
RCN, EW, and AEW Air Units: All RCN, EW, and AEW air units have Anti-Air values of "N" (0). If an air unit or stack with a combined Anti-Air value of 0 is attacked by an enemy CAP mission during an Action Phase, all active air units are automatically destroyed. There is no need to refer to the Air-to-Air Combat Results table. However, friendly CAP missions may support active RCN, EW, and AEW units against enemy CAP mission attacks.
Returning to Base: An "r" result means the air unit or stack must Return to Base. This result can mean different things depending on when the combat occurs.
- Interception Segment: Air units on interception missions in a zone where a combat occurs and that suffer an "r" are placed in one of the Return to Base boxes of the zone they occupy on the Strategic Air Display. Place the unit in the box corresponding to the zone from which it started, with the top of the counter pointing toward that original zone.
- Bounce Segment: An "r" result applies to all defending air units that are not on an interception mission in the zone where the combat occurs. Remove the air units from their mission boxes and place them in one of the Return to Base boxes of the zone they occupy.
- Action Phase: All CAP units that receive an "r" result are placed in their Return to Base boxes on the CAP Display. An active unit or stack whose movement was halted by a CAP mission and that suffers an "r" result must immediately return to the airfield or carrier from which it started, assuming it had not spent more than half its movement points (8.4).
Air units occupying a Return to Base box may perform no function for the rest of the game turn.
Continuing a mission: Results on the Air-to-Air Combat Results table that do not have an "r" mean the air units may continue their missions. If the combat occurs in the Interception or Bounce segments, the units remain on their assigned strategic missions. If the combat occurs in the Action Phase, the attacking CAP units remain on their mission and may initiate further combats; place or adjust the CAP Mission Attack markers on the CAP Display (8.2). Units whose movement was halted by CAP units may continue their movement from the point of interception (and cannot be attacked again by the same CAP mission for the rest of the Action Segment).
Air-to-Air combat example: The Allied player has 2 F-14A units (each with an Anti-Air value of 9) placed in the Interception box of the Norway zone. In the same zone of the Display, the Soviet player has an Su-24 unit (anti-air 4) based at Kiev, also on interception. He also has a Tu-16D on a reconnaissance mission and an Il-38 on Tactical Coordination in the same zone.
During the Interception segment, an air combat must be fought between the F-14s and the Su-24. A 3 is rolled, indicating the Soviet player is the attacker. The ratio is 4 to 18, or 1 to 5. The Soviet player rolls a die and gets a 7. Cross-referencing this roll with the 1-5 ratio column of the Interception row gives a result of "1r/0." The F-14s suffer no losses and remain on interception. The Su-24 loses 1 step and returns to base. It is flipped and placed in the Return to Base box corresponding to the zone it currently occupies.
In the Bounce segment, the Allied player attacks the 2 Soviet air units that are not on interception missions in the Norway zone. No ratio is calculated; the Allied player rolls the die and consults the Bounce column. The Allied player rolls a 9 and gets a result of "0/3r." The Allied player suffers no losses, but the Soviet units lose 3 steps (the Allied player decides how) and must be placed in one of the Return to Base boxes of the Norway zone. At the end of the Bounce segment, the F-14s are placed in a Return to Base box because their mission is over.
11.0 Damage
Damage can occur to units or bases as a result of combat. Units always start the game undamaged. A unit's damaged side is marked with an explosion graphic and, in most cases, reduced values.
11.1 How Damage Occurs
Damage Against Surface and Submarine Units: The numerical combat results obtained in attacks are compared with the target unit's defense value. There are 3 possible results:
- No effect: If the combat result is less than half the target's defense value, the attack fails. The target is unaffected.
- Damaged: If the combat result is equal to or greater than half the target's defense value, but less than its full defense value, the target is damaged (11.2).
- Sunk (destroyed): If the combat result is equal to or greater than the target's defense value, the target is sunk (eliminated).
Damage against Air Units: Air units take damage in terms of steps. Air units take damage during Bombing attacks (10.6) and Air-to-Air combats (10.8).
Damage against Bases: A combat result against a base during a Bombing or Cruise Missile attack can damage or destroy the base.
| Combat Result | Base Effect |
|---|---|
| 3 or less | None |
| 4 to 7 | Damage 1 |
| 8 to 9 | Damage 2 |
| 10 | Damage 3 |
| 11 | Destroyed |
11.2 Effects of Damage
Unit Damage: When a unit is damaged, it is flipped to its exploded side. If a unit is damaged again, it is sunk or destroyed and removed from the map.
Base Damage: If a base is damaged, place a marker of the appropriate type (Damage 1, Damage 2, Damage 3, Destroyed) in the hex. Damage is cumulative. If a base with 1 damage receives another Damage 1 result, flip the marker to its Damage 2 side. If a base with 2 damage receives a Damage 1 result, or a base with 1 damage receives a Damage 2 result, it receives a Damage 3 marker. Any base whose cumulative damage level exceeds 3 is destroyed.
In hexes with a port that is also an airfield, damage or destruction affects only the port or the airfield that was specified as the target. Damage or Destroyed markers carry port or airfield symbols; if a port is damaged or destroyed, place a Port Damaged/Destroyed marker in the hex, and if an airfield is destroyed or damaged, place an Airfield Damaged/Destroyed marker in the hex. If necessary, players may create additional Damaged/Destroyed markers using blank counters.
Damage to Units: Units at a damaged base are not themselves damaged. However, air units at a damaged airfield may not be activated, fly strategic missions, or fly CAP missions. Air units already on strategic missions or CAP when their airfield is damaged continue their missions. They return to the airfield either during the Strategic Mission Termination phase or the CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing phase.
The Close anti-air defense value of a damaged base or coastal defense hex is reduced as follows:
| Damage Level | Close Anti-Air Value |
|---|---|
| Damage 1 | Printed value x 1/2 (rounded down; minimum 3) |
| Damage 2 | 3 |
| Damage 3 | 0 |
| Destroyed | 0 |
Air units at an airfield that is destroyed are also destroyed. (Surface units and submarines at a destroyed port are not destroyed.) Units on CAP at a destroyed airfield continue their mission but are destroyed during the CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing phase. Units on strategic missions may not return to a destroyed airfield, but they may return to a different airfield during the Strategic Mission Termination phase (7.6). A destroyed base or coastal defense hex is no longer functional for the rest of the game and can never be attacked again. Its Close anti-air value can no longer be used.
11.3 Repair
Damaged surface units and submarines can never be repaired. Damaged air units may be repaired in the advanced game (17.0). Damaged bases and coastal defense hexes can be repaired. During the Repair phase of the Terminal Cycle (which occurs only during Night turns), all Damage 1 markers are removed from the map; all Damage 2 markers are reduced to Damage 1; all Damage 3 markers are reduced to Damage 2. Destroyed bases can never be repaired.
