Combat Commander: Pacific Rulebook

Table of Contents

Foreword
CC:Europe to CC:Pacific — What's Different?
Game Contents
Game Scale
Glossary
Core Rules—Components
Core Rules—Mechanics
Orders
Actions
Events
Terrain
Fortifications
Credits
Order & Action Manifest
Sources & Suggested Reading

Foreword

IMPORTANT: In CC:P, the motto "a rule means exactly what it says" should be the order of the day. In other words, as quoted from another fine game, Totaler Krieg!: "Do not infer or imagine more to a rule than is stated in it. When in doubt, interpret strictly".

Example A: The KIA event [E64] states "Eliminate one broken unit". It doesn't say "...enemy broken unit"; so if you had the only broken unit(s) in play when you revealed this event, you would have to choose one of yours to eliminate.

Example B: Rule F104.1 states that mines will only attack Moving or Advancing units. So a unit entering or leaving a mines hex via the Stealth event [E75] would not be attacked.

However, having said that, these rules cannot possibly hope to cover the myriad situations that may arise during game play—so in those instances when an oddball situation surfaces, a healthy dose of common sense coupled with an existing rule or two should suffice to see you through.

Throughout this book you will see numerous shaded boxes such as this one. These boxes are filled with clarifications, play hints, design notes, and other assorted wisdom in order to help ease you along.

To play your first game, you need only read the Core Rules and Order sections that follow, as well as rule A41 concerning Op Fire. Then set up and follow along with the Examples of Play (in the playbook) in order to get a feel for the base mechanics and basic flow of the game. The latter portion of this booklet – entries for Actions, Events, Terrain and Fortifications – can be quickly glossed over and then referred to in more detail as the need arises during game play.

CC:Europe to CC:Pacific — What's Different?

Disperse—New trigger. Removes one smoke or starshell marker from the map. [1.9.2]

Jammed trigger—Not in CC:P.

Exit Points—New map feature. Units can only exit the map at Exit Points printed along their opponent's map edge. Exit VPs are based on the Exit Point's value, not the unit's (casualty) value. [2.4 & 14.2]

Scout—New leader. Has no command number. Can instead activate and spot for friendly mortars anywhere on the map. [3.3.3]

Sogeki Hei—New leader (Japan only—means "sharpshooter" or "sniper"). No command. Acts as Ordnance. Multiplies the dice for its Fire Attack roll rather than adding them together, but only affects a single unit in the targeted hex. [3.3.4]

Leaders & Weapons—Leaders cannot possess weapons with negative Movement allowance modifiers. [3.3.5]

Weapon Transfer—Now done during an Advance rather than Move order. [5.3]

Broken Weapons—Broken weapons no longer affected by random hexes. Now affected by (new) Asset Denied/Request orders. [5.4]

Starshells—New marker. Starshells illuminate hexes during night battles. [7]

Aircraft—New marker. If on map (via updated Air Support event) can be activated to attack via Asset Request order. [8]

Sighting—New marker (Japan only). Placed on map during setup. One is moved every time a player reveals a random hex (new rule 1.8.2). Used to determine where infiltrators can be placed. [9]

Casualty Track—Surrender mechanic only used for the Allied player. (Japan is immune) [11.2]

Infiltration Boxes—New Track Display item where Japan can hold infiltrating units in reserve. [11.3]

Time Advancement—Smoke no longer removed during a Time Advance. [13.1.2]

Game End—Even if Japan has no units on the map, the game won't end if it still has a unit in an Infiltration Box. [13.3b & c]

Unit Stacking—Now enforced per hex, not per player. Overstacking is also allowed but with a penalty: In a hex, each soldier icon beyond 7 reduces that hex's Cover by 1. [15.2.2 & T81.3.2]

Postures—Postures are expanded and now have their own rule section. [17]

Banzai—New Posture (Japan only). 3-card hand. Utilizes new Charge order. Eliminated units go on Time Track instead of Casualty Track. [17.2]

Invader—New Posture. 7-card hand. Setup is only 1 hex deep and w/many units starting on the Time Track. [17.4]

Night—New standardized rules for fighting at night. [18]

Melee—Melee now occurs at beginning of Allied player's turn rather than immediately. New melee marker shows dual-occupied hexes. No Fire Attacks into or out of, and SRs can't be placed in or adjacent to, a melee hex. [19]

Asset Denied—Replaces and expands upon old Artillery Denied order. Can break opponent's radio as before. Also used to break a weapon, or to remove an aircraft marker from the map. [O23]

Asset Request—Replaces and expands upon old Artillery Request order. Can fix or use a friendly radio as before. Also used to acquire a radio, fix a broken weapon, activate a friendly aircraft or place a starshell. [O24]

Charge—New order (Japan only). For Banzai Posture only. Activates all previously unactivated Japanese units. Activated units lose any suppressed markers, rally if broken, then are activated for a Move order. Allied units automatically activated for Op Fire. [O25]

Defense Rolls—An Attack Total at least twice the Defense Total outright eliminates the targeted unit. (encourages fire groups; discourages overstacking) [O27.3.4a]

Infiltrate—New order. Allows Japan (only) to place units in "reserve" and then to place those units on the map in hexes occupied by Sighting markers. [O28]

Reconnoiter—New order. Activates a friendly unbroken, unsuppressed leader with LOS to an enemy unit. Player then peeks at the top card of his Fate deck and either: puts it back on top; puts it in his hand; or puts it in his discard pile. [O30]

Revive—New order. Replaces old Recover order. Doesn't activate anything. Gives the player 1-5 Revive Points: spend 1 Revive Point to remove one suppressed marker from a friendly unit OR rally one friendly broken unit (automatic—no die roll needed). [O31]

Recover/Rout Orders—Not in CC:P.

Bayonets—New action. +2 to Melee roll. [A34]

Enfilade—New action. Increases the potency of Fire Groups. [A39]

Hidden Cave—New action (Japan only). Adds a cave to a Hill Crest being shot at. [A43.1]

Hidden Panji Trap—New action (Japan only). May place mines or wire. [A43.3]

Hidden Trenchline—New action (Defender only). Places trench marker. [A43.5]

Smoke Screen—New action. Play at the beginning of Move or Advance order. Each activated squad places one smoke. [A47]

Deleted Actions—Assault Fire; Concealment; Dig In; Hidden Entrenchments, Spray Fire; Smoke Grenades.

New Events—E52 Battlelust; E54 Breezy; E55 Bushido; E57 Detritus of War; E58 Field of Battle; E60 Gusts; E63 Jam; E74 Spider Hole; E75 Stealth; E78 Tennōheika Banzai!

Deleted Events—Numerous. Many of the new events above are modifications of CC:E events with similar effects.

Air Support—Modified: Event title now includes a range of dates in which the event can occur. Either removes enemy aircraft marker from or places friendly aircraft marker onto the map. [E50]

Scrounge—Scrounged weapons now come into play broken. (better interaction with Asset orders) [E71]

Hill—Uphill movement penalty is +1 MP per level increase. [T89]

Road— +1 MP and –1 Cover modifiers have been dropped. Only costs ½ MP when moving along a road if no enemy has LOS. (Pacific-theater roads are often not much more than wide trails compared to European boulevards) [T94]

Water Barrier—No longer impassable. Move Cost of "all"; Cover of "–2". [T99]

New Terrain—T82 Beach; T86 Bush; T87 Grass; T90 Hut; T91 Jungle; T93 Palm; T97 Swamp.

Deleted Terrain—Eurocentric terrain types have been removed and replaced by terrain more appropriate for the Pacific and southeast Asian theaters. Most notable is the absence of any hexside terrain in CC:P.

Cave—New fortification (Japan only). May only exist in Hill Crest hex. Units are outside or inside cave within same hex. LOS to/from units inside a cave is downslope only: upslope is blocked. 4/8 Cover. A cave is adjacent to any other cave during Advance orders. [F102]

Game Contents

Combat Commander: Pacific includes:

six back-printed 17˝ x 22˝ game maps (twelve maps total)
352 large (⅝˝) die-cut counters
280 small (½˝) die-cut counters
220 cards
one 32-page Rulebook
one 32-page Playbook
one Track Display
three 2-sided 8.5" x 11" nationality cards
two single-sided 8.5" x 11" player aid cards

Game Scale

Each hex of a CC:P map represents an area approximately 100 feet across (30 meters or so). Each complete player turn represents an arbitrary segment of game time with each measure of game time abstractly representing several minutes of real time.

Each unit in the game is approximated as a single leader, a team of 3-6 men, or a squad of 8-13 men. Aircraft, radios and individual weapons larger than a grenade, pistol or rifle are represented by their own counters.

Glossary

Throughout these rules, Letters/Numbers found within brackets – such as [O23.2] – will indicate to the reader an important reference to another rule. Rules preceded by an "O" are for Orders; "A" Actions; "E" Events; "T" Terrain; and "F" Fortifications.

Action—The ability listed just below the photo on every Fate card. There is no limit to the number of actions a player may perform each turn other than the number of cards in his hand and being able to meet each action's stated prerequisite. [A32]

Activate—A unit may only be "activated" for one order per turn. Aircraft and weapons are not limited in this manner but must still be activated to function.

Active—The player currently taking his turn. Any unit or marker belonging to that player. See also "Inactive".

Adjacent—Two hexes sharing a common hexside are considered adjacent to one another. Units and markers in one of those hexes are adjacent to units and markers in the other.

Aircraft—A dive bomber or fighter. [8]

Break/Broken—A unit, weapon or radio with its reverse side face-up is "broken". A weapon/radio cannot be used while it is broken. A broken unit can perform most abilities, albeit at a reduced capacity. An unbroken piece that "breaks" becomes broken (flipped over); a broken piece that breaks again is eliminated. [3.2]

Command—One of five base stats. Found only on leaders. Command is a measure of how well a leader unit can control the friendly units around him. [3.1.5 & 3.3.1]

Countermix—All counters not currently being used either on the map or Track Display.

Cover—A number associated with each terrain and some fortifications. A hex's best Cover is added directly to the morale of every unit occupying that hex. Multiple Covers are not cumulative. [T81.3]

Die Roll—The white/colored six-sided "dice" on the bottom right of every Fate card. Die rolls can never be performed directly from a player's hand, only off the top of a player's Fate deck. [1.9]

Enemy—A unit, weapon, aircraft or radio controlled by the opposing player. A hex occupied by an enemy unit. An objective hex [2.3] under your opponent's control and not containing a friendly unit.

Event—The random happenings listed just below the action on every Fate card. Events can never be performed directly from a player's hand, only off the top of a player's Fate deck due to an Event trigger. [1.9.3]

Firepower (FP)—One of five base stats. FP is a measure of how much damage a piece can inflict on enemy units. [3.1.1]

FP—Firepower.

Friendly—A unit, weapon, aircraft or radio under your control. A hex occupied by a friendly unit. An objective hex [2.3] under your control and not containing an enemy unit.

Hindrance—Terrain that reduces FP going through it – never into or out of it (except for smoke). Hindrances are not cumulative. [16.3]

Inactive—The player not currently taking his turn. Any unit or marker belonging to that player. If a game situation forces or allows both players to do something simultaneously, the inactive player always goes first.

LOS—Line of Sight. Generally, a unit in hex A has a LOS to hex B if a string, drawn taut and touching both hexes' center dots, does not touch the graphical depiction of a terrain Obstacle in between those hexes. [16]

Marker—Any counter (usually ½˝) without a soldier illustration. Some marker examples include sighting, spotting round, control, wire, sudden death, or the various weapons.

MG—Machine gun.

Morale—One of five base stats. Morale is a measure of how much punishment a unit can take before being rendered "combat ineffective". [3.1.4]

Movement—One of five base stats. Movement is a measure of how well a unit can move about the battlefield. [3.1.3]

MP—Movement Point. A unit's movement allowance equals its available MPs. Expended by units to move from hex to hex during Move orders.

OB—Order of Battle. The forces allotted to each player in every scenario.

Obstacle—A type of terrain that blocks LOS through it; never into or out of it. [16.2]

Op(portunity) Fire—The ability to play a Fire order as an action instead so as to fire at the opponent's Moving units. [A41]

Order—The ability listed across the top of every Fate card. Orders are limited to only being played during that player's turn. [O20]

Ordnance—Any aircraft, weapon, or Sogeki Hei unit with a white bar highlighting its stats. Ordnance: must first hit its intended target before making a Fire Attack against it; cannot be part of a Fire Group; cannot participate in Op Fire; and cannot have its stats increased by a friendly leader in the same hex. [O27.2]

Piece—Any unit, weapon, radio, aircraft or fortification counter.

Posture—Each side in a scenario will be assigned one of the following five Postures: Invader, Attacker, Recon, Defender or Banzai. Posture is used to determine a player's hand size, among other things. [17]

Random hex—The letter/number combination on the bottom left of every Fate card used to randomly determine where Snipers and certain events will occur. Also used to determine where a Sighting marker will be moved to. [1.8]

Range—One of five base stats. Range is a measure of how far a piece can shoot. [3.1.2]

Scenario—A collection of pieces, data and special rules used to set up then play out a game of Combat Commander. Can be preset or randomly generated. [see playbook]

SR—Spotting round marker. [O24.3.1]

(die) Trigger—A game effect associated with ("triggered by") certain die rolls. [1.9.1]

Turn—One player – the "active" player – either performing orders or discarding Fate cards. [12]

Unit—Any large (⅝˝) counter with an illustration of one or more soldier figures. This includes squads, teams and leaders. [3]

VP—Victory Point. [14]

Weapon—Any small (½") counter with a weapon illustration such as a machine gun or mortar. Unlike other markers, weapons will always have a FP and a range. [5]

Core Rules—Components

1. Fate Cards

"I rate the skillful tactician above the skillful strategist, especially him who plays the bad cards well." —Sir A.P. Wavell

There are three sets of Fate cards included with this game: one set each for Japan (cherry blossom red), the US (khaki) and the Pacific Commonwealth (sand). A player's 72-card Fate deck is the heart and soul of the game.

Once the game begins, no activity may be performed on the map by either player – either via order or action – without a Fate card in hand allowing it. While a Fate card is in a player's hand, only its order and action are relevant: everything else (from the event down) is ignored.

IMPORTANT: The Initiative card [10] as well as the various reference cards included in this game are not Fate cards and thus will never be considered as being part of a player's hand.

Further, whenever a rule refers to a "card" without an identifier, it will always be in reference to a Fate card—never the Initiative card or one of the reference cards (which will always be identified as such).

Card example — Order/Action:

ORDER / ACTION — FIRE ACTION — SMOKE SCREEN: Play at the beginning of a Move or Advance order. Place one smoke with or adjacent to each activated squad. EVENT — Walking Wounded: Select one eliminated unit. Return that unit to play in or adjacent to a random hex, broken. Random hex: C2 · card CW-10 · Roll (die roll box)

1.0 Golden Rule

Some card effects or scenario special rules may conflict with one or more general rules in this booklet. When this occurs, the card effect / special rule always takes precedence.

1.1 Hand Size

Each player is allotted a certain hand size depending on his Posture: either Invader (7 cards), Attacker (6 cards), Recon (5 cards), Defender (4 cards), or Banzai (3 cards). This determines both the number of cards that player will begin the game with and how many he will end each of his own turns with. See also rule 17 Posture.

