Chain of Command
Chain of Command Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1. Preparing for Battle
- 2. The Ground Rules
- 3. The Patrol Phase
- 4. Command & Control
- 5. Chain of Command Points
- 6. Phase Sequence
- 7. Infantry Movement
- 8. Target Acquisition
- 9. Infantry Fire
- 10. Support Weapon Fire
- 11. Vehicles
- 12. Fire Against Vehicles
- 13. Close Combat
- 14. Shock
- 15. Force Morale
- 16. The Specialists
- 17. Advanced Rules
- Appendix A: Playing Chain of Command
1. Preparing for Battle
Hardware
To play Chain of Command you will need a tape measure showing inches to measure distances moved and weapon ranges.
You will also need a number of six-sided dice. All the dice used in the rules are six-sided, marked 1 to 6 on each side with numbers or pips. These are referred to generally as D6 in the rules.
Ordinarily, dice are used to generate a random number between 1 and 6. Sometimes you will roll multiple dice, as indicated by a preceding number, such as 2D6 or 3D6. In these cases, roll the number of dice indicated and add the results to give an overall total.
Around a dozen or so D6 should cover most situations but it doesn't hurt to have a few more to hand. In some extreme situations, you may need to roll a real handful of dice. If so, roll as many dice as you have, note the number of successful rolls, then roll again to make up the balance.
Command Dice
In Chain of Command, Unit activation in any Phase of play is determined by rolling a number of Command Dice, normally between four and six standard D6. There is no need to purchase any special dice for this, but it is recommended to use a set of distinctively-coloured dice, so that you don't get these muddled up with other dice in the heat of battle. See Section 4.2, Using the Command Dice.
Markers
In Chain of Command, morale is represented by a system of Shock which needs to be tracked for each Unit on the table. Micro-dice work well for this, but some gamers prefer to use counters, or to create specific markers with wounded figures, rocks or discarded equipment, to indicate a Unit's current status. See Section 14, Shock.
Sometimes your Units will assume a particular stance, either operating Tactically or going on Overwatch. These stances may extend over numerous Phases of play and need to be shown on the table. Similarly, Units which have become Pinned or have Broken, as a result of contact with the enemy, need to be marked.
Chain of Command Points
During the game you will need to keep track of the number of Chain of Command Points your side generates. Some gamers prefer to keep the tally using chits or tokens such as tiddly-winks. See Section 5, Chain of Command Points.
2. The Ground Rules
Before you begin playing Chain of Command, it is a good idea to get a grasp of some of its basic ideas and concepts. This will allow you to better understand how the rules work.
Ground Scale
When designing these rules, a scale was needed which was both practical and looked good on the tabletop. In the end, 12" was set equal to 40 yards. This looks great with figures between 20mm and 28mm, and is pretty much a perfect fit for 15mm figures.
Time Scale
Chain of Command uses a unique turn sequence to reflect a battle going through multiple Phases of play. Each Phase of play represents just a few seconds of action. As a result, Turns are of variable length and the end of a Turn represents a significant lull or break in the action.
Force Organisation
Chain of Command is a game all about Leaders and their initiative: the men on the battlefield who, in the face of adversity, drive on those around them to achieve victory. To that end, there are two sorts of men in Chain of Command: Leaders and ordinary men. The former are individuals whose role is to lead so that others may follow. The latter operate in Units, a term used to cover Sections, Squads or Teams based on real military structures.
Typically each Section or Squad will be commanded by a junior non-commissioned officer (NCO) and made up of a light machine gun Team and a rifle Team, with the possibility of a small scout element. How Units are actually organised will depend on the various historical national structures, but also how the player wishes to break down his forces for the job at hand.
A platoon tends to be made up of three or four such Sections or Squads commanded by a junior officer supported by a senior NCO. As part of its strength it will often have some Support Weapons, such as an infantry anti-tank Team with a PIAT or Bazooka or a light mortar Team.
Teams are the smallest Unit type represented in Chain of Command. These may be formal weapons Teams, such as the Support Weapons attached to the platoon, or more informal ad hoc Teams created by the player for a specific task. A single man on sentry may be considered a one man Team, whilst two, three or four men broken off from a Squad for a specific task, such as scouting out an objective, will be another Team. These ad hoc Teams will automatically be reincorporated when they rejoin their parent Section.
Unit Integrity
This is a skirmish game system, so the physical positioning of models in relation to both friends and enemy matters. For a model soldier to be considered part of a Unit, be that a Section, Squad or Team, they must be within 4" of at least one other soldier in that Unit.
A soldier, or Group of soldiers, who are more than 4" from the rest of their Unit become a separate Team. This can happen if these soldiers move away from their Unit or if intervening soldiers become casualties. When either Team moves back within 4" of the other, they automatically become one Unit again.
Example: distances are measured from the closest two figures in the two Teams. If the LMG Team and the Rifle Team are more than 4" apart they operate as two Teams rather than a Section.
Support Weapons and Vehicles
As well as infantry, there are two other sorts of Units represented in Chain of Command: Support and Vehicles. Support Units are the heavier weapons which generally require transport and can be deployed to support the infantry, such as anti-tank guns, medium mortars or infantry guns. Vehicles, which range from Jeeps through to the largest tanks, are further divided into two categories: transport and combat vehicles.
The Unexpected
From time to time, situations will arise which are not covered in the rules. When this happens, consider what is and isn't possible in real life in the relevant span of time. Discuss the situation with your opponent and come to an amicable agreement.
Failing that, roll a dice to see who gets their way this time.
Rounding the Dice
Sometimes the rules will ask you to add, subtract or use a proportion of the dice available. You should always round down if the result is not a whole number of dice in these situations.
Glossary of Terms
Throughout Chain of Command certain key terms are italicised in this rulebook. Where a term is italicised, refer back to this section to see exactly what is meant.
Broken: (See Section 14, Shock). Units whose Shock levels reach double the number of men in the Unit — including Leaders — will break, immediately retiring 6" plus a further 2D6 inches directly away from the enemy. These Units are said to have "excess Shock". Any Leaders with them will also break. If, at the end of the Turn, the Unit has not been rallied and its Shock is still more than double the men present, it will Rout from the table. Any Leader with them will also Rout.
If, at the end of the Turn, the Unit has been rallied sufficiently such that its Shock is less than double, but still more than the number of men present, the Unit will be Pinned in the next Turn.
Chain of Command Points: (See Section 5, Chain of Command Points). Chain of Command Points represent a build up of tactical awareness and the commander's ability to "read the battlefield" and act dynamically. The number of these a force has is determined by particular Command Dice rolls: the total is tracked through chits or on dice. Each 6 Chain of Command Points accumulated may be used by the player to influence play.
Close Combat: (See Section 13, Close Combat). Close Combat occurs when two or more opposing Units come within 4" of each other and represents a violent fight which will oblige one, or sometimes both, sides to withdraw.
Command Dice: (See Section 4.1, Turn Sequence). Command Dice are rolled by the active player in each Phase to determine what options he has for activating his troops in that Phase. Depending on the result, they may also determine who will be active in the next Phase and the number of Chain of Command Points each player accumulates.
Force Morale: (See Section 15, Force Morale). In addition to the effect of Shock on individual Units, Chain of Command also tracks the morale of the force as a whole. This determines how well a force functions as casualties mount and when, potentially, it must leave the field.
Jump-Off Points: Jump-Off Points are markers which indicate the extent to which the force commander knows he can deploy men quickly, efficiently and safely once the battle begins. These are points which have been established during the Patrol Phase before the actual game begins.
Leader: (See Section 4.2, Using the Command Dice). Leaders are the officers and NCOs who lead your force. They are key to keeping your men operating effectively in the stress of battle. When activated, Leaders will use their Command Initiative to influence the men around them.
Leaders are ranked either Junior or Senior. A Junior Leader is normally a Section, Squad or Team Leader, typically a Corporal or Sergeant. A Senior Leader is one whose rank determines that he is of a higher status, such as the Platoon Officer or Platoon Sergeant.
Overwatch: (See Section 4.5.4, Unit Actions). Leaders may order their troops to go on Overwatch. Troops on Overwatch hold their ground and cover a 90 degree arc of fire, as indicated by the Overwatch marker. They may fire at full effect at any enemy troops who enter that arc of fire at any point in the current Turn. Overwatch markers are removed when the unit fires; at the end of the Turn; or, when a Leader gives the troops an order to do something else.
Patrol Markers: (See Section 3, The Patrol Phase). Patrol Markers are used only in the Patrol Phase of the game to represent the activities of reconnaissance forces and patrols seeking out the enemy and securing ground for both sides. Ultimately their position at the end of the Patrol Phase will determine where the Jump-Off Points for both sides will be placed.
Patrol Phase: (See Section 3, The Patrol Phase). The Patrol Phase is undertaken before the first Turn begins. It represents a number of factors, such as local knowledge gleaned by patrols, reconnaissance forces or similar, and determines where both sides will then be able to deploy their forces during the game.
Phase: A Phase of play represents the briefest moment of time on the battlefield in which anything of substance can be achieved, at most a few seconds. Each Turn is broken down into an unspecified number of Phases — the actual number is determined by the run of the Command Dice and the use of Chain of Command Points. In each Phase, one side or the other may command his men to move, fire or engage in Close Combat.
Pinned: (See Section 14, Shock). Units whose Shock exceed the number of men in the Unit, including Leaders, will be counted as Pinned. They may not move and will fire at half effect for the remainder of the current Turn. At the end of the Turn, Units which have not been rallied sufficiently to reduce their Shock to equal to or less than the number of men present will remain Pinned in the next Turn. (See also Broken, above.)
Rout: (See Section 14, Shock and 13, Close Combat). Units are considered to Rout when they leave the table due to excess Shock at the end of a Turn, if they are forced to leave the table during play, or if they Rout due to Close Combat. (See Section 13, Close Combat.)
Section or Squad: (See Appendix B, National Army Lists). A Section or Squad is an infantry Unit normally comprised of between eight and twelve men, commanded by a junior NCO. For ease of reading, the term Section is used rather than continually using both.
Shock: (See Section 14, Shock). Unit morale in Chain of Command is represented by the accumulation of Shock. As Shock increases, a Unit's performance will reduce proportionately. Shock is not permanent; it may be removed by a Leader rallying the Unit.
Support Weapons: (See Section 10, Support Weapons Fire). These are infantry crewed weapons which, whilst they may be manhandled, are heavy enough to normally require transport. This includes anti-tank guns, infantry guns and mortars.
Tactical: (See Section 4.5.4, Unit Actions). Troops who assume a Tactical stance are taking their time to seek out the best possible cover. As a result, Troops with a Tactical Marker are always treated as being in one level of cover better than the terrain in which they are located. Troops assuming a Tactical stance may not fire. Troops placed on a Tactical stance that do not move or fire will remain so until the end of the Turn. Tactical Markers are removed at the end of every Turn.
Team: The term Team is used when referring to a smaller Unit, such as the light machine gun (LMG) Team or rifle Team, which make up part of the infantry Section; anti-tank Teams such as the Panzerschreck, Bazooka or PIAT Teams often found in a platoon; or stand-alone weapon Teams such as MMG Teams, scout Teams or light mortar Teams.
In the Army Lists some Teams, particularly LMG Teams, have men listed as "crew" and as "riflemen". The crew are the men who serve the gun and who may not undertake any other role. The riflemen are there to carry ammunition. In action these men may fire their rifles to add weight to the weapon Team. However, if the weapon crew is reduced due to losses they will automatically make up those numbers and may not then fire independently.
Where the Team is specified as an Infantry Team, this will be a Team with man-portable weapons whose firing is covered in Infantry Fire rules. (See Section 9, Infantry Fire.)
Turn: A Turn is made up of an unspecified number of Phases and represents a significant period of action. Its end represents a lull in the fighting. At the end of the Turn, all lasting effects of that Turn, such as deployed smoke, mortar barrages, Units' deployment in a Tactical stance or on Overwatch are ended and any relevant smoke or markers removed. Un-rallied Broken Units will also Rout from the table.
Unit: Used when referring generally to any type or size of infantry or support Sections, Squads or Teams, where no specific Unit size or structure is relevant. So, "any Unit can fire" is a more succinct way of saying "any Section, Squad, weapon Team or Support Weapon can fire".
Terrain and Visibility
In real life, terrain is infinitely variable, whereas in any wargames rules it must be categorised in order to allow it to work within the game rules.
At the outset of any game the players are encouraged to discuss what the terrain on their tabletop represents in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises during play. In particular, players should take a moment before the game to agree on just which terrain features present which type of cover. This will generally be self-evident, but some more unusual features might benefit from clarification.
Chain of Command breaks terrain down into four main groups as follows:
Open or Hard Ground: This is terrain where a man can walk unimpeded such as a road, track or open, dry grassland.
Broken Ground: This could be a ploughed field, light woodland, fords, muddy or saturated ground or steep hills where movement is slightly impeded.
Heavy Going: This represents heavy undergrowth, dense forests, rocky hillsides, rubble or marsh where movement is badly restricted for men on foot and extremely difficult or impossible for vehicles.
Really Heavy Terrain: This is terrain at the extreme end of the spectrum. Virgin jungle, swamps, deep snow or similar. All movement is very difficult indeed and limited to a very slow pace.
It is very likely that the terrain will influence how easily a Unit can be seen. However, it is worth noting that sometimes a Unit can be moving in Broken Terrain, such as crossing a ploughed field, but be as clearly visible as if on hard ground. Alternatively, the Unit may be moving freely on hard ground, but be difficult to see because of intervening linear terrain such as a wall or hedge.
In Chain of Command, there are three types of cover: light, hard and bunkers. Light cover is considered to be minimal cover, which often makes the target harder to see but does not offer much physical protection. This could be hedges, standing crops, low garden walls, small shell holes, wooden buildings or similar.
Hard cover offers some worthwhile physical protection to the Unit, such as a heavy stone wall, buildings, entrenchments or similar. Bunkers are particularly hard cover and offer all round protection. Generally they will be of concrete construction with small firing apertures.
3. The Patrol Phase
A game of Chain of Command is played out, like most miniature wargames, on the tabletop with two model soldier forces fighting for victory. However, before the figures are deployed for action the players play through the pre-game Patrol Phase, using Patrol Markers on the tabletop.
This Patrol Phase covers several key areas which the players need to consider. Firstly, it reflects the knowledge of the terrain which both sides have prior to battle based on patrols, reconnaissance and the like. Secondly, it will determine where the players will be able to deploy their forces on the table during the battle. Thirdly, this will be where they establish how high their Force Morale is for the game to come.
The Patrol Phase also has the advantage of getting the two forces into relatively close proximity before the battle itself begins.
During the Patrol Phase both sides use a number of Patrol Markers, discs around 2.5" in diameter, ideally marked with an appropriate national symbol but certainly sufficiently different so that the two sides may be distinguished; individual figures can also be used to represent them.
The number of Patrol Markers used by each side and their starting positions will depend on which scenario is being played. See Section 3.1, Starting the Patrol Phase. Typically each side will have three or four markers beginning on their own table edge.
The players set up their Patrol Markers on the table as indicated in the scenario. If the scenario indicated that either side has any free moves, these are now taken.
Force Morale
Each side now rolls a D6 which sets its Force Morale Level. A Green force subtracts 2 from their roll, an Elite force adds 2.
An adjusted total of 2 or less indicates a Force Morale of 8. A total of 3 or 4 gives a morale level of 9. If a total of 5 is achieved this indicates a morale level of 10, whilst a 6 or more is a morale level of 11.
You can keep a track of this using dice or tokens, or a Force Morale Tracker. See Section 15, Force Morale.
3.1 Starting the Patrol Phase
The player with the highest Force Morale Level starts — roll a D6 each in the case of a tie, with the higher roller moving first. The player moves one of his Patrol Markers up to 12", whilst ensuring that it remains within 12" of at least one other friendly Patrol Marker. Once he has done this, his opponent moves one of his Patrol Markers in the same fashion. This then continues with the players taking turns to each move a marker.
No allowance is made for terrain, unless specified by the scenario or special force characteristic rules. The Patrol Markers always move up to 12" but they must always be within 12" of another friendly Patrol Marker, with all of each side's Patrol Markers forming a continuous, unbroken chain. Distances should be measured from the centre of the Patrol Marker.
When a marker reaches a point 12" from one or more enemy Patrol Markers, it will immediately cease movement even if it has not moved the full 12" available to it. This Marker and the enemy's Marker (or Markers if more than one is affected) are now locked in position and may make no further movement in any direction. This represents the point where, at some time prior to the game, two patrols encountered each other in No-Man's-Land.
Example: the Allied Patrol Markers form a continuous chain with no more than 12" between any one Marker and another friendly Marker. One Marker is locked down and has ceased movement where it has reached a point 12" from an enemy Marker.
The players continue moving their other Patrol Markers until one or both sides have all of their markers locked in position. At this point the Patrol Phase ends, even if one side has one or more Patrol Markers still not locked down.
With the Patrol Markers in their final position they are now used to determine where the Jump-Off Points will be positioned for use in the game.
3.2 Placing the Jump-Off Points
The player who moved his Patrol Marker first now selects one of these in order to place a Jump-Off Point on the table. These are the points his forces will use to enter the game during play. It is recommended to use an unobtrusive vignette to represent these on the table, such as a stack of arms, a pile of ammunition boxes or fuel drums.
To place a Jump-Off Point the player must select a position in or immediately behind cover which is at least 6" further from the closest two enemy Patrol Markers than the selected Patrol Marker, and in the zone directly opposite them. If no cover is available, the Jump-Off Point must be placed on the table edge.
Example: the shaded zones into which the Jump-Off Points can be deployed are determined by the positioning of the nearest two enemy Patrol Markers and the friendly Patrol Marker. Find cover in that area and that is where the Jump-Off Point can be placed. If no cover is present then select a point on the table edge within the zone. One Jump-Off Point is placed behind a hedge as this puts it immediately behind cover and more than 6" from the Patrol Marker. Another is placed on the table edge as there is no cover available in the area where it could be placed — even though it would be in cover from the Patrol Markers. It is not enough to have cover between it and the enemy Patrol Markers.
The Jump-Off Point has to be in or immediately behind cover, even if it is no longer in line of sight of the enemy.
In open terrain, such as the desert or flat Dutch countryside, it is more likely that some Jump-Off Points will end up nearer the table edge than they would be in the heavy countryside of Normandy. However, remember that even shallow variations of ground level do provide some cover.
Once the first Jump-Off Point is placed, the opposing player repeats the process with both players alternating until they both have all of their Jump-Off Points placed on the table. The number of Jump-Off Points may vary depending on the scenario. The Patrol Markers are now removed and the game can begin.
4. Command & Control
In Chain of Command both sides begin the game with none of their forces deployed on the table. The locations of the Jump-Off Points show both sides where their patrols made contact with the enemy and, consequently, where danger may lie. They also indicate No-Man's-Land, the area of the table which lies between the two forces and, most importantly, the points to which you may deploy your own forces once the game begins. The Jump-Off Points represent the deployment options which your commander has: points to which he knows he can deploy his men quickly and safely in the heat of battle.
Troops which have yet to be placed on the table are considered to be at a point slightly back from the action, where they have been assembled by their Platoon commander with his Orders Group prior to being committed to battle. How quickly they deploy onto the table, and to which Jump-Off Point or Points, will depend on a combination of the opportunities presented by the Command Dice and by the commander's own decisions as the battle develops before him.
4.1 Turn Sequence
The sequence of play in Chain of Command is broken down into a number of Phases which make up a longer Turn. In each Phase of play the active side will be able to activate a number of Units. Which, and how many, will be determined by rolling that force's Command Dice.
Command Dice are standard D6. The number of Command Dice rolled at the start of each Phase is determined by the quality of the force. Typically this will be five dice, although a very high quality force may have six dice, whereas a poorer force may have only four dice. The number of Command Dice a force has will be indicated in Appendix B, National Army Lists.
4.1.1 Beginning the Game
At the start of the first Phase, the side with the higher Force Morale is the active force. Where both sides have the same Force Morale level, both roll a D6 with the higher roll indicating which force is active in the first Phase. In the event of a tie, re-roll until one side wins.
