A Bridge Too Far: Operation Market Garden
A Bridge Too Far: Operation Market Garden Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Firestorm - Market Garden
Firestorm - Market Garden allows you and your friends the opportunity to recreate the airborne assaults, armoured attacks and desperate counterattacks that were Operation Market Garden. As Battlefront's second game using the Firestorm system, new airborne, Allied armour, and variable Firestorm Troop rules have been introduced to allow the course of history to be replayed in those critical days of September 1944.
While the ultimate outcome of the real Operation Market Garden can't be changed, your game's final result is up to you. Either side can win. Generalfeldmarschall Model could once again rally his beleaguered German troops and halt the Allied advance through Holland, or you could keep the fires lit under XXX Corps and make the 64 mile (100km) trip from Eindhoven to Arnhem in the three days allotted, break through the German defences and end the war by Christmas.
Playing a Market Garden game provides you and your opponent a new and exciting way to rewrite history based upon your own generalship. In any case, no matter who wins, the game provides an outstanding environment to hone your generalship skills and have fun.
Why Play a Campaign?
Campaigns provide a way for playing lots of games that effect a bigger result. They allow everyone to get together and engage in multiple battles towards an overall goal. A good campaign integrates your local group in a common format enabling every player to know exactly when to arrive and what army to bring to support their team's objectives.
The campaign scenarios in Firestorm - Market Garden provide you all the operational and tactical decisions faced by the actual generals who led the various formations in the British 21st Army Group and Army Group B. Each battle you fight affects the overall campaign and each general relies on your combat capability to lead their army to victory.
In Firestorm - Market Garden you can recreate parachute assaults, armoured counterattacks, and house to house fighting, always remembering to capture or hold the bridges. Participating in your club's campaign provides everyone a focused effort to improve their gaming environment, enhance their overall playing experience, and provide a structure to build and play new armies, new tables, while participating in a new gaming experience.
Operation Market Garden
The highly detailed, multi-coloured campaign map together with the plastic Firestorm Troops allows everyone to see how the campaign is unfolding. Historical troops, cities, terrain, and objectives critical to the original Operation Market Garden are all readily displayed on the campaign map.
The air drops, weather, reinforcements, reserves, air supplies, roads and the bridges (it's all about the bridges!) that shaped the original campaign will once again be dominate factors in deciding the fate of Holland. When and where the Allies drop their airborne troops, how quickly the Germans respond, combined with the battles' results will determine the success or failure of the Allied attempt to end the war by Christmas.
Campaign Scenarios
There are two separate scenarios in Firestorm - Market Garden. The A Bridge Too Far scenario allows each general greater flexibility in deciding where to stage their airdrops or bring in their reinforcements. The Market Garden scenario allows you to recreate the original historical battle. It provides both the historical air drops and German reinforcements.
How Does It Work?
Each campaign runs for five Campaign Turns. The generals in charge of each side will allocate air missions, redeploy and reinforce their army, and set up the battle plan. Their battlefield commanders then take over, fighting battles to capture areas, take towns, secure bridges and destroy enemy forces. Every battle fought changes the situation. Troops will advance and fall back, be captured or destroyed.
The five-turn campaign makes it a realistic commitment for both the organiser and the players. Many campaigns drag on, and eventually the players lose interest. This won't happen in Firestorm - Market Garden as the campaign will end with a decisive outcome within five weeks (depending on how many gaming days you can play a week), or even a single weekend in a tournament-style campaign.
Flexibility
Flexibility is inherent in the Firestorm system and it allows you to tailor your campaign to your players needs. Players can use their normal Flames Of War forces to fight battles and capture areas. Each game your player can lead a new force, reinforced by the main combat units shown on the campaign map, to respond to the situation they face. This allows them to recover from previous defeats and fight on.
While players may lose the support of main combat units on the map, having been destroyed in previous battles, they always get their core force. This has the advantage of keeping the campaign fun right up till the last battle. It is simply not possible for one side to become much stronger than the other, so every battle is winnable and every fight counts.
This flexibility applies to your players as well as their forces. While fielding an Allied or German force is nice from a historical viewpoint, it doesn't matter if you don't have one, as you can fight with any force you have. Nor is the size of your force an issue. You can play big or small battles or anything in between. You can even swap sides if you want to (although turning traitor can mark you as a target for your former allies!). All that matters is that you are playing games, contributing to the campaign's outcome, and having fun.
What Are Firestorm Troops?
The main playing pieces on the mapboard are the Firestorm Troops representing the main combat units that fought in Holland during Operation Market Garden. The Firestorm Troops in an area represent the main combat forces in that area. The table below shows the basic type and quantities of Firestorm Troops available to both sides for the game.
Not all units are represented as Firestorm Troops, and an area that has no Firestorm Troops is not devoid of combat troops. Units that are not represented by Firestorm Troops, such as the many infantry, security, anti-aircraft, and artillery battalions that took part in the battle, may supplement the basic Firestorm Troops. Firestorm Troops provide the combat power found in front-line areas. To show this, a player fighting in an area with Firestorm Troops will receive a bonus for each type Firestorm troop fighting in the battle area.
| German Firestorm Troops | Allied Firestorm Troops |
|---|---|
| Konigstiger (x2) | British Sherman (x5) |
| 8.8cm Gun (x5) | British Sexton (x3) |
| Panther (x1) | British/Polish Paratrooper (x4) |
| Panzer (x1) | British Mountain Infantry (x3) |
| Paratrooper (x2) | British 5.5" Gun (x3) |
| Half-track (x2) | US Glider Infantry (x2) |
| Security (x4) | US Paratrooper (x6) |
| FW190 (x1) | British Typhoon (x2) |
The table above shows the basic type and quantities of Firestorm Troops available to both sides for the campaign. The details of these Firestorm Troops, including their initial deployment and the reinforcements that they provide for your Flames Of War games, are shown on the Berlin or Bust and For the Fatherland posters. You can also download a copy of this information from www.FlamesOfWar.com.
Three of the German Firestorm Troops: the Konigstiger, the 8.8cm gun, and the Security troops, represent the wide variety of troops that the German called to defend their border. Some were top-notch front-line units, while others were scraped together from remaining garrison troops and available local security formations.
The Konigstiger page from the German Firestorm Troops section is shown on the next page as an example of a variable Firestorm Troop representing the numerous small armoured units (such as 506th Heavy Tank Battalion, 280th Assault Gun Brigade, and Kampfgruppe Hummel) that the Germans threw into Arnhem to deal with the landings.
The first section shows the names of the units and their starting locations in the A Bridge Too Far scenario. You need to roll a die each time that you are supported by a Variable Firestorm Troop. The second section has a table showing the actual platoons you could have supporting you in your Flames Of War game for each die roll.
Example Variable Firestorm Troop: 506. Schwere Panzerabteilung & KG Hummel
Konigstiger (x2)
- Starting deployment: Reserve (Apeldorn), Reserve (Wesel)
- Variable Marker: Roll one die and reinforce your company with the appropriate unit shown below.
One Platoon of either:
| Roll | Platoon |
|---|---|
| Roll of 1 or 2 | Panzer Platoon of three StuG G assault guns. Rated as Confident Trained. |
| Roll of 3 | Flammpanzer Platoon of five Flammwagen B-2 (f) flame-tanks. Rated as Confident Trained. |
| Roll of 4 | Schwere Panzer Platoon of one Tiger I E tank. Rated as Confident Veteran. |
| Roll of 5 or 6 | Schwere Panzer Platoon of one Konigstiger (Henschel) tank. Rated as Confident Veteran. |
| Name / Weapon | Mobility | Range | Armour Front | Side | Top | ROF | Anti-tank | Firepower | Equipment and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StuG G (7.5cm StuK40 gun) | Fully-tracked | 32"/80cm | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 3+ | Hull mounted. Hull MG, Protected ammo, Schurzen. |
| Flammwagen B-2 (4.7cm Kwk35(f) gun) | Fully-tracked | 24"/60cm | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4+ | One-man turret. Co-ax MG, Slow tank, Unreliable. |
Don't worry if you do not have the appropriate models for a Firestorm Troop unit you rolled, just use the most appropriate models in your collection and place a Proxy Marker with them to indicate to your opponent that they are not what they seem to be.
After some photographs of the platoons in action, the final section gives the Flames Of War characteristics of each type of team in the platoon that is supporting you.
How Firestorm Works
There are three kinds of positions to be filled in Firestorm - Market Garden: the Commanders, the Generals, and the Organiser. The campaign rules are separated into three parts corresponding to these three roles.
Lots of Commanders
The majority of players in Firestorm - Market Garden are Commanders. They are the ones actually fighting the Flames Of War battles to decide the campaign outcome. Commanders play their games of Flames Of War during the Battle Phase.
Two Generals
Each side has a General who main job is to be in charge of strategy. The General confers with their Commanders and devises a war plan in the Planning Phase. The Commanders execute this war plan during the Battle Phase. Once the Commanders have fought and decided all of their Flames of War games during a Battle Phase, the two Generals redeploy and reinforce their armies during the Strategic Phase to ready their army for the next campaign turn.
Once the Generals have finished their planning, they may step into a Commander's role during the Battle Phase and fight battles themselves. They then step back into the General's role during the Strategic Phase.
One Organiser
Every campaign has an Organiser to set it up and make sure that everything runs smoothly. An Organiser may choose to play in the campaign if they wish, or they may simply be the owner of a local gaming store where the campaign is being played. The Organiser's chief responsibilities include selecting the scenario that will be played, arranging a suitable venue for the campaign, and recruiting as many Commanders as possible.
The Organiser section also includes plenty of good advice to assist them in running a very successful campaign.
Campaign Turn
Firestorm - Market Garden is broken down into five separate campaign turns. One campaign turn can usually be played each week of the campaign.
A campaign turn consists of three phases: A Planning Phase, a Battle Phase, and a Strategic Phase (in that order).
In the Planning Phase at the start of the turn the Generals prepare their war plans.
The Commanders then execute these war plans by playing games during the Battle Phase. There is no limit to the number of games that can be played in the Battle Phase, and each Commander can participate in as many battles as they wish.
At the end of a campaign turn, both Generals reorganise their forces in the Strategic Phase to ready their Commanders for the next campaign turn.
Opening Strategic Phase
Each game of A Bridge Too Far game begins with a Strategic Phase (page 38) in which only the Allied General takes part.
Campaign Map
The Firestorm - Market Garden map forms the playing board for the campaign. It is divided into 60 areas of Open, Hill, Forest, Polder and Town terrain. Each area is named and has a Control Indicator to show German control at the start of the game.
The six German Supply Depots are Rotterdam (A41), Amsterdam (A6), Apeldorn (V1), Wesel (Z10), Kleve (Z22), and the Ruhr (Z41). The three Allied Supply Depots are the XII Corps (C50), XXX Corps (I51), and VIII Corps (M52) areas. These roads link supply to the rest of the map and are crucial in keeping your troops fighting well.
All bridges and one town, Utrecht (C6), are objectives and are marked with their value in Campaign Victory Points.
Both sides have a Reinforcement Pool where destroyed units are placed prior to being rebuilt and sent back into action. Both sides also have an Aircraft Mission Box to hold their aircraft and a Reserves Pool to hold their Reserves.
The bottom right corner of the map has a key which explains the area types, key terrain features and special markers used on the map.
Firestorm Markers
Firestorm - Market Garden uses a number of markers during the campaign. Most are used on the campaign map to show the current status, while the Proxy Marker is actually used during Flames Of War games.
- Turn Marker. The Turn Marker shows the current campaign turn on the Campaign Turn Counter track.
- Control Markers. The Control Markers show that an area is now under Allied control.
- Victory Point Markers. The Victory Point Marker shows which side controls the most Campaign Victory Points at the end of each turn.
- C-47 Skytrain Markers. C-47 Skytrain Markers are used to identify the Drop and Landing Zones where Allied air drops of both paratroopers and Airborne Supply will occur during the current turn.
- Airborne Supply Marker. Airborne Supply Markers represent the combat supplies needed by airborne troops to conduct their military operations behind enemy lines.
- Battle Arrow. Battle Arrows indicate the battles that are currently being fought in the Battle Phase. The holes hold Firestorm Troops that are participating in the battle.