1.2 Card Knowledge

Cards in a player's hand are kept secret from his opponent. Cards in a player's draw pile are kept face-down and secret from both players. Cards in a player's discard pile are public knowledge (face-up) and may be examined by either player at any time.

1.3 Revealing Cards

Whenever a player is instructed to "reveal" a card – during an Event trigger, for example [1.9.3] – the top card of that player's Fate deck is turned face up then placed on top of his discard pile for both players to see.

1.4 Reshuffle

During each Time Marker Advance [13.1.2], one player will be instructed to shuffle the cards occupying both his discard and draw piles together in order to form a new draw pile.

1.5 Orders

Orders are listed across the top of each Fate card. A player may only play a card for its order during his own turn, and may never announce more orders in a turn than his Order Limit [12.1]. If a card is played for its order, it is immediately placed face-up atop that player's discard pile—the action on that card then could not be played until the next time it is drawn into the player's hand.

1.6 Actions

"You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect." —Miyamoto Musashi

Actions are listed just below the photo on each Fate card or, in the case of Op Fire [A41], across the top of the card. A player may play a card for its action at any time during either player's turn, so long as its prerequisite is met. If a card is played for its action, it is immediately placed face-up atop that player's discard pile—the order on that card then could not be played until the next time it is drawn into the player's hand.

1.7 Events

"Luck; that's when preparation and opportunity meet." —Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Events are listed below the action on every Fate card. Events are never played from the hand, voluntarily or otherwise—only off the top of the draw pile, and only at random intervals due to certain die rolls [1.9.3].

1.8 Random Hexes

1.8.1 General Rules

This is the light green "hex" in the lower left of each Fate card. Snipers [1.9.4] and some events will call for a random hex to be determined and, if so, the top card of that player's Fate deck is revealed and only this "hex" is consulted. The letter/number combination within the "hex" will correspond to one specific hex on the map, where the Sniper/Event trigger will take place.

1.8.2 Sighting Marker Movement

At the conclusion of any Sniper/Event trigger that requires a random hex be revealed, the Japanese player must move one of his Sighting markers currently on the map [9] into that hex. If a Sighting marker already occupies the hex, a different one must be moved in, if possible.

1.9 Die Rolls

"The die is cast." —Julius Caesar

This is the pair of six-sided dice graphically displayed in the lower right corner of every Fate card. "Real" dice are not used in CC:P: instead, whenever a "roll" is called for, that player reveals the top card of his draw pile and only the two dice are consulted; everything else on the card is ignored. When such a roll is made, the two dice are added together to arrive at a sum total (exception: during a Targeting roll or Sogeki Hei attack, the dice are instead multiplied [O27.2.3 & 3.3.4c, respectively]).

1.9.1 Die Triggers

Many die rolls are enclosed within a thick red box with the word Disperse, Event, Sniper or Time also inside it; these are called "triggers". These four triggers immediately and temporarily pause normal game play in order to perform a specific task. Normal game play resumes after the trigger has been dealt with in its entirety.

1.9.1.1 Die Triggers on Last Fate Card

Any non-Time trigger that occurs via the last card of a player's draw pile will resolve immediately after a Time Marker Advance [13.1.2].

1.9.1.2 Die Triggers NA Within Triggers

Any roll made while resolving a trigger (such as the Reinforcements event that requires a roll on a Support Table; or a Sudden Death roll during a Time trigger) cannot itself produce a die trigger.

So, any die roll made during a trigger must ignore any Disperse, Event, Sniper or Time trigger associated with it.

1.9.1.3 Die Triggers and Timing

Each of the four triggers explained below are always performed in their entirety before any results of the die roll that triggered them are implemented.

So the roll itself locks in a result but that result is not physically implemented on the map until after the die trigger is resolved.

Example: A unit with a morale of 6 is shot at with a Fire Attack Total of 14. Its Fire Defense roll is 7–Event. That unit will break but not until after the Event trigger is performed. Even if the event were "Battle Harden" and the veteran marker was placed on that very same unit it will still break immediately after the event is concluded. Its increased morale from the veteran marker is not retroactively calculated (so it will end up a broken veteran).

1.9.2 Disperse Trigger

Whenever a player makes a die roll and that roll is surrounded by a red box with the word "Disperse" inside it, that player must remove one smoke or starshell marker from the map (placing smoke back in the draw cup or starshell back in the countermix).

1.9.3 Event Trigger

Whenever a player makes a die roll and that roll is surrounded by a red box with the word "Event" inside it, normal game play pauses in order to execute that event. The player making the roll reveals the top card of his draw pile and, ignoring everything else, reads aloud and then executes the event on that card [E50–E80].

Unless otherwise stated, any decisions required by an event are made by the player reading it.

1.9.4 Sniper Trigger

Whenever a player makes a die roll and that roll is surrounded by a red box with the word "Sniper" inside it, normal game play pauses in order to resolve that Sniper: The player rolling the Sniper trigger reveals the top card of his draw pile and, ignoring everything else, reads aloud the random hex on that card. That player may then select one unit in or adjacent to that hex and break it.

A Sniper result can represent a lot more than just a patient man with a scoped rifle, by the way: this mechanism could also represent combat occurrences such as friendly fire, panic, shell shock, snake bite, despair, dehydration, fatigue, a stray shell, concussion, dirt in the eye – you get the idea.

1.9.5 Time Trigger

Whenever a player makes a die roll and that roll is surrounded by a red box with the word "Time" inside it, normal game play pauses in order to perform a Time Marker Advance [13.1.2].

2. Maps

2.1 The Battlefield

Superimposed over each mapboard is a hexgrid which is used to regulate movement and combat at an abstracted scale of about 30 meters per hex. Each hex contains:

a) a specific type of terrain [T82–T99] which can affect movement as well as attacks made into or through it;

b) a white center dot used for determining Line of Sight [16] between hexes;

c) a unique letter-number identifier – such as "C7" – used for determining where Snipers and certain events will take place.

2.2 Map Border

a) The upper right of each map contains its identification letter which is used to determine which map is used for a particular scenario.

b) In the lower left of each map is a six-sided "compass" matching the orientation of the mapboard hexes. The compass is generally used to determine a random direction during artillery strikes [O24.3.2], as well as for various events.

On the compass, 1 points to the "top" of the map; 4 to the bottom; 2 and 3 to the right side; 5 and 6 to the left.

c) Two opposite corners of each map contain "Artillery Boxes" used for holding a player's radio marker [6].

2.3 Objectives

Each map contains five "objectives"—red circles containing a white number between 1 and 5. An objective is worth a variable number of VPs to the last side to have sole control over it [14.3.1]. An objective's value is a default zero VPs unless dictated otherwise by the specific objective chits in play [14.3.3].

2.4 Exit Points

Each map has a number of light green arrows called Exit Points. Each Exit Point contains a number between 0 and 3. An Exit Point straddles the map's border and one outermost hex. Exit Points indicate where players can voluntarily exit their units from the map, earning them VPs in the process [14.2.2].

3. Units

"Among flowers, the best is the cherry blossom; among men, the best is the soldier." —Japanese Proverb

Figures: 1x = leader, 2x = team, 4x = squad. Stats printed on a unit counter: Command (leaders only), Movement, Firepower, Range, Morale.

Name/Rank—The name of any unit is used solely for identification purposes. Similarly, the historical medal or rank insignia found on most leaders is for aesthetic purposes only. These have no effect on actual game play once these pieces are on the map.

Figures—All units have an illustration of one, two or four soldier figures to denote their relative size. One figure is a "leader" representing a single man; two figures a "team" of 3-6 men; and four figures is a "squad" of 8-13 men.

Units have one number in their upper right corner and three numbers printed along the bottom, even if one or more are "0". Leader units (only) will also have a number, letter or dash centered along the right side of their counter.

A broken unit is identified by having a red bar across the top of its counter.

3.1 Unit Stats

"Morale is the state of mind. It is steadfastness and courage and hope. It is confidence and zeal and loyalty. It is élan, esprit de corps and determination." —George C. Marshall

3.1.1 Firepower (FP)

This is the first number along the bottom, and is a unit's base strength when in melee [19] or when firing at an enemy unit [O27 & A41].

3.1.2 Range

This is the second number along the bottom, and is the maximum number of hexes away at which it may use its FP to fire at enemy units [O27 & A41].

3.1.3 Movement

This is the third number along the bottom, and gives the number of Movement Points ("MPs") a unit can spend to Move [O29] from hex to hex across the map.

3.1.4 Morale

This is the number in the upper right corner, and is a unit's base strength when defending against an enemy fire attack. A unit's morale is always directly modified by the Cover of the hex [T81.3] or cave [F102.2.3] it currently occupies.

3.1.5 Command

This is the number within a hex-shape along the right hand side of leader counters (only). Command serves to activate additional units during orders and Op Fire actions [3.3.1.1], as well as adding to the stats of certain other units and weapons stacked with the leader [3.3.1.2 & 3.3.1.3]. See also Scouts [3.3.3] and Sogeki Hei [3.3.4].

3.1.6 Boxed Stats

Some units have their FP enclosed within a square. This gives the unit +1 strength in melee [19].

3.2 Broken Units

3.2.1 Broken/Unbroken

A unit is always in one of two states: broken or unbroken. A unit usually begins a scenario face up on its unbroken side but Fire Attacks and other adverse effects can "break" it—causing it to be flipped to its broken side.

3.2.2 Attached Markers

Units switching from broken to unbroken or vice versa retain possession of all weapon / veteran / suppressed markers.

3.2.3 Attached Weapons

Broken units cannot fire weapons. A weapon does not break or unbreak solely because its controlling unit does, and vice versa.

3.2.4 Elimination

A broken unit that breaks again is eliminated: award its VP value to the opponent [14.1] after placing it on the Casualty Track [11.2].

3.2.5 Rallying

When a broken unit is instructed to "rally," it is flipped back to its unbroken side. This usually occurs during a Revive order [O31b] or via various events. Rallying has no effect on an unbroken unit.

With the exception of not being able to fire weapons, you will find that broken units can do most anything unbroken ones can, just not nearly as well.

3.3 Leaders

"I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep." —Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

3.3.1 Command

3.3.1.1 Command Radius

Normally, an order [O20.1] or Op Fire action [A41.2] will only activate a single unit. When a leader with a command number is the first unit activated, however, it has the ability to further activate all, some or none of the friendly non-leader units within its "Command Radius" to perform the same order/Op Fire. Command Radius is counted in hexes radiating outward from that leader's hex.

A leader with "2" command can activate friendly units up to two hexes away – even across an impassable blaze or past an enemy unit. A leader with "1" command can activate friendly units in or adjacent to its own hex. A leader with "0" command can activate units in its own hex.

3.3.1.2 Unit Command

A leader's command number is added directly to the FP, range, movement and morale of all friendly squads and teams (only) as long as those units are in the same hex with the leader—whether the leader is activated or not. This effect is cumulative if two or more leaders occupy the same hex.

It may be clear by now that leaders can never affect themselves or other leaders.

3.3.1.3 Weapon Command

A leader's command number is added directly to the FP and range of every non-ordnance weapon being carried by a friendly squad or team as long as that unit is in the same hex as the leader—whether the leader is activated or not. This effect is cumulative if two or more leaders occupy the same hex.

So a mortar, being ordnance, can't have its stats affected by a leader; and an MG carried by a leader won't have its stats increased.

3.3.2 Heroes

"Be content to act; leave the talking to others." —Baltasar Gracian

Heroes can enter play via the Hero [E61] and Spider Hole [E74] events. Heroes are normal leaders in every respect, with two exceptions:

a) A Hero never earns its owner Exit VPs nor does the opponent ever gain VPs for its elimination. An exited/eliminated Hero is always put back in the countermix, never onto the Casualty Track.

b) As an exception to rule O20.2, a Hero may be activated more than once per turn, thus allowing it to perform more than one order or Op Fire per turn.

Heroes enjoy running full speed up an open road towards an objective hex. They also love to charge machine gun nests in order to take them out in close combat. Other useful tasks for heroes will no doubt be discovered by the player well versed in Hollywood war movies.

See also the Hero example in the playbook.

3.3.3 Scouts

Scouts are normal leaders in every respect, with two exceptions:

a) Independent—Having no actual command number, a Scout cannot increase the stats of friendly units and weapons it is stacked with, nor can it activate other friendly units in the same manner as other leaders.

b) Mortar Spotting—The "M" command of an unbroken Scout represents its ability to activate [O27.1.3] and then to possibly spot for [O27.2.5] friendly mortars anywhere on the map.

See also the mortar spotting example in the playbook.

3.3.4 Sogeki Hei

"Sogeki Hei" translates roughly to "sniper". In CC:P this unit is usually used to represent a treetop sniper but can also act as a grounded and well-camouflaged sharpshooter. A Sogeki Hei is a normal leader in every respect, with three exceptions:

a) Independent—Having no actual command number, a Sogeki Hei cannot increase the stats of friendly units and weapons it is stacked with, nor can it activate other friendly units in the same manner as other leaders.

b) Patient—A Sogeki Hei is treated as being Ordnance [5.5] for all purposes except that it is a unit and not a weapon.

Note the white stripe behind its lower stats as a reminder of this status. This means that a Sogeki Hei must make a Targeting roll when firing and cannot perform Op Fire.

c) Sniping—When making a fire attack [O27.3], a Sogeki Hei

◦ must, if it hits, multiply the two dice on its Fire Attack roll (rather than adding them together as for a normal fire attack); and

◦ will only affect a single unit in the targeted hex (rather than everyone in the hex having to make Defense rolls as with a normal fire attack). If more than one enemy unit occupies the targeted hex the Japanese player selects the unit to be affected, though a broken unit cannot be selected if an unbroken unit is present—the latter must be chosen if possible.

The red box behind the Sogeki Hei's FP serves as a visual reminder of these special abilities.

See also the Sogeki Hei example in the playbook.

3.3.5 Leaders & Weapons

A leader may only ever possess a weapon lacking a negative movement modifier [5.1].

4. Unit Markers

4.1 Veteran

4.1.1 Placement

A veteran marker can be placed on a unit via the Battle Harden [E51] or Bushido [E55] events.

4.1.2 Effects

A unit with a veteran marker on it has +1 FP, +1 range, +1 movement and +1 morale. Command is unaffected by veteran status.

4.1.3 Removal

A veteran marker remains on a unit until the unit is eliminated or exits the map. A veteran squad that Deploys [E56] transfers its veteran status to only one of the two replacing teams.

Weapons fit comfortably on a unit counter when offset a bit up and to the left. This leaves all the unit's stats clearly visible.

4.2 Suppressed

4.2.1 Placement

A suppressed marker can be placed on a unit via the Interdiction [E62] or Suppressing Fire [E77] events, or due to a tie result during a Fire Defense roll [O27.3.4].

4.2.2 Effects

A unit with a suppressed marker on it has –1 FP, –1 range, –1 movement and –1 morale. Command is unaffected by being suppressed.

Weapons themselves cannot become suppressed, but a suppressed unit cannot fire any weapon it possesses.

The "Ø Wpn" in the upper left corner of a suppressed marker is there as a reminder.

A weapon may be transferred to another unit only during an Advance order [O22.2].

4.2.3 Removal

A suppressed marker can only be removed from a unit during a Revive order [O31a] or if the unit is eliminated or exits the map. A suppressed squad that Deploys [E56] transfers its suppressed status to only one of the two replacing teams.