4.2 Using the Command Dice
The active player now rolls all of the force's Command Dice to see what options they have in this Phase. The result on each D6 rolled allows the following:
Table One — Command Dice Results
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Activate or Deploy one Team |
| 2 | Activate or Deploy one Section or Squad with its Junior Leader |
| 3 | Activate or Deploy one Junior Leader with his Section, Squad or Team |
| 4 | Activate or Deploy one Senior Leader |
| 5 | Add one to your Chain of Command Points total |
| 6 | Phase Sequence Dice |
In terms of directing troops, the key rolls are 1 to 4. The effect of rolling 5 or 6 is covered in Sections 5, Chain of Command Points and 6, Phase Sequence.
4.2.1 Command Dice Results
The player may combine two or more dice to get a single higher result ranging from 2 to 4. For example, two 2's may be combined to make a 4. Dice may never be combined to make a 5 or 6 nor be split to make a lower result. A player may never substitute a higher score for a lower score.
Having rolled the Command Dice, the player decides which Units or Leaders he wishes to activate or deploy using those dice. He does not need to use all, or indeed any, of the Command Dice with results from 1 to 4 but results of 5 and 6 are always applied.
The active player allocates the dice as he wishes between their Leaders and Units both on and off table — activating those on the table, deploying those currently off-table or any combination of the two.
The player may choose the order in which the dice are used and whether they are used in sequence — one at a time, with the results being applied after each one — or all together with the results being applied simultaneously. Any combination of these options may be used to gain the maximum tactical advantage in the Phase.
For example, when activating an infantry Section you may elect to first shoot at an enemy Unit with the light machine gun Team before then charging the rifle Team into contact.
What a Unit or Leader may do in the Phase depends on whether it was deployed on the table at the start of the Phase.
Example: the player rolls his five Command Dice and gets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 4. He already has one Squad deployed on the table and is keen to push forward with them. He uses the 3 to do so, getting his Junior Leader to activate them.
He now uses the 2 to deploy a second Squad from off-table and the 1 to deploy his 60mm mortar Team.
The pair of 4's means that he could deploy two Senior Leaders to the table. He decides to deploy his Staff Sergeant with one 4, but is not yet ready to deploy his Lieutenant so does not use the second 4. He cannot use the spare 4 to activate the Staff Sergeant a second time as nobody can be activated more than once in any Phase.
4.3 Deploying onto the Table
Troops deploying onto the table are assumed to be directed there by an off-table Senior Leader, such as the Platoon Officer or Platoon Sergeant.
However, if all your Senior Leaders are already on the table then calling forward off-table Units or Junior Leaders becomes more problematic. For each Unit or Junior Leader the player is attempting to deploy onto the table, roll a D6. On a roll of 4-6 it will arrive. On a roll of 1-3 it will not arrive this Phase.
If a Unit or Junior Leader does not arrive, they have not disappeared completely; assume that the platoon runner has been diverted or delayed. You may always attempt to bring that Unit on in subsequent Phases.
4.3.1 Deploying to Jump-Off Points
All infantry Units or Leaders deploying onto the table must be placed within a specific distance of a friendly Jump-Off Point. How far from the Jump-Off Point they can deploy depends on their troop quality. Green troops must deploy within 4" of the Jump-Off Point; Regular troops within 6" and Elite troops within 9". They may elect to deploy anywhere within the permitted distance of the Jump-Off Point and in any direction from it — even if that is closer to the enemy.
On a Command Dice roll of 1, a single discrete Infantry Team, such as a mortar or Panzerschreck, may deploy onto the table. This will not be a Team that is part of a Section or Squad, unless it is a one or two man Scout Team advancing onto the table ahead of its parent Section; where men have been detached from their Section to crew a vehicle; or when a Team conducts an Ambush. See Section 5.1.1, Using a Chain of Command Dice.
On a Command Dice roll of 2, a Section or Squad deploying onto the table will always arrive accompanied by its Junior Leader where one is present. However, the Leader may not use his Command Initiative in this Phase. If one of the Section's Teams has already deployed onto the table as part of an Ambush then the balance of the Section will arrive with its Junior Leader.
On a Command Dice roll of 3, a Junior Leader may deploy onto the table with his Section, Squad or Support Weapon Team. He may immediately use his Command Initiatives to command or activate any of his men in his command range, but neither he nor they may move in this Phase. If one of the Section's Teams has already deployed onto the table as part of an Ambush then the balance of the Section will arrive with its Junior Leader.
On a Command Dice roll of 4, a Senior Leader deploying onto the table must be placed within a specific distance from a friendly Jump-Off Point. He always arrives on his own. No men will arrive with him unless they have been activated with another Command Dice and are simply arriving at the same Jump-Off Point.
The Senior Leader may immediately use his Command Initiatives to activate or influence any of his men within his command range, but he may not move in this Phase nor may any Units who have arrived in this Phase. See Section 4.5, Leader Initiative, for how Leaders stamp their mark on the battle.
A very few officers in Chain of Command, specifically those with the rank of Captain and above, may command any troops on the table, whatever their formation. However, these are not often present in a Platoon size game.
Vehicles do not use Jump-Off Points, instead using their friendly table edge (usually a road which enters there) as their entry point. They may elect to deploy anywhere within the permitted distance of this entry point and in any direction from it, in the same way as infantry do with their Jump-Off Points. Again, as with infantry, this will depend on troop quality. Vehicles crewed by Green crews must deploy within 4" of the entry point; Regular crews within 6" and Elite crews within 9". See Section 11.5, How Do I Deploy Vehicles Onto the Table?
Example: the player deploys a Senior Leader, a Staff Sergeant, onto the table on a Command Dice roll of 4. Just 6" away to his right is a Squad of infantry, whilst 3" to his left is the 60mm mortar Team.
The Sergeant cannot move as he has just deployed to the table. However, he can use his influence to activate units within his command range.
The Sergeant orders the 60mm mortar to fire against a German position and gets the Squad to advance down a hedge line.
Troops deploying onto the table may not move in the current Phase but may fire at full effect.
4.4 Activating Troops On-table
If using Command Dice to activate troops which are already deployed on the table, place the relevant Command Dice with those Units or Leaders. Then activate those forces in whatever order the player wishes, removing the Command Dice once done.
On a Command Dice roll of 1, an Infantry Team may be activated, whether that is a discrete Team or one Team within a Section.
On a Command Dice roll of 2, a Section or Squad may be activated. An attached Leader may accompany them if they move or fire if they fire, but may not use his Command Initiative in this Phase.
On a Command Dice roll of 3, a Junior Leader may be activated. He may immediately use his Command Initiatives to command any of his men in his command range. On a Command Dice roll of 4, a Senior Leader is activated and able to use his Command Initiatives.
No Leader or Unit may be activated more than once in any single Phase; however, they may be activated any number of times during a Turn.
Section and Team Actions
A Section or Team that has been activated may elect to do any one of the following:
- Make no movement and adopt a Tactical stance, seeking out the best cover where they are. Place a Tactical Marker with the Unit (see Section 4.5.4, Unit Actions Defined).
- Move Tactically and end their movement in the best cover available, placing a Tactical Marker with the Unit.
- Move and fire (both at reduced effect) in whichever order the player wishes.
- Move normally and not fire.
- Move "At the Double" and not fire.
- Fire at full effect and remain stationary.
All members of the Section or Team must do the same thing when activated together. (See Section 4.5.6, Unit Actions Defined.)
Example: a British infantry Section is activated on a Command Dice roll of 2. As they have been activated as a whole Section all members of the Section must do the same thing or do nothing.
In this case six men can see an enemy position and elect to fire at it. The other three men and the Corporal had their line of sight to the target blocked and were unable to fire. As a result they did nothing in this Phase.
Had the Corporal been activated on a roll of 3, he is a Junior Leader, he could have used his influence to get the six men to fire and the other three to do something else. This is covered in Section 4.5, Leader Initiative.
4.5 Leader Initiative
Chain of Command is a game all about Leaders and their ability to influence the men around them. The abilities of your Leaders will dictate how effective they are on the battlefield. The more effective a Leader, the more he can do and the further his influence will reach as men are more inclined to look to him for Leadership.
There are two types of Leaders: Junior and Senior. Junior Leaders are the Section or Squad Leaders or those who command specific Teams such as Support Weapons. Their influence is restricted to the men whom they command directly: the men in their Section, Squad or Team. Junior Leaders may not influence or activate men from other Units.
Secondly, there are Senior Leaders. These are men whose rank determines that they can command any men from their own battalion. The Senior Leader is anyone from the senior Platoon NCO upwards through all ranks of officers. However, troops from other formations, such as attached vehicles, will not be influenced by these Leaders.
4.5.1 Command Initiative
Chain of Command emphasises the importance of Leadership through a system of Command Initiative. The quality and abilities of a Leader will be reflected in their Command Initiative level. Basically, this tells us how many things he can do when he is activated and over what range he can influence the men around him. These are shown here:
Table Two — Command Initiative
| Rank | Initiative | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Leader | 2 | 6" |
| Senior Leader | 3 | 9" |
| Ranking Senior Leader | 4 | 12" |
Example — Command Range: a Sergeant's shaded Command Range allows him to issue orders to a Bren Team and a rifle Section, even though he is not attached to either of them. He cannot, however, issue orders to a further rifle Team if none of them are within his Command Range.
4.5.2 Unit Activations
When activated, any Leader, Junior or Senior, who is attached to his men or within command range of them, may use one Command Initiative to do the following:
- Activate one Team or Section. If they are firing he may add his own fire himself at no cost in Command Initiative.
- Activate a single Team and place it on Overwatch.
- Activate one weapons Team, Section or Squad to put down Covering Fire into an area of terrain.
Senior Leaders may also use one Command Initiative to activate a dedicated infantry anti-tank Team to use their weapon against an infantry target.
Example: the player rolls a 3 on a Command Dice. He activates a Junior Leader commanding a German infantry Squad just outside Saint Lô.
With the first of his two Command Initiatives the Leader activates his four man MG42 Team and puts down fire on a US position in a small cottage. He then uses his second Command Initiative to lead his five man rifle Team forward, hoping to close the range.
4.5.3 Commands Which Are Not Activations
Some commands given by Leaders are not considered activations and do not prevent a Unit being activated at another point in the same Phase.
An activated Leader, Junior or Senior, who is attached to his men or within command range of them may, therefore, use one Command Initiative to instruct troops to do the following:
- Rally one point of Shock from any Team in his command range that is not within line of sight of the enemy.
- Rally one point of Shock from any Team he is attached to if it is in line of sight of the enemy.
- Get a Unit which is not Tactical or on Overwatch to throw a single hand-grenade, fire a single rifle grenade or use a single Section or Squad anti-tank weapon. See Section 9.2, Grenades and 9.3, Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons.
- Once per Phase he may use one Command Initiative to move on his own if he has not already moved with a Unit.
Junior Leaders may also use one Command Initiative to transfer one man from one Team to another if both Teams are within 4" of him and under his command.
Example: a Senior Leader is activated on a Command Dice roll of 4. He has three Command Initiatives which he may now use. He is currently with an infantry Section which is just 7" from an enemy position behind a stone wall.
With the first two Command Initiatives he orders two men to hurl No.36 Mills bombs across the wall. They explode, killing one enemy and adding some Shock to further downgrade their effectiveness.
Seizing the moment, the Senior Leader now uses his final Command Initiative to lead the Section forward to assault the enemy. He can do this because throwing the grenades did not count as an Activation, so the Section can still move in this Phase.
He also benefitted because he chose the order in which he used his Command Initiatives — the Senior Leader was able to see the effect of the grenades and then decide if the moment was right to assault. If the grenades had been ineffective he could have ordered the Section to fire into the enemy position instead.
4.5.4 Unit Actions Defined
The following Actions are mentioned above. Here they are defined more clearly.
Moving and Firing: Most of the time troops are going to be moving, firing or a combination of both. Movement is covered in Section 7, Infantry Movement, and firing in Section 9, Infantry Fire.
Going Tactical: Units taking up a Tactical stance will increase the level of cover they are in by one level up to a maximum of hard cover (there is no advantage to going Tactical in hard cover or greater). So a Unit in the open will be treated as if it is in light cover, whilst a Unit in light cover will be treated as if it is in hard cover.
Unless the Unit is activated to move at faster than a Tactical pace (1D6), fire or change its stance in a subsequent Phase, it will remain in a Tactical stance until the end of the Turn when the marker is removed. A Unit in a Tactical stance ceases to be so if it fires.
Overwatch: Only Leaders may deploy a Team on Overwatch using one Command Initiative. This represents them taking time to explain the area to be covered. If a Leader wishes to put a whole Section on Overwatch he will have to spend one Command Initiative per Team. Support Weapons may be placed on Overwatch by Leaders in the same way as infantry.
Once on Overwatch, the Team will then cover an arc of fire of 90° from its position. The Team will remain inactive on Overwatch through multiple Phases, only coming off Overwatch if the Turn finishes; they fire (see Section 9.1.3, Firing on Overwatch); or are activated to do something else.
A suitable marker should be placed in front of them to denote this and, ideally, show the arc of fire they are covering.
To deploy a Unit on Overwatch counts as its activation for that Phase (it may do nothing else) as it deploys to take up the best stance to cover the area ordered.
Covering Fire: Only Leaders may instruct a Team or Section to put down Covering Fire. A Team giving Covering Fire will target a piece of terrain with 4" frontage, or 9" frontage if the whole Section or Squad is firing. Any enemy forces moving, deploying or already in that area will fire with a -1 on dice rolled to hit due to the suppressing effect of this fire.
Covering Fire lasts until the end of the next Phase, whether that Phase is friendly or enemy. While giving Covering Fire, a Unit may do nothing else.
4.5.5 How Long Does an Activation Last?
Except when Units have assumed a Tactical stance or are on Overwatch (both of which may last until the end of the current Turn); or putting down Covering Fire (which lasts for the next Phase only), all activations start and finish in the current Phase.
4.5.6 Transferring Troops
At the cost of one Command Initiative, a Junior Leader may transfer men between Teams in his Section, reflecting new orders being issued. Men may not be transferred from one Section to another or to another Support Team.
4.5.7 Creating New Teams
Any number of men may be instructed to perform specific tasks such as scouting. How Teams are structured is entirely down to the player controlling them.
Example: two men from a rifle Team are instructed by the Corporal to act as a Scout Team. To do this, he uses one Command Initiative and, thereafter, the two men can move away to operate as a single Team.
The Bren Team and the remaining three-man rifle Team still operate as a Section as they are still within 4" of each other.
On subsequent Phases, the scouts will activate as a Team as they are outside the Corporal's command range. However, if the Section or the rifle Team move up to join them, or the scouts return to rejoin their parent Unit, they will do so automatically once within 4" without using Command Initiatives.
4.5.8 Attaching Leaders
All Junior Leaders will begin the game attached to their troops. These Leaders remain attached as long as one man in their Unit is within 4" of them.
Senior Leaders will begin the game unattached but able to place themselves wherever they are most needed in battle. Leaders attach themselves to Sections or Teams by moving to within 4" of the Unit. If they remain within 4" of both Teams in a Section or Squad they may be considered attached to the Section as a whole rather than just one Team.
When attached to a Unit, a Leader will move and fire with that unit at no additional cost in Command Initiative until he chooses to detach himself. A Leader detaches from a Unit by moving more than 4" away from it.
5. Chain of Command Points
The amassing of Chain of Command Points during play represents a build up of Tactical awareness — the commander's ability to "read the battlefield" — to act dynamically in order to influence events. During play, both sides will be able to accrue, and then use, Chain of Command Points.
5.1 Generating Chain of Command Points
Chain of Command Points are generated by rolling a 5 on the player's Command Dice. Each 5 rolled adds one Chain of Command Point to that force's running total. As covered in Section 4, Command & Control, rolling a 5 on a Command Dice does not allow any Unit or Leader to be activated, instead it represents the commander taking a moment to consider the overall Tactical situation and collect his thoughts. As a result, a high Chain of Command score represents a commander who has a good grasp of what is happening around him and is ready to respond and react effectively.
A tally is kept of the number of 5's rolled by each side using a D6 or, if preferred, chits or tokens. Each time a player's total Chain of Command Points reaches 6 that player gains a Chain of Command Dice.
5.1.1 Using a Chain of Command Dice
At any point in the game a player holding a Chain of Command Dice may use it to influence the run of play. A Chain of Command Dice enables the player to do one of the following:
- Interrupt an opponent's Phase, with one un-Pinned Section or Team of choice being activated and immediately firing or moving.
- End a Turn.
- Move a friendly Jump-Off Point up to 18". This must be at least 6" to the rear of friendly troops and in or behind cover.
- Ambush with a single infantry Team.
- Relocate a Sniper.
- Avoid taking a Force Morale Test.
- Keep a mortar barrage firing on a Turn end.
There is no limit to how many Chain of Command Dice may be held by each player. Once a Chain of Command Dice has been played it is immediately discarded.
5.1.2 What Effect Will This Have?
When and how a Chain of Command Dice can be played, and what effect it will have, will depend on what the player is using the dice to do. These are as follows:
Interrupting a Phase
When interrupting an opponent's Phase, the player may immediately move or fire with one Section, Squad, Team or vehicle which is already deployed on the table and not Pinned. This may result in the player stopping his opponent moving a Unit at the most advantageous point and opening fire. After the effect of fire is calculated, the opponent will finish moving his Unit, so long as the target Unit was not Pinned by the fire it took. The active player will then continue with the rest of his Phase.
Only one interruption is allowed in any single Phase. A player may not use a Chain of Command Dice to interrupt play during his own Phase — so you cannot interrupt an enemy who happens to be interrupting your Phase.
Ending a Turn
A player may play a Chain of Command Dice at any time, in any Phase even his own, in order to end the Turn. However, if the Command Dice have been rolled by either side then the Phase must be played through before the Turn ends. Which player is active in the next Phase will be determined by the last set of Command Dice rolled as normal.
See Section 6, Phase Sequence, for the implications of ending a Turn.
Move a Jump-Off Point
A player may only move a Jump-Off Point during his own Phase. One friendly Jump-Off Point may be moved a maximum of 18" in any direction to a position at least 6" to the rear of friendly troops which is either in or behind cover from any deployed enemy Unit.
Once the Jump-Off Point has been moved, it can be used immediately in the current Phase in order to deploy troops onto the table, assuming the relevant Command Dice are available.
Example: a player has spent several Phases moving his Scout Section cautiously forward through the ruins of an East Prussian town. Having secured a large industrial building, he now plays a Chain of Command Dice, moving forward one of his Jump-Off Points to a position in cover in the factory yard.
As the player has wisely kept part of his force available off-table, he now has the option to deploy them to this more advanced position immediately.
Ambush
A player may use one Chain of Command Dice to perform an ambush. A single, as yet un-deployed, infantry Team may be placed anywhere within 12" of a friendly Jump-Off Point and further than 6" from any enemy infantry. The Team may then fire immediately without further activation.
An ambush conducted like this represents a quick and unnerving attack made by a small but effective team making the most of cover and prepared escape routes. Consequently, only a single infantry Team may be used — heavier Support Weapons cannot ambush in this way. The Team will make their attack and then be either removed from play at the end of the Phase (returning to the uncommitted troops to be deployed on the table later in the game) or, if the player prefers, kept on the table in the ambush position. The player may choose either of these options.
However, if the ambush is conducted by an infantry weapon which cannot move and fire in the same Phase, such as a tripod mounted machine gun, the Team must remain on the table at the end of the Phase.
If the player's opponent has troops on Overwatch covering the area from which the ambush is made, they may fire after the ambushing Team has fired and before the ambushers are removed at the end of the Phase. Likewise, the opposing player may choose to use a Chain of Command Dice to interrupt if he has troops who can fire on the ambushers before they are removed.
Example: a Troop of British Shermans is advancing down a lane between some open wheat fields near Caen. They are supported by infantry, but the lead Sherman has crept slightly ahead of his supports.
During his Phase, the German player uses a Chain of Command Dice to perform an ambush. A Panzerschreck Team appears in the wheat and fires into the flank of the lead Sherman. The tank shudders with the impact and several crew members bail out as flames begin to emerge from the turret.
The German player gets ready to remove the Panzerschreck Team at the end of the Phase, but the British player had put his lead infantry Bren Team on Overwatch covering the field where the German Team appeared. The Bren fires, killing one of the Panzerschreck crew.
At the end of the Phase, the remaining German slips away and is removed from the table. On subsequent Turns, the Panzerschreck Team could ambush again if a Chain of Command Dice is available.
Moving a Sniper
Using a Chain of Command Dice to move a sniper may only be done in the player's own Phase. The sniper may be moved to another location within 18" of his current position which is at least 12" away from enemy troops. The sniper may not fire during the Phase in which he moves.