- Proxy Marker. The Proxy Marker is used during Flames Of War games to show troops standing in for Firestorm Troops.
Campaign Scenarios
A Bridge Too Far Scenario
With five Campaign Turns, it is easy to set up and complete A Bridge Too Far campaign in five weeks or less. The game starts with a mini strategic turn to enable the Allied general to decide where they wish to launch their airborne army into Holland. The Allied general can either follow the historical airdrops or change their landing sites as they see fit.
Market Garden Scenario - Historical Variant
There is a Market Garden variant that strictly uses the historical deployment and reserves as they actually occurred. This defines the Allied general's deployment at the beginning of the campaign and uses the historical German reserves.
A Bridge Too Far Scenario (details)
The A Bridge Too Far scenario gives you the greatest flexibility in conducting your campaign. It begins with the Allied General unleashing his airborne army upon Holland with the capability of dropping his paratroopers wherever he deems necessary to accomplish his Battle Plan.
The German reaction is random with the possibility of German Reserves either arriving entirely on the first turn or not at all. This can give the German general a powerful counterattacking force or for his Battle Plan to be more conservative until he can muster his meagre but growing army.
Finally the Allied air response is also based upon a die roll making his follow-on battle decisions dependant upon the vagaries of weather, aircraft maintenance, and experience of his transport fleet.
Market Garden Scenario (details)
The Market Garden Scenario allows each general to re-fight the battle for Holland, making the same decisions faced by Generalfeldmarschall Model and Field Marshal Montgomery.
The Airborne Army is dropped and reinforced based on the actual landing times as is the availability of air transport and close air support aircraft. 21st Army Group also arrives at its historical times making the early tactical decisions of the Allied General critical to success of the operation.
German Reserves arrive at the designated time and place as occurred in September 1944. This allows the German General to develop his Battle Plan based on the actual forces available to him in making the Arnhem bridge the 'Bridge Too Far'.
Choosing a Scenario to Play
The Firestorm - Market Garden campaign has two separate scenarios. Both are five-turn campaigns beginning on 17 September 1944, so if you use your weekly meetings as turns, your campaign will last five weeks.
The A Bridge Too Far scenario is more free-wheeling as it allows the generals more leeway setting up their forces. This makes it ideal for a group that likes to see just how far they could have gone if they were in control.
The Market Garden scenario follows the historical time line for air drops, reserves, reinforcements and air support in specifying when and where the airborne forces and reserves appear. If your group want to fight under the historical constraints to compare their performance with the historical generals, then this is the scenario to pick.
Whichever scenario you choose, brief your players on what to expect. Like the historical battle, the opening turns tend to go in the Allies favour. The later turns see the German counterattacks start to really bite as they reach their full strength. Understanding this will help keep your players from becoming demoralized early in the campaign.
A Bridge Too Far Deployment
Allied Strategic Deployment and Exploitation
The Allies began Market Garden with an tremendous airlift using over 1500 transport aircraft and gliders to drop elements of three airborne divisions up to 60 miles (100km) behind enemy lines.
The A Bridge Too Far Scenario begins with the Allied General completing a Strategic Phase incorporating an Air Allocation Step and an Exploitation Step. The Allied General is allowed to make six airdrops of his choice and then make an Exploitation Move.
A Bridge Too Far Scenario Initial Deployment
Place the following Firestorm Troops on the designated locations on the Campaign Map before the Allied General conducts his opening Strategic Phase.
Deployed Firestorm Troops. Firestorm Troops shown in red in the original are placed on the Campaign Map at the beginning of the scenario. Firestorm Troops shown in black are placed in the Reinforcement or Reserve Pool, or the Supply Depot shown for the Allies, or the designated Reserve Pool for the Germans. (In the tables below, entries whose Location is a named area or Supply Depot are the red, deployed entries; entries whose Location is a Reserve Pool, Reserve Area or Reinforcement Pool are the black ones.)
Allied
| Parent Unit | Unit | Firestorm Troop | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guards Armoured Division | 5th Guards Armd Brigade | Sherman | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| Guards Armoured Division | 32nd Guards Brigade | Sexton | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| XXX Corps | 8th Armoured Brigade | Sherman | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| XXX Corps | 43rd (Wessex) Division | 5.5" gun | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| 11th Armoured Division | 29th Armoured Brigade | Sherman | VIII Corps Supply Depot |
| 11th Armoured Division | 159th Brigade | Sexton |
German
| Parent Unit | Unit | Firestorm Troop | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Reinhold | Half-track | Elst Road (T15) |
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Harmel | Panzer | Arnhem (V9) |
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Heinke | Half-track | Budel (L50) |
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Spindler | Security | Arnhem West (S9) |
| 1. Fallschirmarmee | 6. Fallschirmjagerregiment | Fallschirmjager | Valkenswaard Road (J48) |
| 1. Fallschirmarmee | Division Erdman | Fallschirmjager | Weert Road (Q50) |
Market Garden Deployment
Allied Strategic Deployment and Exploitation
Operation Market Garden began with an tremendous airlift using over 1500 transport aircraft and gliders to drop elements of three airborne divisions on six designated drop zones up to 60 miles (100 kilometres) behind enemy lines.
The Market Garden Scenario begins with the Allied General completing a an Exploitation Step after the Scenario setup and before the start of the first Campaign Turn.
Market Garden Scenario Initial Deployment
Place the following Firestorm Troops on the designated locations on the Campaign Map before the Allied General conducts his opening Exploitation Step.
Deployed Firestorm Troops. Units in red in the original are placed on the Campaign Map at the beginning of the scenario (those whose Location below is an area or Supply Depot).
Allied
| Parent Unit | Unit | Firestorm Troops | Location/Turn Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guards Armoured Division | 5th Guards Armd Brigade | Sherman | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| Guards Armoured Division | 32nd Guards Brigade | Sexton | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| XXX Corps | 8th Armoured Brigade | Sherman | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| XXX Corps | 43rd (Wessex) Division | 5.5" gun | XXX Corps Supply Depot |
| 11th Armoured Division | 29th Armoured Brigade | Sherman | Reserve (VIII Corps)/Turn 1 |
| 11th Armoured Division | 159th Brigade | Sexton |
German
| Parent Unit | Unit | Firestorm Troops | Location/Turn Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Reinhold | Half-track | Elst Road (T15) |
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Harmel | Panzer | Arnhem (V9) |
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Heinke | Half-track | Budel (L50) |
| II SS-Panzerkorps | SS-KG Spindler | Security | Arnhem West (S9) |
| 1. Fallschirmarmee | 6. Fallschirmjagerregiment | Fallschirmjager | Valkenswaard Road (J48) |
| 1. Fallschirmarmee | Division Erdman | Fallschirmjager |
Reinforcements and Reserves
Allied. Allied Firestorm Troops in black are held in the Allied Reserve or Reinforcement Pool until the Air Drop Step of the Campaign Turn indicated.
Note: Airborne reinforcements use up allocated C-47 Skytrain aircraft. Aircraft must be assigned to air drop these units as priority but remaining aircraft may be sent on other missions. If there are insufficient aircraft available then allocate additional aircraft to air drop to complete the airdrop missions.
German. German Firestorm Troops in black are placed in the designated Reserve Area until the Reinforcement Step of the Campaign Turn indicated.
Commander - Battle Phase
Order One - Manoeuvre Step
- Select an Opponent
- Roll for Initiative
- Place a Battle Arrow
- Choose Firestorm Troops
- Check for Supply
Order Two - Combat Step
- Identify your Mission
- Play Flames Of War Battle
Order Three - After Action Step
- Roll to Destroy
- Retreat Defeated Troops
- Advance Victorious Troops
Commander - Battle Phase (detail)
Each Allied or German Commander fights Flames Of War battles to advance their armies on the campaign map. The more victorious battles Commanders fight during every Campaign Turn the better chance their army has to win the campaign.
Order One - Manoeuvre Step
When an Allied or German Commander in Firestorm - Market Garden wishes to fight a battle, they need to find an opponent, decide where the battle will take place, determine if any additional troops are available, and check their current supply status.
1. Select an Opponent
Your opponents come from the other Commanders participating in the Firestorm - Market Garden campaign.
Find an opposing Commander and challenge them to a game of Flames Of War.
It doesn't really matter if the people you play are on your side or even part of the campaign. If you can't find an opposing Commander to play, just grab anyone who is available as the opposing Commander.
Tip: After selecting an opponent, you may wish to discuss the size of your army, the mission you are going to play, the use of Firestorm Troops and the effects of supply.
2. Roll for Initiative
As the campaign progresses both sides struggle to seize the initiative to strike a blow before the enemy can react. The side that has the Initiative is randomly determined for each battle. The player winning initiative decides where the battle will be fought.
Both players roll a die to decide who has the Initiative. The player with the highest roll wins the Initiative. If the roll is a tie then the Allied player wins the Initiative.
During the first turn of the campaign, all Allied Commanders receive a +1 to their die rolls for determining the Initiative.
If a Commander declines to pick a battle after gaining the Initiative they then forfeit the Initiative and the other Commander gets to pick where the battle occurs.
Both players roll a die. The Allied player adds +1 in the first turn. The higher scoring player has Initiative.
2. Place a Battle Arrow (printed with the same number "2." as Roll for Initiative)
After you win initiative, mark the areas on the Firestorm map where you will fight over using a Battle Arrow.
The player who wins the Initiative selects an area to attack from, and an area that the enemy controls, to attack into. Place a Battle Arrow pointing from your area into the enemy area you are attacking.
Battle Arrows point into the area being attacked.
You cannot place your Battle Arrow between two areas that are separated by an Impassable Border.
Battle Arrows cannot be placed across impassable borders or point into German Supply depots.
You may place your Battle Arrow so that you are attacking out of a Supply Depot, but only the German Player may attack into a Supply Depot.
Supply Depots can never be captured. There is no need to Retreat Defeated Troops (see page 31) out of them, and the enemy cannot Advance Victorious Troops (see page 31) into them. However the German player gains 10 Campaign Victory Points if they win a battle with an Allied Supply Depot.
Battle Arrows can point into Allied Supply depots. Supply Depots cannot be captured.
Another Commander can launch an attack into or out of an area that already has a Battle Arrow. However, they may not place a Battle Arrow between two areas that are currently linked with a Battle Arrow.
When there are two battles affecting an area, the After Action Steps for these battles are resolved in the order the Battle Arrows were placed, regardless of when the actual games are completed. You might find it helpful to record the order in which the Battle Arrow markers were placed so that you know which to resolve first.
Simultaneous Battles: Two different players can attack an area from different areas. The battles are resolved in the order that the Battle Arrows were placed.
A second battle involving the same two areas cannot be declared until the first battle involving those areas has been resolved.
3. Choose Firestorm Troops
The powerful combat forces under your command are represented by Firestorm troops. Committing these troops to a battle increases the chances of success considerably.
Each player may commit up to two Firestorm Troops from the area you are fighting in. Place these Firestorm Troops in the holes in the Battle Arrow.
You do not need to have Firestorm Troops to attack. Not having Firestorm Troops simply means that you will not gain any bonuses for the battle.
Each player places up to two Firestorm Troops from the areas of the battle on the Battle Arrow.
Bridges and Airfields
Due to Allied air superiority the Germans placed anti-aircraft guns on bridges and airfields throughout Holland. Once a bridge was secured the Allies would immediately defend it by placing their own anti-aircraft guns to protect it against sabotage or air attack.
A commander may supplement their forces with a Bridge or Airfield Defence Anti-aircraft Platoon when defending in an area containing a Bridge or Airfield but no Firestorm Troops.
The Berlin or Bust and the For the Fatherland posters give the composition of Allied and German Bridge or Airfield Defence Anti-aircraft Platoons.
Players defending unoccupied Bridges or Airfields get an Anti-aircraft Platoon.
Allied Armoured Troops
Allied armoured troops are ready to race up the Dutch roads to support an attack in a key area, or occupy captured ground.
Allied Sherman or Sexton Firestorm Troops are Allied Armoured Firestorm Troops.