5. Weapons

5.1 Effects

As with units, weapons have both FP and range stats; and possibly a negative modifier (in bold red) to the possessing unit's movement. Whenever a unit is activated [O20.1], any weapon it possesses is activated along with it. Only an unbroken, unsuppressed unit may fire its weapon, and may do so either separately or as part of a Fire Group [O27.3.1].

During testing we found it helpful to turn weapons 90˚ while their owning unit was broken as a reminder not to fire them. Placing a unit's suppressed marker directly atop its weapon is another such reminder.

5.2 Portage

A squad or team may possess any one allotted weapon. A leader may only ever possess a weapon without a printed negative movement modifier. "Possessing" a weapon is denoted by having the weapon physically placed atop that unit. Any weapon acquired via that nation's Support Table must be given to the unit listed with that weapon.

5.3 Removal & Transfer

A weapon may be voluntarily eliminated by its controlling player at any time.

Eliminated weapons are always placed in the "weapons" section of the Casualty Track [11.2] (exception: Banzai 17.2c).

If a unit with a weapon leaves the map for any reason, the weapon goes with it. A weapon being carried by a squad that Deploys [E56] is given to one of the two replacing teams.

5.4 Broken Weapons

When a weapon breaks, it is flipped to its "broken" side. A broken weapon that breaks again is eliminated and placed in the Weapons Box of the Casualty Track.

Broken weapons are usually eliminated or fixed via play of an Asset Denied or Asset Request order, respectively [O23 & O24].

5.5 Ordnance

Some weapons – those with a white bar behind their stats, like the two pictured in the next rule – are termed "Ordnance" and must first secure a hit before making a Fire Attack roll [O27.2]. Ordnance is also prohibited from participating in a Fire Group [O27.3.1], performing Op Fire [A41] and having its stats increased via command [3.3.1.3].

5.6 Specialized Weapons

A flamethrower automatically sets its target's Cover [T81.3] to "0", with no modifications possible.

A mortar is an indirect fire weapon. When a mortar fires, if it was activated by a Scout [O27.1.3], the LOS may be traced from that Scout (acting as a spotter) rather than from the mortar's own hex [O27.2.5].

6. Radios

Radios are markers representing off-map artillery batteries. Each has a FP of between 8 and 12. If a player acquires a radio, it is placed in the Artillery Box closest to him (on one of the two corners of the map). Each player may have only one radio in play at a time. A radio is not a weapon.

See O23 and O24 for rules on radio usage. See also the artillery example in the playbook.

7. Starshells

Starshells are markers representing various types of parachuted illumination rounds used during night actions.

7.1 Placement

A starshell is placed on the map via the Asset Request order [O24.7].

7.2 Effects

A starshell "illuminates" its own hex as well as every hex within 2 hexes of it. The Night Hindrance [18.3] is ignored in its entirety if the target hex is illuminated. The illumination status of a hex from which the fire attack emanates or of any intervening hexes is irrelevant.

7.3 Removal

A starshell can be removed from the map with a Disperse die trigger [1.9.2].

8. Aircraft

The fighter and dive bomber markers are collectively referred to as "aircraft" and represent various forms of close air support available to the combatants. An aircraft is not a weapon.

8.1 Placement

Aircraft are placed on the map via the Air Support event [E50].

8.2 Effects

Aircraft can be activated to attack via play of an Asset Request order [O24].

8.3 Removal

Aircraft are removed from the map via an Asset Denied order [O23], completion of a Bombing Run or Strafing Run [O24.4 & O24.5], or a subsequent Air Support event [E50].

9. Sighting Markers

Sighting markers represent possible locations of hidden Japanese units.

9.1 Placement

Each scenario will assign the Japanese player a specific number of Sighting markers (which could be zero). If allotted, they are set up on the map in the same manner as his other forces unless the scenario special rules say otherwise.

9.2 Effects

a) Each time a player reveals a random hex due to a die trigger, the Japanese player must move any one Sighting marker already on the map into that random hex. If a Sighting marker already occupies the hex, a different one must be moved in, if possible.

b) During Infiltrate orders Sighting markers on the map are used to determine where new Japanese units can be placed [O28.2].

9.3 Removal

One Sighting marker is removed from the map whenever a Japanese unit/marker is placed into its hex via the Infiltrate order [O28.2]. Place the removed Sighting marker back into the countermix, out of play.

10. Initiative Card

"The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim." —Sun Tzu

Each scenario will indicate which player begins the game in possession of the Initiative card.

IMPORTANT: The Initiative card is never part of a player's hand (only Fate cards). The Initiative card should simply be kept face up in front of the owning player for ease of reference during play.

10.1 Re-Roll

"The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself." —Douglas MacArthur

At any time during the game, the player currently in control of the Initiative card may choose to cancel all effects of the last die roll to have been made – including any die trigger associated with it – and cause it to be re-rolled. This decision must be made prior to any trigger/results of that roll being implemented.

When a player calls for a re-roll in this manner, he must give the Initiative card to his opponent and then the re-roll is performed. The opponent will then control the Initiative card unless and until he himself performs a re-roll option, thus passing it back to the first player. This use of the Initiative can occur an unlimited number of times during the game—even during the same series of die rolls.

10.2 Tie Game

"In war, you win or lose, live or die—and the difference is just an eyelash." —Douglas MacArthur

When a scenario ends in a tie – for example, 0 VPs after sudden death, or both players having their last on-map unit eliminated simultaneously – the player holding the Initiative card breaks the tie and wins the game.

The Initiative card thus acts as a sort of balancing mechanism to temper those wild strings of luck inherent in any game with cards or dice. Initiative will generally pass back and forth between the two players as the fortunes of war play out, though this isn't mandatory—it is possible, however unlikely, that a player could refrain from using it throughout an entire game.

11. The Track Display

The Track Display is the reception point for many of the game's functions. It is home to various tracks and such that players will utilize throughout a scenario. Its sections are outlined below, as well as in rule 13.

11.1 Victory Track

11.1.1 VP Marker

The VP marker is placed on the Victory Track at the beginning of every scenario, and will move back and forth along the track – that is, towards and away from each player – as VPs are gained and lost during play. The reverse side of the VP marker is used to record VP totals greater than 20.

11.1.2 Attack Total Marker

This marker is used solely as a mnemonic device for players to temporarily record the current strength of any Fire Attack / Mine Attack / Artillery Impact / Melee Total / etc. This is helpful for when the targeted player's Defense rolls are interrupted by die triggers.

11.2 Casualty Track

"The only words I spoke to the British commander in the negotiations for the surrender of Singapore were 'All I want to hear from you is yes or no'. I expected to put the same question to MacArthur." —Tomoyuki Yamashita

Each scenario will instruct the Allied player as to which space on his side of the Casualty Track to place the surrender marker. The Japanese do not surrender in CC:P.

The Casualty Track has an upper and a lower row, each one "pointing" to the player that will utilize that row.

Whenever a non-Hero unit is eliminated, it (and its possessed weapon, if any) is placed on the Casualty Track. Weapons are placed in the large central box. (Exception: Banzai [17.2c]). Units are stacked one per numbered space on their owner's side of the Weapons Box, occupying those spaces in lowest-to-highest numerical order. In this manner, the Allied player will lose the game if one of his eliminated units is placed in the space occupied by the surrender marker [13.3].

Remember to gain VPs each time an opponent's unit is eliminated [14.1]. Further, even though the Japanese will not surrender, it's still important to place their units on the Casualty Track for events such as Battlelust [E52] and Walking Wounded [E79].

11.3 Miscellaneous

OB Display—Each faction has an OB stats marker which is used on the OB Display to mark its
- quality (elite, line or green)
- Order Limit (1-6)
- and Posture (Attack, Banzai, Defend, Invade or Recon).

"Quality" tells the player which of his Teams – Elite, Line or Green – will replace any of his Squads that break down.

"Order Limit" is the maximum number of orders that player may give each turn [12.1].

"Posture" assigns that player a maximum hand size as well as other possible effects [17].

Scenario Date—Every scenario will specify which space of the Year Track in which to place the year marker.
Objective Box—Place drawn and scenario-assigned objective chits [14.3.3] here. Players place their "secret" objectives in the section of the box closest to them. "Open" objectives are placed in the central section.
Data Boxes—The seven Data Boxes along the bottom of the Track Display allow players quick access to special rules associated with various fortifications and weapons. The Mines box has an additional small flyout used to indicate the strength of all mine attacks for the scenario being played [F104.2].
Infiltration Boxes—The middle of the Track Display shows three boxes labeled "A", "B" and "C". These are used to hold pending infiltrating units belonging to the Japanese player [O28].

Core Rules—Mechanics

12. Sequence of Play

A game of CC:P begins with one player (as specified by the scenario being played) performing the first "turn". When he is finished – and draws up to his hand size [1.1] – the opposing player takes his first turn. These turns are then alternated until a Sudden Death roll or other occurrence [13.3] ends the game.

A turn consists of a player choosing to either:

a) perform one or more orders by playing cards from his hand [O20]; or

b) discard any number of Fate cards from his hand (including zero) [O21].

The different orders that may be given by a player are explained in rules O22 – O31.

12.1 Order Limit

"Do nothing which is of no use." —Miyamoto Musashi

In CC:P, no player may give an order without the play of a card from his hand. The maximum number of orders a player may perform each turn – his "Order Limit" – will be given within the scenario being played. Orders do not need to be predesignated—they are played from the hand, then executed, one at a time. A player may observe the results of one order before deciding whether to play another.

12.2 Action Capability

"All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this." —Miyamoto Musashi

As with orders, no player may announce an action without the play of a card from his hand. Players may perform actions whenever they deem appropriate provided the prerequisite, if any, within the action itself is met. There is no limit to the number of actions a player may perform during either player's turn other than the number of cards in hand. The different actions that may be taken by a player are explained in rules A33 – A48.

12.3 Discard Limit

"Don't fight the problem; decide it." —George C. Marshall

If a player elects to perform no orders in his turn, he may instead discard [O21] any number of cards up to but not exceeding the Discard Limit of the nation he is commanding:

5 if commanding the US;
4 if commanding the Commonwealth;
3 if commanding Japan;
or 2 if night rules [18] are in effect, regardless of nationality.

These discard limits are also shown graphically on the player aid sheet.

12.4 Hand Refill

At the end of every turn, the active player (only) must draw enough Fate cards off the top of his draw pile so that the number of cards in his hand equals his hand size [1.1]. This draw may be temporarily interrupted by a Time Marker Advance [13.1.2] if the last card of that player's deck is drawn—in this case, the hand refill recommences after the Time Marker Advance is concluded (during which his discard pile was reshuffled to form a new face-down draw pile).

13. Game Time

"Time is everything; five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat." —Horatio Nelson

13.1 Time Marker

13.1.1 Placement

Each Scenario will indicate on which space of the Time Track (located on the Track Display) the time marker is to be placed (usually "0").

13.1.2 Advancement

The time marker is advanced one space forward along the Time Track whenever:

a Time trigger is rolled (and the roll is not cancelled by the player with the Initiative); or
a player's draw pile has no cards remaining: treat such an occurrence exactly as if a Time trigger had been revealed.

It is only advanced once – not twice – if the last card in a player's deck is revealed for a die roll resulting in an actual Time trigger.

Immediately after advancing the time marker, normal play pauses so that the following two steps may be executed in the order shown:

a) the player triggering the Time Advance (only) shuffles his deck and discard pile together to form a new draw pile;

b) the triggering player makes a Sudden Death roll if appropriate [13.2.2].

Then, if the game did not end due to sudden death, perform the following two steps:

c) the scenario Defender (only) gains 1 VP;

d) if there are one or more pieces or Sighting markers in the space now occupied by the time marker, the owning player brings them into play as reinforcements by placing them in any hexes along his friendly map edge (inactive player first). Any reinforcement radio is placed into that player's empty Artillery Box instead.

Once the four steps above have been completed in their entirety, normal play resumes from wherever it left off.

13.2 Sudden Death Marker

13.2.1 Placement

Each scenario will indicate on which space of the Time Track the sudden death marker is to be placed.

13.2.2 Procedure

Whenever the time marker advances into or beyond the space occupied by the sudden death marker, the triggering player must make a roll—this is done after that player shuffles his Fate deck and discard pile together to form a new draw pile. If the result is less than the number in the space currently occupied by the time marker (not the sudden death marker), the game immediately ends. Otherwise, play proceeds as normal.

13.3 Game End

A game of CC:P will end in one of four ways:

a) The Allied player is forced to place one of his eliminated units in the space of the Casualty Track occupied by the surrender marker;

b) A player's last remaining unit on the map is eliminated and that player has no units in an Infiltration Box;

c) A player's last remaining unit on the map is removed from the map for any reason other than elimination [14.2.2] and that player has no units in an Infiltration Box;

d) A Sudden Death roll [13.2.2] is made that is less than the number in the space currently occupied by the time marker.

13.3.1 Game End via Elimination

If the above situation a) or b) occurs, that player immediately and automatically loses the game regardless of the VP total. If both players simultaneously lose in this manner, the player holding the Initiative card breaks the tie and wins the game.

13.3.2 Game End via Exit or Time

If the above situation c) or d) occurs and situations a) and b) do not apply, players must reveal any secret objective chits and award their VPs to the current controller. Then, the player with the higher VP total – that is, the VP marker is on his side of the zero space – wins the game. If the VP marker is in the zero space, the player holding the Initiative card breaks the tie and wins the game.

14. Victory Conditions

"In war there is no substitute for victory." —Douglas MacArthur

A player will usually win the game by having more VPs than his opponent when the game ends [13.3]. VPs are earned in one of three ways:

Elimination of enemy units;
Exiting of friendly units off the opponent's map edge;
control of mapboard objectives.

14.1 Elimination Victory Points

"If you kill enough of them, they stop fighting." —Curtis E. Lemay

When a unit is eliminated – for any reason: via order, action or trigger – the opponent is awarded a certain number of VPs for it:

A squad is worth 2 VPs;
A team is worth 1 VP;
A leader (exception: Hero) is worth 1 VP plus 1 VP for each point of command on its unbroken side;
A Hero is worth no VPs.

These VP values are also shown graphically on the player aid sheet.

14.2 Exit Victory Points

14.2.1 Map Edges & Exit Points

Each map is considered to have an impenetrable barrier to the left and right side of each player once play commences. A unit may never exit the map off the right or left flank. However, the edge of the map nearest a player's opponent – the "enemy" map edge – can be exited by friendly units in play (only) but only from a hex containing an Exit Point [2.4], as if the map's colored border was another hex. Conversely, the edge of the map nearest a player – his "friendly" map edge – can be exited by enemy units (only) via those hexes containing Exit Points.

14.2.2 Voluntary Exit

A unit activated to Advance [O22] or Move [O29] may exit off the opponent's map edge (at a MP cost of 1) if the hex it is leaving contains an Exit Point, regardless of that Exit Point's value. Each unit exited in this way immediately earns its owning player a number of VPs equal to the value given within the Exit Point itself.

Note that, when in play, objective chit "Y" [14.3.3] increases the value of each Exit Point by 1.

Exited units are placed on any space of the Time Track the owning player wishes (though the very next space is most common). Exited units are always placed on the Time Track unbroken, even if broken while exiting. Exited units retain possession of carried weapons – again automatically unbroken – but lose any veteran or suppressed markers attached.