Troops who have been attempting to spot the sniper must begin the process again. See Section 9.5, Snipers.
Avoid a Force Morale Test
A player may choose to use a Chain of Command Dice in order to avoid taking a Force Morale test. This may be done at any time a Force Morale test is required. The player must surrender the Chain of Command Dice before the test should be made, not after the test is failed. See Section 15, Force Morale.
Keeping a Barrage Firing
Mortar barrages normally end when a Turn ends. However, a player may use a Chain of Command Dice in order to keep the mortar firing throughout the next Turn.
Remember, once you have used a Chain of Command Dice to do any of the above, you MUST discard it.
6. Phase Sequence
Above all else, Chain of Command is designed to reflect the uncertainties of war and the fleeting nature of opportunity on a chaotic battlefield. The Turn sequence is such that any single Turn may last an indeterminate number of Phases, with the order of player activation being uncertain. How this works is determined by the number of 6's rolled on the Command Dice in each Phase of play.
6.1 Phase Sequence Rolls
Rolling 6's on your Command Dice determines which player will be active in the next Phase. In extreme cases it can also trigger off certain random events.
Rolling one 6 or no 6's means that the next Phase will be your opponent's active Phase. Rolling two 6's means that the next active Phase is yours. You can activate your troops in the current Phase knowing that you will immediately roll again for the next Phase.
Rolling three 6's means that this is the final Phase in the current Turn and that the first Phase of the new Turn will also be yours.
Rolling four or more 6's means that this is the final Phase in the current Turn and that the first Phase of the new Turn will be yours. You also gain one complete Chain of Command Dice and roll on the Random Events table, applying the results as instructed.
Note: it is worth remembering that whilst a player does gain the next Phase after rolling two 6's, he must have just rolled at least two 6's, so his activation opportunities in this Phase will be somewhat restricted. Having two Phases on the run is often more like one enhanced Phase than a true "double turn".
6.2 The Turn End
The Turn in Chain of Command is a significant period of play. Its end represents a notable break in the action.
The Turn ends whenever a player rolls three or more 6's with his Command Dice or a player elects to end the Turn by expending a Chain of Command Dice.
When a Turn ends, consult the table below and apply all effects listed.
Table Three — The Turn End
- All smoke other than that from a fire is removed from the table.
- All Tactical and Overwatch markers are removed.
- Any Jump-Off Points which have been captured are removed.
- Any mortar barrages will now cease.
- Any Pinned Units will check their level of Shock to see if they remain Pinned.
- Any un-rallied Broken Unit and Leader will Rout from the table.
- Test Force Morale for any Routed Leaders.
6.3 Random Events
Random Events occur when a player rolls four or more 6's on his Command Dice in any single Phase. When Random Events occur, roll a D6. The following results apply:
-
Random mortar barrage drops on your battlefield. No troops of any kind may move in an area of ground 24" square in this Phase and the next. Apply a grid to your table, and roll 1D6 to decide which square will be the area. Apply the result of a barrage by medium mortars to any Units in that area. Any Jump-Off Points in the affected area cannot be used in these Phases.
-
Jabos! Aircraft overhead, hit the dirt. Nobody knows whose planes they are but movement is halted for this Phase and the next. Other activity continues as normal.
-
Fire! A building catches fire. The building nearest the centre of the table (or flammable feature if no buildings are present) catches fire. Dice for wind direction and place a 6" by 6" area of smoke in that direction on this Phase; a second 6" square area extending further away on the Phase after next (Phase 3); and a third 6" square two Phases after that (Phase 5) creating a smoke screen 6" by 18" in size which lasts for the rest of the game. Any troops in the building must abandon it by the end of the Turn. If they have not been activated and left the building voluntarily by that time they will be placed immediately outside it by a door of the player's choice and take 2 points of Shock on each Team present due to the effects of smoke.
-
A true patriot (or vile collaborator) has informed you where one of your opponent's Units is lurking. Your opponent must place one of his as yet un-deployed Units on the table immediately. He may choose which Jump-Off Point they deploy to.
-
It has begun to rain very heavily. Visibility is reduced to 18" for the remainder of this Turn. At the end of the Turn roll a D6.
On a 1 to 3 it was a passing shower and has cleared up. On a 4 or 5 it looks like it is set in for a while; the rain continues, roll again at the end of the next Turn. On a 6 the rain is still here and the ground is now very wet: -1 pip per dice on all movement outside buildings for the rest of the game. Roll again at the end of the next Turn with a +1 on the dice.
-
Your men have discovered a cache of fine wine buried by its rightful owner. Fortunately, your Force Morale increases by one point.
7. Infantry Movement
Movement on the battlefield is an uncertain affair. We may well know how far and how fast men can move in normal circumstances, but when the bullets start to fly, men become more cautious and less predictable. The system used here reflects that.
7.1 Basic Movement
Infantry and Support Weapon movement in Chain of Command is done by individual Team, Section or Leader. The player selects the Unit or Leader and decides how fast it wishes to move using the options presented here.
Tactical Movement: Careful movement used when the enemy is at close quarters. Move 1D6 inches and take cover, assuming a Tactical stance at the end of movement.
Normal Movement: A faster but less careful gait. Move 2D6 inches when not firing, or move 1D6 inches and fire with half the normal fire dice. The player may fire and move or move and fire, in either order.
At the Double: An all out run with no firing possible. Move 3D6 inches but each Team will take one point of Shock to reflect disorder.
The player may choose whether he moves a Section with a single roll of the dice, or whether he rolls for each Team individually. With the latter he risks breaking up the Section if the Teams become separated by more than 4". See Section 2, The Ground Rules.
7.1.1 Leaders Moving
Leaders attached to a Section or Team may always move with that Unit at no cost in Command Initiatives. If, however, they wish to move independently then they may do so using one Command Initiative. They may never move more than once in any single Phase.
They move through hard terrain and cross obstacles in the same way that infantry do except they never take Shock when moving at the double.
If the Leader is wounded his movement is reduced to a maximum of 2D6 inches. If he is accompanying a Unit which wishes to move faster he will be unable to do so and must roll separately for his own movement.
Example: a US infantry Squad is advancing cautiously down a lane near Cherbourg. They roll 3 on 1D6 and move 3" then assume a Tactical stance. If fired on they will increase the cover they are in by one level.
In an adjacent field, another Squad is feeling decidedly unhappy about advancing across open ground. They decide that speed could be their best chance. Rolling 3D6 they move at the double. Rolls of 2, 4 and 6 mean they move 12" and reach the safety of the hedgerow. However, both their rifle Team and their BAR Team take a point of Shock each as their hell for leather dash has left them somewhat disorganised. Their Sergeant will want to reorganise them before continuing his advance.
7.2 Terrain and Movement
The biggest factor limiting movement around the battlefield will be terrain. This works as follows:
Open Ground: This is a solid surface with no real impediment to movement. Examples are grass, road, compact earth, pavements or orchards. Here movement is conducted without penalty.
Broken Ground: Ground where there is a slight impediment to movement such as woodland, ploughed fields, fords, steep hills. Tactical and Normal movement allowed, but no moving "At the Double."
Heavy Going: This would be heavy undergrowth, rocky hillsides, rubble or marsh. Tactical and Normal movement allowed with one subtracted from each D6 of movement. No moving "At the Double."
Really Heavy Terrain: Virgin jungle, swamps or deep snow. Tactical and Normal movement allowed with two subtracted from each D6 of movement. No moving "At the Double."
Crossing Obstacles: Minor obstacles such as garden walls, maintained hedges or fences up to waist height can only be crossed using Normal Movement (no Tactical or moving "At the Double" allowed) but with the lower dice rolled being discarded. If the roll is insufficient to cross the obstacle, then the Unit will move with all of its movement towards or up to the obstacle and halt when it is reached.
Medium obstacles: Those up to chest height such as stone walls, farm hedges or fences — can only be crossed using Normal Movement (no Tactical or moving "At the Double" allowed) but with the higher dice rolled being discarded. If insufficient pips are rolled to cross the obstacle, then the Unit will move with all of its movement towards or up to the obstacle and halt when it is reached.
Major obstacles: Obstacles over chest height, or thick bocage hedges, may be crossed by a Unit which starts the Phase adjacent to the obstacle. It will take the whole Phase to cross, the figures being placed directly on the other side of the obstacle. This will count as Normal movement (no Tactical or moving "At the Double" allowed).
Example: having crossed one field a US infantry Squad looks to move forward through a freshly ploughed field. The ground is soft and uneven from the farmer's recent attentions so counts as Broken Ground. This means that no movement "At the Double" is possible. But first they must cross the farm hedge, a medium obstacle.
When crossing an obstacle they must move normally — you can't take cover while crossing a hedge — so they roll 2D6, a 3 and a 5. They remove the higher of the two dice, so cross the hedge and move 3", having started next to it.
7.2.1 Movement in Varying Terrain
Troops that are moving in more than one terrain type move at the slowest rate for the whole of the Phase.
7.2.2 Movement in Buildings
Any infantry Units may move into and out of buildings during the course of the game.
Units entering or leaving buildings must do so via a doorway using Normal Movement (no Tactical or moving "At the Double" allowed) but with the lower dice rolled being discarded if the door is reached. If insufficient pips are rolled to pass through the door, then the Unit will move with all of its pips towards or up to the obstacle and halt when it is reached.
For some large buildings with large openings, such as barns, this rule may be ignored and normal movement rates for Open Ground applied.
Heavier wheeled weapons, such as anti-tank guns or infantry guns, may deploy into a building but may not be moved in or out of buildings during the game.
Troops moving inside buildings use the movement rules for Broken Ground, as long as they are operating on one floor.
Troops moving from one floor to another in a building will take a full Phase with no firing to do so. In addition to changing floors, up or down, they may reposition up to 6" within the building.
Example: a German MG42 Team enters the rear of a town house in Kharkov. They want to get to a position two floors up, from where they will have an excellent view.
On their next activation, they move up one floor and then, in the following Phase, they are activated again to move up to the floor they wish to be on. As part of that movement they go 6" towards the front of the house but this is a large property, 9" deep. On their next activation, they will need to move again to get the final 3" to the front of the building. They do so rolling 1D6. On a result of 4 they reach their firing position and, as they have only moved with 1D6, they can now immediately fire at half effect. (See Section 9, Infantry Fire.)
7.3 Interpenetration
Troops may pass through other friendly troops at no cost to their movement as long as there is room for them to deploy once past them.
A Section, Squad or Team that is interpenetrated by a Breaking friendly Unit retreating due to excess Shock, will itself suffer the number of excess Shock points that the Broken Unit has. For example, a five man Unit with ten points of Shock will cause five points of Shock on any Section, Squad or Team it interpenetrates. See Section 14, Shock.
7.4 Restricted Weapon Movement
Some infantry weapons, such as the Vickers MMG and the Browning 0.50 HMG, require a crew of at least three to move without restriction. In addition to any other limitations due to terrain, if their crew is reduced to two men, they move with a -1 pip on any D6 used for movement. If the crew is reduced to one man, the weapons may not be moved other than to change weapon facing, which takes a full Phase.
No tripod mounted machine guns or Support Weapons may move and fire in the same Phase other than a limited change of facing, as described below at Section 7.5. There is no specific set-up time for Support Weapons; if they move during a Phase they may not fire, if they do not move in a Phase they may fire.
7.4.1 Manhandling Weapons
Some heavier weapons, particularly wheeled anti-tank guns or infantry guns, may be manhandled by their crews. Light guns may be moved normally with 2D6. Medium guns may be moved normally with 2D6 but with the lower dice rolled discarded. Heavy guns may be moved normally with 2D6 but with the higher dice rolled discarded. In both cases a roll of a "double" will see one D6 discarded.
Static guns, such as the 88mm Flak, may not be manhandled.
7.5 Unit Facing
Rifle and light weapon Teams are considered to have a 180° arc of fire to their front unless firing from a window when this is reduced to a 90° arc of fire. When activated, they may change their facing to whatever direction they wish without counting as moving. If moving they may end their movement facing in any direction they wish.
Tripod-mounted machine guns have a 90° arc to their front. If they wish to change their facing by up to 90° this counts as 1D6 of movement, thereby reducing firing by half in that Phase. Any greater change of facing will require a Normal Move, meaning no fire can be undertaken in that Phase.
Anti-tank guns and infantry guns have a 90° arc of fire, 45° either side of the barrel, and measured from the front of the gun shield or the breech block if no shield is present. To engage a target outside that arc they must spend one whole Phase turning to face that direction.
Example: an anti-tank gun, like infantry guns and tripod mounted MGs, has a 90° arc of fire, 45° either side of the barrel. It can target both infantry and a vehicle within that arc. However, it can only kill one man in an infantry Team, as only one man is in its arc of fire.
7.6 Over-running Jump-Off Points
Troops moving to within 4" of an enemy Jump-Off Point will deny its use to the enemy while they are in such close proximity.
Troops who move onto an enemy Jump-Off Point are considered to have captured that position, stopping it from being used for the remainder of the current Turn.
If the original owner of the Jump-Off Point is unable to move troops onto the Jump-Off Point before the end of the current Turn, thereby recapturing it, it will be removed from play at the end of the Turn.
8. Target Acquisition
On any battlefield, the ability of troops to target an enemy Unit will depend on whether they can see it.
8.1 What Can Be Seen?
Firing in Chain of Command may be undertaken by any men who have a clear line of sight to enemy troops. This is determined by tracing a straight line from the firer to the target.
In open terrain this will require nothing more than a cursory glance at the table. When terrain is involved this can become more complicated, so the following guidelines apply.
If line of sight to an enemy Unit is interrupted by a high feature, such as a building, dense hedge, hill or high wall, then the Unit may not be targeted unless they are using that terrain feature as a firing position, in which case they may be targeted but will benefit from cover.
If the target is in terrain that is only slightly obstructed by low features, such as garden walls, small hedges or similar, then the target will benefit from light cover.
If the firing Unit is in the open, but the target is in terrain where visibility is badly obstructed or worse, such as woods or dense scrubland, then the target is only visible if it is within 4" of the edge of the terrain. This extends to 6" if in light orchards with little or no undergrowth. The target will benefit from light cover.
If the firing Unit is in terrain where visibility is badly obstructed or worse but the target is in the open or terrain where visibility is only slightly obstructed then the firer must be within 4" of the edge of the terrain in order to fire out. Again, this extends to 6" in light orchards with little or no undergrowth.
If both the firing Unit and the target are within a terrain feature that blocks line of sight, such as a wood, then they may only engage the enemy when they are within 12" of each other. In light orchards with little or no undergrowth this extends to 18".
Troops firing from, or to, an elevated position, such as high ground or the upper storey of a building or tall vehicles such as tanks, will have better visibility. Quite how much better will depend on their height in relation to the target Unit and intervening terrain. Measure the shot from firer to target applying the normal line of sight limitations.
Where three or more types of light cover intervene between the firer and target this should be considered hard cover.
Troops in armoured carriers may not be targeted by infantry with the exception of Snipers, who may target any crew member operating the main weapon on top of an open carrier, and anti-vehicle weapons.
8.2 Who Can Fire?
Firing is undertaken by individual figures or specific Support Weapons, not by complete Teams or Sections. Only the figures with line of sight may fire.
Troops cannot fire through friendly troops.
Troops firing past friendly troops cannot have a line of fire which goes within 2" of friends unless those friends are in heavy cover, such as a building or in an armoured vehicle.
Troops on a higher level, such as a hill or the turret of a tank, may fire over the heads of intervening friendly troops as long as they are not firing a flamethrower and the friendly troops are more than 6" from the target Unit.
Smoke blocks lines of sight. No troops may target an enemy through or over smoke. Whilst they may be firing it is assumed that they hit nothing due to their inability to identify a target.
Note: each figure must have a clear line of sight to the target and must take care that no fire passes within 2" of friendly troops deployed in front of their position.
8.3 Target Defined
A firing Unit may elect to fire at any target or multiple targets which it can see. Different targets may be selected by any number of men within the firing Unit at the discretion of the controlling player.
Firing is undertaken against individual Teams. However, if Teams are within 4" of each other and are visible to the firer and in the same cover, they must be treated as one larger target and any hits divided between them, as covered in Section 9.1, How to Fire.
Example: a German Team in the open wants to fire at a British Rifle Team B behind a hedge. A Bren Team A is within 4" and visible to the Germans, so it too must be considered part of the target. The five Germans fire and get four hits. Both British Teams take two hits each.
A third British Team, C, is also within 4" of B; as it is not visible to the Germans it cannot be included as part of the target.
8.3.1 Targets in Differing Cover
Staying with the example above: if Bren Team A was in hard cover whilst Rifle Team B was in light cover, then the Germans could opt to concentrate all of their fire against B, as it would be the better target.
Alternatively, the Germans may decide that they prefer to spread their fire across both Groups, in which case the hits would be split equally and the effect then rolled for allowing for cover as normal. (See Table Six, Hit Effects.)
Note: Chain of Command puts much emphasis on the importance of Units providing support to those around them. Isolated Teams will generally be rapidly overwhelmed by enemy firepower. One of the advantages of deploying your forces in complete Sections or Squads is that the component Teams, typically the LMG Team and the Rifle Team, can operate together and stop the enemy picking them off one at a time.
8.3.2 Targeting and Buildings
Troops inside buildings are assumed to be able to target any enemy troops on the same floor of that building. Very large buildings, such as factories, will need to be considered as special cases, and in extreme cases distances agreed upon before the game. In most situations with large buildings simple line of sight rules may be applied to get the most sensible and simplest results.
Troops firing from a building may do so with one support weapon or two infantrymen from each window or door. Only windows and doors on a model building, or other openings agreed upon prior to the game, may be used to fire from. Men firing from a window or doorway have a 90° arc of fire directly out, with a 45° angle either side of and above and below a line drawn straight out from the centre of the window. This allows them to fire out and benefit from hard cover.
In some situations a player may decide that he wishes to improve that arc of fire by getting his men to lean out of the window. This will allow them a 180° arc of fire measured from the face of the building, however it will also mean that any hits on them count as though they are in the open, gaining no benefit from cover.
Troops firing small arms and machine guns into a building can only do so if they are within the 90° arc measured from the building. Troops not within that arc may not fire into the building, nor may they be fired on from the enemy within.
Vehicles firing H.E. at a building can fire at any point on the building they can see to inflict casualties on any men inside. For large buildings over 9" square the tank must be able to fire directly at the area of the building occupied by enemy troops in order to hit them.
Example: Germans firing from two windows may target a Bren Team which is in both of their 90° arcs, and the Bren Team may fire back at them. A British rifle Team off to the side cannot fire at the Germans, nor can they fire at it. However, a supporting Sherman may fire its main gun, as High Explosive rounds can target the building from any angle.
9. Infantry Fire
Now that we know which Units may fire, we can move on to calculate the effect of the firing. This section looks at infantry weapons, those weapons which may be carried by infantry without the need of any transport vehicles to tow them.
Infantry Weapons
The soldier of the Second World War was armed with a whole range of weapons, most being similar in their design across all of the nations, but some which were peculiar to just one nation.
The Bolt Action Rifle: The most common weapon on the battlefield was the humble bolt action rifle, generally magazine fed with a single shot being fed into the chamber by the operation of a bolt. In the hands of a well trained soldier they could fire twenty to thirty rounds in a minute. This is the basic benchmark weapon in Chain of Command, one rifle firing with 1D6 in a Phase.
Semi-Automatic Rifle or Carbine: The semi-automatic rifle or Carbine dispensed with the need to manually chamber the next round from the magazine by using the recoil to do that whilst also resetting the action. This allowed a theoretical forty to fifty rounds a minute to be fired, although an infantryman's ammunition supplies would be rapidly depleted at that rate. The semi-automatic rifle gets some advantage by allowing any 1's rolled to hit a target to be re-rolled. If they roll 1 a second time this is not re-rolled again.
Machine Pistols and Sub-Machine Guns: These tended to be specialist weapons carried by NCOs or officers, although some squads were converted to carry large numbers of these. They have a short range in order to encourage their use at close quarters only, thereby allowing the leader to focus on his job rather than being an integral part of the unit's firepower. SMGs are limited to a 12" range, with 2D6 rolled at that range and 4D6 at 6" or under. They also gain an advantage in Close Combat.
The Automatic Rifle: The Browning Automatic Rifle was designed as a short range trench clearing weapon in the Great War but was used extensively by US forces. Its twenty round, bottom fed magazine did not allow the rapid on-target reloading of most light machine guns but it was lighter and suited the doctrine of "marching fire". The BAR fires with 3D6 in a single Phase.