11.4 Torpedo Damage (Optional)
Players may wish to use the following rule to simulate more realistic torpedo damage effects against surface units. If a combat surface unit (CV, BB, CG, DD, FF, CT — but not CO and PC) or an AA unit suffers a Damaged result from an enemy torpedo attack, the player rolls a die.
- If the result is equal to or greater than the unit's defense value, it is "dead in the water." Place a "Movement Allowance 0" marker on the unit. The unit can no longer move for the rest of the game.
- If the die roll is less than the damaged unit's defense value, the difference between the die result and the defense value is the damaged unit's new movement capability. However, the maximum movement capability of a damaged unit in this case is 3 (2 for AA units). Place the appropriate "Movement Allowance" marker (1, 2, or 3) on the unit.
- If the die roll is even, do not flip the damaged unit. If it takes part in combat again, it uses the combat values printed on the undamaged side of the counter. However, it is treated as a damaged unit and is destroyed if it suffers another Damaged result later. In this case, it is the Movement Allowance marker that indicates the unit is damaged.
- If the die roll is odd, flip the unit to its damaged side as in the normal damage procedure. If it takes part in combat again, it uses the combat values printed on the damaged side of the counter. The unit is destroyed if it suffers another Damaged result.
A combat surface unit damaged by an enemy torpedo attack does not use its printed movement capability. Instead, it uses the movement capability printed on its Movement Allowance marker. If the Logistics Roster is in use (16.0), damaged units with a movement capability of 0 or 1 no longer expend fuel.
12.0 Mines
12.1 Mine Placement
There are 2 methods for placing mines:
Mining Missions: Each air unit on a strategic mine-laying mission may place a Mine marker in any coastal, shallow water, shoal, or restricted water hex (including hexes containing only islands) in the zone where the mission is taking place. Placement occurs during the Mine Segment of the Strategic Air Phase; the Soviet player goes first, the Allied player second. Once an air unit has placed mines, it is placed in the appropriate Return to Base box on the Strategic Air Display (7.6).
Soviet Submarines: Soviet submarines can lay mines, but only when the Logistics option is in use in the advanced game (16.0). During the Mine Segment of the Strategic Air Phase, the Soviet player may place a Mine marker in any coastal, shallow water, shoal, or restricted water hex (including hexes containing only islands) adjacent to a Soviet submarine. To do so, the Soviet player checks off 3 boxes for that submarine. If it does not have 3 free boxes remaining, it cannot lay mines.
Mine Limitations: Allied Mine markers are used if an Allied unit lays mines. Soviet markers are used if a Soviet-controlled unit lays mines. The number of Mine markers provided in the game (15 Soviet, 9 Allied) is a strict limit. If all of a player's markers are on the map, he cannot place any more for the rest of the game. The maximum number of Mine markers that can be placed in a hex is 4, regardless of which side placed them.
12.2 Effects of Mines
Once placed on the map, Mine markers are neutral; they affect both players regardless of who placed them. They remain on the map for the rest of the game and can never be removed. There are 2 ways in which Mine markers affect each player's units:
- When an active surface unit (or stack) or a submarine leaves a hex containing at least one Mine marker, the unit's or stack's movement is temporarily halted while the players consult the Mine table. Once the effects of the Mine table have been determined, the unit or stack may continue its movement.
- If a surface unit (or stack) or a submarine ends its activation in a friendly port hex that contains at least one Mine marker, the players must consult the Mine table.
Mine Table: To use the Mine table, the player controlling the active force rolls the die. (This roll must be modified; see below.) He cross-references the modified die roll with the column corresponding to the number of Mine markers in the hex (1, 2, 3, or 4). A result of "-" indicates the mines have no effect and the attack is over. A result of 1, 2, or 3 indicates the number of units in the affected force that suffer damage. To apply mine damage, follow this procedure:
- One of the players rolls a die. On an even roll (including 0), the player who owns the affected units applies the damage to his own units; on an odd roll, the opposing player applies the damage to the affected force.
- The player determined in step 1 chooses a number of units in the affected force equal to the number in the result. (If the number of units in the affected force is less than that number, ignore the excess.) Each chosen unit immediately suffers a Damaged result and is flipped to its damaged side. If it is already damaged, it is destroyed. A unit can never be selected to suffer 2 damage results in the same mine attack.
Notable exception: Surface units with a defense value of 5 or more can never be destroyed by mines. However, they can be damaged. Damaged surface units with a defense value of 5 or more cannot be selected in step 2 of the Mine Table procedure to suffer mine damage. Submarines and non-combat surface units with a defense value of 5 or more can be destroyed by mines.
If a unit is damaged by mines, any reduction to its movement capability takes effect only from the next game turn onward. In the current turn, it continues to move with the capability it had at the start of its activation.
Mine Table Die Roll Modifiers: The combined mine-clearing value of all minesweepers (MS units) in the active force, or in the hex containing mines at the time of the encounter, is added to the die roll. If the US minesweeping unit RH-53 (MSW) is located within 2 hexes of the hex containing mines that could affect friendly units (of any nationality), 2 is added to the die roll; this modifier is cumulative with MS units in the mined hex. MS units may support mine-clearing with their mine-clearing value an unlimited number of times per Action Phase. The US RH-53 unit, however, can be used to modify a mine-clearing die roll only once per Action Phase. The maximum modifier on the Mine Table is +4.
13.0 Aircraft Carriers
Aircraft carriers (CV) are mobile airfields from which air units operate while the carrier moves. Air units assigned to a carrier at the start of a scenario cannot be assigned to a different airfield or carrier (or vice versa).
Deployment of Air Units: Air units assigned to a carrier are deployed on the Aircraft Carrier Displays, off the map. Air units are considered to occupy the same hex as their carrier. A carrier's air units may be activated individually or in stacks with a maximum of 4 INT/ATK units and an unlimited number of EW, AEW, and RCN units. If a carrier is damaged, its air units are subject to the following restrictions:
- A maximum of only one of its INT units may be assigned to CAP.
- A maximum of only one of its units may be assigned to strategic missions.
- A maximum of 2 of its units may be activated during the air Action Segment. (They may be activated together or individually.)
If a carrier is destroyed, all of its air units are destroyed. (Units on CAP or strategic missions are destroyed during the CAP and Tactical Coordination Landing phase or the Strategic Mission Termination phase.)
Fjords: Air units aboard a US or Soviet carrier in a Fjord hex may not be activated. However, they may fly CAP and strategic missions.
USS Kearsarge and USS Peleliu: The US AA units Krsge and Peliu are treated as carriers even though they are not designated as such. (They also perform the function of AA units.) Each can carry one AV-8 air unit, in the same way as a carrier.