If you have won the Initiative and are In Supply (see page 22), you can commit an Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop from another In Supply area that is within three areas of the area you are attacking into (shown by the point of the Battle Arrow). The area containing the Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop must be connected to the area you are attacking by continuous friendly-held roads.
Simply move the Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop or Troops into the area you are attacking from and place it in one of the holes on the Battle Arrow.
Allied Armoured Firestorm Troops from an In Supply area that is within three areas of an area you are Advancing Victorious Troops into (see page 26) may advance into the captured area as if they were adjacent to it. The area containing the Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop must be connected to the area you captured by continuous friendly-held roads.
Example. Having won the Initiative, Tommy chooses to attack the Maas-Waal Bridge from the Grave Bridge. He places an American Paratrooper and an American Glider Troop from the Grave Bridge on the Battle Arrow. (As an option, because Tommy has a Sexton and a Sherman Firestorm Troop in the Veghel Bridge area, he may elect to move one or both of them to Maas-Waal Bridge for the battle instead of the Paratrooper or Glider Firestorm Troops from the Grave Bridge).
In reply, Fritz places the Panzer and Security Firestorm Troop from Maas-Waal Bridge on the Battle Arrow.
German Variable Firestorm Troops
The German Konigstiger, 8.8cm Gun, and Security Firestorm Troops represent the variable mix of units that were called upon to support the German defence effort during Operation Market Garden.
When you select a Konigstiger, 8.8cm gun, or Security Firestorm Troop to place on a Battle Arrow to participate in a battle, roll a die and consult the German Variable Unit Table below to determine the actual type of platoon available for your game.
Konigstiger - One Platoon of either:
| Roll | Platoon |
|---|---|
| Roll of 1 or 2 | Panzer Platoon rated Confident Trained (Includes three StuG G assault guns). |
| Roll of 3 | Flammpanzer Platoon rated Confident Trained (Includes five Flammwagen B-2 (f) flame-tanks). |
| Roll of 4 | Schwere Panzer Platoon rated Confident Veteran (Includes one Tiger I E tank). |
| Roll of 5 or 6 | Schwere Panzer Platoon rated Confident Veteran (Includes one Konigstiger (Henschel) tank). |
8.8cm Gun - One Platoon of either:
| Roll | Platoon |
|---|---|
| Roll of 1, 2, 3 or 4 | Heavy Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon rated Confident Trained (Includes one Command SMG team and two 8.8cm FlaK36 guns with extra crews). |
| Roll of 5 | Tank-hunter Platoon rated Confident Veteran (Includes three Jagdpanzer IV tank-hunters). |
| Roll of 6 | Heavy Tank-hunter Platoon rated Confident Veteran (Includes two Jagdpanther tank-hunters). |
Security - One Platoon of either:
| Roll | Platoon |
|---|---|
| Roll of 1 or 2 | Security Platoon rated Reluctant Trained (Includes one Command Rifle team and six Rifle teams). |
| Roll of 3 or 4 | Grenadier Platoon rated Confident Veteran (Includes one Command SMG team and six Rifle/MG teams). |
| Roll of 5 or 6 | SS-Panzergrenadier Platoon rated Fearless Veteran (Includes one Command SMG team and six MG teams). |
4. Check for Supply (printed numbering; the step list on the opening page numbers it 5)
Keeping your troops in supply is critical for sustained operations whether they are attacking or defending. Roads are the key to moving supplies in A Bridge Too Far.
Supply Depots. After placing the Battle Arrow and selecting their Firestorm Troops, both players must check the supply status of the forces of that area that will fight in the upcoming battle.
For the Allies, the VIII, XII, and XXX Corps Supply Depots are always In Supply.
For the Germans, the Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Apeldorn, Wesel, Kleve, and Ruhr Supply Depots are always In Supply.
In Supply. Any area containing a road connected to a friendly Supply Depot by a continuous road under your control is also In Supply. The road route can be as long and circuitous as necessary, just as long as the road is connected throughout the whole route.
Areas that are adjacent to areas supplied by road are also In Supply, unless the border between the areas is Impassable.
Out of Supply. All other areas are Out of Supply. Being Out of Supply will give your forces a penalty for any battles fought with troops from that area.
Areas adjacent to supplied roads are In Supply, unless there is an Impassable border blocking supply.
Nijmegen Bridge is out of supply for the allies because Nijmegen is in enemy hands. Likewise, Nijmegen is out of supply for the Germans because the Allies control Nijmegen Bridge and Groesbeek Heights. Roads carry supply.
Effects of Out of Supply
Being out of supply has a debilitating effect upon surrounded troops, although they may still fight to the death their combat capability is diminished.
When you are Out of Supply, you are subject to the effects of the Out Of Supply table on page 28.
Airborne Supply
Airborne forces received their supplies from their drop zones, landing zones, and airfields until they were connected to the main supply routes by advancing ground forces. Landing zones, drop zones, and airfields stockpiled supplies for the airborne troops they supplied.
Any Allied-controlled area within three areas of a Landing Zone, Drop Zone, or Airfield connected by a continuous chain of friendly-held areas can Draw Supply from the Landing Zone, Drop Zone, or Airfield by removing an Airborne Supply Marker from it.
Drawing Supply performs four different functions:
- Airborne Supply
- Parachute Artillery Support
- Prevent Destruction
- Fighting Surrounded.
1. Airborne Supply. Each time an Out of Supply Paratrooper, Glider Infantry, Mountain Infantry, or Typhoon Firestorm Troop is committed to a battle (either defending or attacking) they must Draw Supply, if available, to become In Supply for this battle. One Airborne Supply Marker will make all Paratrooper, Glider Infantry, Mountain Infantry, and Typhoon Firestorm Troops in a battle In Supply.
Airborne Supply Key: DZ (Drop Zone); LZ (Landing Zone); Air Field.
However, the Allied player may not Draw Supply from a Landing Zone, Drop Zone, or Airfield for a battle where Allied Sherman, Sexton, or 5.5" Gun Firestorm Troops have been committed to the Battle Arrow. The player must choose between fighting Out of Supply, or using only Paratrooper, Glider Infantry, Mountain Infantry, and Typhoon Firestorm Troops.
Allied paratroopers must use an Airborne Supply Marker to be In Supply while defending against an attack from Wolfheze.
Allied paratroopers are In Supply for their attack into Arnhem by Drawing Supply from DZ-X.
Each time the Allied player fights a battle (either attacking or defending) in an Out of Supply Landing Zone, Drop Zone or Airfield when no Firestorm Troops have been committed, they must Draw Supply, if available, to become In Supply for this battle.
Place the Airborne Supply Marker on the tip of the Battle Arrow in the Check for Supply Step. Remove the Airborne Supply Marker after the battle.
2. Artillery Support. An Allied player may be supported by parachute artillery in any battle where the point of the Battle Arrow is in or adjacent to a Landing Zone, Drop Zone or Airfield that contains an Airborne Supply Marker.
Receiving Parachute Artillery Support counts as one Firestorm Troop for that battle. Place the Airborne Supply Marker for that battle in the Battle Arrow to signify that you are receiving Parachute Artillery Support in place of one of your Firestorm Troops.
Example. DZ-O is Out of Supply, so Tommy must choose between committing the Sherman Firestorm Troop and being Out of Supply, or using Airborne Supply to be In Supply and receiving Parachute Artillery Support.
An Airborne Supply Marker allows you to field a Parachute Field Artillery Battery (page 87) as a Firestorm Troop.
3. Prevent Destruction. If a Paratrooper, Glider Infantry or Mountain Infantry Firestorm Troop is Destroyed (see Roll to Destroy on page 25), the Allied player may draw an additional Airborne Supply Marker from the supporting Landing Zone, Drop Zone or Airfield to prevent their destruction. If there is no Airborne Supply Marker available the Firestorm Troop is Destroyed as normal.
Example. Fritz wins a battle and rolls a die to destroy the Paratrooper Firestorm Troop and succeeds. Tommy may choose to remove an additional Airborne Supply Marker drawing supply from the Landing Zone to save the Firestorm Troop.
If there are no Airborne Supply Markers available, the Firestorm Troop is Destroyed as normal.
4. Fighting Surrounded. If a Paratrooper, Glider Infantry or Mountain Infantry Firestorm Troop is forced to retreat (See Retreat Defeated Troops, page 31) out of an area, the Allied player may hold onto that area by drawing an additional Airborne Supply Marker.
If the Germans win a battle, the Allied player may draw an additional Airborne Supply Marker rather than retreating.
Out of Supply
Being out of supply usually has a debilitating effect upon surrounded troops, although sometimes they accept their fate and fight even harder.
When you are Out of Supply, your force incurs a penalty from the Out of Supply table. Roll a die for your force and apply the effect from the Out of Supply table to your entire force for this battle.
The effects of being Out of Supply are applied to your entire force, including any Firestorm Troops, and last for the duration of your Flames Of War game.
Out of Supply Table
| Die Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| Roll of 1 or 2 | Morale Reduced. For the duration of the battle all Fearless platoons are treated as Confident, Confident platoons are treated as Reluctant, and Reluctant platoons only pass a Motivation Test on a roll of 6. |
| Roll of 3 or 4 | Strength Reduced. Before adding Firestorm Troops to your force, you must reduce the size of your force by 20%, e.g. if you would have fielded a 1500 point force, you now have only 1200 points for the battle. Firestorm Troops are not affected. (See table below). |
| Roll of 5 | No Effect |
| Roll of 6 | Fight to the Death. For the duration of the battle all Reluctant platoons are treated as Confident, Confident platoons are treated as Fearless, and Fearless platoons pass all Motivation Tests on a roll of 2+ |
20% Reduction Table
| Starting Points | Reduced Points |
|---|---|
| 3000 points | 2400 points |
| 2500 points | 2000 points |
| 2000 points | 1600 points |
| 1750 points | 1400 points |
| 1500 points | 1200 points |
| 1200 points | 960 points |
| 1000 points | 800 points |
| 800 points | 640 points |
| 600 points | 480 points |
| 500 points | 400 points |
Example. Tommy has a 1750-point British Guards Armoured Squadron that has been isolated on the Elst Road. Being Out of Supply he rolls one die and scores a 3. His force must be reduced by 350 points (20% of 1750) to 1400 points. This only applies to the Armoured Squadron and has no effect on any Firestorm Troops committed to the battle.
Tommy may either rebuild his force at 1400 points or remove sections and platoons to bring his points total down to 1400 points.
Tommy decides to reduce two Armoured Platoons by one Sherman V tank each (saving 180 points), remove one Rifle Section from a Guards Rifle Platoon (saving 40 points), and one Gun Section from his Field Battery, Royal Artillery (saving a final 130 points).
Order Two - Combat Step
Once you are prepared for battle then you must identify your mission, bring your army to the table and battle your opponent in a Flames Of War game. Make sure both of you add any available Firestorm Troops to your forces!
1. Identify Your Mission
You are now ready to fight a battle. The next step is deciding on the mission that you will play.
The best way of choosing which mission to play is simply to decide with your opponent.
For a more historical flavour to your battle set up the terrain similar to the type area you are fighting in.
Use the Terrain Missions table to get inspiration as to the types of missions that suit different terrain. These aren't the only missions that you can fight in these types of terrain, but they represent some of the more common types of battles fought there.
You'll find the Hasty Assault and Breakout missions on pages 69 and 73. The rest of the missions are in the Flames Of War rulebook or on the Flames Of War website at www.FlamesOfWar.com
If you're still having trouble deciding what mission to play, let the player with Initiative roll a die and consult the Terrain Missions Table. If the die result is a 6, you can either agree to play the suggested mission, or have the other player roll to decide the actual mission you will play.
If you are playing a battle between areas that only have a river boundary, you and your opponent could agree to play a River Crossing mission from Firestorm - Bagration or add a river to the table and use the River Assault rules on page 67 of the Firestorm - Bagration rulebook.
Fights occurred both in and around Dutch towns, opening your mission options for Town areas considerably. While you can fight battles in a town using the Street Fighting rules on page 221 of the Flames Of War rulebook, you can also fight in the surrounding countryside.