The Assault Rifle: One of the most exciting developments of WWII was the development of the assault rifle, a fast firing weapon which could combine the single-shot accuracy of the automatic rifle with the close-quarter volume of the sub-machine gun. The Assault rifle, such as the Sturmgewehr 44, fires with 3D6 at close range, and as a rifle, with 1D6, at effective range.
The Grenade: The grenade was a weapon reintroduced in the Great War. These may be hand or rifle-propelled, and rely on fragmentation or blast or be used to deploy smoke. In Chain of Command these are weapons used on a Leader's command. They are more effective in confined spaces where they cause three hits as opposed to just two hits in the open. Grenades always ignore all cover.
The Light Mortar: Sometimes issued at Platoon level, the light mortar provided the infantry with their own close artillery support. Some armies focussed on delivery of H.E., some on the use of smoke. Light mortars of 2" or 50mm calibre fire with 2D6 whereas the 60mm mortar uses 3D6. Their range allows them to hit anywhere on the table but they rely on a line of sight from a friendly unit to the target.
2" and 50mm mortars ignore light cover, treating the target as being in the open. 60mm mortars treat light cover as though the target is in the open, and hard cover as though the target is in light cover. Neither will have any effect against a target in bunkers.
Light mortar Teams function as normal until all Team members are killed or Break due to Shock.
Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons: As the armoured vehicle became more prevalent, infantry were obliged to find their own response to this challenge. This ranged from heavy calibre rifles to hand-held devices and, finally, rocket or spring propelled hollow charges. These weapons are designed to take on armour, but in some situations they were used, in extremis, against infantry. Various types are represented in Chain of Command.
Light Machine Guns: At the heart of most rifle Sections was the light machine gun, a portable bipod mounted weapon which allowed a machine gun Team to provide covering fire for the riflemen in the Unit, allowing fire and movement at the lowest command level. The magazine-fed LMG, usually with a 30 round box, fires with 6D6 in a single Phase. A belt-fed LMG fires with 8D6 in a Phase to reflect its higher rate of fire. This firepower drops off if the crew is reduced to just one man: 4D6 for the box-magazine and 5D6 for the belt-fed weapon.
Tripod Mounted Machine Guns: This is a catch-all phrase to cover any machine gun mounted on a tripod and fed by a belt, be they a general purpose machine gun such as the German MG34 and MG42; a more traditional MMG such as the Vickers, or a Heavy weapon such as the Browning 0.50 calibre. There were some significant differences in theoretical cyclical rates of fire between weapons, the older water-cooled weapons such as the Vickers firing more slowly, but in reality, the advantages of their cooling system meant that they could fire much longer bursts. As a result all tripod mounted machine guns fire with 10D6 in a Phase. Heavy Machine Guns reduce the target's level of cover by one level to reflect their greater hitting power.
The Arsenal Tables
There are two sorts of Arsenal Tables to consider. In this section is the Master Arsenal Table which covers nearly all of the infantry weapons needed for a normal game as well as some common tank and vehicle mounted weapons.
It is worth noting that some vehicle weapons shown at the foot of the table have lower Firepower factors than the same weapon crewed by infantry. This is due to poorer visibility from inside an enclosed vehicle. Weapons on top of vehicles, such as on half-tracks, will use the same Firepower factors as infantry weapons, including machine guns which fire as if tripod mounted.
In Appendix B, National Army Lists, there is a National Arsenal Table for each of the major nations covered. This is largely taken up with support weapons and armour and includes detail of what the various nations are armed with, what their A.P. and H.E. Firepower factors are and things like armour strength, all of which are specific to that nation. Between the Master Arsenal and the National Arsenals, this is all the information needed to play Chain of Command.
Table Four — The Master Arsenal Table
Infantry Weapons
| Weapon | Firepower | Close | Effective | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt Action Rifle | 1 | — | — | |
| Semi-Automatic Rifle | 1 | — | — | Re-roll any 1's |
| Automatic Rifle (BAR) | 3 | 0-18" | Over 18" | Re-roll any 1's |
| Magazine LMG | 6 | — | — | Lose 2 Firepower when crew reduced to 1 |
| Belt Fed bipod LMG | 8 | — | — | Lose 3 Firepower when crew reduced to 1 |
| SMG or Machine Pistol | 4/2 | 0-6" | 6-12" | Firepower is range dependent |
| Assault Rifle | 3/1 | 0-18" | 18-48" | Firepower is range dependent |
| Tripod Mount MMG or HMG | 10 | 0-24" | Over 24" | Lose 3 Firepower when crew reduced to 1. HMGs reduce cover by one level |
| Pistol | 1 | 0-9" | — | |
| Sniper | 1 | unlimited | — | See sniper rules, Section 9.5 |
| Grenade | 2 in open, 3 enclosed | 4-11" | — | Roll for hits as though target in the open |
| Rifle Grenade | 2 | — | 18-60" | Roll for hits as though target in the open |
| Infantry Flamethrower | 12 | 0-12" | — | All cover is ignored. Shock is doubled |
| 2" or 50mm mortar | 2 | With LOS | No LOS | Reduce cover by one level unless target has overhead cover |
| 60mm mortar | 3 | 24"+ with LOS | 24"+ No LOS | Reduce all cover by one level |
| 3", 80mm, 81mm mortar | 4 | — | Any Range | Dice for hits on all Teams within the barrage area. All units Pinned |
Vehicle Weapons
| Weapon | Firepower | Close | Effective | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Vehicle MG | 6 | 0-18" | Over 18" | |
| Top Mounted MMG or HMG | 10 | 0-24" | Over 24" | Reduce cover by one level |
| 20mm Cannon | 6 | 0-24" | Over 24" | Reduce cover by one level |
| Vehicle Flamethrower | 16 | 0-36" | — | All cover is ignored. Shock is doubled |
9.1 How to Fire
When firing infantry weapons, first declare your target and check what range you are firing at. Next use the Arsenal Table to establish what your total Firepower is, adding up the Firepower rating for each weapon firing. The Firepower total is the number of D6 you will roll.
The range and the quality of the target Unit (not the firing Unit) will determine what you need to roll to hit on each D6. Check Table Five below and roll your Firepower dice. This will tell us the total number of hits achieved.
Table Five — Roll to Hit
| Range/Target | Green | Regular | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | 3-6 | 4-6 | 5-6 |
| Effective | 4-6 | 5-6 | 6 |
Chain of Command is not a game where we track what happens to each and every man. However, we do want to track some detail within a Section or Squad by seeing which Teams are affected. To do that, hits are divided equally between any Teams fired at. If the target is made up of more than one Team, any odd hits will be allocated by the firer on targets in the open. If the targets are in cover then any odd hits will be allocated by the target player.
Roll for Effect
Now that we know the number of hits achieved we need to see what the effect is on each Team. This will depend on what cover the target Unit is in.
The targeted player rolls a D6 for each hit on his Unit on Table Six, below:
Table Six — Hit Effect
| Cover | Miss | Shock | Kill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 1, 2 | 3, 4 | 5, 6 |
| Light | 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5 | 6 |
| Hard | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 5 | 6 |
Any figures killed are now removed from the game. Where a Team is crewing a specific weapon, such as a Bren gun or MG42, it is assumed that that weapon is kept in action until the last man in that Team is killed. At that point the weapon is considered to be out of action for the rest of the game, and may not be re-manned.
Troops behind armoured shields, such as gun shields, will count as being in one level of cover better than they are, up to hard cover. Any troops in bunkers will ignore the first kill in any Phase.
Example: Six Soviet riflemen are firing at a German infantry Squad which is in light cover. They get three hits. These are divided equally: one hit on the LMG Team in the German Squad, and one hit on the rifle Team and one odd hit. As they are in cover, the German player chooses to allocate this to the rifle Team, as he is keen to protect his MG42.
The German player dices for each Team on the Hit Effect table. The rifle Team roll a 3 and a 5, so that is one Shock. The LMG Team roll a 6, so that is one man dead. It does not need to be checked if that is the man actually firing the machine gun; the men within that Team will keep their primary weapon in action until all are killed.
Note on Team structure: Chain of Command is a skirmish game where it is important to track not just what a Section is doing, but also what the men within that Section are up to. To keep this as simple as possible the Section is broken down into Teams rather than tracking individual men. As Sections take hits it is important to know whether the LMG is still in action. By allocating hits on the Teams within that Section, this can be tracked without dicing for each individual man. When under fire the two Teams within the Section can, if operating together, spread any hits caused by enemy fire across the whole Section. However, as hits are divided between the Teams before the Hit Effect dice are rolled, they are not immune to an unlucky round of fire seeing one Team removed from play while the other is still functioning. Once at Section 14, Shock, two Teams operating as a Section are able to support each other by treating their morale as a whole section rather than as individual Teams.
9.1.1 Hits on Leaders & Forward Observers
Leaders and Forward Observers may be targeted if they are more than 4" from any friendly troops. They are treated as a normal infantry target but only a kill result will affect them; Shock is ignored.
If a Leader or Forward Observer is within 4" of a Section or Team which loses men killed, the player must roll a D6 to see if they have been hit. A roll equal to or less than the number of men killed in that round of firing will mean that the Leader or Observer has been hit rather than one of the men.
In either of the above situations a Leader who has been hit must roll a D6 to see how badly he has been affected. On a roll of 1 he has been killed outright and is removed from the game. On a roll of 2 or 3 he has been wounded and cannot be activated for the remainder of the current Turn. On a 4 to 6 he has been lightly wounded and from now on the number of Command Initiatives he gets when activated is reduced by one for the remainder of the game. If he is wounded enough times for his Command Initiative to be reduced to zero he has been killed.
A Forward Observer who has been hit will roll 1D6. On a roll of 1 to 3 he has been killed. On a roll of 4 to 6 he is wounded and may continue to do his job, but may not move for the rest of the game.
Example: a German LMG Team fires against a Section of British Paras moving down a street in Oosterbeek, rolling 8D6 for the MG42. They get five hits, causing two hits on the Bren Team and two hits on the Rifle Team in the British Section. As the British are in the open the Germans put the odd hit onto the Bren Team, as they are keen to reduce the British firepower.
The British player rolls 3 and 5 for the Rifle Team which is one point of Shock and one man dead. He then rolls 3, 4 and 6 for the Bren Team, which is two points of shock and one man dead. As both Teams are within 4" of their NCO, they must test to see if he has been hit. He rolls a D6. On a 1 or 2 he will be hit. He rolls a 2, so only one of the dead men is removed (the player chooses to remove the man from the Rifle Team) and the player rolls a further D6 to see what happens to the NCO. He rolls a 3, so the NCO has been hit and cannot be activated until the end of the Turn.
9.1.2 Firing at Troops in Different Cover
Troops from the same Team which are in more than one cover type will roll for all of their hits as normal with the firing player applying the dice results against the troops in the more open terrain first. If these are all killed then any further hits will be applied to the troops in better cover.
Where troops from more than one Team are targeted the hits will be divided equally and each Team will roll for the effect of the hits based on their cover type.
9.1.3 Firing on Overwatch
Troops placed on Overwatch by a Leader (see Section 4.5.4, Unit Actions) may react to any enemy who move into the area they are covering, firing at full effect at any time in their opponent's Phase. They may react to an enemy firing but not moving, or deploying from a Jump-Off Point within the area they are covering, by firing at full effect as soon as their opponent has conducted his fire.
9.1.4 Firing at Soft-skin Vehicles
Soft-skin vehicles are unarmoured vehicles such as jeeps or trucks. Infantry Teams may fire against the crews and passengers in soft-skin vehicles. They roll as normal for the effect of fire, treating any target as in light cover.
If two 6's are rolled when firing, roll a D6 on the Soft-skins and Jeeps table in the Anti-Vehicle fire section, using the "net zero hits" part of the table.
If three 6's are rolled, roll a D6 on the Soft-skins and Jeeps table in the Anti-Vehicle fire section, using the "one net hits" part of the table. (See Table Fourteen, Soft-skins.)
If four or more 6's are rolled, roll a D6 on the Soft-skins and Jeeps table in the Anti-Vehicle fire section, using the "two net hits" part of the table.
9.1.5 Rifle Grenades
Rifle grenades may only be fired when an individual man is commanded by a Leader using a Command Initiative (see Section 4.5.3, Commands Which are Not Activations).
Rifle grenades roll to hit and for effect in the same way as all infantry fire, but reduce cover by one level when calculating the effect of any hits.
9.2 Hand Grenades
Grenades may only be thrown when an individual man is commanded by a Leader using a Command Initiative (see Section 4.5.3, Commands Which are Not Activations). A man or Leader throwing a grenade is always considered to be moving at normal speed if fired on.
Grenades may only be used against targets at least 4" away from the thrower when in the open. Grenades may be used against enemy troops in heavy cover or better at closer ranges so long as the heavy cover, such as a wall, is between the target and the men throwing the grenade.
To throw a grenade into an enemy position in the open or behind light cover each thrower will roll 2D6. The grenade hits the target if the total rolled is greater than the range in inches.
When attempting to throw a grenade through a door or large ground floor window sized aperture to which there is a good line of sight, subtract 2 from the total rolled.
For a smaller aperture or more difficult target, such as an upper storey window, open topped vehicle or over a high obstacle, subtract 4 from the total rolled.
For a very small aperture, such as an open tank turret or firing slit on a bunker, subtract 6 from the total rolled.
Grenades which miss their target are assumed to have fallen harmlessly away from any troops. However, if double 1 is rolled when throwing a grenade, then the thrower has fumbled and dropped the grenade at his feet. Roll for the effect of the grenade on the throwing Unit.
For an upwards throw, such as a man on ground level throwing into an upstairs window, then any miss will see the grenade fall back to earth. If the thrower is within 6" of the target then roll for the effect of the grenade on the throwing Unit.
9.2.1 Grenade Effect
If the grenade hits its target it will cause two hits if the target is in the open or in light cover. Roll for the effect of any hits as normal on the hit effect table.
If a grenade hits a target in a confined space, such as in a building or bunker, it causes three hits. Roll for the effect on the hit table, counting the target as being in the open.
Grenades only affect armoured vehicles if they get inside the vehicle. If they do so, roll 3D6. Each 4, 5 or 6 counts as one net hit on the vehicle damage table. Roll as normal in the relevant table in Section 12, Fire Against Vehicles.
Example: a Corporal sees a German open-topped armoured car advancing towards his position. As the vehicle moves past, he uses two Command Initiatives to have two men throw two Mills Bomb grenades.
The armoured car is 5" away. If the target were in the open the thrower would only need to roll more on 2D6 than the range in inches, 6 or more being successful. However, this is rather more difficult with a -4 applied to the roll; a roll of 10 or more is needed.
The player rolls 2D6 for the first grenade. A total of 8 is a miss. He rolls again and rolls a 6 and a 5, 11 — it's a hit.
As the grenade has gone into a confined space that is three hits. The German player rolls 3D6 for effect, rolling 2, 5 and 6, which is two hits. Rolling again using Table Twelve, damage against Tanks and Armoured Cars, the gunner is killed and his position is out of action.
9.2.2 Smoke Grenades
Smoke grenades or smoke pots may only be thrown when an individual man is commanded by a Leader (using a Command Initiative) or by a specialist tank-killer Team. The player may choose to roll 1D6 or 2D6 for the distance the grenade is thrown. Place a 3" round ball of smoke at that point. All smoke is removed from play at the end of a Turn.
9.2.3 Grenade Supplies
Grenades are plentiful but not limitless. A Unit which throws grenades in two consecutive active Phases will be out of grenades for the rest of the game.
9.3 Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons
Infantry anti-tank weapons fall into two categories: specific Teams which are dedicated tank-killing Teams, such as the PIAT, anti-tank rifle or Panzerschreck Teams; or the Section weapons, such as the Panzerfaust or compound charge which may be used by a normal infantry Section or Team.
9.3.1 Anti-Tank Weapons Team
A dedicated weapon Team may move or fire in the same way as any other Team. It may be activated on a roll of 1 on the Command Dice or by a Leader using one Command Initiative. To fire at any target other than a vehicle the Team must be specifically instructed to do so by a Senior Leader using one Command Initiative.
Infantry anti-tank weapons are heavy and cumbersome and the amount of ammunition available is limited. All infantry anti-tank weapons other than rifles have an initial supply of three rounds. However, once these are used the Team may attempt to resupply from any friendly Jump-Off Point, rolling a D6 when they reach it. On a roll of 1 or 2, no fresh supplies are available. On a roll of 3 to 6, a further three rounds are available. Anti-tank rifles have no ammunition restriction.
Dedicated anti-tank weapons Teams function as normal until all Team members are killed or Break due to Shock.
9.3.2 Section Anti-Tank Weapons
Section anti-tank weapons must be allocated to the rifle Team within a Section or Squad. It is not necessary to track which individual soldier has it, it is enough to know that it is with them and they may use it when required. These are usually disposable weapons which once used cannot be used again.
Other than when used against vehicles, Section anti-tank weapons may only be used when an individual man is commanded by a Leader using a Command Initiative (see Section 4.5.3, Commands Which are Not Activations). For a non-vehicle target this must be a Senior Leader.
When firing against infantry targets, these weapons roll their H.E. dice and double any hits achieved against targets in hard cover, due to the shrapnel effect of exploding masonry.
For use against vehicles see Section 12.3, Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons.
9.3.3 MGs Against Armoured Vehicles
Small arms fire against armoured vehicles is generally entirely ineffective. However, in some situations infantry may attempt to drive off enemy armour by using their light or medium machine guns against vision ports and similar. This will only ever be effective when the weapon is firing at close range and is not Pinned or Broken.
The machine gun Team must be activated and spend a whole Phase attempting this. The target vehicle will roll its armour dice as normal (see Section 11, Vehicles). If the vehicle achieves no saves, it will roll a D6 on the table in the Anti-Vehicle Fire section showing the effect of equal hits against saves on the vehicle damage table appropriate for its type.
9.3.4 Tank Hunters
In addition to ranged anti-tank weapons, such as those covered above, some nations had Teams of men tasked with hunting down tanks using hand-held charges or mines. These operate as separate Teams, activating on a Command Dice roll of 1, often with the ability to use smoke pots or grenades in order to blind the target or supporting troops, and automatic weapons to drive off infantry support.
Such a Team may attack any vehicle which it comes into contact with, placing the charge in position and then using the anti-vehicle rules (see Section 12, Fire Against Vehicles). Members of this Team may use whatever weapons they are individually equipped with. The man placing the charge may move up to 2D6 inches and make his attack. He may then move a further 1D6 away from the vehicle. When making the attack he counts as moving normally and may never adopt a Tactical stance.
To resolve the attack consult the table below.
Table Seven — Hand-Held Anti-Tank Weapons
Germany
| Weapon | Result |
|---|---|
| Petrol Bomb | A.P. strike of 3 doubling any Shock inflicted |
| Grenade and Petrol can | A.P. strike of 6 doubling any Shock inflicted |
| Compound Charge | A.P. strike of 5 |
| Teller mine or 3kg Charge | Roll D6. 1-2, No effect. 3-5, vehicle immobilised and 2 Shock. 6, vehicle immobilised, crew bail out. |
| Multiple 3kg Cluster or Satchel Charge | A.P. strike of 6 |
Britain & the US
| Weapon | Result |
|---|---|
| No.74 Sticky Bomb | A.P. strike of 2. Roll a D6. On a 1 the user is killed. |
| No.75 Hawkins Grenade | Roll D6. 1-2, No effect. 3-5, immobilised and 2 Shock. 6, immobilised, crew bail out. |
| Hawkins Daisy Chain | Roll a D6. 1-3, vehicle immobilised, 1 Shock. 4-5, immobilised, 2 Shock. 6, immobilised, crew bail out. |
| No.83 Gammon Bomb | A.P. Strike of 4 against closed vehicles. A.P. strike of 8 against open topped or backed vehicles. |
Soviet Union
| Weapon | Result |
|---|---|
| Petrol Bomb | A.P. strike of 3 doubling any Shock inflicted |
| Satchel Charge | A.P. strike of 6 |
| Soviet AT grenade | A.P. strike of 6 |
No roll "to hit" is required with hand placed anti-tank devices. How well they have been applied will be determined by their effect. Roll for the armour strike against the enemy vehicle's armour value, be that front, side or rear armour depending where the charge is placed, using the anti-tank fire mechanism in Section 12, Fire Against Vehicles.