If the Krsge or the Peliu is removed from the game to satisfy victory conditions, its associated air unit is also removed and can no longer be used in the game. (These removals do not earn the Soviet player any victory points.) An AV-8 unit based aboard an AA unit can never be transferred to a land airfield or another carrier, nor can an AV-8 unit assigned to an airfield be transferred to a carrier or an AA unit.
14.0 Basic Game Scenarios
There are 9 scenarios for the basic game, 8 of which use only one map and few units. Scenario 9, which simulates a hypothetical war between India and Pakistan, uses 3 maps and takes somewhat longer to play than the other 8 scenarios. Each scenario has a complexity level of Low, Medium, or High. In the basic game scenarios, all turns are treated as Day turns (all scenarios begin on the AM turn). Do not use optional rules. In the setup instructions for every scenario, unit names are given followed by their nationality and type (in parentheses). Units that meet the size requirement may be grouped into Task Groups or Task Forces before the game begins. Surface or submarine units starting in ports are considered docked and must have a Docked marker placed on them.
Victory Points: The following victory points (VP) are earned by both players in many 3rd Fleet scenarios.
Enemy units destroyed: Players receive the following victory points for destroying enemy units:
| Enemy Unit Destroyed | VP Earned |
|---|---|
| INT, ATK, BMB air units | 3 VP |
| All other air units | No VP earned |
| SN | 5 VP per unit |
| SS | 3 VP per unit |
| Soviet CV Svdsk | 10 VP |
| US CV and the BB Njrsy | 16 VP |
| All other combat surface units | The unit's defense value |
| AA | The unit's current defense value divided by 2 (rounded down) |
| SC, FC, OL, AM, CS, MP, and MS units | 2 VP |
Units reaching objective hexes: Players receive the following VP if their units reach "objective hexes." The units and their objective hexes — whether primary or secondary — are listed in each scenario's special rules. Note that FC, SC, MP, and AA units have victory point values printed directly on their counters. Except for AA units, these values are lower on the flipped (damaged) side of the counters than on the normal side.
- If a designated unit reaches a primary objective hex, the player receives the VP value printed directly on that unit.
- If a designated unit reaches a secondary objective hex, the player receives the VP value printed directly on that unit multiplied by 1/2 (rounded down).
- Some scenarios specify VP awards for OL, AM, and CS units that reach objective hexes. OL, AM, and CS units, which have no printed VP values, each earn 10 VP for reaching a primary objective hex (even if damaged) and 5 VP for reaching a secondary objective hex (even if damaged).
Special VP awards: All scenarios have special VP awards that are listed directly in each scenario's victory conditions. Also note that some scenarios do not use the VP award list given above. Instead, they have special VP awards for destroying enemy units and for reaching objective hexes. These awards are always listed in each scenario's victory conditions.
Note: In scenarios played on one map, no unit may enter hexes that are cut in half or partial at the edges of the map. These partial hexes must be ignored. Players may assign air units to strategic missions in zones that are not complete. For example, in a scenario played on the West map, air units may be assigned to strategic missions in the North Arabian Sea, South Arabian Sea, and West Indian Ocean zones.
15.0 Darkness and Weather
15.1 Darkness
In advanced game scenarios, there are 2 types of game turns: Day turns and Night turns. AM and PM game turns are Day turns, and Night turns are Night turns.
Effects of Day: All rules apply normally during Day turns.
Effects of Darkness: The following limitations apply to air units during Night game turns:
- Bombing: In all Bombing attacks that occur at night, 3 must be subtracted from the attacker's die roll, unless one of the following units takes part in the attack with its Bombing value — in which case the die roll is not modified for darkness:
- United States: A-6, B-52G, F-15E, F-18D, F-111E, F-111F, F-16
- United Kingdom: Tornado GR
- Sweden: Viggen S
- West Germany: Tornado GR
- France: Super Etendard
- Soviet Union: MiG-29, MiG-29B, Su-24, Tu-16C, Tu-16G, Tu-26, Tu-95H, Tu-160
- Colombia: Mirage 5
- Venezuela: Mirage 50
- Air-to-Air Combat: All air units have their anti-air values reduced by 2 (minimum 1) at night, except for the following types:
- United States: F-14A, F-14D, F-15C, F-18C
- United Kingdom: Tornado GR
- Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Venezuela: F-16
- Colombia: Kfir
- Sweden: Gripen
- France: Rafale
- Soviet Union: MiG-29, MiG-29B, Su-27, Su-27B
Apart from these limitations, all rules apply normally at night.
Time of Year: If both players agree, in advanced game scenarios on the North Pacific and Atlantic maps (not the Caribbean), the maps may be treated as being in either winter or summer. If an advanced game scenario is played in winter, both the PM and Night turns are treated as night; only the AM turn is day. If an advanced game scenario is played in summer, the AM, PM, and Night turns are all treated as day. There is no night.
15.2 Weather
During the Weather phase, which occurs during the AM turns of the Strategic Cycle, the Allied player rolls the die and consults the Weather table. There are 3 possible results: Clear, Squall, and Storm.
If the result is Clear, nothing further happens; weather has no effect for the next 3 game turns. If the result is Squall or Storm, the die is rolled again, the Zone table is consulted, and the zones affected by the squall or storm are determined. Players must note the names of the affected zones — every hex within those zones is affected by the result for the next 3 game turns.
Squall: Squalls have the following effects:
- A surface unit must spend 2 movement points to enter a hex in a zone under a squall.
- Surface units in a squall zone have only their Limited Detection zones.
- Submarine movement capability is not affected by a squall.
- Air units at airfields in a squall zone may be activated normally; however, carrier-based air units cannot be activated. Carrier-based air units may fly strategic missions and CAP in a squall zone (whether or not the carrier itself is in a squall zone).
- Air units may move through a squall zone and fly strategic missions normally.
- Replenishment at sea cannot take place in a squall zone (16.0).
Storm: Storms have the following effects:
- A surface unit must spend 4 movement points to enter any type of hex in a zone under a storm. (However, surface units may always move at least one hex during their activation.)
- Submarine movement is not affected by a storm.
- Air units in a storm zone cannot be activated, fly strategic missions, or fly CAP.
- A strategic mission cannot be flown into a storm zone, even by air units starting in another zone.
- Air units may move through a storm zone normally.
- Detection markers are removed from all surface units occupying or entering a storm zone. Thus, surface units in a storm zone cannot be attacked.
- No attacks may be made by a unit in a storm zone. However, submarines in a storm zone may make ASW attacks.
- Surface units in a storm zone exert no detection zones; likewise, their detection zones do not extend into a storm zone. Submarines in a storm zone exert a Limited Detection zone, but they may only attempt to detect enemy submarines — never surface units.
- Replenishment at sea and in port cannot take place in a storm zone (16.0).