Terrain Missions Table
| Area | 1 or 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Free-for-All | Hasty Assault | No Retreat | Breakout | Fighting Withdrawal |
| Hills | Free-for-All | No Retreat | Hasty Assault | Fighting Withdrawal | Breakthrough |
| Polder | Free-for-All | Encounter | No Retreat | Breakthrough | Cauldron |
| Forests | Free-for-All | Encounter | No Retreat | Breakthrough | Fighting Withdrawal |
Air Support
The Allies concentrated on protecting their air transports and bombers during Market Garden to insure resupply of their airborne divisions. For this reason their great air superiority was not felt on the battlefield. This is reflected in the limited amount of ground attack aircraft available.
You cannot spend points to take Air Support as part of your force in this campaign. The only way to receive Air Support is to commit a Typhoon or FW190 Firestorm Troop to support your force.
No Air Support in Town Areas
Aircraft missions against towns and built up areas have limited effectiveness against combat troops. Not only is it extremely difficult to locate targets in buildings, the ability to hit them with accuracy is even harder. Besides, all the aircraft do is add to the rubble and cover making it even more difficult for attackers to clear out the enemy.
To reflect this, when a battle is to take place within a Town area neither side can commit Typhoon or FW190 Firestorm Troops to the battle.
2. Play Flames Of War Battles
Now is your chance to prove your mettle under fire. Bring your Flames Of War army to the field and vanquish your foe.
Play the mission as a normal Flames Of War game.
Your campaign organiser will have arranged a suitable points value for the game. However, there is no reason that you and your opponent can't agree on any other size of game. You could fight your battle with 1200, 1750, or 2000 points. You might even want to mix things up playing different sized games throughout the campaign.
Remember, although you will most likely both start with the same number of points, any Firestorm Troops that you add to your force are in addition to this. This could result in one side being considerably stronger than the other if the strategic situation is heavily in their favour. If you find yourself outnumbered like this, don't panic. Fight hard and try to hold your positions while your comrades in other areas take advantage of your sacrifice to restore the situation.
Comintern Force
Everyone can participate in a Firestorm campaign. If you do not have German or Allied forces, use your normal force as a Comintern (Communist International) Force sent to support one side or the other. You could field a Soviet Tank Battalion on the Allied side, or even a turncoat or Ostruppen Rifle Battalion fighting with the Germans.
Forces from any nationality can play in the campaign on either side. Use the normal Firestorm Troops for reinforcements. This can result in some unusual force compositions, e.g. Soviet Motostrelkovy fighting for the Germans with a Konigstiger heavy tank in support.
If the nationality of a selected Firestorm Troop does not match the nationality of your force, treat that Firestorm Troop as an Allied Platoon (see page 183 of the Flames Of War rulebook). This is also true for German Firestorm Troops of a different service (Luftwaffe (Air Force), SS, or Heer (Army)) than yours.
Order Three - After Action Step
No job is done until the paperwork is finished!
At the end of your battle you need to take note of your Victory Points.
Remove your Battle Arrow from the Campaign Map, unless there was already a Battle Arrow in place for these areas when you started your battle and it has not yet been removed.
Remove any Airborne Supply Markers used for Airborne Supply or Artillery Support from the Battle Arrow.
If there are multiple simultaneous battles in your area, leave your Battle Arrow in place and wait until the earlier battles are resolved before completing your After Action Step.
1. Roll to Destroy
Committing your Firestorm Troops to battle offers great rewards, but brings great risk. Their destruction in battle will leave you weakened, hindering your general's battle plan.
All Firestorm Troops that fought in the battle are at risk of destruction in the campaign if they are defeated on the battlefield. While tactical losses can be made good by a victorious army, a defeated army must conduct a difficult retreat that can result in the total destruction of its best troops.
For each Firestorm troop used in the battle, regardless of its fate during the game, the opposing Commander will roll a die. The score needed to destroy the Firestorm Troop in the campaign is given on the Roll to Destroy table and depends on the number of Victory Points that you scored. Remove any Firestorm Troops that are destroyed from the Campaign Map and place them in the Reinforcement Pool.
Roll to Destroy Table
| Your Victory Points | Score needed to Destroy Enemy Firestorm Troops |
|---|---|
| 6+ | 4+ |
| 5 | 5+ |
| 3 or 4 | 6 |
| 2 or less | No roll |
2. Retreat Defeated Troops
When you have been defeated in battle you must surrender the battlefield to your opponent. In order to save your force from utter destruction retreat is your only recourse.
If your opponent's modified score is greater than yours, then you have been defeated in battle. After rolling for destruction, all remaining Firestorm Troops in the area must be retreated to any adjacent area of your choice that is under your control.
If there are no adjacent friendly-controlled areas to retreat into, then all of the Firestorm Troops in the area including any that would normally be Destroyed are Captured and permanently removed from the campaign earning the victorious Player extra Campaign Victory Points.
The defeated player must retreat all Firestorm Troops from the area of battle.
Airborne troops may remove an Airborne Supply Marker to draw supply and retain the area instead of retreating (see Fighting Surrounded on page 27).
3. Advance Victorious Troops
Upon vanquishing your foe you have gained control of his position. To claim your prize march your forces forward and take control of the battlefield.
If you defeated your opponent, you now control the area the defeated forces retreated from. Place or remove a Control marker on your new area to show that you now control it.
As the victorious Player, you may move up to three Firestorm Troops into the newly-controlled area from adjacent areas. The first troops to move into the newly-acquired area must be any surviving Firestorm Troops that you committed to your battle. Once these troops have advanced, you may select the remaining Firestorm Troops to advance from any adjacent area.
The victorious player may move up to three Firestorm Troops from the Battle Arrow and adjacent areas into the area they have captured.
Allied Armoured Firestorm Troops may be advanced up to three friendly supplied areas connected by road into newly controlled areas (see page 25).
Example (retreat). Germans win a victory over the Allies on Erp Road, returning Erp road to German control. The German player rolls a die for each Allied Firestorm Troop successfully destroying one. The remaining Allied Firestorm Troop must retreat into an adjacent friendly-controlled area.
Example (advance). After the Allied player retreats his Firestorm Troop Markers the German player may advance. The German player decides to advance the Half-track from the Battle Arrow onto Erp Road and the Panzer from Volkel Road. If the German player chose to not advance the Half-track, then the Panzer would not be able to advance.
Draw
If the die roll to resolve a battle results in a tie than the battle is a Draw. Neither side wins or loses an area however supply is still expended and all Firestorm Troops who participated in the battle still risk Destruction.
General
Order One - Planning Phase
- Plan your Strategy
- Write Your Battle Plan
- Brief Your Commanders
Order Two - Battle Phase (Commanders fight the Battle Phase)
- Manoeuvre Step
- Combat Step
- After Action Step
Order Three - Strategic Phase
- Allocate Air Missions
- Make Exploitation Moves
- Bring in Reinforcements
- Make Strategic Moves
- Total Your Victory Points
The leader of each side in Firestorm - Market Garden is a General. As the General, you are responsible for planning your army's campaign and leading your Commanders to victory. You need to develop a battle plan for your Commanders to carry out. Get this right and victory will be yours.
A General has three standing orders: the Planning Phase conducted at the beginning of each Campaign Turn, the Battle Phase where you and your commanders fight battles, and the Strategic Phase at the end of each Campaign Turn.
Order One - Planning Phase
Many of the problems with Market Garden were associated with the mere seven days of planning that were allotted. Integrating operations, intelligence, communications, and logistics are all essential to good planning. To plan your campaign, use the simple step-by-step approach in this section. Choose the parts that work for you and use them to plan your strategy for victory.
1. Plan Your Strategy
'To grab and hold the bridges with thunderclap surprise.' - Lieutenant General Brereton, First Airborne Army Commander.
You need a strategy to guide your actions in the campaign. This strategy is all about taking enemy-held bridges and holding the ones you already have. These objectives bring victory points to your army. Think about using flanking manoeuvres, counter-attacks, cutting enemy supply lines and encircling enemy troops to secure victory. A simple but creative strategy is your first step to victory.
Allied Strategy. Any Allied strategy should centre on taking the bridges from Eindhoven to Arnhem. They contain the most victory points and their capture almost guarantees success. There are four possible strategies you can use to take the bridges.
- You can fight across the entire front slowly grinding down the German defence.
- You can thrust your offensive up one of the main roads leading north.
- You can attempt an airborne assault to secure all the bridges, or
- Combine your spearheads with an airborne assault to secure the bridges across Holland.
There are three routes north through Holland to the Arnhem Bridge. The simplest is up the middle of the map through Eindhoven to Nijmegen and then to Arnhem. The second route follows the Maas River on your eastern (right) flank. The third option takes you up the western (left) flank to Utrecht and then eastward towards Arnhem.
On any route, keep your roads open to ensure supply for your advancing armoured formations. You'll need your spearhead in supply at the end of the game as objectives are only worth half as much if they are unsupplied.
German Strategy. Sound strategies for the Germans hinge on holding the bridge at Arnhem. You can do this by reinforcing the bridges at Nijmegen and Eindhoven, holding them at all costs, or by fighting a mobile retreat, making the Allies pay dearly for every bridge they try to secure.
Another good German strategy is to keep a powerful striking force to counterattack any weaknesses the Allies show. A decisive counterattack to break the Allied supply line and isolate their spearhead could halt their offensive stalemating their advance.
Some generals build a good plan and stick with it to the end. Other generals build a flexible plan and look for opportunities to turn the battle in their favour. Either may be successful. Sound planning and unity of effort will drive your strategy forward while flexibility and versatility are the keys to tactical success.
Generals use wargames to test their strategies. You will find the General's Wargame on page 46. It allows you to conduct your own wargames before the campaign and test your strategies and battle plans before the campaign begins.
2. Write Your Battle Plan
Both generals should update their battle plan at the beginning of every Campaign Turn. Keep it clear, concise, and easy to understand. The simpler the better!
A written battle plan using visual cues is easiest for your commanders to follow. Use the Battle Plan when developing your plan of where you want your army to go. Mark those areas on your Battle Plan as your objectives and instruct your commanders on how to get there. Pick the vital three bridges or areas your army must secure as your objectives for each turn.
Write your objectives on the Battle Plan and draw arrows to show your Commanders how to execute your plan. Photocopy it and disseminate the plan to your commanders. Concise, simple plans are best.
Campaign Victory Points
There are two ways to accumulate Victory Points. You can capture and hold the bridges and critical areas on the campaign map, and you can surround and capture enemy Firestorm Troops to remove them from the campaign.
Victory Points Table
| Area | Victory Points | Map Location |
|---|---|---|
| Arnhem Bridge | 60 | T12 |
| Ijessel Bridge | 20 | X9 |
| Nijmegen Bridge | 50 | S19 |
| Utrecht | 20 | C6 |
| Gelderland Bridge | 6 | D13 |
| Maas-Waal Canal Bridge | 20 | R23 |
| Grave Bridge | 20 | Q24 |
| Zaltbommel Bridges | 6 | E23 |
| Boxmeer Bridge |
| Captured Firestorm Troops and Attacks on Allied Supply Depots | Victory Points |
|---|---|
| Konigstiger, Panther, & Paratroopers | 10 |
| All other Firestorm Troops | 6 |
| Successful Attack on Allied Supply Depot | 10 |
3. Brief Your Commanders
Letting your troops know what is expected of them is a sign of a good leader. It is even more critical if the General cannot be present at every Campaign Turn.
Your Battle Plan cannot be followed unless your commanders can see it. Either post it up on a wall where everyone can see it or put it in a 'Top Secret' folder to keep prying enemy eyes from viewing your battle plan. In either case, make sure your commanders know where it is and understand what it says.
A Battle Plan lasts only until the troops contact the enemy and the enemy rarely does what you expect them to do. Be flexible enough to change the Battle Plan as the situation dictates.
Use the Battle Plan provided in the Firestorm Handout to draw up your plan. Make copies of it for each Campaign Turn and designate up to three objectives on the right hand side. Draw arrows on the map to show your commanders where they need to fight in the upcoming Campaign Turn. You might find coloured arrows useful to highlight your main objective. This will focus your commanders on the chief task at hand.
Our Battle Plan (example)
We have selected three objectives to begin our plan in the capture of the Arnhem Bridge.