9.4 Light Mortars
Mortars with a 60mm calibre or less are considered light mortars and may be deployed on the table. They have a minimum range of between 12" and 24", depending on the model, and may hit anywhere on the table beyond that distance.
Light mortars do not require a line of sight to see a target in order to fire at it, but any target they choose must be in line of sight of a friendly Unit.
A light mortar with a direct line of sight to the target treats it as a close range target. Where no direct line of sight exists, the target is treated as being at effective range.
Some light mortars with longer ranges may be fired from off-table, in which case they always treat the target as effective range.
A light mortar rolling two 1's in any Phase when firing will be out of ammunition for the rest of the game.
Light mortars firing against open topped or soft-skin vehicles will be treated as a single hand grenade. However, they may only engage a target which is in direct line of sight, rolling 2D6 and hitting on a result of 12. If a hit is achieved roll 3D6. Each 4, 5 or 6 counts as one net hit on the vehicle damage table. Roll as normal on the relevant table in Section 12, Fire Against Vehicles.
9.4.1 Light Mortars Deploying Smoke
Some light mortars were supplied with smoke rounds. Mortars with no smoke cannot deploy smoke. See Appendix B, National Army Lists.
When firing a light mortar to deploy smoke, the firer selects an aiming point and rolls a D6.
Table Eight — Mortar Smoke Deployment
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Round lands 6" to the right of the target |
| 2 | Round lands 6" to the left of the target |
| 3 | Round hits target if there is line of sight, otherwise lands 6" beyond the target |
| 4 | Round hits target if there is line of sight, otherwise lands 6" short of the target |
| 5-6 | Round hits target |
A 3" round ball of smoke is placed on the table on the point of impact. No Units may fire through smoke. All smoke is removed from play at the end of a Turn.
9.5 Snipers
In Chain of Command snipers are represented as a single base with one or two figures on it. The number of figures is not important for game purposes as they are treated as a single Team, activating on a Command Dice roll of 1. Snipers may not be activated by any Leaders.
Snipers may deploy anywhere within 12" of a friendly Jump-Off Point. They do not move in the same manner as other troops, but may only change their position when the player uses one Chain of Command Dice, at which point they may relocate up to 18" from their current position which is also at least 12" from any enemy Unit.
Snipers may fire one shot when activated. They may target any Unit on the table which is in direct line of sight, rolling a D6 and hitting on a roll of 3 or more.
The target then rolls to hit as though in the open, ignoring any cover they are in. Any Shock inflicted is doubled. If a kill is achieved then any Leader with the target Unit rolls to see if he has been hit with a -1 on the dice, thereby increasing his chances of being hit.
When fired on by a sniper a Unit may only respond if they are on Overwatch and covering the area where the sniper is located. They will also need to test to see if they can identify the sniper's firing position.
On the first time the sniper fires at a Unit covering the area he is firing from, the Team or Teams on Overwatch roll a D6. On a 6 they spot the sniper; on any other result they fail to identify his position.
The next time the sniper fires at them they will roll a D6, adding +1 to their dice roll, with an additional +1 being added each time the sniper fires. Only when they spot the sniper will they be able to fire at his position.
Once a sniper is spotted, he may be fired at as normal by the Unit which has identified his position, as long as he remains in that position. Any single kill will remove the sniper Team from the table. Any Shock is ignored.
If the enemy make base to base contact with the Sniper Team, the position is considered overrun and the sniper Team will be removed from the game. These are not killed but simply dispersed and driven off. As a result, no test of Force Morale will be required in this situation.
9.6 Flamethrowers
Infantry flame-throwers are represented as three-man Teams. These man-pack weapons were effective but carried very limited supplies of flammable liquid. To represent this, any infantry flame throwers will be limited to just three Phases of fire.
Flamethrowers have a maximum range of between 9" and 12" as indicated by the National Arsenal Tables. Flamethrowers ignore all cover and any Shock inflicted is doubled.
Flamethrowers firing on wooden buildings will set the building on fire if they roll two or more 6's on their firing dice. A building on fire must be evacuated immediately. The player whose men are in the building must immediately place them by any door of his choice.
A flamethrower hit on a soft-skin will automatically destroy the vehicle. The effect of hits on any passengers will be calculated without any allowance for cover. For Flamethrowers used against vehicles see Section 12.5.
9.7 Fire Against Crewed Weapons
Infantry fire against crewed weapons will only affect the crew. It will not damage the weapon.
Some weapons, such as anti-tank guns, are provided with a shield to protect the crews. This will add one level of cover to any cover which the crew is in. So, an anti-tank crew in light cover will be treated as being in hard cover due to their gun shield.
9.8 Back-Blast Weapons
Bazookas, Panzerschrecks and recoilless rifles produce a significant back-blast which means they may not fire from enclosed spaces such as buildings. The exception here would be a very large building with open internal areas, such as a church or factory.
10. Support Weapon Fire
Support Weapons are those weapons which provide additional firepower to stiffen up an infantry force. They fire in precisely the same manner as infantry Units. However, some specific rules are required. Let us look at the support weapons of the WWII battlefield.
Support Weapons
The infantry platoon of the Second World War could find itself operating with any number of support weapons. Most of these will be found in the National Arsenal Tables with all of the factors needed for the game.
Support Weapon Teams: Support Weapon Teams are usually highly trained men who have an intimate knowledge of the weapon they are crewing. Support Weapon Teams will continue to function until every Team member has been killed or they Break due to Shock. However, weapons such as anti-tank guns and infantry guns need at least a two man crew to function effectively. Once these are reduced to one man, they will not be able to move or rotate, although they may continue to target any enemy within their arc of fire.
Support Weapon Teams cannot be reinforced by men from other Units. Likewise, men from Support Weapon Teams cannot be transferred to other Units, even if their weapon has been destroyed.
Infantry Guns: Generally with a five-man crew, these will be covered in detail in the National Arsenal Tables. These are designed to provide close support against infantry targets. Increasingly they were equipped with A.P. rounds in order to protect themselves against armour. Where these are available the gun will have both an A.P. and H.E. Firepower ratings.
Anti-Tank Guns: Generally with a five-man crew, these will be covered in detail in the National Arsenal Tables. Anti-Tank guns are designed to deal with armoured targets but increasingly they were equipped with H.E. rounds in order to protect themselves against infantry. Where these are available the gun will have both an A.P. and H.E. Firepower ratings.
Medium Mortar Batteries: Medium mortars cover those with calibres around 3", 8cm, 81mm and 82mm. They are normally part of a battalion's assets and are the form of fire support that infantry would be most familiar with.
Their plunging fire allows them to ignore one level of cover and their pinning effect can be used to break up an enemy attack, on or off-table.
Medium mortars will not normally be deployed on-table, as their minimum range is far too long for even the largest table. In Chain of Command they are represented by a Forward Observation Team which is treated as a single Team regardless of the number of figures on the base. Firing against a Forward Observer is covered in Section 9.1.1, Hits on Leaders & Forward Observers.
10.1 Infantry Guns
Infantry Guns are weapons specifically designed to provide close support for infantry Units, such as the 7.5cm le.IG18, the 15cm s.IG.33 and the Soviet 76mm regimental gun model 1927.
Infantry guns are activated as a Team on a Command Dice roll of 1, or may be activated by their own attached Junior Leader, if present, or by any Senior Leader.
These weapons have a minimum range of 9" unless firing at a high target such as a building or a vehicle, which may be engaged at closer ranges.
Support Weapons fire a single round in each Phase they are activated. To fire roll the number of H.E. dice shown in the National Arsenal Table for the model of gun firing. All firing is considered close range due to the small area represented by the table. Each D6 rolled hits on 4, 5 or 6. Any hits are then rolled for on Table Six, Hit Effect, with cover reduced by one level.
10.2 Anti-Tank Guns
Anti-Tank Gun firing is covered in more detail in the Anti-Vehicle fire section. Whilst not designed to fire in an anti-infantry role, some of these weapons were equipped with a High Explosive round which allowed them to take on infantry targets.
Anti-Tank guns are activated as a Team on a roll of 1; may be activated by their own attached Junior Leader, if present, or by a Senior Leader.
In an anti-infantry role they operate in the same way as an infantry gun, firing a single round in each Phase they are activated and rolling the number of H.E. Firepower dice shown in the National Arsenal Table for the model of gun firing. Each D6 rolled hits on 4, 5 or 6. Any hits are then rolled for on Table Six, Hit Effect, with cover reduced by one level.
10.3 Off-Table Mortars
A mortar battery and its Forward Observation Team are activated as one single Team on a Command Dice roll of 1. If a Senior Leader is with, or within Command range of, the Forward Observation Team he can activate them for one Command Initiative.
10.3.1 Calling for the Barrage
Once activated, the Forward Observation Team will direct the battery's fire. This happens as follows:
Step 1: The battery is contacted and a request made for fire support.
Step 2: On the second mortar battery activation, the player should place an aiming point marker on the table within line of sight of the Forward Observation Team. At this point, the player must decide whether to call for an immediate barrage on that point or whether to ask for a ranging shot in order to ensure accuracy.
Using the aiming point, roll 2D6 to see where the ranging shot or the barrage lands.
Table Nine — Off-Table Mortar Deviation
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 2 | Deviate 6D6 inches |
| 3 | Deviate 5D6 inches |
| 4 | Deviate 4D6 inches |
| 5 | Deviate 3D6 inches |
| 6 | Deviate 2D6 inches |
| 7 | Deviate 1D6 inches |
| 8+ | On target |
If a ranging shot is on-target and hits an enemy unit, roll for two hits on Table Six, Hit Effect, reducing any cover the target is in by one level.
If a barrage is on-target, the resulting fire will cover an 18" square area of the table with the aiming point at its centre.
The player then rolls the number of dice shown in the National Arsenal Table for the weapon firing for every Team within the barrage area to see if they have been hit.
Roll for each Team (not Section or Squad), treating them as an Effective Range target and reducing cover by one level for any hits when rolling on Table Six, Hit Effect. Any troops in woodland or orchards will be treated as a Close Range target due to the increased effect of shrapnel in woods. Any troops in the barrage area are Pinned until the barrage ends.
To represent the barrage, place smoke on the table liberally covering the target area. This will now break line of sight into and out of that area until the barrage ends.
If a ranging shot or barrage deviates from the target, roll a further D6 to see in which direction the fire falls. Assume that the fire is coming from the centre of the firer's table edge.
Now roll the number of D6 indicated for the distance of deviation. Check for any hits as above if any unit, friend or enemy, is hit.
Step 3: On the third and subsequent time the battery is activated, if the battery is already firing, the barrage will continue with the option of the player shifting the aiming point, the centre of the barrage, 6" in any direction.
If the battery has only fired a ranging shot thus far, the player may now call for a full barrage using the ranging shot as the aiming point with the effect described in Step 2.
If the ranging shot was off-target the third activation can be used to call for another ranging shot, rolling to hit with a +1 on the dice total. Add a further +1 each subsequent time this is necessary until the player calls for the barrage.
Example: a German forward observer is activated and calls for fire support from a battery of four 8cm mortars. As this is the first time he has called for fire from them it will automatically be available.
On the next activation the player indicates a section of hedgerow where a US squad is located. He must now decide whether he wants the battery to start firing a barrage immediately or if he would just like a ranging shot to be fired.
As no friendly troops are close to the target, he risks calling for an immediate barrage. Rolling 2D6 he gets a 5 and a 1. This results in a 2D6 deviation from the desired aiming point. He rolls 2 on a D6 to find that the fire lands off to the right and rolls a further 2D6 to tell him that it is 7" away. This point becomes the centre of his 18" barrage so the US squad is just within that area, as is a machine gun Team in a nearby farmhouse.
The player checks the Master Arsenal Table to discover that an 8cm mortar has four Firepower points. He now rolls 4D6 for both of the Teams in the US Squad and the MG Team. As all medium mortar fire is treated as effective range he needs 5 or 6 to hit. Any hits on the US Squad will be treated as being in the open, those against the MG Team in the farmhouse as being in light cover.
10.3.2 Ending the Barrage
The barrage will continue to fire each time the battery is activated. The player can only end the barrage when the battery is activated. It will then continue to fire for that Phase and then cease. Any smoke or explosions will be removed at the end of the following Phase.
All fire missions by batteries will cease when the Turn ends, unless a Chain of Command Dice is played to keep it firing.
10.3.3 Battery Availability
A mortar battery attached to a force will automatically be available the first time it is requested in any game and for the duration of that barrage. After that there is a chance that it has been diverted to another mission. When requesting a second or subsequent barrage, roll a D6 to see if this is available.
On a roll of 1, it is not available and the battery will not be available for the rest of the game. On a roll of 2, it is not available for the rest of this Turn, but a request may be made in subsequent Turns. On a roll of 3 or 4, it is not currently available but a request may be made in subsequent Phases. On a roll of 5 or 6, the mortars are available to provide support immediately.
10.3.4 Off-Table Mortars Deploying Smoke
Off-table mortars may deploy smoke using exactly the same mechanisms as firing a barrage. However, smoke will be deployed covering an 18" square area. All smoke is removed from play at the end of the Turn.
10.3.5 H.E. Against Crewed Weapons
When firing H.E. from direct fire weapons or mortars against crewed weapons, such as infantry guns, tripod mounted machine guns or anti-tank guns, any hits will be on the crew. However, if three or more 6's are rolled when rolling to hit, the weapon will also be damaged and out of action for the remainder of the game.
10.3.6 H.E. Against Buildings
H.E. fire from direct fire weapons or mortars will reduce any cover the target is in by one level. However, it will also potentially damage the structure.
A building will become unstable if any gun firing H.E. rolls three 6's in a single Phase when rolling to hit the building or a Unit in it. Troops in an unstable building must evacuate the building before the end of the Turn. If they fail to do so before the Turn ends, they will roll 1D6 for each man inside the structure, losing one man to falling rubble for every 6 rolled. Any survivors will then be placed immediately outside any door of the building of their opponent's choosing.
If four or more 6's are rolled when rolling to hit the target, the structure will begin to collapse. Troops in a collapsing building will roll 1D6 for each man inside the structure, losing one man to falling rubble for every 5 or 6 rolled. Any survivors will then be placed immediately outside any door of the building of their opponent's choosing.
10.3.7 Vehicles in a Barrage
Vehicles caught in the barrage area of any medium mortar barrage may take some damage. Roll 1D6 for each vehicle and consult the following tables, adding +2 to the roll if the shells hitting are 4.2" or 120mm in calibre. Add +1 if an open topped vehicle.
Table Ten — Vehicles in a Barrage
Soft-skin Vehicles
| D6 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | No effect |
| 4 | 1D6 hits on passengers |
| 5 | Destroyed. 1D6 hits on passengers |
| 6+ | Destroyed. One hit on each passenger |
Armoured Carriers
| D6 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect |
| 3-5 | Commander's Command Initiative reduced by one in the next Phase |
| 6 | Destroyed. Passengers disembark |
| 7+ | Destroyed. One hit on each passenger |
Tanks and Armoured Cars
| D6 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | No effect |
| 4-5 | Commander's Command Initiative reduced by one in the next Phase |
| 6 | Take one hit on the vehicle damage table and one point of Shock |
| 7+ | Take two hits on the vehicle damage table and two points of Shock |
Note: Chain of Command intentionally does not cover artillery any larger than infantry support guns. Field Guns deployed on the table may be used as objectives, but their minimum range was such that they could never fire at a target on table.
11. Vehicles
The Second World War was not the first war in which motorised vehicles played a part, but it was certainly the coming of age of the tank and of armoured vehicles generally.
11.1 Vehicle Types
There are many different types of vehicles on the battlefields of the Second World War: soft-skin, armoured, wheeled, tracked or partially tracked. In Chain of Command, all of them are rated as either Transport Vehicles or Fighting Vehicles.
11.1.1 Transport Vehicles
Transport Vehicles are wheeled vehicles used solely as transport. In other words, they have no armour and are not fitted with a weapon other than a possible anti-aircraft MG as convoy protection. These will include cars, lorries and trucks.
In almost all situations, transport vehicles will be left off-table. However, in a scenario featuring an ambush on a convoy they may be present on the table.
Transport vehicles are activated when their passengers are activated. So a car with a single weapon Team and a Junior Leader could be activated on a Command Dice roll of 1 or 3. A 15cwt lorry with a rifle Section and a Corporal could be activated on a Command Dice roll of 2 or 3.
A Senior Leader may activate a number of transport vehicles for one Command Initiative each as long as they are within his Command Range.
11.1.2 Fighting Vehicles
Fighting vehicles range from reconnaissance motorcycles through armoured and unarmoured vehicles with mounted weapons and include troop carriers, self-propelled guns and tanks. Fighting vehicles may be wheeled, tracked or combine both as a half-track. Fighting vehicles may or may not mount a weapon.
Small Fighting Vehicles: These have a single or no weapon mounted, such as motorcycles or Jeeps, and may activate individually on a 1 as a weapon Team or on a 3 if ridden or driven by a Junior Leader. Where several small vehicles are operating together, such as a motorcycle Squad, they may activate together on a roll of 2 or their Junior Leader's 3, rolling for any movement as a Section rather than as individual vehicles.
Tanks and Armoured Cars: These larger vehicles, such as an armoured car, self-propelled gun or tank, normally have more than one weapon or crew position. These are usually commanded by a Junior Leader and activate on a roll of 3 on the Command Dice.
Where three or more vehicles of the same type are present, one may be designated as Troop or Platoon Leader, commanded by a Senior Leader. This Leader will activate on a roll of 4 on the Command Dice and will be able to use a radio net to command the other vehicles in the Troop or Platoon. See Section 11.4, Command by Radio.
11.2 Activating Vehicles
When activating a vehicle, the commander will use his Command Initiatives to activate specific crew members in any order he wishes. The key crew members considered in Chain of Command are typically as follows:
The Gunner: The gunner controls the vehicle's main gun and any co-axial machine gun. He may fire one weapon once in any Phase in which he is activated.
The Hull Machine Gunner: The hull machine gunner controls the hull machine gun where present. He may fire once in each Phase in which he is activated.
The Driver: The driver is responsible for the controls which move the vehicle. He may move the vehicle in each Phase that he is activated.
To move, the commander must activate the driver. To fire, he must activate the crew member controlling the weapon he wishes to fire. Where both fire and movement occurs, it may be in any order. What the vehicle does will be governed by the following limitations:
- Move slowly with 1D6 and fire any activated weapons at full effect.
- Move fast with 2D6 but do not fire the main gun. Any MGs activated may fire with half dice.
- Move flat-out with 3D6 but no firing is possible. Vehicles which were driven flat-out may not be used to interrupt in the next Phase using a Chain of Command Dice.
- Fire at full effect and remain stationary.
Example: a Junior Leader commanding a Panther is activated. He has two Command Initiatives, and wishes to use them to move his tank whilst firing at an enemy unit across the field. He uses one command initiative to activate his driver to move fast, advancing with 2D6, and his second command initiative to activate his hull machine gunner to fire. As the tank moved fast, the machine gun fires with half the normal number of dice.
Had he remained stationary, he could have fired the hull machine gun and one other weapon with his two initiatives. As it is, his hull machine gunner fires with half of the dice he would use were he stationary.
11.2.1 Armoured Personnel Carriers
These are armoured vehicles designed for carrying infantry, such as the German Schützenpanzerwagen or Allied M3 or M5 halftrack. When occupied by a Section of infantry, they will be activated by the Junior Leader commanding that Unit on a roll of 3 on the Command Dice. Using his two Command Initiatives the Junior Leader may activate the following crewed positions:
The Principal Machine Gunner: This is likely to be the forward firing machine gun mounted on the carrier and be crewed by men with weapons from the infantry Section being carried.
The Secondary Machine Gunner: Often personnel carriers would have a second machine gun position pointing to the rear or sides. Again this would be manned by men and weapons from the infantry Section or Squad.
The Driver: The driver is responsible for the controls which move the vehicle. He may move the vehicle in each Phase that he is activated.
The Passengers: These are the infantrymen carried. When activated by a Leader, they may disembark from the carrier. At this point, the player must choose which men are disembarking and which, if any, are remaining on board. A driver or machine gun crew left behind will be treated as an un-commanded vehicle from that point on, until rejoined by their Junior Leader.
11.3 Un-commanded Vehicles
Where no Leader is present, for example when the Leader commanding a tank has been killed or the passengers in an armoured Personnel Carrier have disembarked, the vehicle will operate on a Command Dice roll of 1. However, only one crew position may activate in a single Phase. So it can drive or fire, but not both.