Note: A surface unit beginning its movement in a storm or squall zone may move into a hex adjacent to a clear-weather zone with no ill effect. Also, air units on strategic missions are not affected by squalls or storms lying between the mission's point of origin and where it takes place.
Williwaws: Williwaws can only occur on the North Pacific map. A Williwaw is a violent gust of wind blowing from the land out to sea. During the Second World War, Williwaws frequently caused severe damage to American bases in the Aleutians. Williwaws have the following effects, applied during the Weather phase of the AM turn. There is no effect during PM and Night turns.
- If a Williwaw result occurs, the US player rolls a die and consults the North Pacific table. Only the first zone listed after that number on the table is affected by the Williwaw; any other zones listed after that number are ignored.
- The US player rolls a die once for each base (Allied or Soviet) located in the affected zone. On an odd roll, one surface or air unit of the owning player's choice located at that base is immediately damaged. (If it is already damaged, it is destroyed instead.) On an even roll (not counting 0), 2 surface or air units of the owning player's choice located at that base are immediately damaged. (If a chosen unit is already damaged, it is destroyed instead. Alternatively, a surface or air unit already on its damaged side is destroyed.) On a roll of 0, all surface and air units currently located at that base are immediately destroyed. (Exception: see #3 below.)
- Surface units with defense values of 5 or more, as well as submarines, can never be affected by Williwaw damage. If such units are the only units occupying the hex of a base affected by a Williwaw, the Williwaw has no effect on that base.
Note: The Weather die roll does not take place in an advanced game scenario played on the Caribbean map. However, Caribbean weather and zone tables are provided for players who wish to create their own Caribbean scenarios using the full weather rules.
16.0 Logistics (Optional)
The Logistics option makes for more realistic games, but increases playing time and requires rosters to track information. Logistics should be used only in the advanced game.
16.1 The Logistics Rosters
Each player has a Logistics Roster (which also tracks information for advanced scenarios). Victory Games Inc. grants players permission to make copies of these rosters for personal use.
Units on the rosters are listed by country and are subdivided into 4 categories: Surface, Carrier, Submarine, and Replenishment. Each unit has a number of boxes in which ammunition and fuel consumption are recorded. A unit can never have more boxes checked off than are provided on the roster. Marks on the rosters should be made in pencil, since the information may change over the course of the game. Certain unit types are not listed on the rosters (such as AA, PC, ET, FT, FC, and SC) because logistics information is not tracked for these units. The roster information is available to both players at all times.
16.2 Surface Units and Ammunition Expenditure
Surface units (except carriers) have 3 types of ammunition boxes: Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), and Area Anti-Air (AAA). If a unit has no boxes for one of these types, it can never carry out that type of combat. Also, once a unit has no free boxes remaining in any of these categories, it can no longer use the value corresponding to that ammunition type (it can, however, be replenished; 16.6).
SSM Ammunition: When a unit takes part in an SSM combat, one of its SSM boxes is checked off. If several units carry out an SSM combat, each participating unit has one of its SSM boxes checked off. Some surface units have a star next to their SSM boxes. This means the unit can only replenish its SSM ammunition in a port, never at sea (16.6).
Intensive and Maximum SSM Attacks: When surface units carry out an SSM attack, the player may announce that all or some of the participating units are making an "intensive" or "maximum" attack. In an intensive attack, the SSM attack value of participating units is multiplied by 1.5 (rounded down), but 2 SSM boxes are checked off for each participating unit; for a maximum attack, the SSM attack value of participating units is multiplied by 2, but 3 SSM boxes are checked off for each participating unit. Within an attacking stack, some units may carry out one type of SSM attack while others carry out another.
PC units can never make intensive or maximum attacks.
Secondary SSM Ammunition: Some surface units have 2 sets of SSM boxes. This means the unit is armed with 2 types of SSM: one type is represented by the SSM values printed on the counter, and the other by the values in parentheses on the Logistics Roster (this second type also has a gray band over it). The number to the left of the slash is the second SSM type's range; the number to the right is its attack value.
If a unit with 2 SSM types takes part in an SSM attack, the owning player must state which SSM type is being used (both types cannot be used in the same attack). The player checks off one box of the appropriate SSM type after the attack. Upon replenishment (16.6), both SSM types return to full capacity. Note that SSMs with a range of 2 are Harpoons, and those with a range of 5 are Tomahawks.
ASW Ammunition: If a surface unit takes part in an ASW combat, the player checks off one of the unit's ASW boxes. A unit using its ASW value in defensive combat against a torpedo attack does not have to check off an ASW box.
Once a unit has all its ASW boxes checked off, it can no longer use its ASW value in either an ASW combat or defensive combat against torpedo attacks. A lack of ASW ammunition does not affect a unit's detection capabilities.
AAA Ammunition: When a unit uses its Area anti-air value in defensive combat against an enemy SSM or Bombing attack, the player checks off one of the unit's AAA boxes.
AAA Ammunition Used as SSMs (Optional): US and Australian surface units with Area anti-air values of 1 or more may use AAA ammunition in SSM attacks. If the Allied player wishes to use a unit's AAA ammunition to carry out an SSM attack, he states so and checks off one AAA box. A unit carrying out such an attack has an SSM value of 5 and an SSM range of 1. The SSM is treated as "fast." If a unit uses AAA ammunition to carry out an SSM attack, it may not use any other type of SSM ammunition in that attack. However, other participating units may use different SSM types.
Cruise Missile Ammunition: Units equipped with guided missiles (those with a Cruise Missile silhouette on their counters) have one or more circles under the CM column of the Logistics Roster. In a Cruise Missile attack, each participating unit has one of its circles checked off. Once a unit has no circles remaining, it can no longer take part in a Cruise Missile combat. Cruise Missiles can never be replenished.
Patrol Combatants (PC): PC units are not listed on the Logistics Roster and therefore do not track their ammunition (or fuel) expenditure. They can make an unlimited number of SSM attacks and never need to be replenished (but they cannot make intensive or maximum attacks). However, if a PC unit is not located in a port hex of its own country during the Fuel phase of the Terminal Cycle (which occurs only on Night turns) of an even-numbered game turn (that is, turns 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36), it is automatically eliminated (sunk); the opposing player receives the victory points for PC units lost this way. If a PC unit is located in a port hex of a country other than its own during the Fuel phase, it is likewise lost.
Aircraft Carriers: If a carrier uses its SSM, ASW, or AAA values in combat, this expenditure is recorded in the same way as for other surface units.
16.3 Submarines and Ammunition Expenditure
Submarines have 2 types of ammunition boxes: SSM and Torpedo (TORP). All submarines have torpedoes, but some have no SSM. Once all the boxes of a given type are checked off, a submarine can no longer use the corresponding value for that ammunition type until it is replenished (16.6).