Our first attack needs to capture Eindhoven and link up with the 101st Airborne Division. Once together they can secure the way to Nijmegen. Concentrate on the Valkenswaard Road and Eindhoven along with Paratrooper attacks on the Veghel Bridge and Son bridge to insure a further link up to the north.
Our second objective is to take Groesbeek and the Maas-Waal Bridge thus isolating Nijmegen. This will allow a quick link up through the centre of Holland having our armour knocking on Nijmegen by the second Campaign Turn.
We have selected the Arnhem Bridge as the third objective. Taking the bridge early will isolate the powerful German armoured units north of the Rhine facilitating the fall of Nijmegen during the second Campaign Turn.
Our Commanders now have their orders and they can battle the enemy to accomplish this turn's missions.
Battle Plan form (example filled in): Date, Turn 1. Commanders Standing Orders: Primary Objective - Eindhoven; Secondary Objective - Nijmegen Bridge; Tertiary Objective - Arnhem Bridge. Special Instructions: Primary route Green, Secondary route Blue. Paratroopers to focus on two main bridges and surrounding areas. Armour to open roads and keep supply open. Commanders not engaged in town or road operations to secure areas adjacent to main objectives.
Order Two - Battle Phase
The Battle Phase is where you and your commanders fight their battles.
As General, you are expected to lead your army into battle. Take your own force onto the battlefield and engage the enemy to inspire confidence and respect.
Once the Planning Phase is completed, you and your commanders must implement your strategy and fight in the Battle Phase. For the rest of the Campaign Turn, you and your commanders fight battles using the three steps of the Battle Phase: Manoeuvre Step, Combat Step, After Action Step.
A General may also lead his own forces in Firestorm, participating in each Campaign Turn as a Commander.
Order Three - Strategic Phase
During the Strategic Phase both Generals take turns to direct their air assets, reinforce and redeploy their ground forces, and prepare for the next round of battles.
Once all the battles in the field are completed the General and his Staff need to plan for the next round of engagements to be fought. To this end, the Allied General allocates his strategic air and airborne assets to affect the tactical battle, disrupt German movements, and hold up their reinforcements.
In response, the Germans send their meagre Luftwaffe air assets to either interdict Allied air supplies to their isolated paratroopers or support German troops counterattacking against the Allies. Beyond this, each General will exploit weaknesses in the enemy's defence, bring up reinforcements, and redeploy their troops for the upcoming battles.
After each Battle Phase both Generals conduct a Strategic Phase. The end of the this phase signals the end of a Campaign Turn.
In the Strategic Phase, Generals are responsible for Conducting Air and Airborne Activities, Exploitation, Reinforcement, and Strategic Movement.
1. Air Allocation
There are four actions in the Air Allocation Step.
- Allied Aircraft Availability
- Transport Mission Assignment
- Tactical Air Mission Assignment
- Aircraft Mission Resolution
Allied Aircraft Availability
Weather, aircraft maintenance, and attrition from German anti-aircraft fire all had a direct effect upon the number of aircraft available to support daily operations.
To determine the number of Allied C-47 Skytrain Markers available for this Turn roll the Aircraft Die and consult the Allied Aircraft Availability Table.
The Allies also have one Typhoon Firestorm Troop. If the Allies do not need all of the C-47 Skytrain Markers available, they may swap two C-47 Skytrain Markers for up to one additional Typhoon aircraft for that turn only.
The Germans have one FW190 Firestorm Troop.
Allied Aircraft Availability Table
| Aircraft Die Roll | Number of C-47 Skytrain Markers available this Turn |
|---|---|
| One Aircraft | 2 |
| Two Aircraft | 3 |
| Three Aircraft | 4 |
Once you determine the number of aircraft you have for this turn, place them in the appropriate Aircraft Mission Box on the map. Leave any excess aircraft in the Reinforcement Pool.
Transport Mission Assignment
Assigning the proper air mission for your aircraft is crucial in keeping your reinforcements, supplies, and airborne troops operating effectively behind the front lines.
Air Drop. Air drop missions deliver airborne troops to empty Landing Zones, Drop Zones or airfields.
An Air Drop can be made at DZ-N because DZ-N is empty. An Air Drop cannot be made at DZ-T because DZ-T already contains a Paratrooper. An Air Drop cannot be made at LZ-T because LZ-T already contains an Airborne Supply Marker.
You can assign a C-47 Skytrain Marker to an Air Drop mission by placing it in an unoccupied (no German or Allied Firestorm Troops or Airborne Supply Markers) friendly or enemy-controlled Landing Zone or Drop Zone together with a Paratrooper or Glider Infantry Firestorm Troop from the Allied Reserve or Reinforcement Pool.
Paratrooper Firestorm Troops may be Air Dropped on either Landing Zones or Drop Zones. Glider Infantry Firestorm Troops can only be Air Dropped on a Landing Zone.
Paratroopers can land on an LZ or a DZ.
During each Strategic Turn, you may only Air Drop one Paratrooper or Glider Infantry Firestorm Troop on each Landing Zone or Drop Zone area.
Glider Infantry can only land on a LZ. (as printed in the caption of the second example, which shows a Glider Infantry Troop being refused at a DZ)
Air Resupply. Air resupply adds additional supplies to your fighting units behind enemy lines.
You can assign a C-47 Skytrain Marker to an Air Resupply mission by placing it in a friendly-controlled Landing Zone, Drop Zone or Airfield without an accompanying Paratrooper or Glider Infantry Firestorm Troop.
During each Strategic Turn, you may only conduct one Air Resupply mission on each Landing Zone, Drop Zone or Airfield.
Landing Zones and Drop Zones that are In Supply through a road connection to a Supply Depot cannot be the target of Airborne Resupply missions.
An Air Resupply mission may only be placed on friendly Landing Zones, Drop Zones or Airfields.
Tactical Air Mission Assignment
Fighters supported the ground troops through both Interdiction and Close Air Support (ground-attack) missions.
Interdiction. Interdiction targets enemy troops formations attempting to reinforce the front lines
The Allied player may attempt to interdict German Reinforcements and Reserves by placing a Typhoon Firestorm Troop on a German Supply Depot.
Placing a Typhoon on a German Supply Depot may stop German Reserves or Reinforcements being placed there.
The German player conducts their Tactical Air Missions after the Allies. The German player may attempt to interdict one Allied Resupply mission by placing the FW190 Firestorm Troop in a Landing Zone, Drop Zone or Airfield with a C-47 Skytrain Marker assigned to a Resupply Mission. Air Drop missions cannot be interdicted.
The FW190 may attempt to interdict the Air Resupply mission at DZ-T, but may not attempt to interdict the Air Drop mission on DZ-N.
Close Air Support. Close Air Support targets enemy troops in contact with your troops.
The Allied player places any remaining Typhoon Firestorm Troops in any area they control. If the German player is not attempting an Interdiction, they then place their FW190 Firestorm Troop in any area they control. These will fight as Firestorm Troops in the next turn's battles.
An FW190 placed on a friendly area fights as a normal Firestorm Troop.
Aircraft Mission Resolution
Once all aircraft have been assigned their missions, resolve the effects of Interdiction, Air Drop and Air Resupply missions.
Interdiction. Interdiction could successfully prohibit the reinforcement of front line troops by reserves.
Each player rolls a die to resolve an Allied Interdiction mission:
- If the Allied player's score is at least equal to the German Player's score, that Supply Depot is unavailable until the following Campaign Turn. Any Reserves or Reinforcements that would be placed in that Supply Depot are returned to their Reserve or Reinforcement Pools. Areas cannot be supplied by this Supply Depot, so any area that is not supplied from another Supply Depot that is not interdicted, is Out of Supply. Leave the Typhoon Firestorm Troop on the German Supply Depot until the next Strategic Phase to indicate a successful Interdiction.
- If the German player's score is higher than the Allied Player's score then the Interdiction failed and there is no effect on the German Supply Depot. Return the Typhoon Firestorm Troop to the Allied Reinforcement Pool.
If the Allied player rolls higher than or equal to the German player, the Supply Depot is unavailable for the turn. If the German player rolls higher than the Allied player, there is no effect.
Each player rolls a die to resolve a German Interdiction mission:
- If the German player's score is at least equal to the Allied Player's score, they have successfully interdicted that Resupply Mission and the C-47 Skytrain Marker is returned to the Air Mission Box without dropping any Airborne Supply Markers.
- If the Allied player's score is higher than the German Player's score then the Interdiction failed and there is no effect on the Resupply Mission.
In either case the FW190 Firestorm Troop is returned to the German Reinforcement Pool.
If the German player rolls higher than or equal to the Allied player, return the Allied C-47 Skytrain Marker the Air Mission Box without dropping any Airborne Supply Markers. If the Allied Player rolls higher than the German player, there is no effect.
Air Drops. Air drops provide airborne reinforcement to the troops on the ground along with the supplies they will need to fight.
Place two Airborne Supply Markers in the Landing Zone or Drop Zone area with the Paratrooper or Glider Infantry Firestorm Troop. Once this is done, return the C-47 Skytrain Marker to the Allied Reinforcement Pool.
Air Resupply. Air Resupply allows your airborne army to keep fighting even when surrounded.
To resolve a Resupply Mission, the Allied player rolls the Aircraft Die and consults the Air Resupply Table. Place the number of Airborne Supply Markers as indicated in the Air Resupply Table on the Landing Zone, Drop Zone or Airfield that you wish to resupply and return the C-47 Skytrain Marker to the Allied Reinforcement Pool.
Air Resupply Table
| Aircraft Die Roll | Number of Airborne Supply Markers |
|---|---|
| One Aircraft | 1 |
| Two Aircraft | 2 |
| Three Aircraft | 3 |
Landing Zones and Drop Zones can hold a maximum of six Airborne Supply Markers at any one time. If an Air Resupply mission results in more than six Airborne Supply Markers in one area, remove the excess to reduce the number to six.
Example. The Allied player rolled two aircraft for the Air Re-supply mission, so they place two Airborne Supply Markers and remove the C-47 Skytrain Marker.
Mountain Infantry
The Allies had planned to capture a German airfield to airland the mountain infantry of the British 52nd (Lowland) Division.
At the beginning of their Strategic Phase, if the Allies hold Deelen (Q2) or Soesterberg (C3), they may Air Drop a Mountain Infantry Firestorm Troop onto that airfield as one of their normal Air Drop missions.
Unlike a normal Air Drop, Airfields do not need to be empty for Mountain Infantry to land. You may land Mountain Infantry on an Airfield containing friendly Firestorm Troops or Airborne Supply Markers. In addition, you do not receive any Airborne Supply Markers when landing Mountain Infantry Firestorm Troops.
Mountain Infantry Firestorm Troops may enter the game by being Air Dropped on a captured airfield or as normal reinforcements (see page 31).
If the Allies capture an airfield they may Air Drop Mountain Infantry on it.
2. Make Exploitation Moves
During the confusion of battle, armies sometimes found gaps where there were no defenders. An alert commander would immediately exploit this hole in the enemy defences pushing their lead troops into the gap.
The Allied General conducts Exploitation first followed by the German General.
To make an exploitation, move one of your own Firestorm Troops into an adjacent enemy-controlled area that does not have any Firestorm Troops or Airborne Supply Markers in it. You cannot exploit into an area containing a Bridge or Airfield as these are always defended.
The troops making the exploitation move must be In Supply (see page 19) before they move, although they can be Out of Supply after their exploitation move. Paratrooper, Glider or Mountain Infantry Firestorm Troops may make an exploitation move, but they must remove a Airborne Supply Marker to Draw Supply to do so.
Typhoon and FW190 aircraft, Security and 8.8cm gun Firestorm Troops may not make exploitation moves, however they do block exploitation into the areas they occupy.
Mark each area you exploit into with a Battle Arrow to show that it has recently been captured as you cannot make a Strategic Move into an area that you exploited into.
There is no limit to the number of individual Exploitation Moves either side can conduct each turn. However, troops that exploited cannot make Strategic Moves nor can they make more than one Exploitation Move per Exploitation Step.
May exploit. May not exploit - Enemy Firestorm Troops present. May not exploit into an area containing a Bridge.
Tip: Placing the German FW190 in an open area on the Campaign Map may prevent the Allies from exploiting into a critical area during their Exploitation Step.