This piece is considered to be a completely different "reinforcement" unit. In real world terms you are probably outflanking or overrunning your opponent.

14.3 Objective Victory Points

"When a thing is done, it's done. Don't look back. Look forward to your next objective." —George C. Marshall

Each of the five objectives on every map can be worth one or more VPs, depending on which objective chits are in play. Objectives are worth zero VPs by default: only one or more objective chits can make them worth more.

14.3.1 Control of Objectives

The double-sided control markers are used to indicate which side currently controls each mapboard objective [2.3].

During setup, a scenario will specify which objectives begin under each player's control. In some cases, objectives may begin the game uncontrolled by either side: these should not contain any control marker. Otherwise, once play commences, the last player to have solely occupied an objective with a friendly unit should place/flip the control marker within that objective to match the faction he is commanding.

14.3.2 Building Objectives

An objective located in a building hex is considered to represent the entirety of that building. In such a case, every hex of that building must be devoid of enemy units in order for an occupying player to take control of it.

14.3.3 Objective Chits

There are 21 objective markers – or "chits" – in CC:P. Objective chits are usually drawn at random and are used to determine specific additional victory conditions for each scenario—usually in the form of assigning a VP value to one or more mapboard objectives [2.3].

Each objective chit drawn will show a victory condition on its "open" side. Most of these will be in the form of "Objective X = Y VP", showing that objective X is worth Y VPs to its controller. These values are cumulative with other objective chits.

If all three chits were in play for mapboard objective 3 (C, G and K), objective 3 would be worth a total of 6 VPs (1 + 2 + 3).

Several objective chits show "(open) Objective = Y VP". This means that the five objectives on the map are worth Y VPs each. These values are cumulative with other objective chits.

Play hint—Due to the random assignment of objective chits in many scenarios, some mapboard objectives may be worthless at the end of the game. Players should still try to take control of all objectives on a map in case the opponent's secret objective chit includes one or more valuable ones.

The two specialized objective chits labeled "(open) Objective: Y, +1 Exit points" and "(open) Objective: Z, +1 Elim. points" indicate, respectively, that:

VPs gained for the voluntary exit of each friendly unit [14.2.2] is increased by one for both players;
VPs gained for the elimination of each enemy unit [14.1] is increased by one for both players.

14.3.4 Open & Secret Objectives

Open objective chits – as well as secret ones that have been revealed during play [E69] – should be placed with their "open" sides face up in the center of the Objective Box. Secret objective chits should be kept face down in the Objective Box—only that player may look at the "open" underside of the chit.

Note that a few of the objective chits have no "secret" side—if a player draws one of these as their random objective chit, tough luck: it must be revealed as an open objective chit.

Open objective chits award their VPs immediately during play of the game, whereas secret objective chits usually award their points at game end (or at the time they are revealed).

When a mapboard objective with a matching open objective chit changes ownership during play, remember to first subtract its VP value from its former controller before adding its value to the new controller's victory points. An objective worth 4 VPs, for example, would cause an eight point swing when it changes hands.

15. Stacking

Placing more than one unit or marker in the same hex is called "stacking". CC:P's oversized hexes allow for up to four unit counters to sit comfortably within them. Even though these pieces may not physically be stacked upon one another, they are considered to be "stacked together" in a single hex for game purposes.

15.1 Marker Stacking

Stacking limits for markers are enforced immediately after placement. There is no limit to the number of markers that might occupy a single location except as follows.

15.1.1 Unit Markers

Each unit in play may have a maximum of one of each of the following markers stacked upon it:

suppressed
veteran
weapon
- a squad/team may possess any weapon
- a leader may possess only those weapons without a negative movement modifier

15.1.2 Radios

Only one radio or "artillery denied" marker may be stacked in each of the two Artillery Boxes: one per player. The first such radio/marker takes precedence.

15.1.3 Fortifications

Only one fortification marker can be stacked in each hex. The first such fortification takes precedence.

So if an event instructed you to place a foxholes marker into a hex already containing wire, those foxholes would not be placed.

15.1.4 Smoke

Only one smoke marker can be stacked in each hex. The one with the largest Hindrance takes precedence.

15.1.5 Blaze

Only one blaze marker can be stacked in each hex. While a blaze occupies a hex, no unit and no marker listed above may exist there [E53].

15.2 Unit Stacking

15.2.1 Stacking Limit

The number of units – friendly and enemy – that can stack in a hex without penalty is based upon the number of soldier figures on those counters. A hex can contain units sporting a total of up to 7 soldier figures without penalty. Any hex containing units with a total of 8 or more soldier figures is in violation of the stacking limit and is considered "overstacked".

Note that all squads have 4 figures, all teams 2 figures, and all leaders 1 figure. In this manner, up to one of each could stack without penalty; or three teams and one leader; etc. Anything more than this in a single hex – four teams, for example – would be considered overstacked.

15.2.2 Overstacking Penalty

In any hex which is overstacked – that is, there are units present sporting 8 or more soldier figures – Cover in that hex is reduced by one for each soldier figure present above 7.

Two US squads with printed morales of 7 are stacked in a palm hex. Since the hex is overstacked by one soldier figure, the nominal 1 Cover afforded by the palm instead drops to 0. If a third US squad was stacked there (12 total soldier figures, or 5 figures over the stacking limit) the Cover of the hex would instead be –4 (negative four), causing each squad's morale to drop to 3!

15.2.3 Stacking During Setup

Players cannot exceed the unit stacking limit during initial scenario setup. Overstacking is allowed only any time after play begins.

16. Line of Sight (LOS)

"As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can." —Julius Caesar, attributed

16.1 LOS Checks

Generally, a unit in one hex must be able to see a unit in another hex in order to fire at it. Mapboard terrain and units inside caves [F102] can affect this LOS. A LOS "check" is made by stretching a string taut between the center dot within the "sighting unit's" hex and the center dot of the "target unit's" hex. If the string touches the physical depiction of a terrain Obstacle or Hindrance in an intervening hex, that LOS is blocked [16.2] or hindered [16.3], respectively. Such a LOS check may be made at any time by either player.

An Obstacle or Hindrance that is within the sighting or target hex will not affect LOS (exception: smoke [16.3.4]).

LOS is always reciprocal: if unit A can see unit B, then unit B can also see unit A.

Units – friendly or enemy – in an intervening hex do not block or hinder LOS in any way.

16.2 Obstacles & LOS

16.2.1 Terrain Obstacles

Any terrain [T82–T99] with the Obstacle symbol in its LOS column of the Terrain Chart is termed an "Obstacle". A unit in one hex can't see a unit in another hex if that LOS is blocked by an Obstacle.

16.2.2 Blaze Obstacles

A blaze marker [T83] is considered to fill the entirety of the hex that it occupies. In other words, a LOS traced through any portion of a Blazing hex – including directly along its hexside – is blocked by that marker.

16.3 Hindrances & LOS

Some terrain is too sparse or too low to be considered a complete obstacle to LOS, and is thus termed a "Hindrance" because it hinders fire traced through it to another hex rather than preventing the shot altogether.

16.3.1 Targeting & Hindrances

Any Accuracy [O24.3.2] or Targeting [O27.2] LOS traced through an intervening Hindrance will have its roll decreased by an amount equal to the number listed in that terrain's LOS column of the Terrain Chart. If the firing piece hits, any subsequent Artillery Impact/Fire Attack roll will be unaffected by the Hindrance.

The hindrance was already taken into account by lessening the chances of hitting the intended target in the first place.

16.3.2 Fire Attacks & Hindrances

16.3.2.1 Firepower Reduction

Any non-ordnance Fire Attack [O27.3] traced through an intervening Hindrance will have its FP reduced by an amount equal to the number listed in that terrain's LOS column of the Terrain Chart.

16.3.2.2 Minimum Firepower

A Fire Attack that would be reduced to 0 or less FP due to Hindrance cannot be made. A final FP of at least 1 is required for any Fire Attack roll to be made. Actions that increase a Fire Attack's strength may be used in order to raise that shot's FP to 1 or more.

16.3.3 Hindrance Modifiers

Hindrances are not cumulative: the single largest modifier is used, and this modifier does not become greater if the number of Hindrances between the sighting and target hexes is greater than one.

A squad fires at a team three hexes away. Both hexes between them contain grass. The team's total FP is reduced by –3 for one grass Hindrance, not –6 for both. If one or both of the two intervening hexes contained a "4" smoke marker, the FP would be reduced by –4 instead for the smoke.

16.3.4 Smoke Hindrances

A smoke marker [T95] is considered to fill the entirety of the hex that it occupies. In other words, a LOS traced through any portion of a smoked hex – including directly along its hexside – is hindered by that marker. Furthermore, smoke hinders any LOS traced into or out of it, not just through it like printed mapboard Hindrances.

Continuing the example from 16.3.3, if the squad's hex contained a "5" smoke marker, its FP would be reduced by –5 instead.

See also the LOS example in the playbook.

17. Posture

"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant." —Sun Tzu

Each player's "Posture" will be assigned within the scenario being played. Posture serves to determine a player's hand size for the duration of the scenario [1.1] as well as sometimes assigning certain special rules. The five possible Postures are:

Attacker [17.1]
Banzai [17.2]
Defender [17.3]
Invader [17.4]
Recon [17.5]

Hand sizes for the various Postures are shown on the player aid sheet for ease of reference during play.

17.1 Attacker Posture

"In bygone days, commanders were taught that when in doubt, they should march their troops towards the sound of gunfire. I intend to march my troops towards the sound of gunfire." —Joseph Grimond

A player assigned the Posture of "Attacker" has a hand size of 6.

17.2 Banzai Posture

"A skilled commander seeks victory from the situation and does not demand it of his subordinates." —Sun Tzu

A player assigned the Posture of "Banzai"

a) has a hand size of 3;

b) can play the Charge order [O25];

c) always places his units (and their possessed weapons, if any) on the next space of the Time Track rather than the Casualty Track when eliminated. (Exception: An eliminated Hero still goes back into the countermix and its weapon, if any, into the Weapons Box of the Casualty Track.)

This simulates the ongoing human wave aspect of a banzai attack. The Allied player still receives VPs as usual each time a Japanese unit is eliminated.

It is also possible – via the Tennōheika Banzai! event [E78] – for the Japanese player to switch from one of the other four Postures to that of Banzai during regular game play.

17.3 Defender Posture

"A million men cannot take Tarawa in a hundred years." —Keiji Shibasaki

A player assigned the Posture of "Defender"

a) has a hand size of 4;

b) is able to play several actions unavailable to other Postures [A35 & A43];

c) gains 1 VP during each Time Marker Advance [13.1.2].

17.4 Invader Posture

"Gentlemen, we are being killed on the beaches. Let's go inland and be killed." —General Norman Cota

A player assigned the Posture of "Invader"

a) has a hand size of 7;

b) usually sets up at least half of his assigned forces as reinforcements on the Time Track rather than on-map.

This Posture is generally reserved for those scenarios where one side – the Invading side – is conducting a river crossing or seaborne amphibious invasion. An invader's friendly map edge will more times than not consist of nothing other than water barrier and sand hexes.

17.5 Recon Posture

"Now I recall the Recon Marines' ragged, filthy, cammie-shirted young men in green paint who move silent like the fog with deadly purpose in their eyes. Swift, silent, deadly. I smile." —GYSGT Correll, USMC, Retired

A player assigned the Posture of "Recon" has a hand size of 5.

18. Night

"Darkness is a friend to the skilled infantryman." —B.H. Liddell Hart

The Japanese made extensive use of nighttime attacks to both aid in their propensity for infiltration tactics as well as to help offset the Allies' great advantage in firepower.

Some scenarios are designated as taking place at night. If so, the following six rules are considered to be in effect for the entirety of that scenario:

18.1 Night Command & Control

Each side has its Discard Limit reduced to 2.

18.2 Night Movement

Each Terrain Type (that is, terrain above the dotted line on the Terrain Chart) has its Move Cost increased by 1. Terrain Features – roads, trails and hills, for example – are not affected.

18.3 Night Visibility

There exists an automatic Hindrance of X, where X is the range from the sighting unit's hex to the targeted unit's hex (so always a minimum of 1). As usual, this night Hindrance is not cumulative with other Hindrances (such as for smoke or grass).

And remember that the presence of a starshell [7.2] within 2 hexes of the target hex negates this Hindrance in its entirety.

18.4 Radios At Night

The Communication Established option [O24.1] cannot be chosen during an Asset Request order.

So no acquiring a new radio at night. However, should a night scenario assign one or both sides a radio as part of their starting forces then these remain fully functional.

18.5 Starshells At Night

The Illumination option [O24.7] may be chosen during an Asset Request order.

18.6 Aircraft At Night

Air Support events [E50] have no effect (aircraft are NA at night).

CC:P includes a cheat card containing a synopsis of the above night rules for ease of reference during play. See also the night example in the playbook.

19. Melee

19.1 Melee Markers

Whenever a hex contains units of both sides, immediately place a melee marker in the hex if one is not already present. A melee marker makes the hex it occupies a "melee hex". A melee hex has two effects:

Units and weapons in a melee hex cannot fire (they otherwise function normally).
A melee hex can't be the target of a Fire Attack, nor can an SR be placed in or adjacent to one (a melee hex could still be affected by artillery if the SR subsequently drifted into or adjacent to it).

Whenever a melee hex ceases to contain units of both sides, remove the melee marker. The hex immediately ceases to be a melee hex.

19.2 Resolving Melee

At the beginning of the Allied player's turn – only; never the Japanese player's turn – a melee ensues in every melee hex. If there is more than one melee hex, the Allied player selects the order in which they will be resolved, one at a time.

19.2.1 Melee Strength

In each melee, after both players have played and resolved any Ambush actions [A33], each adds up the current FP of each of his remaining units – not weapons – in the melee hex. To this total is added +1 for each of those units with a boxed FP to arrive at his "Melee FP". If, due to Ambush actions, one or both sides have no units remaining in the hex, the melee ends with no further effect.

19.2.2 Melee Roll

The Japanese player adds his Melee FP to a die roll to arrive at his "Melee Total". Then the Allied player adds his Melee FP to a die roll to arrive at his Melee Total.

The rolls – while ostensibly simultaneous – are staggered in order to facilitate triggers and possible use of the Initiative after the first roll. Also note that both player's Melee FPs are locked in just prior to the Japanese Melee roll, even if a trigger during that roll alters the composition of one or both sides. If, due to a trigger during a Melee roll, one or both sides have no units remaining in the hex, the melee ends with no further effect.

19.2.3 Melee Result

Eliminate all units belonging to the side with the lower Melee Total. In case of a tie, both sides are eliminated unless one player began the melee in a bunker or pillbox, in which case only the other side is eliminated.

See also the melee example in the playbook.

Orders

The various orders are described in detail, below, and are listed in alphabetical order for ease of reference.

O20. General Rules

O20.1 Activation Procedure

To perform – or "give" – an order, the active player (only) must reveal a card from his hand and announce that he is performing the order listed at the top. The card is then placed face up atop the player's discard pile. Then, if appropriate for the order, he activates one friendly unit that has not yet been activated that turn to perform the order.

Some orders don't activate units—this fact will be noted within that order's rules.

If a leader is activated this way it may in turn activate any number of friendly non-leader units within its Command Radius [3.3.1.1] to perform the same order—none of which can have been previously activated that turn.