11.4 Command by Radio
Only Leaders in vehicles may issue commands by radio. A Senior Leader using a radio may, for one command initiative, activate another vehicle under his command which has otherwise not been activated in this Phase, regardless of the distance between them. Once activated, only one crew position may activate in that Phase, so it can drive or fire, but not both. A Senior Leader may not rally Shock from any Unit by radio, nor may he place them on Overwatch or get them to put down Covering Fire.
11.5 How Do I Deploy Vehicles Onto the Table?
Vehicles which have yet to be placed on the table are considered to be at a point slightly back from the action where they have been assembled by their Senior Leader prior to being committed to battle.
Vehicles may deploy onto the table when activated by a Command Roll. On a Command Dice roll of 3, a vehicle commanded by a Junior Leader may arrive; on a roll of 4 a vehicle commanded by a Senior Leader may arrive; on a roll of 1 a Leaderless Vehicle may arrive.
The entry point for any vehicle will be on a friendly table edge, as opposed to the Jump-Off Points. Where a single road is present, this will be the entry point; where multiple roads are present, the player may choose which one he will use as his entry point. Only one vehicle may arrive at a table entry point in a single Phase. Vehicles crewed by Green crews must deploy within 4" of the entry point; Regular crews within 6" and Elite crews within 9".
These entry points are not Jump-Off Points. They may not be captured in the way that Jump-Off Points can be. Enemy forces on or in the area of the entry Point does not affect Force Morale.
Tracked vehicles and half-tracks entering the table may fire immediately but may not move in the current Phase. Fully-wheeled vehicles entering the table may move immediately and fire as normal.
11.6 Vehicle Movement
Vehicles move like infantry, using dice to determine how far they actually travel. Each vehicle has a Speed Rating which is outlined in the National Arsenal Table. See Appendix B.
How fast and far a vehicle moves will be affected by the ground it moves over.
Road: This includes any solid surface with no real impediment to movement. As well as dressed road surfaces it may include compacted earth and flat grassland. Here movement is conducted as normal. Slow vehicles move as infantry, with the total rolled on the dice indicating the distance moved in inches. Average vehicles move with an additional 1" of movement for each D6 used to move, Fast vehicles add 2" per D6. Wheeled vehicles double the total rolled for movement on Roads.
Broken Ground: Ground where there is a slight impediment to movement such as woodland, ploughed fields, fords or steep hills. Here Slow and Wheeled vehicles move as infantry, with the total rolled on the dice indicating the distance moved in inches. Average vehicles move with an additional 1" of movement for each D6 used to move, Fast vehicles add 2" per D6.
Heavy Going: This would be heavy undergrowth, rocky hillsides, crossing hedges, rubble or marsh. Fully tracked vehicles may move here with the total rolled on the dice indicating the distance moved in inches, whatever the speed rating of the vehicles, and with a chance of becoming immobilised due to damage to the running gear. Wheeled and partially tracked vehicles may not move in Heavy Going.
Really Heavy Terrain is impassable to all vehicles.
11.6.1 Movement Restrictions
Vehicles do not take Shock when driving flat-out with 3D6 inches. However they are effectively blind when moving at that speed and cannot see or react to any enemy troops.
Any vehicle turning a corner of 90 degrees or greater may move at Slow or Fast speed but may not drive flat-out.
Vehicles reversing may move at a maximum of fast speed with 2D6 with no pips being added for average, fast or wheeled vehicles.
A fully-tracked vehicle rotating on its tracks may rotate up to 45 degrees on the spot and count as moving slowly. Rotating between 45° and 90° counts as moving fast, whilst rotating up to 180° is moving flat out.
Tracked vehicles crossing minor obstacles such as low walls, privet hedges and fences do so without any movement penalty. Wheeled vehicles may not cross walls or hedges, but may drive through fences without any penalty. Vehicles moving through gates suffer no movement penalty.
Fully-tracked vehicles crossing solid obstacles such as stone walls over waist height or steep banks must do so at fast speed but will discard the lower dice rolled. If they roll a double they will become temporarily immobilised. On subsequent activations of the driver, they will roll a D6, freeing themselves on a roll of 5 or 6 and moving that far in inches. However, a roll of 1 will mean that they are permanently immobilised for the rest of the game.
Vehicles moving in soft ground may move at any speed they wish; however, if they roll any double on their movement dice they will be bogged down. They may attempt to free themselves at the end of the current Turn, rolling 1D6. On a 1 to 3 they are permanently bogged in and will abandon the vehicle. On a 4 to 6 they have worked themselves free and may immediately move that far in inches. They may continue as normal from this point onwards.
11.6.2 Disembarking from Vehicles
Vehicles disembarking troops may only move with a maximum of 1D6 in that Phase. Vehicles embarking troops may not move at all in that Phase.
Disembarking troops move as normal if the vehicle is stationary, but may not move "at the double." Troops disembarking from a vehicle which has moved in this Phase will move a maximum of 1D6, and will count as moving normally.
11.6.3 Vehicles Moving Into Buildings
Fully tracked armoured vehicles may drive into a building. If the building is brick or stone, they roll 2D6 and move the distance shown by the higher dice. Any double will see the building collapse on them and trap the tank and the crew. They may not be activated for the remainder of the Turn.
At the end of the Turn, roll a D6 to see if they have managed to free the vehicle from the rubble. On a 4, 5 or 6 they have succeeded and may activate as normal in the next Turn. On a roll of 1, 2 or 3 they remain trapped, testing again at the end of each subsequent Turn, until they break free.
11.7 Visibility from a Vehicle
Most tanks will count as having their hull weapons on the same ground level as infantry and the turret weapons on a higher level. Low profile vehicles, such as StuG or Hetzers, count as being at ground level.
Vehicles will only fire when specific weapon positions in the vehicle are activated by the commander using his command initiatives. Vehicle weapon positions may be placed on Overwatch; however, if the vehicle moves, all Overwatch markers are immediately removed.
11.8 Vehicle Firing
Vehicles may fire any of their activated weapons once in a single Phase at any enemy in their firing arc. Vehicles with rotating turrets normally have a 120° forward arc into which they may fire. This allows for some turret rotation and a single aimed shot. This arc is measured from the front of the turret.
When the tank fires at a target within its firing arc, rotate the turret to point at the target. In the next Phase, the firing arc is calculated from the new position of the turret.
If you wish to fire on a target outside your arc of fire, the turret needs to be rotated further. This requires the gunner to be activated and takes a complete Phase. The next time the gunner is activated, he can fire unless the target has moved out of the arc of fire again. Remember, a quicker option may be to get the driver to turn the whole tank.
Tanks with slow turrets are restricted to a 90° forward arc of fire and rotate at up to 90° in a single Phase, whereas tanks with fast turrets have a 180° arc of fire and may rotate 180° in a Phase.
A tank's hull machine guns have a more restricted arc of fire, being restricted to the 90° arc measured from the front of the vehicle.
Self propelled guns, such as StuG or Marders, have significantly narrower arcs of fire due to lack of a turret. They may fire only within a corridor straight ahead from the vehicle. Any hull mounted or co-axial MG may fire into a 90° arc.
In order for a self propelled gun to target an enemy outside these arcs of fire, an order will need to be issued to the driver, using one of the Leader's command initiatives. He may rotate up to 45° and count as moving slowly. Rotating up to 90° counts as moving fast whereas rotating between 90° and 180° counts as moving flat-out.
Where more than one weapon is in a single position, such as the main gun and co-axial machine gun, only one may be fired in any single Phase.
11.8.1 Vehicle Fire Against Infantry
Vehicles are equipped with a range of weapons which may be used against infantry targets. These are categorised as: machine guns, heavy machine guns, auto-cannon and, finally, main guns.
Vehicle machine guns fire as infantry weapons, using the number of Firepower dice shown on the National Arsenal Tables in Appendix B, and with damage calculated as normal infantry fire. Heavy machine guns and auto-cannon fire in the same way but reduce all cover by one level.
Main guns are the tank guns firing a range of shell types. One round is fired in each Phase the gunner is activated. When firing at infantry, they will fire H.E. rounds; when firing at armour they will fire A.P. rounds. This selection occurs automatically as the crew are presumed to be using the correct round for the job in hand.
Roll the number of H.E. dice shown in the National Arsenal Table for the model of gun firing. All firing is considered close range due to the small area represented by the table. Each D6 rolled will hit on 4, 5 or 6. Calculate the effect of any hits as for infantry fire but reduce any cover by one level.
11.8.2 Vehicles Deploying Smoke
Vehicles that have smoke projectors may make smoke once during the game, deploying a 6" by 3" area of smoke, 6" directly in front of the vehicle for the use of one of the Leader's Command Initiatives. This, like all artificial smoke (not smoke from burning buildings), is removed from play at the end of the Turn.
12. Fire Against Vehicles
Firing against armoured vehicles is normally undertaken by weapons with the capability to penetrate armour such as tank guns, anti-tank guns and dedicated infantry anti-tank weapons. Some heavy machine guns have the capability to penetrate armour, as shown in the National Arsenal Tables in Appendix B.
The crew of armoured vehicles, or men in armoured carriers, may not be targeted by infantry Units other than Snipers who may attempt to shoot visible crewmen manning any weapon mounted on top of the vehicle, such as the gunner on an M3 half-track or an SdKfz 251. If these weapon crewmen are killed they may be replaced by a man from the same Unit, taking two Phases of activation to do so.
Before firing at a vehicle, first check that the target is visible and in the firer's arc of fire. See Section 8, Target Acquisition.
Tank guns firing armour piercing ammunition have no range bands, as the whole table is well within their close range and the penetrating effect of their shells does not vary with range. Vehicles or guns firing A.P. fire one round in any single Phase when activated.
Infantry Anti-Tank weapons are more limited in their ranges. The National Arsenal Tables in Appendix B will give details for each weapon type.
A vehicle is hit on one of three faces: front, side or rear.
12.1 Firing Procedure
The player firing selects any vehicle that is in line of sight of the weapon firing and uses the following procedure.
Step One: The player rolls to see if he hits the target. Roll 2D6 and adjust as follows:
Subtract:
- -1 if TARGET moved flat out in the last or current Phase
- -1 if the FIRER moved in this Phase
- -1 per point of Shock on the FIRER
- -1 if FIRER's gun sight is damaged
- -1 if TARGET is low profile
- -1 if TARGET is small
- -1 for each range band after the closest for infantry anti-tank weapons
- -1 for a replacement Gunner manning weapon
Add:
- +1 for a shot controlled by the vehicle or anti-tank gun commander using two command initiatives to activate the gunner
- +1 if the TARGET is stationary and the FIRER has already hit it
If the firer rolls an unmodified double 6 to hit the target, he has hit a weak spot in the target's armour. He adds an additional three D6 to his Strike factor roll.
Step Two: The player checks Table Eleven, below, to see if he has been successful. The number shown is the minimum score he needs to roll to hit the target.
Table Eleven — To Hit a Vehicle
| Target | Roll Required |
|---|---|
| In the open | 5 |
| View obscured (Some cover) | 7 |
| View badly obscured (Hull Down) | 9 |
Step Three: If the firer hits the target he will need to compare the A.P. Strike factor of the gun firing with the Armour factor of the target vehicle as shown in the National Arsenal Table.
The firer rolls 1D6 for each A.P. Strike factor, counting each 5 or 6 as hits if firing onto a vehicle's frontal armour, 4, 5 or 6 if firing onto side armour, or each 3, 4, 5 or 6 if firing onto rear or top armour.
The target vehicle rolls 1D6 for each Armour factor, counting each 5 or 6 rolled as a save.
Compare the number of hits achieved by the firer with the number of saves rolled by the defender. If the number of saves exceeds the number of hits then the shot has had no effect, glancing harmlessly off the armour. If the numbers are equal, or the hits exceed the saves, then consult the tables below for the relevant vehicle type.
Table Twelve — Tanks, Armoured Cars, SP Guns
Equal Hits and Saves
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect |
| 3-4 | Halt and engage firer in next Phase |
| 5-6 | 1 Shock. Reverse 1D6 immediately. Any infantry in the way are moved by the controlling player to avoid being run down |
One Net Hit
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Shock. Driver panics and may not be activated in the next Phase |
| 2 | 1 Shock. Gunner panics and may not be activated in the next Phase |
| 3 | 1 Shock. Commander panics. The vehicle may not be activated in the next Phase |
| 4 | 1 Shock. Engine damage. All future movement will be Fast or Flat Out but removing the lowest dice rolled each time |
| 5 | 1 Shock. Gun sights damaged. -1 to hit target |
| 6 | 2 Shock |
Two Net Hits
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Shock. Driver killed. It takes two activations in subsequent Phases to allow another crew member to take over |
| 2 | 2 Shock. Gunner killed. It takes two activations in subsequent Phases to allow another crew member to take over |
| 3 | 2 Shock. Commander wounded. Reduce Command level by 1 |
| 4 | 2 Shock. Immobilised for rest of game |
| 5 | 2 Shock. Hull MG out of action for game |
| 6 | Main Gun out of action for rest of game |
Three Net Hits
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Knocked Out |
| 5-6 | Explodes. 1D6 hits on any infantry within 4" |
Table Thirteen — Halftracks & Carriers
Equal Hits and Saves
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect |
| 3-4 | Reverse 1D6 immediately. Any infantry in the way are moved by the controlling player to avoid being run down |
| 5 | Must immediately drive flat-out towards cover |
| 6 | 1 Shock. Any passengers must deploy now |
One Net Hit
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Shock. Driver panics and may not be activated in the next Phase |
| 2 | 1 Shock. Gunner panics and may not be activated in the next Phase |
| 3 | 1 Shock. Commander panics and may not be activated in the next Phase |
| 4 | 1 Shock. Engine damage. All future movement will be Fast or Flat Out but removing the lowest dice rolled each time |
| 5 | 1 Shock. Forward weapon destroyed |
| 6 | 2 Shock. Reverse 2D6 immediately |
Two Net Hits
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Shock. Driver killed. 2 Phases of activation to change |
| 2 | 2 Shock. 1D6 hits on the weapon crew and passengers |
| 3 | 2 Shock. Commander wounded. Reduce Command level by 1. 1D6 hits on passengers |
| 4 | 2 Shock. Immobilised for game. Passengers disembark immediately in base to base contact with the vehicle |
| 5 | 2 Shock. 2D6 hits on passengers |
| 6 | 3 Shock. Reverse 2D6 immediately. 1D6 hits on passengers |
Three Net Hits
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Knocked Out, 1D6 hits on passengers as if a target in the open |
| 5-6 | Explodes, crew dead. 1D6 hits on any infantry within 4". 2D6 hits on any passengers |
All results are cumulative. If, for example, a tank has its gun sights damaged in one Turn it may have them further damaged in a subsequent Turn with both -1 penalties combining to a -2 to hit.
Example: a 6 pounder anti-tank gun fires at a Panzer IV. The target is behind a hedge, so benefits from the view being obscured so the firer needs a 7 to hit.
The British player rolls 2D6 to hit, resulting in a total of 9 which is more than good enough: he has hit the Panzer.
The British player now rolls 1D6 for each weapon A.P. Firepower factor; that's 7 dice for a 6 pounder. He rolls 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 6. As he is firing at the frontal armour he achieves three hits with the 5 and two 6's.
The German player now rolls six dice for his Armour factor. He rolls 1, 2, 2, 4, 6 and 6, with each 5 or 6 being saves, so that is two saves. The 6 pounder has a net one hit.
The British player then rolls to see what effect the hit has. He rolls a 3, so the round may not have penetrated the armour but it has certainly panicked the German tank commander. The Panzer IV will not be able to activate in the next Phase. The German tank also takes one point of Shock.
In the next Phase, the German player cannot activate the Panzer IV so it does nothing. The next Phase is a British one, so the 6 pounder fires again. This time he is firing against a static target which he has already hit. This means he needs 6 or more to hit. He rolls a 6 and a 2, so again he hits it easily.
The British player now rolls his 7D6 for his A.P. Firepower factor needing 5's and 6's to hit. He rolls 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5 and 6 which is four hits.
The German player rolls 1, 2, 2, 3, 4 and 5 so that is just one save. The Panzer IV is knocked out. A further D6 roll of 5 means it explodes. If any infantry are within 4", they will take 1D6 hits as a result.
12.2 Fire Against Soft-skins
Firing against soft-skins is undertaken in precisely the same fashion as fire against armoured targets. However, the H.E. dice are rolled as opposed to the A.P. dice and soft-skins have no saving roll. Use the table below to calculate any damage caused.
Table Fourteen — Soft-skins
Zero Hits and Saves
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect |
| 3-4 | Reverse 2D6 immediately. Any infantry in the way are moved by the controlling player to avoid being run down |
| 5 | Driver panics. Must immediately drive forward at flat-out speed |
| 6 | Any passengers must deploy now |
One Net Hit
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | No effect |
| 3-4 | Reverse 2D6 immediately. Any infantry in the way are moved by the controlling player to avoid being run down |
| 5 | Driver panics. Must immediately drive forward at flat-out speed |
| 6 | Any passengers must deploy now |
Two Net Hits
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Destroyed. 1D6 hits on any passengers as if in open |
| 5-6 | Explodes, crew dead. 1D6 hits on any infantry within 4". 2D6 hits on any passengers |
12.3 Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons
Infantry portable AT weapons Teams, such as anti-tank rifles, PIATs and Bazookas, normally operate as independent Teams, as outlined in Section 9.3, Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons. They operate in the same manner as any troops of their troop type. They may fire one round in any Phase of play.
When firing against a vehicle the infantry Section or AT Team will name their target and check that it is in range. If it is they then roll 2D6 to hit in the same way as any anti-tank weapon if they are in close range, which is the first range band shown on the National Arsenal Table for that weapon. However, they subtract -1 from the dice rolled for each subsequent range band as shown on the table.
If they hit, the A.P. dice are rolled against the armour value of the target in exactly the same manner as for other anti-tank weapons, with damage being calculated accordingly.
Example: a Panzerschreck Team is firing at a Churchill tank in Northern Holland. The range is 22" which falls in the second range band shown in the National Arsenal Table in Appendix B. This means the player rolls to hit as with any other anti-tank weapon firing A.P. but subtracts -1 from his dice roll total.
The different infantry anti-tank weapons have varying range bands.
12.4 Schurzen
Armoured vehicles with Schurzen and spaced armour will roll one additional armour dice when hit on their side armour.
12.5 Flamethrowers Against Vehicles
Flamethrowers, whether infantry Teams or vehicle mounted models, will fire at any target as though it is infantry. With soft-skin or armoured vehicles the weapon Firepower dice will be the same as if the weapon was firing against an infantry target, with all cover ignored.
A flamethrower hit on a soft-skin will automatically destroy the vehicle. The effect of hits on any passengers will be calculated without any allowance for cover, with all Shock doubled, as per Section 9.6.
Against armoured transport vehicles all cover is ignored and any hits are on the passengers with all Shock doubled.
Against tanks, self-propelled guns, armoured cars and transport vehicles with no passengers, all "Kills" on Table Six, the Hit Effect Table, are ignored but all Shock is doubled. Flamethrowers cannot penetrate a tank's armour, but they can do sufficient damage to rout the crew.
13. Close Combat
Close Combat represents the desperate and violent conclusion to an action, where one side or the other must give ground. Close Combat happens when one infantry force moves to within 4" of an enemy which it can see and to which it has a clear path. Troops cannot close assault enemy troops where there is no route to contact, such as troops on a higher level in a building or on the other side of a solid building wall.
13.1 Who Fights?
When two enemy Sections, Squads or Teams come within 4" of each other, all of the figures in both units are moved to within 4" to take part in the fight. If a British Section has both of its Teams within 4" of the enemy, all of the British troops will be moved to within 4" and will fight in the Close Combat as they are operating as a section.
When one side is sending multiple Teams or Sections into a Close Combat in the same Phase, they may choose whether these are sent in to fight simultaneously or one at a time.
13.1.1 Resolving Close Combat
Each side will roll 1D6 for each man, not including Leaders, in the Close Combat. Adjust the number of dice rolled according to the list below, in the order listed, rounding down for odd numbers:
Table Fifteen — Close Combat
- Add 1D6 for the Command Initiative level of every one of your Leaders present.
- Add 2D6 for each troop quality level higher than the enemy.