3. Bring in Reserves/Reinforcements
Bringing in additional forces to assist those in battle together with refitting those that have been mauled in combat, can tip the scales in any general's favour. Allied reinforcements arrived in Holland from the supply routes through Belgium. German reserves arrived from their garrison locations while reinforcements arrived randomly throughout the battle.
The Allied General brings on their Reinforcements first, followed by the Reserves and Reinforcements of the German General.
Allied Reinforcements. Place any Allied Firestorm Troops in your Reinforcement Pool in the XII Corps, XXX Corps, and VIII Corps Supply Depots, except that Paratrooper and Glider Infantry Firestorm Troops can only return to play via an Air Drop mission (see page 27). Typhoon Firestorm Troops can only return to play in the Air Allocation Step (see page 27).
Allied Firestorm Troops in your Reinforcement Pool return to play via the XII Corps, XXX Corps, and VIII Corps Supply Depots. Allied Paratrooper and Glider Infantry Firestorm Troops can only enter play via Air-drop.
German Reinforcements. German Firestorm Troops in the Reinforcement Pool randomly return to the board via the six German Supply Depots. Roll a die for each Firestorm Troop in the Reinforcement Pool and place it in the corresponding numbered Supply Depot.
If a German Firestorm Troop is destroyed during the game it returns to the reinforcement pool. German Firestorm Troops return to the board randomly, roll a die for each returning troop and place it in the corresponding Supply Depot. Reserve German Firestorm Troops come onto the board at their designated Supply Depots.
German Reserves in the A Bridge Too Far Scenario. Roll a die for each Firestorm Troop in the German Reserve Pools, in the Strategic Phase at the end of the first Campaign Turn.
- On a roll of 4+ that Firestorm Troop is placed in the Supply Depot associated with its Reserve Pool.
- Otherwise the Firestorm Troop is placed in the associated Supply Depot in the second Strategic Phase.
German Reserves in the Market Garden Scenario. German Firestorm Troops are placed in the Supply Depot associated with their Reserve Pool in the Reinforcement Phase of the designated Strategic Turn.
German Reserve Units
| Firestorm Troops | Location |
|---|---|
| Konigstiger | Wesel (Z10) |
| Konigstiger | Kleve (Z22) |
| Panther | Ruhr (Z41) |
| 8.8cm gun | Rotterdam (A41) |
| FW190 | Deelen Airfield (Q2) |
4. Make Strategic Moves
Redeploying forces before your next offensive or defensive move provides you with the flexibility to meet both known and unknown threats. Both armies use the local road networks to bring their units to the front.
The Allied General makes Strategic Moves first, followed by the German General.
In the Strategic Movement step a General moves any or all of their Firestorm Troops from areas that they control to other areas that they control. Troops cannot make a strategic move into an area that has just been occupied by an Exploitation Move.
Generals may use two types of strategic movement: Road Movement and March Movement.
Once all strategic moves have been made remove any Battle Arrows that were used to show Exploitation Moves.
Aircraft can not make Strategic Moves.
Road Movement. Roads are critical to operations in Holland. Elevated roads above the polder and road bridges over the numerous rivers and canals channelled all strategic movement onto the few major roads.
A Firestorm Troop that is both In Supply (see page 26) and is in an area containing a road can use Road Movement followed by a March Movement.
All Road Movement must follow areas connected by road. A Firestorm Troop using Road Movement can move through any number of friendly-controlled areas containing a road, as long as they follow the road and end their movement in an area containing a road.
Firestorm Troops may not use Strategic Movement into or through areas that were Exploited into this turn. Firestorm Troops may not use Road Movement through enemy-controlled areas. Firestorm Troops must be In Supply to use Road Movement.
March Movement. For movements over short distances troops can march on their own two feet. Marching this way, a unit can redeploy quickly through any type of terrain.
Any Firestorm Troop who has not moved by Exploitation can use March Movement to move into any adjacent friendly-controlled area whether they are In Supply or not.
You cannot make a March Movement followed by a Road Movement.
Firestorm Troops may use March Movement when Out of Supply. Firestorm Troops can make a March move after making a Road Move. Firestorm Troops cannot use Strategic Movement if they made an Exploitation move. Firestorm Troops cannot use March Movement to enter enemy-controlled areas.
5. Total Your Victory Points
The last thing to do in the Strategic Phase is to total your Campaign Victory Points. While Victory Points for holding Objectives are not awarded until the end of the campaign, it is useful to know how well you are doing as the campaign progresses.
Both Generals now total the Campaign Victory Points that they have earned from capturing and holding objective areas and surrounding and capturing enemy Firestorm Troops.
Capturing Objectives. Maintaining possession of the bridges is critical to winning the campaign. These are the routes needed to enter the Reich and end the war by Christmas.
You are awarded the number of Campaign Victory Points shown on the Campaign Victory Point table for each objective area that you hold at the end of the Campaign.
Bridges and towns are of limited value if they are cut off and unsupplied. As a result, you only receive half of the Campaign Victory Points for an area that is Out Of Supply (see page 26).
Airborne Supply Markers cannot supply Objectives for awarding Victory Points at the end of the Campaign. Supply must be traced from an Allied Supply Depot.
Capturing Firestorm Troops. Most units that are mauled in combat are pulled out of the line and rebuilt before being thrown back into the fray. However, when a unit is cut off and surrounded, it will be captured and totally destroyed if it loses a battle.
While Firestorm Troops that are Destroyed as a result of participating in a battle are placed back in the corresponding Reinforcement Pool, those that are Captured because they were unable to retreat are removed from the game instead (see page 30). Firestorm Troops that are Captured in this way earn the enemy Campaign Victory Points as shown on the Campaign Victory Points table.
Attacking Allied Supply Depots. There are simply too many Allied divisions arriving through the Allied supply depots for the Germans to ever capture them. However, a successful attack on one will throw the Allied plans into disorder.
If the German player wins a battle against an Allied Supply Depot, they do not advance their victorious troops into the area. It remains in Allied control, but the German player does get 10 Campaign Victory Points for their successful attack.
Ending the Campaign Turn
Once you have worked out your victory points, all that remains to do is update the campaign map.
Have each General count up their total Victory Points from captured bridges and Firestorm Troops, and successful attacks on Allied Supply Depots. They then place their individual Victory Point Indicators on the appropriate total at the bottom edge of the Campaign Map.
The last thing to do is to move the Campaign Turn marker to the next Campaign Turn.
Sample Victory Point Situation at the End of Turn 3
At just over half way through the game the German forces appear to be holding the advantage, keeping the Allies at bay. However, the Allied forces are in a good position to start launching their final assault in the last 2 turns.
| Allied Area Name | In Supply | Victory Points |
|---|---|---|
| Nijmegen Bridge | No | 50 halved to 25 |
| Veghel Bridge | Yes | 20 |
| Wilhelmina Canal Bridge | Yes | 10 |
| Son Bridge | Yes | 20 |
| Eindhoven | Yes | 10 |
| Tilburg Bridge | Yes | 6 |
| Turnhout Road | Yes | 6 |
| Albert Canal | Yes | 6 |
| Maas Bridge |
| German Area Name | In Supply | Victory Points |
|---|---|---|
| Arnhem Bridge | Yes | 60 |
| Ijessel Bridge | Yes | 20 |
| Utrecht | Yes | 20 |
| Gelderland Bridge | Yes | 6 |
| Maas-Waal Canal Bridge | No | 20 halved to 10 |
| Grave Bridge | Yes | 20 |
| Zaltbommel Bridges | Yes | 6 |
| Boxmeer Bridge | Yes | 10 |
| S'Hertogenbosch |
Campaign Outcome
'Achieving greatness means taking risks, but taking risks can get you killed.' - Oberst Heinrich Stammbach
At the end of Campaign Turn Five, the final Campaign Victory Point totals determine the winning side. The extent of the victory depends on the difference between the two sides' victory point totals.
The side with the higher Campaign Victory Point total wins the campaign. There are four levels of victory in Firestorm based on the difference in Campaign Victory Points between the two sides.
Allied Victory
The Allied side wins if it has more Campaign Victory Points than the Germans.
Allied Strategic Victory - Win By 150 Campaign Victory points
You have cleared the way through Holland for an armoured spearhead into the industrial heartland of Germany. The Ruhr Valley now lies open before your advancing army.
The German Army is now truly left with but old men and boys. It has little left to stop any advance into the crumbling Third Reich. Generalfeldmarschall von Rundstedt surrenders the German Army in the west. The road to Berlin is open and the King wishes to elevate you to the peerage. The war will end by Christmas!
Allied Operational Victory - Win By 100 Campaign Victory points
The Allied Army has met the Market Garden objectives and secured a bridge over the Lower Rhine River. With additional resources being rapidly forwarded to the 21st Army Group, you have cut off the remaining German troops in Holland. Having bagged an additional 100,000 enemy troops you can now victoriously advance into the German heartland. Churchill has requested your knighthood. Your commanders will be covered in medals.
Allied Tactical Victory - Win By 50 Campaign Victory points
The Allies have taken the bridge at Arnhem but the Germans still hold the approaches to Germany. Your army has won but is exhausted and needs resupply. You have successfully moved the front lines over 60 miles into Holland and are threatening to envelope the German Fifteenth Army holding the Dutch ports. In a matter of days the Canadians will open Antwerp providing ample supplies for your army to continue its drive into Germany. Churchill is smiling.
German Victory
The German side wins if it has more Campaign Victory Points than the Soviets. (sic - printed as "Soviets" in the book)
German Strategic Victory - Win By 150 Campaign Victory points
You have completely halted the 21st Army Group and smashed three airborne divisions. By holding the Meuse-Escaut Canal, you have stopped the Allied advance and allowed a massive build up of German armour to occur on the flanks of your enemies. Von Schlieffen would be proud. A winter offensive can now retake the channel ports and cut off the American Army to the south.
The mastery of the German Army is complete. German victory in the West is within sight. The Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Diamonds awaits your return to Berlin.
German Operational Victory - Win By 100 Campaign Victory points
By anticipating your enemies every move and skilfully utilizing your meagre but powerful assets, you have turned an Allied offensive into a German victory. You have achieved the impossible. Holding Holland against overwhelming odds has gained you the Knights Cross. Hitler is pleased.
You have gained the time needed to replenish the Army in the West and deliver the promised wonder weapons to save the Reich. Reserves can now be sent to the Eastern Front to smash the Soviet invasion in Poland. The war will continue!
German Tactical Victory - Win By 50 Campaign Victory points
Your quick response to the Allied airborne attack has brought many casualties to the Allies. Though you have lost some ground you have stopped the advance and secured the northern flank of the West wall. You have earned title as der Ritter der Westlichen Front. Reward your commanders for they have truly earned it.
This was the historical outcome of Market Garden.
Draw
The campaign is a draw if the total Campaign Victory Points for both sides are within 50 points.
The Allies have pushed deep into Holland but the Germans have managed to fall back and form a new front line on the Lower Rhine. Both sides have fought each other to a standstill and neither army is capable of sustaining an offensive or a counterattack.
As the British General you have lost the initiative and prestige of the British army, any further offensive will be led by the American Army Groups in France.
As the German General commanding the Army in Holland you can look forward to disgrace in the eyes of Der Fuhrer. You most likely will be relieved of your command. Be wary of the Gestapo arriving on your doorstep!
Generals Wargame
Generals have used wargames to test their plans for centuries. Manoeuvring pieces around on maps instead of troops on the battlefield allows them to fight battles in a matter of hours rather than days, and at little cost especially if they lose. If their strategy works, they can then apply it in the real battle. If it fails, they can come up with another plan before they have to commit their soldiers' lives in action.
In The General's Wargame you command an army in Operation Market Garden. As the General, you experience the ebb and flow of a large campaign that will decide the course of the war.
The General's Wargame is a fast-paced two-player game based on Firestorm - Market Garden that takes between an hour and one and a half hours to play. When both players are constantly involved in planning and executing attacks, time flies and the hardest question is whether you can fit in another game!
This makes it an ideal game when you have a few spare hours, but not enough space for a miniatures game, or you've just finished your Flames Of War game and have an hour to spare before you head off home.