O20.2 Activation Limit

No unit may be activated more than once per turn (exception: Heroes [3.3.2]).

O20.3 Identification & Effect

All pieces activated for an order must be identified before the order is carried out. Further, once an order is given, at least one of the pieces activated for that order must physically carry it out.

If a Move order is given, at least one activated unit must physically cross a hexside into another hex—you couldn't give a Move order for the sole purpose of playing a Smoke Screen action, for example.

O20.4 Order Sequencing

An announced order must be performed in its entirety before the next order is given or before the player announces the end of his turn. This includes any actions requiring that order to be in effect.

You can't activate two units to Move, move one, play a Fire order on your opponent to get a broken enemy unit out of the way, then come back and move the other unit.

O20.5 Actions During Orders

During an order, any number of actions may be announced by both players so long as their prerequisites are met.

Your opponent could play two Smoke Screen actions before Moving his activated squad. When that squad then moves into one of those smoked hexes, you could first place wire there with a Hidden Wire action then play an Op Fire action and shoot at it.

O21. Pass (Discard)

"The wise does at once what the fool does at last." —Baltasar Gracian

If a player chooses to give no orders during his turn he may elect to discard any number of cards (even zero) up to his assigned Discard Limit [12.3 & player aid sheet].

O22. Advance

"Advance your standards, draw your willing swords." —Shakespeare, King Richard II

O22.1 Procedure

A unit that is activated to Advance can enter one of the six hexes adjacent to the one it currently occupies, where it must stop. This can be done even if the hex is enemy-occupied. This is the most common way in which to enter into melee with opposing units.

A unit's movement as well as terrain Move Costs are ignored during an Advance. In addition, the inactive player cannot use Op Fire [A41] against advancing units.

You only get to go one hex but you are immune to Fire Attacks as you do so.

O22.2 Abilities

An advancing unit may:

enter an enemy-occupied hex
exit off the enemy map edge via an Exit Point [14.2.1]
if Japanese, "Advance" from inside one cave to any other cave on the map [F102.3]
transfer its weapon to another friendly unit stacked with it. This can be done before or after the transferring unit Advances. The receiving unit need not be activated.

O22.3 Restrictions

An advancing unit may never:

enter an impassable hex (such as a blaze)
exit off the left, right or friendly map edge.

O23. Asset Denied

When an Asset Denied order is given, the active player chooses to perform one of the following activities:

a) Weapon Jam [O23.1]; or

b) Communication Disrupted [O23.2]; or

c) Abort Run [O23.3].

No unit is activated with an Asset Denied order. Weapon Jam may only be chosen if there is an enemy weapon within LOS of a friendly unit. Communication Disrupted may only be chosen if there is an enemy radio in play. Abort Run may only be chosen if there is an enemy aircraft in play.

O23.1 Weapon Jam

If Weapon Jam is chosen for a player's Asset Denied, he selects one enemy weapon within LOS of any friendly unit. Break that weapon. If it was already broken, eliminate it instead (placing it into the Weapons box of the Casualty Track).

The weapon could be jammed, out of ammo, overheated, out of position, damaged, its operator incapacitated, etc.

O23.2 Communication Disrupted

If Communication Disrupted is chosen for a player's Asset Denied, he breaks his opponent's radio. If it was already broken, eliminate it instead (placing it back in the countermix).

Keep in mind that a radio doesn't "break" per se. An eliminated or broken radio likely represents the unwillingness of the battery commander far behind the lines to support your battle at this particular point in time—other sectors of the front (off-map) may have a more pressing need and thus are getting their fire missions resolved first.

O23.3 Abort Run

If Abort Run is chosen for a player's Asset Denied, he removes his opponent's aircraft from the map (place back in countermix). The aircraft has left the area due to a lack of viable targets, an enemy air threat, being low on fuel or out of ammo, etc.

O24. Asset Request

"Artillerymen believe the world consists of two types of people: Other artillerymen and targets." —unknown

When an Asset Request order is given, the active player chooses to perform one of the following activities:

a) Communication Established [O24.1]; or

b) Communication Restored [O24.2]; or

c) Fire For Effect [O24.3]; or

d) Bombing Run [O24.4]; or

e) Strafing Run [O24.5]; or

f) Weapon Repair [O24.6]; or

g) Illumination [O24.7].

Communication Established may only be chosen if the active player has no radio or artillery denied marker in his Artillery Box and night rules [18] are not in effect. Communication Restored may only be chosen if he has a broken radio [6] in play. Fire For Effect may only be chosen if he has an unbroken radio in play. Bombing Run and Strafing Run may only be chosen if his aircraft marker is in play. Weapon Repair may only be chosen if he has a broken weapon in play. Illumination may only be chosen if night rules [18] are in effect.

O24.1 Communication Established

If Communication Established is chosen for a player's Asset Request, he activates one of his unbroken, unsuppressed leaders (only). He then performs the following steps in the order shown:

a) make a roll on his nation's Radio Table [back cover of the playbook];

b) from the column matching the roll, select the radio or artillery denied marker that is available for that scenario's year;

c) if a radio is selected, move the VP marker a number of spaces towards his opponent as the listed VP cost of that radio – "pay" for it – then place that radio's counter into the Artillery Box on his side of the map;

d) if the artillery denied marker is selected, place the counter into the Artillery Box on his side of the map.

In step b, something must be chosen—even if it has to be the artillery denied marker.

Note that since an acquired radio is not activated, the active player could – if he had another Asset Request in hand and another unactivated leader in play – use it for his very next order and choose Fire For Effect.

O24.2 Communication Restored

If Communication Restored is chosen for a player's Asset Request, he activates one of his unbroken, unsuppressed leaders (only). The active player then flips his broken radio to its unbroken side, ready for immediate use.

Since the radio itself is not activated, the active player could – if he had another Asset Request in hand and another unactivated leader in play – use it for his very next order and choose Fire For Effect.

O24.3 Fire For Effect

"Hello, Tare One to Tare Three. Roger. Tell Tare to give us the 155s. Concentration Queen 163. And Fast. Over." —Captain Charles B. MacDonald

This option represents a leader calling for an actual artillery strike. A radio operator might be considered to be spending the time in between Asset Request orders requesting, observing and correcting spotting rounds.

If Fire For Effect is chosen for a player's Asset Request, he activates one of his unbroken, unsuppressed leaders (only). This leader will act as the "spotter" for the ensuing bombardment.

Since the radio itself is not activated, the active player could – if he had another Asset Request in hand and another unactivated leader in play – use it for his next order and choose Fire For Effect yet again.

The active player performs the following three steps, in the order shown:

a) Spotting

b) Accuracy

c) Impact

Each step is explained in detail below.

O24.3.1 Spotting

First, place the spotting round (SR) into a hex within LOS of the spotter. This will indicate the hex that is to be the intended center of a 7-hex artillery bombardment. The SR cannot be placed in or adjacent to a melee hex but can be placed into a hex normally impassable to units (such as a blaze).

O24.3.2 Accuracy

Once the SR has been placed, make a normal Targeting roll [O27.2.3] using the range between the spotter and the SR's current hex. This roll is modified by any Hindrances along the way, as usual [16.3.1].

If the Targeting roll secures a "hit," the artillery is accurate. Reveal the top card of the Fate deck and ignore everything but the two dice (this is NOT a roll, so no die triggers). Using the hex compass on the map, each die will give the direction in which the SR will err: the SR moves one hex in the white die's direction, then it moves one hex in the colored die's direction.

If the Targeting roll was a "miss," the artillery is inaccurate. Reveal the top card of the Fate deck and ignore everything but the two dice (this is NOT a roll, so no die triggers). Using the hex compass on the map, the first (white) die gives the direction in which the SR will err. The second (colored) die is the distance in hexes the SR will travel in that direction.

O24.3.2.1 Minor Drift Check

Yes, this could bring the SR right back into the same hex – good shot!

O24.3.2.2 Major Drift Check

Yes, this could bring the SR right back on top of your own troops – bad shot!

O24.3.2.3 Off-Map

Any SR that errs off the map – even if just briefly – is removed with no further effect and the order ends. And, due to artillery's 7-hex blast area (see below), an SR can occupy an otherwise impassable hex (such as a blaze).

See also the artillery example in the playbook.

O24.3.3 Impact

"One of the great surprises of warfare in the 20th century has been the power of soldiers to survive what would seem to be overwhelming concentrations of high explosive, and emerge to fight with skill and determination." —Max Hastings

The hex into which the SR finally lands becomes the center hex of the activated radio's artillery impact area; in other words, the SR's hex and each adjacent hex can be affected. Each radio's FP is enclosed within a hex as a reminder of its seven-hex blast area.

The active player determines the order in which these seven hexes are attacked, though each may only have a maximum of one such Impact roll made against it.

Each hex within the impact area that contains at least one unit or fortification must have a separate Artillery Impact roll made against it. Hexes within the blast area but void of units/fortifications can't be attacked.

An Artillery Impact roll follows the same rules and restrictions as for a Fire Attack roll [O27.3.3 & O27.3.4].

O24.3.4 Artillery vs Fortifications

The "Fortification Vulnerability" box on the Track Display lists a Vulnerability number for each radio (and dive bomber [O24.4]) Firepower. If an Artillery Impact roll is exactly equal to the Vulnerability number associated with that radio's FP, then any fortification in the targeted hex is destroyed before any units therein make their Fire Defense rolls.

Note that many fortifications have a modified Cover when targeted by artillery.

O24.4 Bombing Run

No unit is activated during a Bombing Run. If Bombing Run is chosen for a player's Asset Request, he simply flips his aircraft to its "dive bomber" side and performs the following steps in the order shown:

a) Select a hex in which the dive bomber has LOS to an enemy unit, which cannot be its own hex. That hex will be the target of the Bombing Run. LOS is checked as if the dive bomber occupied a level 5 hill [T89]. If there are no such hexes within LOS, skip directly to step d.

b) Make a Targeting roll [O27.2] against the chosen hex as if the dive bomber were ordnance. If the Targeting roll is a miss, skip directly to step d.

c) The dive bomber makes a 12 FP Fire Attack [O27.3] against the targeted hex. Check to see if any fortification in the targeted hex is eliminated by consulting the "12-FP" row of the Fortification Vulnerability Table (on the Track Display).

d) Remove the dive bomber from the map (placing it in the countermix). This ends the order.

Pull Up!—If an Air Support event occurs at any point during a Bombing Run, the Run is cancelled with no further effect.

This is because an Air Support event will either relocate the aircraft or remove it from the map altogether. Either way, consider the pilot to have not had a viable target or that the bomb harmlessly went astray.

O24.5 Strafing Run

"Air power is like poker. A second-best hand is like none at all—it will cost you dough and win you nothing." —George Kenney

No unit is activated during a Strafing Run. If Strafing Run is chosen for a player's Asset Request, he simply flips his aircraft marker to its "fighter" side and performs the following steps in the order shown:

a) Position the fighter marker in its hex so that it clearly faces one of the six compass directions (i.e., the nose of the fighter is aligned along a hexside).

b) Make a 9 FP Fire Attack [O27.3] vs each hex in a line directly in front of the fighter – in order closest-to-farthest – if it has a LOS to any unit in that hex (friendly or enemy). LOS is checked as if the fighter occupied a level 5 hill [T89].

Yes, you could end up strafing your own troops—friendly fire due to mistaken identification was not altogether uncommon when it came to close air support. Choose your fire lane carefully.

Note that a Strafing Run will check for an attack in every hex in a straight line emanating from the fighter's nose until the edge of the map is reached (where it ostensibly exits the battlefield).

c) Remove the fighter from the map (placing it in the countermix). This ends the order.

Pull Up!—If an Air Support event occurs at any point during a Strafing Run, the Run is cancelled with no further effect.

This is because an Air Support event will either relocate the aircraft or remove it from the map altogether. Consider the pilot to have not seen any further viable targets or perhaps was called off to another sector of the larger battlefield.

O24.6 Weapon Repair

If Weapon Repair is chosen for a player's Asset Request, he activates one of his unbroken, unsuppressed units possessing a broken weapon (only). He then flips that broken weapon back over to its unbroken side.

O24.7 Illumination

If Illumination is chosen for a player's Asset Request, he activates one of his unbroken, unsuppressed leaders (only). He then performs the following steps in the order shown:

a) place the SR into any hex within LOS of the activated leader;

b) make an Accuracy roll and subsequent drift check following the procedure used for an artillery strike [O24.3.2];

c) place a starshell marker [7] in the hex into which the SR drifts;

d) remove the SR from the map.

O25. Charge

"Tennōheika Banzai!" —famous last words

Charge may only be played if the Japanese player's Posture is Banzai. If every Japanese unit on the map has already been activated that turn, a Charge order cannot be played.

O25.1 Japanese Activations

When a Charge order is announced, all Japanese units not yet activated for the turn

a) have any suppressed marker removed; then

b) are rallied if broken; then

c) are automatically activated for a Move order [O29].

O25.2 Allied Activations

After steps a through c above have been completed – but before Movement physically begins – any or all Allied units not yet activated for the turn may be immediately activated for an Op Fire action [A41], at the Allied player's discretion. This activation is automatic and does not require the play of a card from the Allied player's hand.

Banzai charges were noisy, boisterous affairs having no pretense of stealth. To this effect, CC:P allows the Allied player to make automatic fire attacks against charging units regardless of cards in hand.

O26. Command Confusion

"Never give an order that can't be obeyed." —Douglas MacArthur

This card cannot be played for an order. It acts as a "dud" order in your hand—hope that you have a decent action on this card.

O27. Fire

"So they've got us surrounded, good! Now we can fire in any direction." —Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller

O27.1 Activation

O27.1.1 Suspected Targets

When a Fire order is announced, at least one of the units to be activated (or its weapon) must have an enemy unit within both its LOS and range and not occupying a melee hex.

Example 1: You activate leader A to fire, who then activates squad B. This is legal if squad B is the only one of the two with both LOS and range to a non-melee enemy unit.

Example 2: You can activate a 2-range team to fire even if the nearest eligible enemy unit is three or more hexes away if that team possesses a weapon currently capable of firing at that enemy unit.

O27.1.2 Melee Hexes

Units in a melee hex can't be activated to fire.

O27.1.3 Scouts & Mortar Activation

Alternately, a Scout can be activated to fire if it then activates one or more unbroken, unsuppressed friendly units possessing mortars (and not in melee hexes). These units can be anywhere on the map but the Scout itself must have an enemy unit within its LOS that is also within the range of an activated mortar.

O27.2 Ordnance & Targeting

Any piece with a broad white band behind its stats is termed "ordnance". Ordnance must first secure a hit against the targeted hex before making a Fire Attack roll.

Non-Ordnance pieces need not perform a Targeting roll and proceed directly to the next step [O27.3] when firing.

Generally, the range between the firing ordnance and the target hex is determined, then a Targeting roll is made to see if the piece hits and, if so, a Fire Attack roll [O27.3.3] is then made using that weapon's FP.

And remember that ordnance's stats are never modified by a friendly leader's command number [3.3.1.3].

O27.2.1 Smoke Rounds

Some weapons are able to place a smoke marker in the targeted hex (as indicated by the word "Smoke" to the right of the weapon's illustration) instead of making a normal Fire Attack roll. Ordnance is allowed to target any hex within its range – even one containing no enemy units – if it will place smoke this way. The active player must declare this decision aloud when he selects the target hex, prior to making the Targeting roll.