SSM Ammunition: When a submarine carries out an SSM combat, one of its SSM boxes is checked off. Submarines can carry out intensive and maximum SSM attacks against surface units (16.2). Some US submarines have 2 SSM types, which are used in the same way as for surface units.
Torpedo Ammunition: When a submarine takes part in a torpedo or ASW combat, the player checks off one of its torpedo boxes on the roster. A submarine using its ASW value in defensive combat against a torpedo attack does not expend a TORP box; however, once all its TORP boxes are checked off, it can no longer use its ASW value in defensive combat against a torpedo attack. A lack of torpedo ammunition does not affect a submarine's detection capability.
Cruise Missile Ammunition: Submarines equipped with Cruise Missiles expend Cruise Missile ammunition in exactly the same way as surface units (16.2).
Intensive and Maximum Torpedo Attacks: When a submarine carries out a torpedo attack, the player may announce that the attack is intensive or maximum. These attacks expend ammunition and increase the Torpedo value in the same way as an intensive or maximum SSM attack (16.2).
16.4 Air Units and Ammunition Expenditure
For each carrier-based air unit carrying out a Bombing combat, the player must check off one BOMB box among those of the carrier. Once all of a carrier's BOMB boxes are checked off, its air units can no longer carry out a Bombing combat until the carrier has been replenished (16.6).
Air units based at airfields that carry out a Bombing or SSM combat do not expend ammunition — the base is treated as having an unlimited supply of all types. Air units carrying out an ASW or air combat never expend ammunition. Air units can always fly strategic missions and CAP regardless of ammunition.
Aircraft SSM: Several carriers have sets of boxes labeled AIR SSM. Air units based aboard these carriers that carry a special SSM indicator can carry out SSM attacks. For each air unit carrying out an SSM attack, one AIR SSM box is checked off.
Notable exception: If a US A-6 air unit carries out an SSM attack, 2 boxes are checked off.
Air Unit SSM Values: The SSM values of all air units with special SSM indicators are given below. The number to the left of the slash is the unit's SSM attack value; the number to the right of the slash is its range. The carrier names carrying these SSM-equipped air units are given in parentheses. All of the following SSMs are sea-skimmers:
- US F-18C and S-3 (Harpoon): 20/2 (10/2 if damaged)
- US A-6 (Harpoon): 60/2 (40/2 if damaged)
- French Super Etendard (Exocet): 30/1 (18/1 if damaged)
- UK Sea Harrier (Sea Eagle): 9/2 (4/2 if damaged)
- Soviet MiG-29B (AS-9): 18/2 (9/2 if damaged)
Once all of a carrier's AIR SSM boxes have been checked off, its air units can no longer carry out SSM attacks until the carrier has been replenished (16.6). Land-based air units with special SSM indicators cannot carry out SSM attacks.
16.5 Movement and Logistics
Units on the Logistics Roster that have Fuel boxes must track fuel expenditure. Those without Fuel boxes, such as submarines, replenishment ships, and all carriers, do not expend fuel (note that nuclear-powered ships such as the US BB Wiscn or the BB Njrsy do not expend fuel; these are marked UNLIM (unlimited) in the Fuel column).
Fuel Expenditure: During the Fuel phase of the Terminal Cycle (which occurs during Night turns), one Fuel box is checked off for every surface unit on the map that has Fuel boxes. This mark is made regardless of the distance the unit traveled in the preceding turns. (It may not have moved at all.)
Optional Fuel Expenditure: If players want a more realistic tracking of fuel consumption, they may agree not to check off Fuel boxes for units that did not move at all, or moved a maximum of one hex, during each AM, PM, or Night turn. To keep track of units that moved, place a slash (/) in a Fuel box if the unit moves more than 2 hexes in any AM, PM, or Night Action Phase. If the unit does not move, or moves only 1 or 2 hexes, do not place a slash. During the Fuel phase, a unit with a slash has one of its boxes checked off. Units without a slash have no boxes checked off.
Out of Fuel: When all of a unit's Fuel boxes have been checked off, the unit is out of fuel. Place an "Out of Fuel" marker on it. A unit that is out of fuel suffers the following consequences:
- Its movement capability is 1. A unit that is out of fuel may dock for free.
- Its defense value is reduced by 1 (with a minimum of 1).
16.6 Replenishment
To regain its ammunition and fuel, a unit must replenish. There are 2 types of replenishment: in port and at sea. A unit may replenish before all its Fuel and ammunition boxes have been checked off.
A unit that replenishes cannot be activated during the Action Phase immediately following the Replenishment phase. Units stacked in the same hex that are not replenishing may be activated. Players must turn a replenishing unit's marker 180 degrees to remember that the unit cannot be activated. Air units assigned to a replenishing carrier cannot be activated, but they may fly strategic missions and CAP. At the end of the Action Phase, players must turn units that have just replenished back to their normal orientation.
If a unit is attacked while replenishing at sea (that is, turned 180 degrees), its defense value is reduced by 1 (minimum of 1). This reduction does not stack with the out-of-fuel penalty (16.5). Within a stack, only units currently replenishing suffer this penalty.
Replenishment Units: There are 3 types of replenishment units: Combat Support (CS), Oiler (OL), and Ammunition (AM). Allied ET and FT (tankers) are not replenishment units. Replenishment units have 2 rows of boxes on the roster: Ammunition Points (AP) and Fuel Points (FP).
Some US carriers and the BB Wiscn have FP boxes on the Allied Logistics Roster. These boxes are used only when optional rule 20.4 is in use.
In-Port Replenishment: To replenish in port, a unit must be docked in a friendly port hex at the start of the Replenishment phase. In-port replenishment cannot take place in a destroyed or damaged port, or a port located in a storm zone. A maximum of 4 units (only one of which may be a replenishment unit or a CV) may be replenished in each port per Replenishment phase. A player carries out the following actions for each unit replenishing in port:
- If the unit is a combat surface unit other than a carrier, he clears all checks in its SSM, ASW, AAA, and Fuel boxes.
- If the unit is a submarine, he clears its checked TORP and SSM boxes.
- If the unit is a carrier, he clears all its checked SSM, ASW, AAA, BOMB, and AIR SSM boxes.
- If the unit is a replenishment unit, he clears all its checked AP or FP boxes (not both).
Cruise Missile (CM) and nuclear weapon (N) boxes for surface units and submarines can never be cleared.
Ports have unlimited supplies and expend no points or boxes to replenish friendly units.
In-Port Replenishment Example: During the Replenishment phase, the US units Cnole (FF), Mnstr (FF), Hoel (DD), Grman (OL), and Svnah (CS) are docked at Dutch Harbor. Because the Grman and the Svnah are both replenishment units, the Allied player cannot replenish both of them in the same port at the same time. So he decides to replenish the Cnole, Mnstr, Hoel, and Grman. All checked boxes on the Logistics Roster for these units are cleared (except for Cruise Missiles or nuclear weapons).