Got a quiet evening? Grab a friend and relax with some drinks and snacks around the kitchen table! Travelling and want to take a game along? Grab Firestorm - Market Garden and play The General's Wargame.
As well as being a stand-alone game, The General's Wargame is a great tool for generals playing the Firestorm - Market Garden campaign. Before the campaign begins, you can run through a few games of The General's Wargame to test out your strategies and see how they perform. Just like the real generals, this experience will help you make winning plans when the real campaign begins. You can also set up your map to match the campaign map and try out plans for the next turn. Run through each strategy a few times to see the most likely outcome, and then write your battle plan accordingly.
Whether you play The General's Wargame on its own or as part of a Firestorm - Market Garden campaign, remember above all else that, like Napoleon, your country needs lucky generals - so roll good dice!
Order One - Planning Phase
- Determine Number of Battles
- Make Your Plan
Order Two - Battle Phase (Repeat for each Battle)
- Roll for Initiative
- Place a Battle Arrow
- Choose Firestorm Troops
- Check for Supply
- Resolve the Battle
- Roll to Destroy
- Retreat Defeated Troops
- Advance Victorious Troops
Order Three - Strategic Phase
- Air Allocation Phase
- Make Exploitation Moves
- Bring in Reserves/Reinforcements
- Make Strategic Moves
- Total Your Victory Points
Set Up the Campaign Map
Set up a General's Wargame in the same way that the campaign game is set up.
Choose a scenario and set up the map as shown in the deployments on page 20 or 21. The grid markings around the outside of the map will help you place your troops.
Opening Strategic Phase
Operation Market Garden opened with a massive air drop of three airborne divisions. The game starts the same way.
Like the campaign game, the General's Wargame begins with a Strategic Phase (page 38) in which only the Allied General takes part.
Generals Wargame - Order One - Planning Phase
The Planning Phase has two steps: determining the number of battles and making a plan for this turn's battles.
1. Determine Number of Battles
There are many things that affect the tempo of battle. In periods of clear weather, when the troops are rested and supplies plentiful, an army will be fighting battle after battle as they strive for their objectives. Tired troops and a lack of supplies can also hinder a commander's plans for a decisive stroke, forcing them to focus their efforts on the most important battles while other sectors of the front languish from lack of supplies.
At the start of the Planning Phase each player rolls a die to determine the tempo of operations. Total the scores and consult the Number of Battles Table to determine the number of battles that will be fought this turn. This gives six to twelve battles in each turn.
Number of Battles Table
| Total Score for both Die | Number of Battles |
|---|---|
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 or 4 | 7 |
| 5 or 6 | 8 |
| 7 | 9 |
| 8 or 9 | 10 |
| 10 or 11 | 11 |
| 12 | 12 |
Example. Tommy, the Allied player, rolls one die and scores a 3. Fritz, the German player scores a 2. Totalling the die rolls gives five, so they consult the table and determine that they will fight eight battles this turn.
Tommy and Fritz set the Number Of Battles track on the Campaign Map to count down the number of battles still to fight.
Each player rolls a die. Consult the Number of Battles Table to find the number of battles for this turn.
2. Make Your Plan
You need a strategy to guide your actions in the campaign. This strategy is all about taking enemy-held bridges and holding the ones you already have. These objectives bring victory points to your army. Think about using flanking manoeuvres, counter-attacks, cutting enemy supply lines and encircling enemy troops to secure victory.
Spend a moment studying the map and make a plan before each turn's battles begin.
A simple but creative strategy is your first step to victory. Use the Strategy guide in the Generals section to help you devise a strategy for the Generals Game.
Generals Wargame - Order Two - Battle Phase
Once you have determined the number of battles in this turn, resolve each battle in turn. The process for each battle is the same, starting with rolling for initiative and ending with the victorious player advancing their troops.
1. Roll for Initiative
As the campaign progresses both sides struggle to seize the initiative to strike a blow before the enemy can react.
Both players roll a die to decide who has the Initiative. The player with the highest roll wins the Initiative. If the roll is a tie then the Allied player wins the Initiative.
During the first turn of the campaign, all Allied Commanders receive a +1 to their die rolls for determining the Initiative.
If a Commander declines to pick a battle after gaining the Initiative they then forfeit the Initiative and the other Commander gets to pick where the battle occurs.
Both players roll a die. The Allied player adds +1 in the first turn. The higher scoring player has Initiative.
Example. Tommy and Fritz roll off for Initiative. Both Tommy and Fritz score a 5. Since both players rolled the same, Tommy, the Allied player, wins the Initiative.
2. Place a Battle Arrow
After you win initiative, mark the areas on the Firestorm map where you will fight over using a Battle Arrow.
The player who wins the Initiative selects an area to attack from, and an area that the enemy controls, to attack into. Place a Battle Arrow pointing from your area into the enemy area you are attacking.
You cannot place your Battle Arrow between two areas that are separated by an Impassable Border.
You may place your Battle Arrow so that you are attacking out of a Supply Depot, but only the German Player may attack into a Supply Depot.
Supply Depots can never be captured. There is no need to Retreat Defeated Troops (see page 31) out of them, and the enemy cannot Advance Victorious Troops (see page 31) into them. However the German player gains 10 Campaign Victory Points if they win a battle with an Allied Supply Depot.
3. Choose Firestorm Troops
The powerful combat forces under your command are represented by Firestorm troops. Committing these troops to a battle increases the chances of success considerably.
Each player may commit up to two Firestorm Troops from the area you are fighting in. Place these Firestorm Troops in the holes in the Battle Arrow.
You do not need to have Firestorm Troops to attack. Not having Firestorm Troops simply means that you will not gain any bonuses for the battle.
Allied Armoured Troops
Allied armoured troops are ready to race up the Dutch roads to support an attack in a key area, or occupy captured ground.
Allied Sherman or Sexton Firestorm Troops are Allied Armoured Firestorm Troops.
If you have won the Initiative and are In Supply (see page 26), you can commit an Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop from another In Supply area that is within three areas of the area you are attacking into (shown by the point of the Battle Arrow). The area containing the Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop must be connected to the area you are attacking by continuous friendly-held roads. Simply move the Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop or Troops into the area you are attacking from and place it in one of the holes on the Battle Arrow.
Allied Armoured Firestorm Troops from an In Supply area that is within three areas of an area you are Advancing Victorious Troops into (see page 31) may advance into the captured area as if they were adjacent to it. The area containing the Allied Armoured Firestorm Troop must be connected to the area you captured by continuous friendly-held roads.
German Variable Firestorm Troops
The German Konigstiger, 8.8cm Gun, and Security Firestorm Troops represent the variable mix of units that were called upon to support the German defence effort during Operation Market Garden.
When you select a Konigstiger, 8.8cm gun, or Security Firestorm Troop to place on a Battle Arrow to participate in a battle, roll a die and consult the appropriate table below to determine the type of Firestorm Troop platoon for that battle.
German Variable Firestorm Troop Table
| Die Roll | Konigstiger | 8.8cm Gun | Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StuG | 8.8cm Gun | Security |
| 2 | StuG | 8.8cm Gun | Security |
| 3 | Flammpanzer | 8.8cm Gun | Security |
| 4 | Tiger | 8.8cm Gun | Security |
| 5 | Konigstiger | StuG | SS Infantry |
| 6 | Konigstiger | Jagdpanther | SS Infantry |
Bridges and Airfields
Due to Allied air superiority the Germans placed anti-aircraft guns in defence of bridges and airfields throughout Holland. Once a bridge was secured the Allies would immediately defend it by placing their own anti-aircraft guns to protect it.
An area containing a Bridge or Airfield but no Firestorm Troops is Defended by Anti-aircraft Guns. The defending commander has a Situation Modifier of a +1 to their die roll (see page 50) if attacked in an area that is Defended by Anti-aircraft Guns.
4. Check for Supply
Keeping your troops in supply is critical for sustained operations whether they are attacking or defending.
Supply Depots. After placing the Battle Arrow and selecting their Firestorm Troops, both players must check the supply status of the forces that will fight in the upcoming battle.
For the Allies, the VIII, XII, and XXX Corps Supply Depots are always In Supply.
For the Germans, the Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Apeldorn, Wesel, Kleve, and Ruhr Supply Depots are always In Supply.
In Supply. Any area containing a road connected to a friendly Supply Depot by a continuous road under your control is also In Supply. The road route can be as long and circuitous as necessary, just as long as the road is connected throughout the whole route.
Areas that are adjacent to areas supplied by road are also In Supply, unless the border between the areas is Impassable.
Out of Supply. All other areas are Out of Supply. Being Out of Supply will give your forces a penalty for any battles fought with troops from that area.
Airborne Supply. Airborne forces can use their Airborne Supply Markers instead of normal road-based supply. See page 39 for details.
Effects of Out of Supply
Being out of supply has a debilitating effect upon surrounded troops, although they may still fight to the death their combat capability is diminished.
When you are Out of Supply, your force incurs a -2 penalty to your die roll for the battle as a Situation Modifier (see page 50).
5. Resolve the Battle
Generals plan to win battles by committing their strongest and freshest troops against the enemy's weaknesses. However, despite the best laid plans of generals, it is fortune that may ultimately decide a battle.
The battle is decided on the roll of dice. Each player rolls two dice and adds the Firestorm Troop Bonuses for the Firestorm Troops that they committed and any applicable Situation Modifiers for the type area where the battle is taking place.
The higher roll wins the battle. A tie with both players rolling the same score results in a draw in which case neither side advances or retreats.
Example. Tommy attacks into a Town area with a Sherman and a 5.5" gun, adding 3 to his dice roll of 7 for a total of 10.
Fritz defends with a Fallschirmjager and an 8.8cm Gun. Rolling on the German Variable Firestorm Troop Table, the 8.8cm Gun turns out to be a StuG. Together they add +4 to his roll of 8 for a total of 12. His total is higher than Tommy's, so Fritz wins the battle and holds onto Eindhoven.
(Allied Firestorm Troops: +1 Sherman, +2 5.5" gun. German Firestorm Troops: +3 Fallschirmjager, +1 StuG.)
Firestorm Troop Bonuses
Each Firestorm Troop placed on a Battle Arrow and committed to a battle gives a bonus to your die roll. Committing the right troops in the right terrain is important as this bonus depends on the type of Firestorm Troops committed and the terrain in the area where the battle is being fought.
Use the Firestorm Troop Bonuses Table to determine your bonus for each Firestorm Troop placed on the Battle Arrow. Cross reference the terrain where the Battle Arrow is pointing with Firestorm Troop Type to find the bonus for each Firestorm Troop committed. If two Firestorm Troops are committed add the bonus for both to your die roll.
You can attack without the benefit of any Firestorm Troops. Of course, if you do, you receive no bonuses, but can still capture the area and advance Firestorm Troops from adjacent areas into it if you win.
Firestorm Troop Bonus Table (terrain in area being attacked)
| Firestorm Troop Type | Open | Polder | Wood | Hill | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konigstiger, Tiger & Jagdpanther | +4 | +1 | +2 | +1 | +2 |
| Sherman, Panther, Panzer & StuG | +3 | +1 | +2 | +1 | +1 |
| Flammpanzer | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +3 |
| Half-track & Sexton | +2 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +3 |
Situation Modifiers
There are three separate situations that can affect battle results: fighting in or adjacent to Drop Zone, Landing Zone or airfield, fighting in a area containing a bridge, and fighting while out of supply. The Situation Modifier table shows the die roll modifier for fighting in a particular situation.
Add all relevant situation modifiers to your die roll in addition to any Firestorm Troop Bonuses you have added.
Situation Modifiers Table
| Situation | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Defending player is Defended by Anti-aircraft Guns (see page 48) | +1 |
| Allied player using Parachute Artillery Support (see page 27) | +1 |
| Any player fighting while Out Of Supply (see page 26) | -2 |
6. Roll to Destroy
Committing troops to battle is essential to victory, but always comes with the risk of having them destroyed should things go wrong. Unless your victory is complete, there is a chance that the enemy will maul your troops so badly that they need to be withdrawn from the front and rebuilt.
Subtract the losing players modified die roll score from the winning player's modified die roll score and look up the difference in the Roll to Destroy Table below to find the score needed to destroy a Firestorm Troop.