If smoke placement is announced in this manner, then a successful Targeting roll will simply place a random smoke marker into the targeted hex instead of using the weapon's FP to make a Fire Attack roll against it.

O27.2.2 Targeting Range

Determine the range by counting the number of hexes from the firing piece to its target hex – including the target hex but excluding the firing piece's hex. If this range is greater than the printed range on the firing piece, the shot cannot even be attempted.

Note that mortars also have a minimum range at which they can fire. For example, the US Light Mortar has a range of "2-16" so it can't fire at an adjacent hex.

O27.2.3 Targeting Roll

"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result." —Winston Churchill

Once the range is determined, the active player must make a die roll – but multiplying the two dice together rather than adding them together as with other rolls – that is greater than the range in order to hit the targeted hex. Any other result is a miss and the attack is cancelled with no further effect.

So a Targeting roll of 1∙6 (total of 6) misses at range 6 or more, and will hit if the range is 5 or less. A Targeting roll of 6∙6 is 36 and will hit anything.

O27.2.4 Targeting & Hindrances

Targeting rolls are always modified by any relevant Hindrance along the way [16.3.1].

Ordnance firing at a target 5 hexes away with one or more grass hexes in between (Hindrance of 3) would need to physically roll "9" or more to hit instead of "6+".

O27.2.5 Scouts & Mortar Spotting

When a mortar fires, the owning player may choose to have the LOS to the targeted hex be traced from a friendly Scout that activated it [O27.1.3] instead of from the mortar itself. The Targeting roll must still count the actual range from the mortar to the targeted hex but any Hindrance modifying the roll will be based upon the LOS from the activated Scout.

O27.3 Fire Attack

General rules for fire orders include:

a) Each piece activated to fire may take one shot at any non-melee hex within both its range and LOS, either alone or as part of a Fire Group [O27.3.1].

b) Unless firing smoke [O27.2.1], there must be at least one in-LOS enemy unit in a targeted hex for the shot to occur.

c) Units (friendly or enemy) in intervening hexes are not affected by any Fire Attack that passes through their hex.

Generally, a unit's FP – modified both by command and by possible Hindrances between itself and the target – is added to a "Fire Attack" roll to arrive at an "Attack Total". Then each unit in the targeted hex adds its morale – modified by command and Cover – to a "Fire Defense" roll to arrive at a "Defense Total". If the firer's Attack Total is at least double a targeted unit's Defense Total, that unit is eliminated. If the firer's Attack Total beats a targeted unit's Defense Total, that unit breaks [3.2]. If the Totals are tied, a Moving target breaks while a non-Moving target becomes suppressed [4.2]. Any other result will have no effect.

This is how CC:P makes moving a bit more dangerous than remaining stationary. If the active player's units are being shot at via Op Fire [A41], they will break on a tied result rather than just becoming suppressed.

O27.3.1 Fire Groups

Two or more activated units/weapons – "pieces" – may fire together by combining into a "Fire Group". Every piece in a Fire Group must have both an unobstructed LOS to an enemy unit in the target hex and be within range of that hex for the Fire Attack roll to be made. Units forming a Fire Group can occupy more than one hex but each such hex must be contiguous (so that it forms a "chain" of adjacent firing units).

Fire Groups are never mandatory—pieces that could form a Fire Group may choose to fire separately or to form smaller Fire Groups, at the owning player's discretion. A unit and its weapon may even fire separately and at the same or different hexes.

O27.3.1.1 Ordnance

Weapons with a white band must always fire alone and thus can never be assigned as part of a Fire Group.

O27.3.1.2 Group FP

The total FP of a Fire Group is X+Y, where

X is the FP of one firing piece and
Y is the number of other firing pieces.

Example: A 2-command leader activates a team possessing a mortar stacked in the same hex as well as a squad possessing an 8-FP MG in an adjacent hex. The MG, squad and team can form a Fire Group targeting an enemy two hexes away with a total of 10 FP (X=8 for the MG; Y=2 for the squad + team). The mortar, being ordnance, must fire separately.

O27.3.2 Attack Hindrances

If the LOS from any non-ordnance firing piece to the target hex is hindered [16.3] that shot's FP is reduced by the largest such Hindrance. If this would modify the attack's FP to zero or less, the shot cannot be attempted.

Keep in mind that actions such as Crossfire [A37] or Marksmanship [A45] can increase a Fire Attack's strength to greater than 0, thus allowing a hindered shot to occur.

O27.3.3 Fire Attack Roll

Once the final FP is determined, the firing player makes a roll and adds the sum of the two dice to the final FP to arrive at an Attack Total.

Remember to instead multiply the dice revealed for a Sogeki Hei's Fire Attack roll rather than adding them together [3.3.4c].

O27.3.4 Fire Defense Roll

A player has to make a Fire Defense roll – one at a time in any order desired – for each of his units that were in a hex at the moment that a Fire Attack roll was made against it (exception: units inside caves—see F102.2.2). All Fire Defense rolls for one attack must be made before the next attack is announced, even if that same hex will be shot at again.

Since a broken leader has a command of 0, you generally want to roll Defense for a leader last (in case it breaks) in order for the other units in the hex to gain the morale boost from his command.

A targeted unit's morale – modified by both Cover [T81.3] and command [3.3.1.2] – is added to a roll in order to arrive at a Defense Total:

a) If the Defense Total is half (or less) the Attack Total, the unit is eliminated.

b) If the Defense Total is less than the Attack Total – but still more than half – the unit breaks [3.2].

c) If the Defense Total is equal to the Attack Total, the unit becomes suppressed [4.2] unless it is currently activated to Move—in which case it breaks instead.

d) If the Defense Total is greater than the Attack Total, the unit is unaffected.

A large Japanese fire group fires at a hex containing three enemy teams (7 morale each) and one enemy leader (9 morale). The Japanese Attack Total is 19.

The first team makes its Defense Roll: 2—snake eyes! The resulting Defense Total of only 9 is less than half the Attack Total so this first team is outright eliminated—whether already broken or not (a above).

The second team rolls a 7 for a total of 14 and breaks (b above).

The third team rolls 12, tying the Attack Total and thus only becoming suppressed (c above).

Finally, the leader makes a nice high Defense Roll of 11 for a total of 20: enough to remain unhurt.

See also the fire attack example in the playbook.

O28. Infiltrate

"It is just as legitimate to fight an enemy in the rear as in the front. The only difference is in the danger." —John S. Mosby

When an Infiltrate order is announced, the Japanese player notes the letter identifier of that particular order – A, B or C – as shown on the card itself. If the order shows all three letters, only one is selected.

If the corresponding Infiltration Box on the Track Display is empty, the Japanese player performs a "Hide" sequence [O28.1]. If the corresponding Infiltration Box contains a unit or marker and there is at least one Sighting marker on the map, he performs a "Reveal" sequence instead [O28.2]. If neither of these two conditions exist, an Infiltrate order cannot be played.

No unit is activated during an Infiltrate order.

O28.1 Hide

When an Infiltrate order is announced and the matching Infiltration Box on the Track Display is empty, the Japanese player performs the following steps in the order given:

a) Make a roll on the Japanese Support Table [on the Japanese player aid card].

b) From the column matching the roll, he must select one unit that is both available for that scenario's year and available in the countermix, if possible. He pays that unit's VP cost (slide the VP marker that many spaces towards the opponent). If an item cannot be chosen, the order ends.

c) Place the selected unit (along with its weapon, if any) into the corresponding Infiltration Box on the Track Display. This ends the order.

This new unit will enter play the next time a matching Infiltrate order is given.

O28.2 Reveal

When an Infiltrate order is announced and the matching Infiltration Box on the Track Display contains one or more units or markers, the Japanese player performs the following steps in the order given:

a) Select a hex containing a Sighting marker [9].

b) Remove all pieces from the corresponding Infiltration Box and place them in the chosen hex. Any weapons in the Infiltration Box must be given to a unit coming from the same box.

c) Remove one Sighting marker from that hex and place it back into the countermix, out of play. This ends the order.

O29. Move

"Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precautions." —Sun Tzu

Units that are activated to Move can move from hex to hex across the map, expending MPs in each new hex they enter. A unit has as many MPs to spend during a Move order as its current movement minus those MPs already spent during the order. This number can be modified by command [3.3.1.2], possessing a heavy weapon, or by the presence of veteran/suppressed markers [4].

A unit cannot be activated to Move if, at the moment it would be activated, it doesn't have enough MPs to enter at least one new hex.

So a broken unit with a 2 movement surrounded on all sides by jungle (with a 3 Move Cost) can't be activated to Move—it will likely have to wait for an Advance order to get going. If that unit was stacked with a 1-command leader, however, the Move activation would be legal.

A unit may not enter a hex unless it has at least as many MPs remaining as the total cost to enter that hex.

O29.1 Movement Costs

Each terrain lists a "Move Cost". In order to enter an adjacent hex during a Move order, an activated unit must spend a number of MPs equal to the Move Cost of the terrain in that hex. An additional cost is assessed if the unit moves to a higher level [T89.1].

O29.2 Moving Together

The movement of one unit must be completed in its entirety before another activated unit can begin moving. The one exception is that any number of activated units that begin a Move order stacked in the same hex may be moved together provided those units remain together throughout the entirety of that Move order.

Those units will therefore always end their movement in the same hex, and the unit with the smallest modified movement at any point during the move will determine how far the group as a whole can travel.

O29.3 Op Fire & Movement

The inactive player may use Op Fire [A41] against the active player's moving units each time they enter a new hex.

O29.4 Movement Restrictions

A moving unit may never:

enter an enemy-occupied hex;
enter an impassable hex (such as a blaze);
exit off the left, right or friendly map edge.

Exiting a unit off the enemy map edge, however, will earn you victory points [14.2.2].

O29.5 Movement Etiquette

Each time the active player moves a unit or group of units into a new hex, he should clearly announce the cumulative MP expenditure up to that point, then pause for a moment. This allows the inactive player a short time in which to decide whether to announce an Op Fire action [A41] into that hex or, if the scenario Defender, to play a Hidden Mines [A43.2], Hidden Panji Trap [A43.3] or Hidden Wire [A43.7] action.

Furthermore, it should be incumbent upon the inactive player to pay attention and say "Stop!" whenever he may have an action to play or Op Fire Attack to make in response to the active player's movement.

See also the move example in the playbook.

O30. Reconnoiter

"A man trusts his ears less than his eyes." —Herodotus

When a Reconnoiter order is given, the active player activates one of his unbroken, unsuppressed leaders (only) provided that leader has a LOS to at least one enemy unit.

Effect—The active player looks at the top card of his Fate deck then chooses to do one of the following:

put it back on top of his Fate deck; or
put it in his discard pile; or
put it in his hand.

Note that, if the deck had only the one card remaining, either of the last two options will empty the deck and thus trigger a Time Marker Advance [13.1.2].

Also note that Reconnoiter has nothing to do with the Recon Posture—any Posture may utilize this order.

O31. Revive

"You, you, and you ... panic. The rest of you, come with me." —U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.

A Revive order cannot be given unless the active player has at least one broken or suppressed unit on the map. Each Revive order is accompanied by a number 1 through 5: this is the number of "Revive Points" the active player receives for the order. Revive Points are spent to remove suppressed markers and rally broken units. Specifically, each Revive Point spent does one of the following:

a) removes a suppressed marker from any friendly unit

-or-

b) rallies [3.2.5] one friendly broken unit.

If applicable, the same unit can be chosen for both options.

So a "Revive–2" order could do the following: remove two suppressed markers; or rally two units; or remove one suppressed marker and rally one unit.

No unit is activated during a Revive order. Revive Points not spent during the current Revive order are forfeit: Revive Points cannot be carried over to future Revive orders.

Actions

"To take no action is to take undecided action." —Robert S. McNamara

A32. General Rules

Actions may be played by either player at any time via a Fate card played from the hand, so long as the condition or prerequisite listed is met.

Important—Multiple actions may be conducted in response to the same game situation. All effects of consecutively-played actions are cumulative.

Two Bayonets actions played from the hand will add +4 to a Melee roll.

With the sole exception of Op Fire [A41], actions that affect units do not activate those units like an order would. Conversely, a unit that has already been activated by an order or Op Fire action can be affected by any number of (non-Op Fire) actions.

Except for A41, the following rules for individual actions [A33–A48] need not be read and memorized your first time through the rules. Most actions are self explanatory on the cards themselves. So this section can be safely ignored until the need arises for a clarification during actual game play.

Actions are listed in alphabetical order for ease of reference.

A33. Ambush

"The essence of war is violence. Moderation in war is imbecility." —John Arbuthnot Fisher

Ambush may only be played at the very start of melee (before Melee FPs are determined). The inactive player must play all Ambushes he wishes before the active player plays his.

Effect—The opponent must select one of his units participating in the melee and break it.

Important—All Ambush effects are resolved before Melee FP is calculated.

Note that both players can announce Ambush actions. Note also that it is possible for both sides to be entirely eliminated via Ambush before the Melee rolls would otherwise have been made.

A34. Bayonets

"The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is a fine chap." —Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov

Bayonets may only be played just prior to the player making a Melee roll.

Effect—Add +2 to that player's Melee roll.

A35. Bore Sighting

Bore Sighting may only be played by the scenario Defender – never a player assigned the Posture of Attacker, Banzai, Invader or Recon – and only just prior to making a Fire Attack roll involving a firing weapon with a printed FP of at least "5" (before any modifications).

Effect—Increase the Fire Attack's FP by +2.

A36. Command Confusion

This card cannot be played for an action.

It acts as a "dud" action in your hand—hope that you have a decent order on this card.

A37. Crossfire

Crossfire may only be played just prior to the player making a Fire Attack roll, and only when firing at a Moving [O29] unit.

Effect—Increase the Fire Attack's FP by +2.

A38. Demolitions

Demolitions may only be played when the opponent discards one or more cards from his hand due to a "pass" action [O21].

Effect—Eliminate a fortification in any one hex containing a friendly unit.

A39. Enfilade

"It is firepower, and firepower that arrives at the right time and place, that counts in modern war." —B.H. Liddell Hart

Enfilade may only be played just prior to the player making a Fire Attack roll, and only if two or more activated pieces are firing as a group [O27.3.1].

Effect—Increase the Fire Attack's FP by +1 for each firing piece beyond the first. This is cumulative with a Fire Group's normal bonus.

A40. Explosive Charge

"Pardoe! Bazooka to the front!" —Gunnery Sergeant Bottos

Explosive Charge may only be played when the player gets "doubles" with a Fire Attack roll and the attack is against an adjacent hex containing a Fortification.

Effect—Eliminate the Fortification in that hex. The Fortification is eliminated before Defense rolls are made.

This action represents the use of satchel charges, bazookas or other powerful high explosive weapons at point blank range. Such a weapon is not represented in counter form but is assumed to possibly be inherent to any unit at any time.

A41. (Opportunity) Fire

Card heading: "ORDER / ACTION — FIRE"

A41.1 Prerequisite

A Fire action may only be played during an opponent's Move order, and only just after a moving unit enters a new hex. This type of reactionary fire is termed "Op Fire".

Note that Fire actions are listed across the top of any Fate card that has one, in the same position as for a Fire order. As a reminder of its dual capability, the word "Fire" will, when appearing along the top of a Fate card, always be preceded by the words "Order/Action".