At-Sea Replenishment: To replenish at sea, a surface unit must occupy the same hex as a friendly replenishment unit (CS, AM, OL) at the start of the Replenishment phase. Subject to the restrictions below, for each Ammunition Point (AP) box checked off on the replenishing unit, the player may take one of 4 possible actions for friendly surface units in the same hex:
- He may clear all SSM, ASW, and AAA checks (but not Cruise Missile or nuclear weapons) on a surface unit that is not a carrier.
- He may clear all SSM, ASW, AAA, and AIR SSM checks on a carrier.
- He may clear a single BOMB check on a carrier.
- He may clear a single AP check on a replenishment unit.
Subject to the restrictions below, for each Fuel Point (FP) box checked off on a replenishment unit, the player may take one of 2 possible actions for surface units in the same hex:
- He may clear all Fuel checks on a single combat surface unit.
- He may clear a single FP check on another replenishment unit.
At-Sea Replenishment Restrictions: At-sea replenishment is subject to the following restrictions:
- Submarines can never be replenished at sea.
- Surface units with SSM boxes marked with a star can never have their SSM checks cleared while replenishing at sea. They can only have their SSM boxes cleared while replenishing in port.
- A replenishing unit cannot clear more than 6 AP and/or FP per Replenishment phase.
- At-sea replenishment cannot take place in hexes located in squall or storm zones.
Allied units may replenish at sea from other Allied units regardless of nationality.
At-Sea Replenishment Example: During the Replenishment phase, the US units Amrca (CV), HueCy (CG), and Qrtms (CS) are stacked in the same hex. The Allied player clears 5 AP boxes and 1 FP box (the maximum allowed per Replenishment phase). He decides to clear the Fuel checks on the HueCy (spending the FP), the SSM, ASW, and AAA checks on the HueCy (spending 1 AP), 3 BOMB checks on the Amrca (spending 3 more AP), and finally, all the ASW checks on the Amrca (spending the 5th AP).
16.7 Out of Fuel/Ammo Markers
Both players must check their Logistics Rosters whenever a unit uses a combat value tracked on the roster. If a unit runs out of a resource type, the player must place an Out of Fuel or Out of Ammo marker on it. If it runs out of both fuel and ammunition, flip the marker to its Out of Fuel & Ammo side.
Note that the Out of Ammo marker is placed on a unit if it runs out of any one type of ammunition; it does not need to be out of every type of ammunition. The unit can still use the combat values corresponding to the ammunition types it has remaining. Remove Out of Fuel/Out of Ammo markers once the unit is replenished.
17.0 Random Events
During the Random Events phase of each Strategic Cycle, except on Turn 1, the Allied player rolls a die and both players consult the Random Events table. There are 3 possible results, explained below:
Aircraft Replacement: The indicated player may choose any of his non-Bomber (BMB) air units on the map (including those at off-map airfields and units based aboard carriers) that is currently showing its damaged side. The chosen air unit is flipped to its undamaged side. Destroyed units can never be replaced.
Command Failure: Roll the die again. On an odd roll, the command failure applies to the Soviet player; on an even result (including 0), the command failure applies to the Allied player. The affected player rolls a die and consults the Zone table, and suffers the following penalties:
- All of the affected player's air units occupying the indicated zones cannot be activated, nor can they fly strategic missions, during the current game turn and the next 2 turns. CAP missions may still be flown normally, but they cannot support friendly air units attacked by enemy CAP missions in air combat (10.8). During the following Strategic Air phase, none of the affected player's air units occupying other zones may fly strategic missions into any of the indicated zones.
For purposes of the command failure, off-map airfields are treated as occupying the zone to which they are connected.
Commando Raid: Roll a die; on an odd roll, the Soviet player may carry out a Commando Raid; on an even roll (including 0), the Allied player may carry out a Commando Raid. The indicated player may choose any airfield belonging to the enemy player (but not off-map airfields or ports, nor carriers) as the target of the raid. If a player carries out a raid more than once per game, he may choose the same airfield as the target each time. Once the target has been chosen, the raiding player rolls a die and consults the Commando Raid table to determine the result:
| Die Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 0-1 | No effect |
| 2-4 | Damage 1 |
| 5-6 | Damage 2 |
| 7-8 | Damage 3 |
| 9 | Destroyed |
If the Commando Raid result inflicts damage on the target airfield, the Damage (or Destroyed) marker is placed on the airfield. If the airfield is already damaged, the damage result is added to its current damage level (11.1). Thus, if an airfield already has Damage 1 and suffers a Damage 2 result during a raid, its Damage 1 marker is replaced with a Damage 3 marker; if it receives a Damage 3 result during the raid, it is destroyed.
18.0 Tactical Nuclear Warfare (Optional)
The game assumes that only conventional weapons are used. However, by mutual consent, players may employ nuclear weapons, but only if the Logistics option is in use (16.0). When these rules are used, ignore the stacking limit given in section 6.0. Any number of friendly surface units may be stacked together at the end of a surface Action Segment.
18.1 Availability of Nuclear Weapons
Only US, French, British, and Soviet units may use nuclear weapons. There are 4 types of nuclear weapons: SSM, Bomb, ASW, and Area Anti-Air. (Cruise Missile attacks can never be nuclear.) If a surface unit or submarine has nuclear weapons in one or more of these categories, it has an "N" printed behind the appropriate ammunition boxes on the Logistics Roster. (Submarines with nuclear ASW weapons have an N behind their TORP boxes.) Air units can also make nuclear attacks (see below).
18.2 Use of Nuclear Weapons
When a player initiates a combat and one or more of the participating units has nuclear weapons for that combat type, he may announce that all or some of his units are using nuclear weapons. For each unit using nuclear weapons, the player crosses out its N (or checks a box for an air unit) in the appropriate section of the Logistics Roster. Once a surface unit's or submarine's N has been checked, it can no longer use that type of nuclear weapon for the rest of the game. Nuclear weapons can never be replenished.
Air units can continue to make nuclear attacks as long as they have unchecked boxes in the Air Unit Nuclear Attack section of their Logistics Roster.
Combat with nuclear weapons is resolved normally, with the following exceptions:
SSM: A unit using nuclear SSMs has its SSM attack value increased. Multiply the attacking unit's SSM attack value by the following factors, which vary depending on the number of enemy surface units (of any type) in the target hex:
| Number of Surface Units in Hex | SSM Attack Value Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 13 or more | x5 |
| 5 to 12 | x4 |
| 4 or less | x3 |
A unit using nuclear SSMs cannot make intensive or maximum attacks, and cannot attack targets at bases.
Soviet air units (not Allied) with SSM values may make nuclear attacks. For each Soviet air unit making such an attack, the Soviet player checks off one SSM box in the Air Unit Nuclear Attacks section of his Logistics Roster.