For each Firestorm Troop used in the battle the opposing player rolls a die.
- If the score equals or exceeds the score needed to destroy the Firestorm Troop, place it in the appropriate Reinforcement Pool.
- Otherwise, the Firestorm Troop is unharmed.
Firestorm Troops that were initially in Reserve are still placed in the Reinforcement Pool when Destroyed like any other Firestorm Troop.
Roll to Destroy Table
| Die Roll Difference | Score Needed to Destroy Losing Firestorm Troops | Score Needed to Destroy Winning Firestorm Troops |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (Draw) | 6 | 6 |
| 1 or 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 3 or 4 | 5+ | - |
| 5 or more | 4+ | - |
Example. In Fritz's victory over Tommy in Eindhoven the difference in the die roll is 2 in favour of Fritz. Fritz then looks up the Roll to Destroy Table and sees that he will need to roll a 6 to destroy Tommy's Firestorm Troops. Fritz rolls a 3 for the Sherman tank and a 6 for the 5.5" gun so only Tommy's 5.5" gun Firestorm Troop is Destroyed and placed in Tommy's Reinforcement Pool.
Tommy looks up the table and sees that despite losing the battle, he can still destroy Fritz's troops. He needs to roll a 6 to destroy each of Fritz's Firestorm Troops that participated in the battle. Tommy rolls a 4 for Fritz's Fallschirmjager and a 6 for the 8.8cm Gun Firestorm Troop. The 8.8cm Gun is Destroyed and placed in Fritz's Reinforcement Pool.
7. Retreat Defeated Troops
When you have been defeated in battle you must surrender the battlefield to your opponent. In order to save your force from utter destruction retreat is your only recourse.
If your opponent's modified score is greater than yours, then you have been defeated in battle. After rolling for destruction, all remaining Firestorm Troops in the area must be retreated to any adjacent area of your choice that is under your control.
If there are no adjacent friendly-controlled areas to retreat into, then all of the Firestorm Troops in the area including any that would normally be Destroyed are Captured and permanently removed from the campaign earning the victorious Player extra Campaign Victory Points.
The defeated player must retreat all Firestorm Troops from the area of battle.
Airborne troops may remove an Airborne Supply Marker to draw supply and retain the area instead of retreating (see Fighting Surrounded on page 27).
8. Advance Victorious Troops
Upon vanquishing your foe you have gained control of his position. To claim your prize march your forces forward and take control of the battlefield.
If you defeated your opponent, you now control the area the defeated forces retreated from. Place or remove a Control marker on your new area to show that you now control it.
As the victorious Player, you may move up to three Firestorm Troops into the newly-controlled area from adjacent areas. The first troops to move into the newly-acquired area must be any surviving Firestorm Troops that you committed to your battle. Once these troops have advanced, you may select the remaining Firestorm Troops to advance from any adjacent area.
The victorious player may move up to three Firestorm Troops from the Battle Arrow and adjacent areas into the area they have captured.
Allied Armoured Firestorm Troops may be advanced up to three friendly supplied areas connected by road into newly controlled areas (see page 24).
Draw
If the die roll to resolve a battle results in a tie than the battle is a Draw. Neither side wins or loses an area however supply is still expended and all Firestorm Troops who participated in the battle still risk Destruction.
Generals Wargame - Order Three - Strategic Phase
Once all of the battles have been resolved in the Battle Phase, the players move to the Strategic Phase. Here they will allocate their air resources, reinforce and redeploy their ground forces and get ready for the next Campaign Turn. The General's Wargame Strategic Phase is conducted the same as it would be in a Campaign game.
1. Air Allocation
Determining the number of aircraft available for the Strategic Phase and assigning them individual missions is the first part in the Air Allocation Step.
There are four actions in the Air Allocation Step.
- Allied Aircraft Availability
- Transport Mission Assignment
- Tactical Air Mission Assignment
- Aircraft Mission Resolution
Use the rules on pages 38 to 41 to make your Air Allocations.
2. Make Exploitation Moves
During the confusion of battle, armies sometimes found gaps where there were no defenders. An alert commander would immediately exploit this hole in the enemy defences pushing their lead troops into the gap.
Use the rules on page 41 to make Exploitation Moves.
3. Bring in Reserves and Reinforcements
Bringing in additional forces to assist those in battle together with refitting those that have been mauled in combat, can tip the scales in any General's favour.
Use the rules on page 42 to bring in Reserves and Reinforcements.
4. Make Strategic Moves
As the battle develops, a general redeploys their combat troops to create concentrations of strength for the next big push or to block the enemy's next thrust.
Use the rules on page 43 to make Strategic Moves.
5. Total Your Victory Points
Keeping track of the victory points held by each side at the end of each turn helps players plan their strategy for victory.
Use the rules on pages 43 and 44 to calculate your Victory Points.
Generals Wargame - Campaign Outcome
At the end of the last turn, both players total their victory points and consult page 45 to determine the campaign's outcome.
The possibilities range from a draw to an outstanding strategic victory that will change the whole course of the war.
Generals Wargame Quick Play Reference
Order One - Planning Phase
- Determine Number of Battles - Each player rolls one die. Look up the total on the Number of Battles Table.
- Make Your Plan
Order Two - Battle Phase (Repeat for each Battle)
- Roll for Initiative - Each player rolls one die. Allied player adds +1 in the first turn. Highest roll has Initiative (Allies win ties).
- Place a Battle Arrow - Player with Initiative places a Battle Arrow. Point arrow from attacking area to defending area.
- Choose Firestorm Troops - Each player commits up to two Firestorm Troops. Place Firestorm Troops on Battle Arrow. Allied Armoured Troops can be up to three areas away.
- Check for Supply - Trace a road from a Supply Depot, or Remove an Airborne Supply marker to Draw Supply.
- Resolve the Battle - Each player rolls two dice. Add Firestorm Troop Bonuses. Add Situation Modifiers. Higher score wins.
- Roll to Destroy - Look up difference on Roll to Destroy Table. Players roll to Destroy committed Firestorm Troops. Place Destroyed troops in Reinforcement Pool.
- Retreat Defeated Troops - Move all Firestorm Troops out of defeated area. Place or remove Control Marker on defeated area.
- Advance Victorious Troops - Move troops off Battle Arrow into defeated area. Move troops from adjacent areas into defeated area. Only three Firestorm Troops can advance in total.
Order Three - Strategic Phase
- Air Allocation Phase - Roll on Allied Aircraft Availability Table. Assign C-47 Skytrain Markers to Air Drop or Air Resupply. Assign Typhoon and FW190 Firestorm Troops to Interdiction or Close Air Support missions. Roll for Interdiction missions. Roll on the Air Resupply Table for Air Resupply missions. Place troops and Airborne Supply Markers for Air Drops.
- Make Exploitation Moves - Move Firestorm Troops into unoccupied enemy areas.
- Bring in Reinforcements - Place Allied Reinforcements in Supply Depots. Roll Supply Depot for each German Reinforcement. Roll 4+ to place German Reserves in Supply Depot. German Reserves automatically arrive on second turn.
- Make Strategic Moves - Move In Supply troops along friendly roads. Move any troops into adjacent friendly area.
- Total Your Victory Points - Objectives; Captured Firestorm Troops; Attacks into Allied Supply Depots.
Firestorm Terms
After Action Step (page 30): The commanders complete the After Action Step after fighting a battle. Troops advance, retreat or are destroyed in this step.
Airborne Supply Marker (page 15): Airborne Supply Markers are used to denote an existing supply capability in Landing zones, Drop zones, and airfields.
Area (page 15): The campaign map is divided into areas. All movement is from one area to another, and all Flames Of War battles take place between two areas.
Battle Arrow (page 23): Battle arrows mark battles that are currently taking place on the campaign map. Place Firestorm Troops fighting in the battle in the holes on the battle arrow. Battle arrows are also used to mark exploitation moves.
Battle Phase (page 23): Each turn the commanders fight Flames Of War games in the Battle Phase. Each game played in the phase has three steps: the Manoeuvre Step, the Combat Step, and the After Action Step.
Battle Plan (page 37): The battle plan is a black and white map in the Campaign Handbook. A general prepares a battle plan at the beginning of each campaign turn.
Campaign Map (page 15): The campaign map portrays the area of Holland where Operation Market Garden took place. It also contains a key, the Campaign Turn Indicator, the Reinforcement Pools, and a Victory Point Indicator.
Campaign Turn (page 18): The campaign is divided into five campaign turns. Within each campaign turn the Generals conduct a Planning Phase and a Strategic Phase while the Commanders fight in the Battle Phase.
Campaign Victory Points (page 36): Campaign victory points are used to measure the success of each side in the campaign. Campaign victory points are awarded for capturing bridges and other objectives, and for surrounding and capturing enemy forces.
Town (page 15): Towns are areas on the campaign map.
Combat Step (page 29): In the Combat Step of the Battle Phase commanders select the mission that they will play and fight a Flames Of War game.
Commander (page 23): Commanders are the players who fight the Flames Of War games that determine the campaign's outcome.
Control Marker (page 15): Control markers identify areas that you control. When you advance into an area place a control marker in it to show that you now control it.
Exploitation Moves (page 41): In the Strategic Phase each General has the opportunity to move up to two Firestorm Troops into unoccupied enemy areas.
Firestorm Troops (page 16): Firestorm Troops are miniatures representing the key units in the campaign. Firestorm Troops can be committed to a battle giving extra troops in the Flames Of War game that decides its outcome.
General (page 35): Each side has a General who coordinates the side's strategy in the Planning and Strategic Phases.
In Supply (page 26): An area is in supply if it can trace an uninterrupted road line to a supply depot.
Manoeuvre Step (page 23): The Commanders complete the Manoeuvre Step before fighting a battle. They select their opponent, roll for initiative, choose where to fight, the troops to use, and check that they are in supply during this step.
March Movement (page 43): In the Strategic Movement step troops can march from one area into an adjacent one.
Objectives (page 36): All bridges and one town, Utrecht, are the objectives giving the side that holds them at the end of the campaign victory points.
Organiser (page 54): The Organiser sets up the campaign. They select the campaign scenario, organise the venue, arrange gaming days, promote the campaign and run it.
Out of Supply (page 28): An area is out of supply if it cannot trace an uninterrupted road line to a supply depot. If your force is out of supply when fighting a battle it will suffer the effects from the Out Of Supply table.
Planning Phase (page 35): Generals prepare their battle plan in the Planning Phase.
Proxy Marker (page 15): Use the proxy marker to mark a platoon standing in for Firestorm Troops in a game.
Road Movement (page 43): In the Strategic Movement step troops can move any distance along friendly connected roads.
Reinforcements (page 42): Firestorm Troops destroyed after a battle are placed in the Reinforcement Pool on the Campaign Map. They are returned to a friendly supply depot during the next Strategic Phase.
Reinforcement Pool (page 42): The reinforcement pools at the bottom of the campaign map hold Firestorm Troops that were destroyed in the After Action Step.
Reserves (page 42): Certain German Firestorm Troops are designated Reserves. They may or may not appear at selected positions of the Campaign Map during the first Strategic Phase.
Strategic Movement (page 43): Generals redeploy their Firestorm Troops using march and road movement in the Strategic Phase.
Strategic Phase (page 38): After the Battle Phase, the Generals conduct the Strategic Phase where they undertake Air Allocation missions, exploit breakthroughs, bring on reinforcements, and redeploy their forces with strategic movement.
Supply Depot (page 15): Each side has road entry areas identified as supply depots. Troops must be able to trace a roadway to a supply depot to be in supply.
Allied Armour Firestorm Troop (page 24): Allied Sherman and Sexton Firestorm Troops are designated Allied Armoured Firestorm Troops. They may move up to three areas to support a battle in the Choose Firestorm Troops step.
Victory Point Marker (page 15): The advantage currently held by the winning side is shown by the position of the victory point marker on the victory point indicator on the side of the map.
Variable Firestorm Troop (page 25): German Konigstiger, 8.8cm gun, and Sicherungs (Security) Infantry Firestorm troops are Variable Firestorm Troops. Their actual platoon make-up is decided by dice roll during the Choose Firestorm Troops step.