A41.2 Procedure

Generally, when the active player is performing a Move order, he should count aloud his units' accumulated MP expenditure in each hex as it is entered. Each time such an expenditure is made, the inactive player has the option to call out "Wait!" and temporarily halt movement. If he does, he may choose to do either or both of the following:

play a Fire action from his hand and activate one or more units to fire at that hex (as if he were activating units for a Fire order [O20.1 & O27.1.1]); and/or
make one Fire Attack against that hex with any of his units/weapons that were activated for Op Fire at any point during that same Move order.

After any such Fire Attack is made – or the opportunity to do so is declined ("Never mind; keep moving") – the active player may continue with his Move order.

A41.3 Exceptions

Units (and their weapons) that are activated for Op Fire follow all normal rules for a Fire order [O27], with three important exceptions:

a) Ordnance [3.3.4b & 5.5] cannot conduct Op Fire (though a unit possessing an Ordnance weapon could itself fire normally).

b) They are not limited to only firing once, and so remain activated and eligible to fire at moving targets for the entirety of that Move order (only).

Note that units are activated for Op Fire, so they could not be activated for Op Fire again in that same turn if the active player announced another Move order.

c) No more than one Fire Attack may be made by the inactive player per MP expenditure by the active player.

A unit entering a jungle expends 3 MPs to do so, but this is only one expenditure (albeit a large one). So moving into a hex – however costly – is always a single expenditure of X MPs and can draw one Op Fire attack against it. If another unit later moved into that jungle hex in the same Move order, it could be the target of another Op Fire attack—even by the same op-firing unit(s).

See also the op fire example in the playbook.

A42. Hand Grenades

Hand Grenades may only be played just prior to the player making a Fire Attack roll, and only if at least one piece is firing at an adjacent hex.

For a Fire Group, only one firing hex need be adjacent to the targeted hex.

Effect—Increase the Fire Attack's FP by +2.

A43. Hidden (name)

"Pretend inferiority; encourage his arrogance." —Sun Tzu

Important—The following seven "Hidden" actions may only be played by the scenario Defender—never a player assigned the Posture of Attacker, Banzai, Invader or Recon.

A43.1 Hidden Cave

Hidden Cave may only be played just prior to the scenario Defender making a Defense roll. The hex affected by the attack must be a Crest hex [T89.3.1], cannot be water terrain, and cannot already contain a fortification of any type.

Effect—Place a cave marker [F102] into that hex.

A43.2 Hidden Mines

Hidden Mines may only be played by the scenario Defender just after one or more enemy units Move or Advance into a hex. That hex cannot be water terrain nor already contain a fortification of any type.

Effect—Place a mines marker [F104] into that hex. The Defender then immediately makes a Mine Attack [F104.2] against each of those moving/advancing units.

Any unit that was already in the hex would be immune to this initial minefield attack.

A43.3 Hidden Panji Trap

Hidden Panji Trap may only be played by the scenario Defender just after one or more enemy units Move or Advance into a hex. That hex cannot be water terrain nor already contain a fortification of any type.

Effect—The Japanese player chooses to do one of the following:

place a mines marker [F104] into that hex then immediately make a Mine Attack [F104.2] against each of those moving/advancing units; or
place a wire marker [F107] into that hex.

Note that this will end a unit's Move as a unit must spend all its MPs to exit wire and it had to have spent at least 1 MP to get in.

Any unit that was already in the hex would be immune to this initial minefield attack.

A43.4 Hidden Pillbox

Hidden Pillbox may only be played just prior to the scenario Defender making a Defense roll. The hex affected by the attack cannot be water terrain nor already contain a fortification of any type.

Effect—Place a pillbox marker [F105] into that hex.

A43.5 Hidden Trenchline

"By one of those accidental strokes of luck that so often rule the battlefield, Doniphan and Dale apparently had caught the Japanese in an unguarded moment. Perhaps the enemy had been preoccupied on those western hills. Whatever the excuse, the Americans had been given time to entrench themselves...." —Robert Leckie, Okinawa

Hidden Trenchline may only be played just prior to the scenario Defender making a Defense roll. The hex affected by the attack cannot be water terrain nor already contain a fortification of any type.

Effect—Place a trench marker [F106] into that hex.

A43.6 Hidden Unit

Hidden Unit may only be played when the opponent discards one or more cards from his hand due to a "pass" action [O21].

Effect—The scenario Defender performs the following steps in the order shown:

a) Make a roll on his nation's Support Table [on his faction's player aid card];

b) From the column matching the roll, select one unit – at no cost – that is available for that scenario's year;

c) Place the selected unit (along with its weapon, if any) into any hex that is:

within his original setup area; and
contains no units of either side; and
has a Cover of at least 1.

A43.7 Hidden Wire

Hidden Wire may only be played by the scenario Defender just after one or more enemy units Move or Advance into a hex. That hex cannot be water terrain nor already contain a fortification of any type.

Effect—Place a wire marker [F107] into that hex.

Note that this will end a unit's Move as a unit must spend all its MPs to exit wire and it had to have spent at least 1 MP to get in.

A44. Light Wounds

"Medic!"

Light Wounds may only be played at the instant that a friendly squad – either broken or unbroken – would break.

Light Wounds can only be used on a squad that is breaking, not one that is being eliminated outright—like via the KIA event or as a result of having the lower Melee Total.

Effect—Lose 1 VP. Then, instead of that squad breaking (or being eliminated due to already being broken), place it back into the countermix. Take a team from the countermix – of the same quality as that player's OB: either green, line or elite – and place it into the hex from which the squad was taken.

The "quality" of the squad is irrelevant. Only the position of that side's OB stats marker on the OB Display determines which team will come into play.

If the squad was broken when removed, the replacement team comes into play broken. If there was a weapon, suppressed or veteran marker on the squad, the team retains the marker. Finally, the team is treated as being the same unit from which it was created—so its activation status for the turn matches that of the swapped squad.

A45. Marksmanship

"You don't hurt 'em if you don't hit 'em." —Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller

Marksmanship may only be played just prior to the player making a Fire Attack roll. The attack must include a firing squad or team of the indicated faction.

Effect—Increase the Fire Attack's FP by +2.

A46. No Quarter

No Quarter may only be played at the conclusion of a melee, and only if the player has at least one unit that survived the melee.

Effect—The player gains 2 VPs.

A47. Smoke Screen

Smoke Screen may only be played at the beginning of a Move or Advance order (that is, before any activated units begin Moving or Advancing) in which at least one squad was activated.

Effect—Perform the following steps in the order shown:

a) Select one activated squad;

b) Choose either its own hex or an adjacent hex. The chosen hex can't be water terrain nor contain a blaze;

c) Select a random smoke marker and place it in the chosen hex.

Continue placing smoke in the manner described above until one smoke has been drawn and placed for each activated squad or until the active player decides to no longer draw smoke markers, whichever occurs first.

Each smoke marker must be placed with or adjacent to a different activated squad.

And remember that two or more smoke markers won't stack together; so after placing smoke into smoke, only the marker with the largest Hindrance will remain.

A48. Sustained Fire

"When a second assault came, [PFC Joseph] Solch, squatting on his haunches, fired his Browning Automatic Rifle from the hip to repel an entire company." —Robert Leckie, Okinawa

Sustained Fire may only be played just prior to the player making a Fire Attack roll, and only if at least one mortar or machine gun is firing.

Effect—Increase the Fire Attack's FP by +2 but, if the Fire Attack roll ends up "doubles", one firing mortar or machine gun must break (firing player's choice if more than one).

Be careful with this one—Sustained Fire's drawback is cumulative with other Sustained Fires which could cause a weapon to break then immediately break again, eliminating it outright.

Events

E49. General Rules

"There are no extraordinary men ... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are forced to deal with." —William Halsey

Events are never played from the hand: they only occur via certain rolls, whereupon normal game play pauses so that that player can reveal the top card of his Fate deck and read aloud and execute the listed event.

When resolving an event, there are three important guidelines:

a) Ignore any portion of an event that is impossible to fulfill given current game conditions while performing those parts that are possible, if any.

b) When an event lists more than one activity to perform, they are performed in the order stated within the event itself.

c) Die triggers are always ignored when they are attached to a die roll occurring during an event.

The following rules for individual events [E50–E80] need not be read your first time through the rules. Most events are self explanatory on the Fate cards themselves, so this section can be safely ignored until the need arises for a clarification during actual game play.

The various events are described in detail, below, and are listed in alphabetical order for ease of reference.

E50. Air Support

"If you want to go anywhere in modern war, in the air, on the sea, on the land, you must have command of the air." —William Halsey

This event does not occur if the year of the scenario being played falls outside the date(s) given in the Air Support event itself, or if night rules [18] are in effect.

If this event does occur, the receiving player eliminates his opponent's aircraft by removing it from the map and placing it back into the countermix (thus ending the event). If his opponent's aircraft is not on the map when this event occurs, he instead places his own aircraft on the map by following these four steps:

Determine a random hex [1.8], noting both its letter and number;
select any hex in the same column as that letter OR any hex in the same row as that number;
Place the aircraft into the chosen hex.

Example: The US player gets a viable Air Support event and the Japanese aircraft is not on the map. He reveals the top card of his deck and notes the random hex: "D4". He then places the US aircraft into any of the ten hexes beginning with "D" or any of the fifteen hexes labelled "4".

See O24 for rules on how to utilize aircraft.

E51. Battle Harden

"We have not eaten or drunk for five days, but our fighting spirit is still running high. We are going to fight bravely to the last." — General Tadamichi Kuribayashi

When this event occurs, the receiving player selects one friendly unit without a veteran marker [4.1] and places a veteran marker on it.

E52. Battlelust

"Casualties many; percentage of dead not known; combat efficiency: we are winning." —Colonel David M. Shoup

When this event occurs, the receiving player gains 1 VP if there are more enemy units on the Casualty Track than friendly units.

E53. Blaze

When this event occurs, the receiving player must determine a random hex [1.8]. If that hex is not water terrain and does not already contain a blaze, place a blaze marker [T83] into it. Remove any smoke or fortification marker from the hex. Any units in the hex must be removed by their owners and placed into any adjacent hex(es) not containing another blaze (inactive player first). They are eliminated otherwise.

E54. Breezy

When this event occurs, perform the following activities in the order given:

a) Move all smoke markers on the map one hex "downwind". The downwind direction is stated in the event as a number between 1 and 6, which corresponds to the hex compass on each map. Remove any smoke that would drift off the map or into a water or blaze hex.

b) Place a new blaze marker [T83] into each non-water, non-blaze hex that is both adjacent to and "downwind" of an existing blaze marker.

c) Any units in a hex into which a blaze spreads must be removed by their owners and placed into any adjacent hex(es) not containing another blaze (inactive player first). They are eliminated otherwise. Also remove any fortification marker from a hex into which a blaze spreads. All other markers remain.

E55. Bushido

"Since the enemy's landing, even the gods would weep at the bravery of the officers and men under my command." — General Tadamichi Kuribayashi

When this event occurs, the Japanese player Rallies [3.2.5] one of his broken units, if any. If he does, he places a veteran marker on that unit if it doesn't already have one [4.1].

E56. Deploy

"Listen up! I need five volunteers."

When this event occurs, the receiving player may select one friendly squad on the map. If he does, the squad is removed from its hex, placed back in the countermix, and replaced with two teams of the same quality – green, line or elite – as that side's OB (as indicated by his OB stats marker on the OB Display). These teams enter play broken if the squad was broken. If there was a weapon, suppressed or veteran marker on the squad, only one of the two teams retains the marker (in the case of multiple markers, they can be split between the two resulting teams). Finally, these teams are treated as being the same unit from which they were created—so if the squad had been activated previously that turn, the teams are considered to have been activated as well; and any pending results against the squad (such as having to become suppressed, broken or eliminated) will immediately affect both teams equally.

Turning one squad into two teams gives you a bit more flexibility in movement, stacking, and garrisoning objectives—and can also increase your net FP when part of a larger Fire Group. The drawback is weaker individual stats and – because there are two where once there was one – they become harder to control without a friendly leader nearby.

E57. Detritus of War

When this event occurs, the receiving player must perform the following activities in the order shown:

a) Smoke—Determine a random hex [1.8]. If that hex is not water terrain and doesn't already contain a blaze marker, he selects a random smoke marker and places it there.

b) Wire—Determine a second random hex. If that hex is not water terrain and does not already contain a blaze or fortification, place a wire marker into it [F107].

c) Mines—Determine a third random hex. If that hex is not water terrain and does not already contain a blaze or fortification, place a mines marker into it [F104].

Reminder: units already in the hex will not be affected by the mines unless and until they Move or Advance out of it.

E58. Field of Battle

"Luck can be assisted. It is not all chance with the wise." —Baltasar Gracian

When this event occurs, the receiving player gains 1 VP if he controls more mapboard objectives than his opponent.

E59. Field Promotion

"Of the Marines on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue." —Chester W. Nimitz

When this event occurs, if not already on the map, the receiving player may place his nation's "Private" (the one with "6" morale and "2" command) into a hex occupied by one of his broken units.

E60. Gusts

When this event occurs, it will instruct the players to remove from the map either all smoke with an odd-numbered Hindrance value or all smoke with an even-numbered Hindrance value. Place all such removed smoke markers back into the draw cup.

E61. Hero

"I am not a hero but the brave men who died deserved this honor." —Ira Hayes

When this event occurs, if the receiving player's Hero unit [3.3.2] is not already on the map, he may place it into any friendly hex. If he does, he may rally [3.2.5] one broken unit in that placement hex.

E62. Interdiction

"I raised my head a bit to survey my surroundings and got the top of my ear shot off for my troubles." —Private Wong

When this event occurs, the receiving player must select one unsuppressed unit (enemy or friendly; broken or unbroken) that occupies a hex with Cover less than 1. Place a suppressed marker [4.2] on that unit.

E63. Jam

When this event occurs, the receiving player must determine a random hex [1.8]. Break the Japanese weapon closest to that hex. If already broken, eliminate it instead. In case of a tie for nearest Japanese weapon, the player drawing the event chooses which of those weapons will be affected.

E64. KIA

"Guadalcanal is no longer merely a name of an island. It is the name of the graveyard of the Japanese Army." —Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi

When this event occurs, the receiving player must select one broken unit (enemy or friendly) and eliminate it.

E65. Malfunction

"The instruments of battle are valuable only if one knows how to use them." —Ardant du Picq

When this event occurs, the receiving player must determine a random hex [1.8]. Break the unbroken weapon (enemy or friendly) closest to that hex. In case of a tie for nearest unbroken weapon, the player drawing the event chooses which one will be affected.

E66. Medic!

When this event occurs, the receiving player must select one broken unit (enemy or friendly) and rally it [3.2.5].

E67. Mission Objective

"We are not retreating—we are advancing in another direction." —Douglas MacArthur

When this event occurs, the receiving player draws one (secret) objective chit at random. This new objective chit does not replace any existing chits – it is used in conjunction with them – and may be kept secret from the opponent unless it is one that has no "(secret)" side.

E68. Prisoners of War

"We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it." —Winston Churchill

When this event occurs, the receiving player must select one of his own broken units that is adjacent to or in the same hex as an enemy unit and eliminate it.

If it somehow wasn't a good idea before, try to keep your broken units far away from enemy units.

E69. Reconnaissance

"Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted." —British Army Field Service Regulations

When this event occurs, the opposing player must select and reveal one of his unrevealed secret objective chits, if any. The revealed chit becomes an open objective chit for the remainder of the game.