- Add 1D6 for each D6 of movement the enemy moved to get into contact (in the first round only).
- Subtract 1D6 for each two points of Shock on your men in the fight.
- Aggressive Troops add 1D6 for every three men.
- Add 2D6 for each SMG or Assault Rifle.
- Add 4D6 for each LMG or 6D6 for each MMG or HMG any defender has if the attacker is in their arc of fire (first round only).
- If you are defending light cover add 1D6 for each three D6 you already have (first round only).
- If you are defending heavy cover add 1D6 for each two D6 you already have (first round only).
- If you have been hit in the rear now remove half of your dice (first round only).
- For Pinned units remove half the dice you have so far.
Total up the number of dice to be rolled by each side. If one side has four or more times as many dice as their opponent, then the side with fewer dice Routs immediately. They will fall back 3D6 inches with their backs to the enemy and take eight points of Shock.
If neither side Routs, both players roll their total number of dice. Each 5 or 6 kills one enemy with each 6 also inflicting one point of Shock. If multiple Teams are involved, casualties are spread equally between them with the opponent deciding which Team is allocated any odd hits. Only one odd hit can be apportioned to any single Team.
13.1.2 Results of Close Combat
Now compare the number of killed on both sides and refer to the list below:
Draw: Fight again immediately unless one side Breaks due to Shock. This occurs for a maximum of three rounds, after which both sides retire 3" to take a breather.
Defeated by 1: Thrown back 6" facing the enemy. Aggressive troops, or stubborn troops in defence, ignore a defeat by 1 and fight again immediately.
Defeated by 2: Thrown back 9" facing the enemy. Add one point of Shock on each Team.
Defeated by 3: Run away 12" facing away from the enemy. Add two points of Shock on each Team.
Defeated by 4+: Break and flee 18" in disorder. Double the total number of points of Shock on each Team. If no escape is possible, the survivors will surrender. The winner allocates guards at a 1 to 5 ratio.
The winner may choose to advance to occupy the ground previously held by their defeated opponent or to hold their own position.
Example: a US Staff Sergeant is activated. Within his command range he has two Squads of infantry. The Germans are in a position defending a hedgerow just 8" from one Squad and 12" from the other Squad.
With his two Command Initiatives the Staff Sergeant considers charging with both Squads at the same time in order to overwhelm the German defenders. However, he doesn't feel he can count on getting both Squads to move far enough to be within 4". In the end, he fires with the Squad further away achieving four points of Shock.
Now he charges in with the other Squad which has ten men. The German defenders have just six men, one of whom has an MG42. The US player only needs to move his men 4" in order to get the nearest figure within 4" of the Germans. He rolls 2D6 and charges home.
The German player has six men and one Junior Leader. He gets one D6 for each man, so that's six dice. He gets a further 2D6 for the Junior Leader and another 2D6 for the US squad moving using that many dice. That's ten D6 so far. However, they have four points of Shock so reduce their combat dice by two, down to eight dice.
Now the Germans add 4D6 for their MG42 and 2D6 for the Junior Leader's SMG. Fourteen D6 so far. Finally, as they are defending light cover, they add one D6 for every three so far. That's another four as always rounding down. So, eighteen D6 in total.
The US player has nine men plus a Junior Leader and the Senior Leader Staff Sergeant. They roll nine D6 for the men, then add two for the Junior Leader, three for the Senior Leader and two for the Staff Sergeant's SMG. A total of sixteen. It will be a close run thing.
13.1.3 Leaders in Close Combat
Potential Leader casualties are dealt with in the same manner as hits on Leaders in the Firing section (see Section 9.1.1, Hits on Leaders & Forward Observers). Check for hits on Leaders at the end of each round and apply any results to the next round of combat if a second or subsequent round is fought.
13.1.4 Buildings and Close Combat
Troops wishing to attack troops on anything other than the ground floor of a building must do so from an adjacent floor.
When resolving Close Combat, troops attacked from outside a building count as defending heavy cover. When being attacked by an enemy from another floor, they count as defending light cover. Troops in a building count as being in the open when attacked by an enemy from the same floor of a building.
Troops in Bunkers can only be assaulted via an unbarred door. They count as being in hard cover and attacked from the front, even if the entrance is at the rear of the bunker.
13.2 Tank Over-runs
Vehicles may not fight in Close Combat, but tracked vehicles may attempt to over-run infantry positions. To do this they must move into contact with the enemy Unit and calculate the effect as below:
13.2.1 Tanks Against Infantry
Each Team or crewed Support Weapon contacted by tanks will roll a D6, needing to roll above the amount of Shock that each Team currently has. If they succeed they evade the tank and may move 2D6 in any direction.
If the Team fails to roll over their current Shock rating, 1D6 men will be crushed by the tank with the rest being moved 4" away from the tank. Any crewed weapons will be destroyed.
13.2.2 Tanks Against Entrenched Troops
Infantry and weapons Teams that are driven over by tracked vehicles will suffer no casualties, unless the vehicle attempts to crush the position. If they are attacked by enemy infantry initiating Close Combat in the same Phase, they gain no benefit from cover, being treated as though they are in the open.
To crush an entrenchment, tracked vehicles must spend a whole Phase of activation stationary, rolling a D6 to see if it has been successful. On a roll of 1 to 3, the position and the troops are crushed; on a 4 to 6 they are only Pinned. In hard or frozen ground add +1 to the dice roll. In soft ground subtract 1. On a net result of zero the tank will crush the infantry but will be bogged in.
13.3 Ramming Tanks
Ramming an opponent's tank is a last-resort option, but not an unknown one.
Two vehicles come into physical contact, both vehicles roll 1D6 for each point of Armour strength. Compare the number of 5's and 6's rolled. If the numbers are equal then both tanks have bounced off and both take one point of Shock and may not do anything on their next Phase while the crew recovers.
If one vehicle has rolled more, but not double, 5's or 6's than his opponent, both vehicles are damaged and considered out of action for the rest of the game and abandoned by their crews.
If one vehicle has rolled twice as many 5's and 6's as his opponent, the enemy vehicle is out of action for the rest of the game. The winning vehicle takes two net hits on the relevant Table for its type in Section 12, Fire Against Vehicles.
14. Shock
The battlefield is a dangerous and stressful place, and the rigours of action can sometimes prove too much for even the toughest troops. The system of Shock represents a combination of Unit morale, order and general outlook of the troops.
Shock is inflicted by enemy fire or by rapid and disordering movement. The number of points of Shock which a Unit has should be indicated by the use of small unobtrusive markers such as micro-dice. It is important to note levels of Shock as Units are affected by it in several ways.
14.1 Application of Shock
Shock is applied to Teams rather than Sections; however, if the two Teams which comprise a Section or Squad are within 4" of each other they may support each other by spreading the morale effect across the whole Section rather than the individual Team.
Example: a British rifle Section is made up of a Bren Team of three men and a rifle Team of six men with a Corporal commanding them. The Bren Team has four points of Shock on it, the rifle Team one point of Shock. If the two Teams were more than 4" apart the Bren Team would be Pinned due to excess Shock, however in this case they are still within 4" so the Rifle Team is supporting them and the total Shock of five points is counted against the ten men of the whole Section. Hence both Teams continue to function as normal, albeit losing two firing dice from the Bren Team for the four points of Shock.
14.2 Leaders & Shock
The results of Shock apply equally to the men in the Team and any Leaders with them. However, if a Leader is with a Team which breaks he may detach himself from that Team on subsequent activations. If he is still with the Broken Team when the Turn ends, he will be removed from the table with them.
A Leader who has been wounded and is out of action during the current Turn does not count as a man when calculating the effect of Shock.
14.3 Shock & Movement
Any Team moving subtracts its current level of Shock from the total number of pips rolled for movement. A Section with two Teams, one with four points of Shock the other two points, that rolls a total of 12 for movement will only actually move 8" in open terrain if the player wishes to keep both Teams together. He could, of course, move the Team with the lesser amount of Shock further, 10"; but he may risk breaking up the Section if he does so. In terrain that slows movement the reduction for Shock will be in addition to normal movement penalties.
14.4 Shock & Firing
When firing, a Unit reduces the number of dice it rolls by one for each two points of Shock. For example, a rifle Team of five men with four or five points of Shock will roll just 3D6 rather than the 5D6, one per man, they would normally roll.
A Unit dicing to hit a target, such as an infantry anti-tank Team or a vehicle firing at another vehicle, subtracts one from the dice roll to hit for each point of Shock.
A Unit with only some of its men firing will still count the full effect of Shock against that part of the Unit which is firing.
14.5 Pinned Units
Sections or Teams will become Pinned when their Shock level exceeds the number of men and Leaders remaining in the Unit. If a Unit was fired at while moving, and was Pinned as a result, then they will halt at the point where they took fire. A Pinned Unit should be identified with a suitable marker to indicate its state.
While Pinned, a Unit may not move, and any firing it does is undertaken with a 50% reduction in firing dice, after the effect of any Shock is taken into account.
A Pinned Unit increases its level of cover by one, as most of its men are seeking cover.
A Pinned Unit may not use any of its Section anti-tank weapons, rifle grenades or hand grenades. A Pinned specialist anti-tank Team or support Team, such as an anti-tank gun firing A.P., may still fire, but with a -2 on its "to hit" roll.
Example: just outside Dunkirk a British Section is pinned down in a roadside ditch under German fire. They attempt to return fire. They have a Bren and five riflemen firing which would normally generate 11D6. However they have seven points of Shock and are Pinned. The Shock reduces the 11D6 to 8D6 and the Pinned halves that to give them just 4D6.
14.6 Broken Units
A Team or Section with double the amount of Shock as men and attached Leaders will Break immediately and fall back 6" plus a further 2D6 inches directly away from the enemy Unit which caused them to break. If a Broken Unit is unable to retire — for example they are surrounded — they will surrender.
A Section, Squad or Team that is interpenetrated by a Breaking friendly Unit retreating due to excess Shock, will itself suffer the number of excess Shock points that the Broken Unit has.
Broken Units may not be activated to move or fire. A Broken Unit should be identified with two Pinned markers to indicate its state.
Broken troops may be rallied and rejoin the battle if their Shock level is reduced sufficiently. However, all un-rallied Broken Units and any attached Leaders will Rout from the table at the end of a Turn, being removed from play.
14.7 Rallying Shock
The effects of Shock are not permanent. A Unit may have its Shock reduced when a Leader uses his Command Initiative to rally the Unit. See Section 4.5.3, Commands Which are Not Activations.
14.8 Shock on Armoured Vehicles
Shock affects vehicles in a similar way to that in which it affects infantry, reducing movement and the ability to fire effectively. Shock on vehicles reduces movement at the rate of one inch for each point of Shock. A vehicle firing has a -1 on the roll to hit for each point of Shock.
Multiple hits on vehicles, be they tanks, self-propelled guns or armoured cars, may not be sufficient to completely destroy the vehicle. However, they may be sufficient to persuade the crew or passengers that the damage is bad enough to see them withdraw from the action or bail out and abandon it altogether.
The amount of Shock a vehicle can amass before its morale is negatively affected is determined by its commander. A vehicle commanded by a Junior Leader has a basic morale level of 3. A vehicle commanded by a Senior Leader has a basic morale level of 4. For a Green crew reduce this by one level; for an elite crew increase it by one.
A Vehicle with Shock equal to its morale level may not advance any further forward than its current position.
A vehicle with Shock greater than its morale level will be abandoned by its crew and may not be activated for the remainder of the game.
If a vehicle commander is killed his crew morale level will drop by one level.
A vehicle that is immobilised or has its main gun out of action will double any subsequent Shock suffered. A vehicle crew which abandons their vehicle will not return to it in the current game.
Example: a Sherman tank operating south of Tunis is hit by a Pak 38 anti-tank gun. The round fails to penetrate but the commander is wounded and the crew take two points of Shock.
The Sherman is activated in the next Phase. With just one Command Initiative the commander can only do one thing. He fires his main gun and misses.
In the following Phase, the Pak 38 fires again. Once again the round fails to penetrate but does cause two points of Shock. With a crew morale of 3 and four points of Shock the crew abandon the tank. They will not return to it during the remainder of the game.
14.9 Carriers and Transport Vehicles
Shock on armoured carriers and transport vehicles reduces movement and any firing in the same way as infantry. Shock on vehicles reduces movement at the rate of one inch for each point of Shock. A carrier firing its machine guns loses 1D6 for every two points of Shock.
Sometimes, hits on carriers and transport vehicles will not destroy them, but may affect the morale of the men inside.
The amount of Shock a carrier can amass before its morale is negatively affected is determined by its commander. A carrier commanded by a Junior Leader has a basic morale level of 3. One commanded by a Senior Leader has a basic morale level of 4. For a Green crew reduce this by one level; for an elite crew increase it by one. An un-commanded carrier will always have a morale level of 1.
If a carrier commander is killed, his vehicle morale level will drop to that of an un-commanded carrier. A carrier that is immobilised will double any subsequent Shock suffered.
A carrier with Shock equal to its morale level may not advance any further forward than its current position.
A carrier with Shock greater than its morale level will be abandoned by its crew and may not be used again for the remainder of the game.
14.10 Diehards
In some historical accounts we come across men who seem never to know when they are beaten. For want of a better phrase, these are termed "Diehards". Diehards are men who are prepared to fight on to the bitter end. Diehards as a normal Team ignore all the effects of Shock and will fight on until all their men are dead.
In Close Combat Diehards count as Aggressive troops.
15. Force Morale
Force Morale represents the general enthusiasm, or lack of it, that a force has for the war at this moment in time. It is not an indication of force quality and it can fluctuate from day to day for no apparent reason.
15.1 Force Morale Tracking
At the beginning of a game of Chain of Command, each player rolls for his Force Morale. He will need to track this through the game in order to see what impact the experience of battle has on his fighting abilities.
In Chain of Command, your ultimate objective is not to kill all of your opponent's forces, but rather reduce their fighting capability to the point where they must abandon the field, leaving you as the victor.
As the effect of casualties impacts on the will of your men to continue the fight, your Force Morale will potentially fall. Each time your force suffers a significant setback, such as a Unit being wiped out or Breaking under pressure, roll a D6 on Table Sixteen, Bad Things Happen. Apply the result at the top of the column, ranging from "No effect" to "-3 Points", to your Force Morale.
When a Section loses a Team, or one Team breaks but the other Team remains in action, roll for the Team effect. When a Section is wiped out or Breaks in any one Phase, both Teams being removed or breaking concurrently, roll for the Section effect.
The Support Units mentioned on the table are any Units which have been added to your force for the duration of the game, selected from the Support Lists. This relates to the normal range of Sections, Squads and Teams along with vehicles. Inert support options, such as minefield or road blocks are ignored. Additional Leaders are treated as any other Leader and if they are wounded, killed or Rout they are diced for as any other Leader doing the same.
If a player has one or more Chain of Command Dice available, he may discard one of them to avoid rolling on the Table.
Table Sixteen — Bad Things Happen
| Setback | No Effect | -1 Point | -2 Points | -3 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team wiped out | 1, 2 | 3, 4, 5, 6 | — | — |
| Team Breaks | 1 | 2, 3, 4, 5 | 6 | — |
| Section wiped out | — | 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6 | — |
| Section Breaks | — | 1, 2 | 3, 4, 5, 6 | — |
| Junior Leader wounded | 1, 2 | 3, 4, 5 | 6 | — |
| Junior Leader killed | — | 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6 | — |
| Junior Leader Routs from table | — | 1, 2 | 3, 4, 5, 6 | — |
| Senior Leader wounded | — | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 5, 6 | — |
| Senior Leader killed | — | 1 | 2, 3, 4, 5 | 6 |
| Senior Leader Routs from table | — | — | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 5, 6 |
| Support Unit Killed | — | 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6 | — |
| Support Unit Routs | — | 1, 2, 3, 4 | 5, 6 | — |
| Loss of Jump-Off Point | — | 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6 | — |
The following Table indicates what impact a falling morale level will have on your force. As the Force Morale Level drops dangerously low, a force will begin to lose Command Dice, Jump-Off Points and, ultimately, will break, Routing or surrendering.
Table Seventeen — Force Morale Effect
| Morale Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| 5+ | Act as desired |
| 4 | Command Dice reduced by one from the starting total |
| 3 | Command Dice reduced by two from the starting total |
| 2 | Command Dice reduced by two from the starting total. Remove one Jump-Off Point of your opponent's choosing (don't roll for the loss of this Jump-Off Point) |
| 1 | Command Dice reduced by three from the starting total |
| 0 | Rout or Surrender |
15.2 Vehicles & Crews
Transport vehicles may be retired off the table with no effect on Force Morale. They never count as Breaking or Routing.
Vehicle crews which abandon their vehicles are presumed to move away from danger. If you do like to use vehicle crew figures then casualties on them do not count towards the Force Morale.
16. The Specialists
As well as the infantryman and his supports, the battlefield of the Second World War saw specialist troops and equipment take to the field as never before. From basic engineering work to the most sophisticated "Funnies", we can represent them all in Chain of Command.
16.1 Engineering Works
Engineer or Pioneer Teams are specialist troops who are deployed to do specific tasks. Whilst undertaking those tasks the Team will function as normal until all the Team members have been killed. There is no reduction in effectiveness for weakened Teams.
Minefields: Individual minefields in Chain of Command are 6" square. They are always designated as a mix of anti-vehicle and anti-personnel devices. No Units may attempt to cross an un-cleared minefield.
Clearing Minefields: Minefields may be cleared by suitably equipped Engineer Teams. These will roll 1D6 in each Phase that they are stationary and activated to clear a path through a minefield. On a roll of 6 they can declare the minefield passable.
Barbed Wire: Barbed wire is a linear obstacle 6" by 2" in size. It may not be crossed by infantry, but may be cleared by an Engineer or Pioneer Team, or driven over by tracked vehicles to clear a permanent path.
Clearing Barbed Wire: Barbed wire may be cleared by an Engineer wire clearing Team. These will roll a D6 in each Phase that they are stationary and activated to clear the wire. On a roll of 5 or 6 they may remove the wire section.
Engineer demolition Teams may clear a section of barbed wire by using Bangalore torpedo charges. Roll a D6 in each Phase that they are stationary and activated to clear the wire. On a roll 2 to 6 in a D6 they succeed, removing the wire. On a roll of 1 the charge detonator is faulty. The Team may have one more attempt on subsequent activations. If the detonator fails on the subsequent attempt the Team is unable to clear a path.
Tanks and other fully tracked vehicles also clear a permanent path by driving over the wire, although they leave it as an obstacle that deducts one dice from any subsequent infantry movement across that ground.
Roadblocks: Roadblocks may be constructed in a variety of ways — Czech hedgehogs, concrete blocks and so on — but what remains constant is that they completely block the road at a certain point. No vehicles may pass an intact roadblock.
Clearing Roadblocks: A Roadblock may be cleared by an Engineer or Pioneer demolition Team. They are equipped with sufficient charges to destroy a single roadblock in a game. To do this they must spend two Phases in which they are activated adjacent to the roadblock during which time they must not lose any members killed or have any Shock inflicted. They must retire at least 9" in order to detonate the charge safely, which requires one further Phase activated. On a roll of 4 to 6 on a D6 they can declare the roadblock destroyed, after which vehicles may pass without hindrance. On a roll of 2 or 3 the road block is partially destroyed and vehicles may pass it but at slow speed only.
Entrenchments: No troops may dig-in during a game, the time available is too short and the enemy too close. However, prepared entrenchments allow for troops to be dug into positions when they deploy onto the table. Whilst this may at first seem to be an abstraction, it is worth remembering that their deployment options are limited to relatively small areas around the Jump-Off Points, where the enemy Patrols have identified positions.
Troops in Entrenchments will count as being in hard cover. Entrenchments may not be placed in buildings or in marshy ground. In rocky ground entrenchments may well be represented as sangars or built up rocky positions providing good cover.
Entrenchments are large enough to hold one Team, be that an infantry or support weapon Team. For a whole Section or Squad two entrenchments will be needed.
16.1.2 What Else Can Engineer Teams Do?
Once Engineers have completed their tasks: cutting wire, clearing minefields or obstacles or using their tank of fuel for their flamethrower, they will not assume the role of infantrymen. This is not the job they have been trained to do. There is no means of resupply for Engineer Teams during the course of a game, so a Flamethrower which has used its tank of fuel cannot replenish his fuel supplies.
Engineer Teams who have no further Engineering tasks to fulfil on the tabletop will not move any closer to the enemy. They do not have rifles and cannot fire other weapons or join other Teams. If an enemy contacts them in Close Combat they will surrender immediately.