Bombing: All US and Soviet INT and ATK units may make nuclear bombing attacks. Such attacks may be made only against enemy surface units — never against bases or units at bases. The bombing attack value of units carrying out a nuclear bombing attack is increased in the same way as for SSMs (see above). For each unit making such an attack, the player checks off one BOMB box in the Air Unit Nuclear Attacks section of his Logistics Roster.
ASW: Surface, submarine, and air units making nuclear ASW attacks have their values multiplied by 5. This increase is not used in defensive combat against torpedo attacks. Among air units, only US and Soviet RCN units may make nuclear ASW attacks; if they do, the player checks off one ASW box for each attacking unit in the Air Unit Nuclear Attacks section of his Logistics Roster.
A nuclear ASW attack cannot be made against a submarine occupying a Base hex.
Area Anti-Air: If a surface unit uses nuclear anti-air weapons in defensive combat against SSM or Bombing attacks, its Area anti-air value is multiplied by 5.
18.3 First Use of Nuclear Weapons
Once a player has used nuclear weapons, both players may use them without penalty for the rest of the game. However, the first use of nuclear weapons is restricted:
- Neither player may use them during the first 3 game turns.
- Neither player may use them during the last 3 game turns.
If nuclear weapons are used, the player who did not use them first earns 100 victory points at the end of the game.
19.0 Deep Mode (Optional)
If the players agree to use this option, submarines may enter a special mode called "Deep Mode."
19.1 How to Enter Deep Mode
During the Submarine Mode phase of the Strategic Cycle, players may place Deep markers — the Soviet player first, then the Allied player — on all or some of their submarines that have a movement capability of 2 or more. During this phase, players may also remove Deep markers from their submarines. Once a submarine enters Deep Mode, it must remain in that mode for the next 3 game turns (AM, PM, and Night).
Deep Mode has nothing to do with a submarine's Deep-Diving capability. Submarines that are not Deep-Diving may enter Deep Mode.
Notable exception: A submarine may not enter Deep Mode in a shallow water, restricted water, or Fjord hex.
19.2 Effects of Deep Mode
Submarines in Deep Mode operate normally, with the following exceptions:
Movement: The movement capability of all submarines in Deep Mode is 1. Submarines in Deep Mode cannot move at full speed and cannot enter shallow water or restricted water hexes.
Combat: If a submarine in Deep Mode is attacked in an ASW combat, the attacker subtracts 1 from his die roll. Submarines in Deep Mode may carry out ASW combats normally, but they cannot carry out Cruise Missile or SSM attacks. Submarines in Deep Mode may carry out torpedo combats, but their torpedo values are halved (rounded down).
Detection: When resolving a detection attempt against a submarine in Deep Mode on the Submarine Detection table, add 2 to the die roll (9.2).
20.0 Optional Rules
The following optional rules may be used by mutual consent of the players.
20.1 Increased Movement for Air Units
Extended Range: An active INT, ATK, or BMB unit may operate at Extended Range (which adds extra fuel). The unit's movement capability is then increased by 25% (rounded down), but its Bomb, Anti-Air, and SSM attack values are halved (rounded down, with a minimum value of 1).
Mid-Air Refueling: US, British, and Soviet air units can increase their movement capability through mid-air refueling. There are 4 Aerial Refueling (AR) air units in the game: KA-6 (US); KC-135 (US); Victor (UK); and Tu-16A (Soviet). AR units have no combat values and can never move; they remain at the airfield or carrier where they started the game unless destroyed. The US KA-6 must start aboard a carrier; the other AR units must start at an airfield. During a player's air Action Segment, an INT, ATK, or BMB air unit occupying the same airfield or carrier as an AR unit of the same nationality may gain 50% additional movement capability during that segment. For this increase to take effect, the INT, ATK, or BMB unit must not move within 4 hexes of an enemy INT unit during the first 10 hexes of movement during its activation. If a player has more than one AR unit in play, each AR unit can increase the movement capability of only one INT, ATK, or BMB unit during a given Action Segment.
High Mission Profile: Any INT, ATK, BMB, or EW air unit may be activated with a "High Mission Profile" (that is, flying at the highest possible altitude to save fuel). This increases the unit's movement capability by 25% (rounded down), but if it carries out a Bombing or SSM combat during that activation, the enemy player adds 2 to his defensive roll.
Note: Air units may combine all of the movement bonuses above for a total increase of up to 100%.
Reduced Range: Any INT, ATK, or BMB unit may operate at "Reduced Range" (that is, extra ordnance is carried in place of fuel). This halves the unit's movement capability, but increases its bombing value by 30. (Exception: an air unit with a bombing value of less than 20 has its value increased by only 15; thus an INT unit operating in the Fighter role has its bombing value increased not at all.) SSM, Anti-Air, and ASW values are not affected when operating at reduced range. This option cannot be combined with the "Extended Range" or "High Mission Profile" options, but it can be combined with the mid-air refueling option. In that case, the unit uses its printed movement capability, but its bombing value is increased as described above.
20.2 High Speeds
During the Action Phase of AM game turns, players may declare that all or some of their combat surface units (except PC units) will move at high speed. To do so, the player must immediately check off one Fuel box on his Logistics Roster for each unit using high speed. (This check is in addition to those made during the Fuel phase.) CO and FF units moving at high speed have their movement capability increased by 1 point for the next 3 turns (AM, PM, and Night) of that day. All other surface units have their movement capability increased by 2 for the next 3 game turns of that day. Units moving at high speed must spend 2 movement points to enter a restricted water hex.
20.3 Close Combat
All surface units have a Close Combat value, which is the SSM value increased by short-range weapons such as guns and helicopters. A player may carry out a Close Combat only when he declares an SSM attack; although it is a Close Combat — unlike an SSM combat — it can be used against enemy bases or coastal defense hexes, but a player cannot carry out a Close Combat and then make a separate SSM attack in the same segment.
Close Combat Against Enemy Surface Units: If the active player declares an SSM attack against enemy surface units at a range of 1 hex, he may declare a Close Combat. A Close Combat may be declared against docked enemy surface units.
Notable exception: A Close Combat cannot be declared if the attacker is separated from the target hex by a land hex or a blocked hexside.
If Close Combat is used, at least one — and up to a maximum of 2 — SSM combats (one for the active player's units, another for the inactive player's target units) are resolved in sequence. Except as noted below, these attacks are resolved normally:
- Participating units use their Close Combat values (not their SSM values).
- The attacker is free to choose his target. He does not roll a die to determine whether the target must be chosen from the top or bottom of the stack.
- When a defensive combat is resolved, the defender does not count his units' Area anti-air values. Likewise, the defensive modifiers for AEW and F-14 air units on CAP over the target hex are ignored.
- Restricted water and coastal hexes do not modify the attacker's die roll.
When a Close Combat is declared, the active player rolls a die and consults the Close Combat Attack table to determine how the resulting attack(s) are resolved.
Close Combat Attack Table
| Die Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 | Active only |
| 1-5 | Active first / Inactive second |
| 6-8 | Inactive first / Active second |
| 9 | Inactive only |
On a result of 0 or 9, only the indicated player may carry out a Close Combat. Once the attack is made, the combat is over and the units continue their activation. (Active units are treated as having carried out an SSM combat even if the die roll did not allow them to attack.) On any other die roll (1-8), the indicated player carries out a Close Combat first and applies damage. Then any surviving enemy units may carry out a second Close Combat. Inactive docked units (even those replenishing) may carry out a Close Combat.
A Close Combat against enemy units expends SSM ammunition normally for both players. A player may use intensive and maximum attacks in Close Combat (16.2):
- In an intensive attack, each participating unit's SSM value is multiplied by 0.5 (rounded down), and the product is added to the unit's printed Close Combat value.
- In a maximum attack, each participating unit's printed SSM value is added to its printed Close Combat value.
Surface units with no SSM value, as well as those with no unchecked SSM boxes, may still carry out a Close Combat, but they cannot use intensive or maximum attacks. A unit with unchecked SSM boxes can attack using its printed Close Combat value minus its SSM attack value.
Assuming they were not activated earlier in the Action Phase, inactive units taking part in a Close Combat may be activated normally later in that phase — even those that took part in this combat.
Close Combat Against Enemy Bases: A surface unit (or stack) may carry out a Close Combat against an adjacent enemy base. If the target hex contains both a port and an airfield, the attacking player must state which he is attacking.
Notable exception: A Close Combat cannot be declared if the attacker is separated from the target hex by a strip of land or a blocked hexside.
A Close Combat against an enemy base hex is resolved as an SSM attack, with the following exceptions:
- A unit attacks with a value equal to its Close Combat value minus its SSM value. Attacking units cannot make intensive or maximum attacks.
- The defender makes no defensive die roll.
- The active player cannot attack enemy units in the target hex.
- Unlike a Close Combat against surface units, the inactive player can never carry out a Close Combat attack against a base hex.
- Restricted water, Fjord, or coastal hexes do not modify the attacker's die roll. However, the attacker automatically subtracts 3 from his die roll in all Close Combat attacks against bases.
- Units taking part in a Close Combat attack against a base do not expend ammunition boxes on the Logistics Roster.
- Damage against bases is applied as described in 11.0.
20.4 US Aircraft Carriers as Oilers
Some US carriers and the BB Njrsy can also act as an OL (oiler) replenishment unit, suffering normal combat penalties if they do so. Each of these units has 5 Fuel Point (FP) boxes on the Logistics Roster, which are used only when this option is in effect. The FP boxes can be used to replenish friendly surface units at sea (16.6). If one of these units replenishes in a port, all checks in its FP boxes are cleared at the same time as its ammunition boxes. These units can also be replenished at sea by any friendly replenishment unit with FP boxes; for each box checked off on the replenishing unit, one box is cleared on the CV or BB, up to a maximum of 5 (16.6). US CV and BB units cannot replenish other units in squall or storm zones.
20.5 Coordinated Air Strikes
If an active air unit or stack enters a hex with an airfield or carrier containing friendly air units that have not yet been activated in the current segment, the airfield's/carrier's air units may join the active force and move and attack with it, as long as adding these units does not increase the active force beyond 4 INT, ATK, or BMB units. The force's new movement capability is either the lowest movement capability among the air units that just joined the force, or the remaining movement capability of the original active force, whichever is lower.
Notable exception: Air units at off-map airfields can never form coordinated air strikes with air units on the map.
When returning to an airfield, a stack of air units may drop off some units at eligible airfields and then continue moving to another airfield. However, air units returning to an airfield different from the one they departed from suffer penalties (5.4). Once returned to base, air units that took part in the coordinated strike may no longer be activated for the rest of the segment.
20.6 US "Stand-Off" ASW Attacks
Any US SN with an ASW value of 10 may carry out one Stand-Off ASW attack per game against an enemy submarine at a range of 2 or 3 hexes, using the new "Stand-Off Weapon" (SOW), codenamed "Sea Lance." If such an attack is declared, the SN uses an ASW value of 6 (4 if damaged) instead of its printed ASW value. Each eligible SN may make only one Stand-Off attack per game. If the Logistics option is in use, the player must write an "S" in an available TORP box of the attacking SN when he carries out a Stand-Off attack, which is equivalent to checking the box. Once a Stand-Off attack has been made, the SN cannot make another Stand-Off attack for the rest of the game, even if it is replenished.
Special Note: In early 1990, the Navy canceled the Sea Lance program.
20.7 Special Area Anti-Air Value of USS Foster
The US DD Fostr, which normally has an Area anti-air value of 0, is treated as having an Area anti-air value of 3 (2 if damaged) when it is part of a Task Force or Task Group containing at least one US CG, DD, or FF with an Area anti-air value of 1 or more. In the game, the Fostr is treated as being equipped with a Mark 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), carrying a mix of anti-submarine, anti-surface, and anti-air missiles — however, the ship is not equipped with its own fire-control radar to guide its anti-air missiles (the standard SM-1) in flight. When sailing near warships with their own fire-control radar, the Fostr can fire its standard SAMs and hand off guidance of its missiles to the nearest warship.
20.8 Drift Ice
Drift Ice hexes appear only on the North Pacific map. They have no effect in the game's scenarios, but the following rules are provided in case players wish to create their own scenarios:
Surface Units: Surface units must spend 2 movement points to enter a Drift Ice hex. They may leave a Drift Ice hex with no penalty. (Surface units are always allowed to move at least one hex during their activation, even if they lack sufficient movement points.)
Submarines: Submarines may enter Drift Ice hexes with no penalty. However, a submarine moving at full speed (5.3) may not enter a Drift Ice hex. A submarine occupying a Drift Ice hex cannot be activated at full speed.
21.0 Unloading
At any time, one or more of a player's SC, FC, MP, or AA units that enters one of its primary or secondary objective hexes — indicated in the advanced scenario's special rules — may be removed from the map and placed in the Unloaded Units box. Once removed, units can never return to play, nor can they be attacked. Unloading is voluntary; a unit may enter an objective hex without being removed.
If the US AA Krsge or Peliu is removed from the map through unloading, its AV-8 air unit is also removed and can never return to play.
At the end of the game, a player receives victory points (VP) for his removed units. The number of victory points he receives may depend on when the unit was removed, and whether or not it was damaged. If a unit's objective is a port, it may be removed from the port even if that port is damaged or destroyed. See the scenario's setup in 14.0 for a complete listing of VP awards for units reaching their objectives.