16.2 "Funnies"
Several nations employed more unusual vehicles to overcome specific problems on the battlefield. These are covered as follows.
The Flail Tank: These came in several variants however the principle remains the same. A flail tank can clear a path through a 6" by 6" minefield in one Phase whilst also marking the path with chalk from the attached bins. Once the area is cleared other tanks may move through this cleared area but may only move slowly, with 1D6, as their crew are keeping an eye out for stray mines not detonated by the flail. They may not fire any weapons while crossing a cleared minefield.
The Bobbin Tank: A Bobbin tank deploys reinforced matting to turn soft ground into hard ground. When deploying its matting the Bobbin will move 2D6 inches, covering any ground moved across with a 4" wide carpet. It may cover a maximum distance of 12" before the carpet runs out.
AVRE Fascine & SBG Tanks: Fascines and Small Box Girder ramps may be dropped to fill small craters and ditches or small streams up to 4" wide. To deploy a fascine or SBG the tank must begin its Phase directly adjacent to the crater or ditch. It spends a whole Phase deploying its load.
Duplex Drive Tanks: These amphibious tanks move 2D6 inches in the water but may not use any other Actions for other purposes. When they reach the beach roll 1D6 on the following Table:
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Move 4D6 inches to the right |
| 2 | Move 2D6 inches to the right |
| 3, 4 | Move straight ahead |
| 5 | Move 2D6 inches to the left |
| 6 | Move 4D6 inches to the left |
Once on the beach, the tank remains stationary for the next Phase. This represents it wallowing through the shallows and dropping its floatation screen. On its next activation, it may then move and operate as normal.
Enemy weapons firing at semi-submerged Duplex Drive tanks may only do so when it hits the beach. The Duplex Drive tank sits low in the water and the chances are that the defenders will not have encountered these previously and will not recognise what they are.
Armoured Bulldozers: These use brute strength and a dozer blade to clear obstacles. They are neither sophisticated nor fast. They may clear a 1D6 inch path through minor obstacles such as banks, sand dunes or minefields in any Phase.
The Culin Hedgerow Cutter: Manufactured from German beach defences welded to the hull of a Sherman tank, these devices were successful in clearing gaps in bocage banks, allowing the tank to advance across the remaining lesser obstacle.
A tank equipped with a Culin device may clear a path its own width through a section of bocage advancing 1D6 inches in that Phase. Any tanks following through that gap will treat it as a low obstacle, rolling 2D6 and discarding the higher roll.
Tank Turret Emplacements: From the Atlantic Wall to Berlin in 1945 the Germans used tank turrets to construct emplacements. These positions fire as the normal tank and use the armour factor for a tank of that model but are harder to hit, being treated as a hull down target. When applying any damage effect only use the results which could affect the turret, ignoring others, but retaining all points of Shock wherever the hit is located.
Remote Control Tanks: The Germans developed two remote control tanks, the Goliath and the Borgward BIV.
Goliaths have an Armour factor of 1 however as they are so small they count as a hull-down target if fired on with A.P. weapons. They activate on a Command Dice roll of 1 as a Team and move at a rate of 2D6 inches per Phase, deducting -1 from each dice. If a double 1 is rolled the vehicle is broken down and immobilised for the duration of the game.
The player rolls a D6 when he wishes to detonate the Goliath. A roll of 2 to 6 will do this successfully. A minefield 6" square or section of wire 6" long will be destroyed by this. If used against troops it will explode with a Firepower rating of 3D6 and treat the target as being at close range.
The Borgward BIV has an Armour Class of 2. It activates on a Command Dice roll of 1 as a Team and moves at 2D6 per Phase. If a double 1 is rolled the vehicle has broken down and is immobilised for the duration of the game.
The player rolls a D6 when he wishes to detonate the BIV. A roll of 2 to 6 will do this successfully. Two sections of mines 6" square or 12" of wire will be destroyed by this. If used against troops it will explode with a Firepower rating of 6D6 and treat the target as being at close range.
16.3 Raiders
Some elite forces such as the LRDG or SAS used unarmoured vehicles in order to conduct fast moving raids. These will be able to move one speed faster and still operate their weapons. So, a raiding jeep moving fast can fire any heavy weapons such as mounted cannon, and moving flat out may still fire any MGs with half the normal dice.
These forces will be covered in more detail in future handbooks.
17. Advanced Rules
As with all wargame rules, a balance must be drawn between simulation of reality and playability and enjoyment. It may be that some gamers wish to enhance their game further by adding the following advanced rules.
Unit Activation — Section 4.5.2: In the main rules a Leader must be either with a Unit or within his command range in order to activate or influence it. To add more emphasis on a Leader's location, Leaders may be required to be in sight of a Unit, as well as in their command range, in order to command it.
Targeting and Buildings — Section 8.2.3: Often in a wargame, there will be a situation where the gamer knows troops are in a certain position but, in reality, his troops would not. This is especially true with troops in buildings.
Troops moving into a building will be seen by any enemy troops who have a clear line of sight to the point of entry. Also, any enemy infantry who come within 18" of the building will be aware that the building is occupied and may therefore be targeted.
If the enemy are further away than 18" and did not see the troops moving into the building they may not target the Unit until that Unit shows themselves by opening fire.
Vehicles will not see infantry in a building at any range unless they were in line of sight when the troops entered the building. Vehicles may only target infantry in a building when the infantry reveal themselves by opening fire, or when they are informed of the enemy's presence in the building by an infantry Leader.
An infantry Leader making physical contact with the vehicle will make the vehicle aware of the enemy's presence. If that vehicle has a radio net as part of a Platoon it will immediately pass on that information to all the vehicles in the Platoon.
Firing Procedure — Section 12.1: With fire for Armour Penetrating rounds, the main rules have been slightly generous to the defending vehicle, largely for game balance. It is more likely that your vehicles will be damaged rather than knocked out.
For a more gritty and realistic outcome, the firer should secure hits on frontal armour on a roll of 4, 5 or 6, on the side armour with rolls of 3 to 6, and 2 to 6 on the rear armour.
Be warned, however, that losing your only vehicle the first time it is shot at may be a little too realistic for some gamers.
Entrenchments — Appendix Two: Entrenchments are covered as potential supports which may be selected from the national Support Lists. Their location is determined by where the troops occupying them are deployed onto the table.
To add an additional tier of realism, the players could mark the position of any entrenchments onto a sketch map of the table before the game begins which would restrict their deployment to that point. The same could be done for non-man-portable Support Weapons as well.
Appendix A: Playing Chain of Command
Chain of Command is a great system for refighting the historical encounters one reads about in first-hand accounts of war. A minimal investment in time and effort into researching a first-hand account will provide any number of historical scenarios.
That said, six generic scenarios are presented here which can be used "off the peg" when preparation time is in short supply, and which, with a change in terrain, stand up to much repetition. These scenarios represent the types of small scale actions common in every theatre of the war, from the deserts of North Africa, to the jungles of Burma, and everywhere in between.
Assembling Your Forces
Both players will have an infantry Platoon as their basic force. You will find the details of these options in Appendix B, National Army Lists. This includes a Platoon Strength Rating, which takes into account how strong each Platoon is, in order to allow some balance of play within your games, if that is what you are looking for.
In addition to the basic force listings, there are national support lists which give a wide ranging choice of historical force options to deploy alongside your platoon. These range from a simple satchel charge or a single man at one end of the spectrum to the heaviest tanks of the war at the other. How these work will be discussed in the game set-up notes.
Playing Your Game
If you are playing an historical scenario the terrain to be used and the balance of forces may well be determined for you by what actually happened in the real action. There are times when the historical data is incomplete and in those instances you can combine the Army Lists in Appendix B with what information you do have in order to provide game balance.
For games using the scenario generator in this section, it is a good idea to set up your table before you determine which scenario you will be playing.
Setting Up Your Table
Wargaming tables come in all shapes and sizes, from the kitchen table covered in a green cloth to beautifully modelled terrain of epic proportions. To get the most from Chain of Command you will need a 6' by 4' table. Bigger is fine, smaller can work but the Patrol Phase of the game will be over more quickly and will be less involved.
There are no demands for particular amounts of terrain with Chain of Command. If you are in the North African desert or the Russian steppes, you will probably have a more open table than you would in the bocage of Normandy. Just remember that no piece of ground is as flat as a billiard table, and allow for some variety, whatever theatre of the war you are gaming in.
In a skirmish level game such as Chain of Command, the Devil is in the detail. Houses do not stand in the middle of bare countryside but have gardens, outhouses, sheds, fences or fruit trees. Roads are flanked with sign posts, small culverts, drainage ditches and the like.
Deserts are not flat; they have undulations, sand dunes, rocky outcrops, desert scrub and the occasional watering hole which, in such arid conditions, is a natural objective for any forces.
A small investment in time modelling things such as fences, gates, telegraph poles and the like will be repaid in spades when you get your figures on terrain which is a good representation of reality.
Once you have set up your table, it is time to find out which scenario you will be playing.
Choosing Your Scenario
All of the scenarios in these rules have been designed to fit with the most general terrain, so they apply equally to Rangoon, Rostov or Rouen. Clearly, it makes sense to set up your terrain so that it favours neither side.
Now select a scenario, either by agreement with your opponent or rolling a D6 on the Scenario Generation Table below. There are six scenarios presented here: "The Patrol", "The Probe", "Attack and Defend", "A Delaying Action", "The Flank Attack" and "Attack on an Objective".
Scenario Generation Table
| Roll | Scenario |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Patrol |
| 2 | The Probe |
| 3 | Attack and Defend |
| 4 | A Delaying Action |
| 5 | The Flank Attack |
| 6 | Attack on an Objective |
Once you have determined which scenario you will be playing you may need to make some changes to your terrain in order to provide certain objectives in the correct parts of the table, but try do this with as few changes as possible. Indeed this could well determine which way across the table the game is played.
Whilst the scenario maps show one side or the other entering on the long or short table edge, this is purely for illustrative purposes. Where one side is defending, that player will select which is his friendly table edge, be that a long or short edge.
In Scenario One, The Patrol, where both sides are advancing, just toss a coin before the game begins and allow the winner to choose who will start in control of which table edge: the "friendly" table edge as it is termed. His opponent will begin the game on the opposite edge.
When you have decided on the scenario you want to play, decide which player will take which role, attacker or defender (or, where both sides are advancing, red or blue), and then look at the breakdown of forces available for each side and the game objectives. Within that, you will see how to determine what level of support is available for both sides, normally based on a dice roll. This will be used in conjunction with both players' Platoon Strength Rating to determine what forces each player may field.
If both sides are fielding forces with the same Platoon Strength Rating, then take the support levels indicated by the dice roll in the scenario notes. If, however, there is an imbalance between the forces, then this needs to be taken into account.
Compare the two Platoon Force Ratings to find out the difference between the inherent strength of the basic forces being used. If one force has a plus rating, such as +2, whilst their opponent's force is rated +1 then there is a net strength difference of +1. In that situation the player with the weaker force may increase the Level of support available to his platoon by +1 Level. For example, where the scenario indicates Level Four support this will be increased to Level Five.
If one force was rated +2, and the other was rated -2 then the difference would be +4, allowing the force with the lower rating to add four Levels of additional support.
How the players select their support, and what is available for each force, is covered in Appendix B, National Army Lists.
Note on making plans: if you are planning your game in advance, it is a good idea to advise both players of this, so that they may choose from the relevant support lists for their force in advance. You should choose what you want to support your force, but not tell your opponent — let them enjoy the surprise on the night.
Playing the Patrol Phase
Unless otherwise stated, the side with the higher Force Morale will make the first move in the Patrol Phase. If the scenario specifies a number of Patrol Marker moves being made before the Patrol Phase begins, these are done, and then the Force Morale levels are compared to see who has the next move. In the event of both Force Morale levels being the same, roll a D6 to see who goes first.
Deploying Jump-Off Markers
As stated in the main rules (see Section 3.2) the player who moved his Patrol Marker first now places the first Jump-Off Point on the table. The players then take it in turns to place individual Jump-Off Points on the table until both have placed all of their Jump-Off Points, as indicated by the specific scenarios. The Patrol Markers are then removed and the game itself can begin.
The Chain of Command Scenarios
Scenario One: The Patrol
Introduction: This game is the classic encounter in No-Man's-Land: your mission is to deny your opponent this critical ground between the main lines of defence.
The Patrol Phase: Both sides enter the table at one single point, dicing to see which of their three entry points they use. On a 1 or 2, their Patrol Markers may be deployed on the table edge at Point 1. On a 3 or 4, this will be at Point 2 whereas a 5 or 6 will indicate Point 3. Each player chooses whether to start the game with three or four Patrol Markers. At the end of the Patrol Phase both players will place three Jump-Off Points on the table.
Force Support: For support roll 1D6. On a roll of 1 or 2, both sides may select support from List 1 (amended depending on relative Platoon Strength Ratings). On a roll of 3 or 4, they may select support from List 2. On a roll of 5 or 6, List 3 is used. Neither side may select entrenchments, static defences or a preliminary barrage as their choices.
Objective: To win a victory, one side must force his opponent to withdraw from the table, either voluntarily or due to a reduction in his Force Morale, whilst keeping his own Force Morale at 3 or greater. If neither side achieves this, both will withdraw, neither gaining control of No-Man's-Land and the result being a dishonourable draw.
The side with the higher Force Morale will be the active player in the first Phase of the game.
Scenario Two: The Probe
Introduction: This game represents the cut and thrust of close combat in No-Man's-Land — one side advancing in an attempt to identify and find a route through the enemy's outposts and push on towards their main line of resistance. Maybe on the slopes of Monte Cassino or approaching the Deputy Commissioner's Bungalow at Kohima.
The Patrol Phase: The defender deploys four Patrol Markers within 12" of his own table edge and within 12" of at least one other friendly Patrol Marker. The attacker enters at a single entry point of his choosing on his own table edge, stacking all three or four Patrol Markers, whichever he prefers, at that one point.
The attacker rolls 1D6 before the Patrol Phase begins. On a roll of 1 or 2, the attacker immediately takes two moves with his Patrol Markers. On a roll of 3 or 4, three moves are taken and on a 5 or 6, four moves taken. At the end of the Patrol Phase both players will place three Jump-Off Points on the table.
Force Support: The attacker rolls a D6, the roll indicating what level of support he can select. The defender takes support from the List with half of that value, rounding down any odd number.
The attacker may not select entrenchments, static defences or a preliminary barrage as his choices. The defender may not select a preliminary barrage among his choices.
Objective: The attacker's objective is to move one Team to the enemy base line. If this is achieved then the game ends as a victory for the attacker. Any other result is a victory for the defender.
The side with the higher Force Morale will be the active player in the first Phase of the game.
Scenario Three: Attack & Defend
Introduction: This is a major advance against a known enemy position in their main line of defence, with a view to driving off the enemy. This could be the final assault on Hill 112 or an attack on the Mareth Line in Tunisia or the drive into Bastogne.
The Patrol Phase: The defender deploys four Patrol Markers within 18" of his own table edge and within 12" of at least one other friendly Patrol Marker. The attacker enters on a broad front anywhere on their table edge with four Patrol Markers.
The attacker rolls 1D6 before the Patrol Phase begins. The number rolled is the number of moves which the attacker immediately takes with his Patrol Markers.
At the end of the Patrol Phase both players will place three Jump-Off Points on the table.
Force Support: The attacker now rolls 2D6, the total indicating the Level of support he can take, with results of 11 or 12 counting as 10. The defender takes support from the List with half of that value, rounding down any odd number.
The attacker has no restrictions on his support choices. The defender may not select a preliminary barrage among his choices.
Objective: To win a victory, one side must force his opponent to withdraw from the table, either voluntarily or due to a reduction in his Force Morale, whilst keeping his own Force Morale at 3 or greater. If neither side achieves this, both will withdraw, neither gaining control of No-man's-land, the result being a dishonourable draw.
The side with the higher Force Morale will be the active player in the first Phase of the game.
Scenario Four: A Delaying Action
Introduction: In this scenario, a somewhat disordered defender is attempting to blunt the advance of a stronger attacker. Barbarossa 1941 and a desperate Soviet force holding off the German invader, or a US force holding a vital road in the Ardennes. This scenario must be played across the table lengthways.
The Patrol Phase: The defender starts with three Patrol Markers placed within a shaded area which is 6" by 36" in dimensions and located 6" from his friendly table edge. These Patrol Markers must be a minimum of 6" apart, but may be placed by the defender as he wishes before the Patrol Phase begins. The attacker enters the table with four Patrol Markers at any single point the player wishes on his table edge. The Patrol Phase begins then.
Once the Patrol Phase ends with one side locked down, the Jump-Off Points are deployed; the defender player placing two, the attacker three. The defender will then place a third Jump-Off Point anywhere in the shaded area.
Force Support: The attacker now rolls 2D6, the total indicating the Level of support he can take, with results of 11 or 12 counting as 10. The defender takes support from the List with half of that value, rounding down any odd number.
The attacker has no restrictions on his support choices. The defender may not select entrenchments, static defences or a preliminary barrage among his choices.
Objective: To win a victory the attacker must capture one Jump-Off Point in the grey area and hold it until the end of the Turn. Any other result is a victory for the defender.
The attacker will be the active player in the first Phase of the game.
Scenario Five: The Flank Attack
Introduction: This is where one side, having out-manoeuvred his enemy, is making a flank attack against an important enemy position.
The Patrol Phase: The defender's deployment is limited to one quarter of the table, a 36" by 24" area. The defender places three Patrol Markers within that area, all within 12" of at least one other friendly Patrol Marker.
The attacker places two separate groups of three Patrol Markers along the two edges of that quarter, all within 12" of at least one other friendly Patrol Marker in their group. These groups move separately of each other, and do not need to be within 12" of any Markers in the other group.
The attacker rolls 1D6 before the Patrol Phase begins. On a roll of 1 or 2, the attacker immediately takes two moves with his Patrol Markers. On a roll of 3 or 4, three moves are taken and on a 5 or 6, four moves are taken. These may be from either group as the player wishes, but not both groups each time.
Once the Patrol Phase of the game ends, the attacker may place four Jump-Off Points on the table, selecting any Patrol Markers of the six present to place these as normal.
The defender places his three Jump-Off Points on the table and may then add a further fourth Jump-Off Point anywhere within his original quarter of the table.
Force Support: The attacker now rolls 2D6, the total indicating the Level of support he can take, with results of 11 or 12 counting as 10. The defender takes support from the List with half of that value, rounding down any odd number. There are no restrictions on support choices for either side.
Objective: To win a victory, the attacker must force the defender to withdraw from the table, either voluntarily or due to a reduction in his Force Morale, but keeping his own Force Morale at 3 or more. If he fails, the defender will win.
The attacker will be the active player in the first Phase of the game.
Scenario Six: Attack on an Objective
Introduction: This scenario is ideal for recreating a classic assault on a defended objective, such as Pegasus Bridge, Pavlov's House in Stalingrad or a Commando raid on a cliff-top radio station. Anywhere that one player is attacking a major objective held by his opponent.
The Patrol Phase: The table should have a clear objective in the final quarter furthest from the attacker. This should be something of significance, such as a village, a crossroads or similar.
The attacker deploys either three or four of his Patrol Markers on his friendly edge, all within 12" of at least one other friendly Patrol Marker. The defender deploys four Patrol Markers on the game objective.
The attacker now rolls 1D6 before the Patrol Phase begins. On a roll of 1 or 2, the attacker immediately takes two moves with his Patrol Markers. On a roll of 3 or 4, three moves are taken and on a 5 or 6, four moves are taken.
At the end of the Patrol Phase the attacker will place three Jump-Off Points. The defender places three Jump-Off Points on the table and may then add a further fourth Jump-Off Point on the objective itself.
Force Support: The attacker now rolls 2D6, the total indicating the Level of support he can take, with results of 11 or 12 counting as 10. The defender takes support from the List with half of that value, rounding down any odd number. There are no restrictions on support choices for either side.
Objective: To win a victory, the attacker must capture the game objective and hold it until his opponent is obliged to withdraw from the table, either voluntarily or due to Force Morale. Any other result is a victory for the defender.
The attacker will be the active player in the first Phase of the game.
Note: each of these scenarios is illustrated in the printed rulebook with a table-layout diagram showing entry points, deployment zones and objective areas; the text above records every rule governing deployment, support and victory conditions.