Remember to award any VPs corresponding to that chit's mapboard objective(s) to their current controller right away.

E70. Reinforcements

"Reinforcements are always more formidable to an enemy than the troops with which he is already engaged." —Brasidas of Sparta

When this event occurs, the receiving player performs the following steps in the order shown:

a) Make a roll on his nation's Support Table [on his faction's player aid card];

b) From the column matching the roll, select one unit or Sighting marker – at no cost – that is available for that scenario's year;

c) Place the selected unit (along with its weapon, if any) or Sighting marker into any hex along his friendly map edge. A unit can't be placed in an impassable hex (such as a blaze).

E71. Scrounge

When this event occurs, the receiving player may select one eliminated weapon (enemy or friendly) from the Casualty Track and return that weapon to play – broken – under the control of one of his units currently without a weapon.

Design note—The weapon coming into play is not necessarily the same weapon that was removed earlier; it could just be one that up until that time had had no impact on the battlefield. The Weapons Box of the Casualty Track is really not much more than a mechanical enabler for this particular event.

E72. Shell Shock

"In battle the unusual is met usually, and the abnormal becomes the normal. Soldiers may act like lions and then like scared hares within the passage of a few minutes." —S.L.A. Marshall

When this event occurs, the receiving player must determine a random hex [1.8]. Break the unit (enemy or friendly) closest to that hex. In case of a tie for closest unit, the player drawing the event chooses which will be affected.

E73. Shellholes

When this event occurs, the receiving player must determine a random hex [1.8]. If that hex is not water terrain and does not already contain a blaze or fortification of any kind, place a foxholes marker into it [F103].

E74. Spider Hole

"Everything which the enemy least expects will succeed the best." —Frederick the Great

When this event occurs, the receiving player must perform the following steps in the order shown:

a) Remove the Japanese Hero counter from wherever it is (either on the map, on the Track Display or in the countermix);

b) Determine a random hex [1.8];

c) Place the Hero – along with any weapon or veteran marker that may be attached – in or adjacent to that hex, unbroken and unsuppressed. The Hero can't be placed in an impassable hex (such as a blaze).

E75. Stealth

When this event occurs, the receiving player may select one of his units (or Sighting markers, in the case of Japan) on the map. If he does, he removes that unit or Sighting marker from the hex that it occupies and places it into an adjacent hex. A unit can't be placed in an impassable hex (such as a blaze).

E76. Strategic Objective

"The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years." —James Forrestal

When this event occurs, one objective chit is drawn at random and placed face up ("open") in the center section of the Objectives Box for both players to see.

This new objective chit does not replace any existing chits—it is used in conjunction with them. And if this new chit references one or more mapboard objectives, remember to award those victory points to the objectives' current controller right away.

E77. Suppressing Fire

"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." —Douglas MacArthur

When this event occurs, the receiving player may place a suppressed marker [4.2] on one enemy unit without one that is within both the current range and LOS of one of his functioning MGs—"functioning" meaning the MG itself cannot be broken, nor can the unit possessing it be broken or suppressed.

E78. Tennōheika Banzai!

When this event occurs, check the current VP level.

a) If the VP marker is on the Allied side of the zero space, the Japanese player must change his current Posture to that of Banzai [17.2].

b) If the VP marker either occupies the zero space or is on the Japanese side of the zero space, the Japanese player may change his current Posture to that of Banzai.

c) In either case, if the Japanese Posture is already Banzai this event has no effect.

Effect—If the Japanese Posture changes to Banzai immediately perform the following activities in the order shown:

a) On the OB Display, swap the current Japanese OB stats marker for the "Banzai" OB stats marker.

b) If the Japanese player currently has four or more cards in hand, he discards enough cards of his choice to bring the number of cards in his hand to three.

E79. Walking Wounded

"In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." —Jose Narosky

When this event occurs, the receiving player must perform the following steps in the order shown:

a) Select one eliminated unit (enemy or friendly) on the Casualty Track;

b) Determine a random hex [1.8];

c) Place the selected unit in or adjacent to that hex, broken [3.2]. The unit can't be placed in an impassable hex (such as a blaze).

E80. White Phosphorus

When this event occurs, the receiving player may draw a random smoke marker then place it into a hex adjacent to one of his unbroken squads (only). The selected hex cannot be water terrain nor contain a blaze. If he does, each player that controls a unit in that hex must choose one such friendly unit and break it [3.2].

Terrain

T81. General Rules

Your first time through the rules, you only need to read sections T81.1 – T81.4. The rules for the individual terrain types [T82 – T99], can then be referred to as needed depending on which map is being used.

T81.1 Types & Features

The Terrain Type of every hex on every map is thus defined by whichever Terrain Type both occupies that hex and is positioned nearest the top of the Terrain Chart—even if that terrain doesn't dominate the hex or share space with the hex's center dot. Roads and trails can also occupy a hex, usually modifying a unit's movement therein. Smoke and blaze markers also function as terrain to a certain degree.

Example: A bridge together with a stream is a "bridge hex" for all purposes, not a "stream hex" (and thus not a water hex, either). This also means that a hex is an "open ground hex" only if it contains none of the terrain types shown above it (those with their text on a green background)—it could contain any of the terrain features shown below it (those on a tan background) and still be an "open ground hex", albeit with some sort of modification.

T81.2 Move Costs

Each terrain lists a "Move Cost" which is the amount of MPs a unit must expend to Move [O29] into that hex. The Advance order does not require MP expenditures and thus terrain move costs are ignored when performing that activity.

T81.3 Cover

T81.3.1 General Rules

Each terrain lists a "Cover" in the form of a whole number, which can be negative. Cover directly modifies the morale of every unit in the same hex at all times and for all purposes. Cover is never cumulative, however, so a unit's owner must choose only one instance of Cover to apply if more than one is present.

Squad A shoots at team B with a printed morale of 7 in a palm hex. The team's current morale is actually 8 because of the 1 Cover afforded by the palm. If the team was stacked with a foxholes marker, the owning player could choose to ignore the Cover of the palm and instead add the 3 Cover of the foxholes, giving it 10 morale.

T81.3.2 Overstacking Penalty

Cover within any hex that is overstacked [15.2] is reduced by one for each soldier figure present above 7.

T81.4 LOS

Each terrain lists whether it is an Obstacle, Hindrance or Clear.

Obstacles block same-level LOS. Obstacles usually create one Blind Hex [T89.4.1] to a higher-level observer.
Hindrances reduce the FP of same-level fire attacks traced through them.
Clear terrain has no affect on LOS.

See the LOS rules [16] for more detail.

CC:P's terrain is described in detail, below, and is listed in alphabetical order for ease of reference. This information is also shown graphically on the Terrain Chart.

One of the two generic player aid cards contains a Terrain Chart showing stats for the different terrain in the game. Terrain "Types" are shown on this Chart with green backgrounds. Terrain "Features" are shown with tan backgrounds and generally only serve to modify the Terrain Type they share a hex with. The Terrain Chart also lists the various terrain in hierarchical order—that is, if a hex contains two or more Terrain Types, the one closest to the top of the chart takes precedence.

T82. Beach

MOVE COST: 1½ COVER: 0 LOS: Clear

Sand—The Fire Attack Total of any dive bomber, radio or ordnance weapon attacking a beach hex is always decreased by 2.

T83. Blaze

MOVE COST: Impassable, blocks LOS COVER: Impassable LOS: Obstacle (at all levels)

T84. Bridge

A bridge may span the entirety of one or more hexes, with a small part of the bridge extending across the outermost hexsides into opposite hexes—in this case, those opposite hexes are not considered bridge hexes.

MOVE COST: 1 if traversing a bridge/road/trail hexside; otherwise use the cost of the other terrain in the hex. COVER: 1 LOS: Clear

T85. Building

A building is defined as any obviously manmade structure (other than a bridge) that spans two or more hexes. If a hex contains the depiction of one or more non-bridge structures but none of those structures crosses a hexside into an adjacent hex, then it is not a building but a "hut" instead [T90].

MOVE COST: 2 COVER: 3 LOS: Obstacle; creates one Blind Hex [T89.4.1]

Building Objectives—If a mapboard objective [2.3] occupies a building hex, the "objective" is considered to be the entirety of that building (that is, every hex that it occupies), not just the hex containing the objective number.

T86. Bush

MOVE COST: 2 COVER: 2 LOS: 2 Hindrance

This catch-all terrain represents a diverse set of ground effects such as brush, crags, light jungle or woods, coral, scree, scrub, boulders, etc.

T87. Grass

MOVE COST: 2 COVER: 0 LOS: 3 Hindrance

This terrain represents tall – sometimes sharp-edged – grasses often referred to as sedge, sawgrass, elephant grass or kunai.

T88. Gully

MOVE COST: 2 COVER: 1 LOS: Clear

Depression—A unit in a gully cannot be seen except from an adjacent hex or a hex at a higher level [T89], and vice versa.

T89. Hills

Due to the relative complexity of hills and their attendant rules – such as caves – new players may want to play their first few scenarios on those maps without hills.

The standard buff green open ground hex in CC:P is said to be at level "0" or "ground level". Hills can then be thought of as being at levels 1 (tan), 2 (light brown), 3 (medium brown) or 4 (dark brown). Therefore, a unit on a hill is above any terrain occupying either a ground-level hex or a hill hex of a lower level. The level at which a hill hex's center dot lies is its actual level when multiple levels appear in a hex. A hill hex functions exactly like any other ground level hex except as modified below.

T89.1 Uphill Movement

When entering a hex that is at a higher level than the one it is leaving, a moving unit must expend +1 MP per elevation change. There is no MP modifier – lost or gained – when moving downhill.

A unit moving from a level 0 hex into an adjacent level 2 hex would have to expend +2 MPs to do so.

A unit moving from a level 1 hill hex containing jungle to a level 2 hill hex containing jungle must expend 4 MPs (3 for the jungle plus 1 for the change in level). The reverse "downhill" move would cost only 3 MP.

T89.2 Height Advantage

A Fire Attack suffers –1 FP if the target hex is at a higher level than any one firing unit or weapon. Conversely, a Fire Attack gains +1 FP if the target hex is at a lower level than any one firing unit or weapon. Attacks made by radios and aircraft are not affected.

T89.3 Hills & LOS

T89.3.1 Military Crest Lines

A hex showing more than one level is termed a "Crest" hex. The level at which a Crest hex's center dot lies is its actual level. In every Crest hex, the physical edge of each hill level is termed a "Crest Line".

T89.3.2 Vertical LOS

A unit may only trace a LOS into the initial Crest hex of each level above it. Likewise, a unit on a hill may trace a LOS to a hex at a lower level only if that LOS never passes through a Crest Line of equal or greater height in an intervening hex.

So unit A on a hill can see unit B at a lower level only if the LOS from unit A both: crosses a Crest Line before it crosses a hexside; and never again crosses a Crest Line of the same or higher level.

A unit on a level 2 hill can see past an intervening level 2 hill only to another hill hex of level 2, 3 or 4. If that intervening hill were instead level 3, the target hex would have to be at level 4 to be seen—and even then it would have to be a level 4 Crest.

It may help to think of each hill level in CC:P as a thick, flat pancake; or perhaps one layer of a wedding cake.

T89.3.3 Hills as Obstacles

A hill itself blocks LOS traced between any two hexes of lower level.

A unit on a level 1 hill cannot see past an intervening level 2 hill to another level 1 hill hex.

T89.4 Hills & Obstacles

The LOS to or from a hill hex is blocked only if it clearly touches any part of the physical depiction of an Obstacle at the same or higher level as that hill hex. In other words, LOS to or from a hill hex is not blocked by Obstacles that lie at a lower level (exception: see Blind Hexes, below).

A unit on a level 1 hill can see past (over) intervening jungle at level 0 to another unit on a distant level 1 hill. If the jungle were also on a hill, however, that LOS would be blocked.

A blaze marker, however, always blocks LOS through its hex regardless of the sighter's or target's level. The obstacle that a blaze marker and its attendant smoke cloud creates is considered to be at a height sufficient enough to affect any possible LOS that can be represented in the game.

A unit on a hill can see into a lower-level jungle, swamp or building hex, as normal, but can not see into the next hex beyond it if that next hex is also at or lower than the jungle/swamp/building hex's level. In other words, a lower-level jungle, swamp or building creates a one-hex blind zone behind it to an observer at a higher level—all hexes beyond this blind zone are visible from the hill (barring further jungle/swamp/buildings along the way).

A unit on a level 1 hill can see past a level 0 building except into the level 0 hex directly behind it. Conversely, a unit on a level 1 hill could see past an intervening level 1 building to a unit at level 2 or higher unless that building was in the first intervening hex along that LOS.

T89.5 Hills & Hindrances

Any mapboard Hindrance terrain at a lower level does not hinder LOS to or from a hill hex. A Hindrance on a hill does hinder LOS between two other hill hexes of the same level as that Hindrance. A smoke marker, however, always hinders LOS through its hex, regardless of the sighter's or target's level.

The hindrance that a smoke marker creates is considered to be at a height sufficient enough to affect any possible LOS that can be represented in the game.

Note that all the above hill rules are based upon the premise that in CC:P each hill level is taller than a mapboard Obstacle, and every mapboard Obstacle is taller than a mapboard Hindrance.

See also the LOS example in the playbook.

T90. Hut

A hut is defined as any obviously manmade structure (other than a bridge) that occupies only one hex. The hex may contain more than one such hut depiction, but none of them can cross a hexside into another hex without being termed a "building" instead [T85].

MOVE COST: 2 COVER: 2 LOS: 4 Hindrance

T91. Jungle

MOVE COST: 3 COVER: 2 LOS: Obstacle; creates one Blind Hex [T89.4.1]

Airbursts—The Fire Attack Total of any mortar or artillery attack against a jungle hex is always increased by 2.

So a 6-FP mortar that fires into a jungle hex and makes an Attack roll of "7" would have an Attack Total of 15 instead of 13. This is true even if one or more units in the targeted hex will be using an alternate Cover, such as from a cave or pillbox.

T92. Open Ground

MOVE COST: 1 COVER: 0 LOS: Clear

T93. Palm

MOVE COST: 1 COVER: 1 LOS: 1 Hindrance

T94. Road

MOVE COST: 1 if travelling along the road depiction (that is, the moving unit crossed a road hexside as it entered the hex); ½ if travelling along the road depiction and no enemy unit has a LOS to that hex; otherwise, depends on the other terrain in the hex. COVER: Use other terrain in the hex. LOS: Clear

Compared to European streets and boulevards, Pacific theater roads are often not much more than wide trails.

T95. Smoke

Before beginning play, place all smoke markers into an opaque cup so that they may be drawn at random when called for during play.

MOVE COST: Use other terrain in the hex. COVER: Use other terrain in the hex. LOS: 1-8 Hindrance into or out of or through [16.3.4].

The actual Hindrance value of smoke is printed on the markers themselves.

T96. Stream

MOVE COST: 3 COVER: –1 (negative one) LOS: Clear

Water Terrain—No weapon of any kind may fire from a stream hex. No blaze, smoke or fortification of any kind may ever occupy a stream hex.

T97. Swamp

MOVE COST: 4 COVER: 2 LOS: Obstacle; creates one Blind Hex [T89.4.1]

Water Terrain—No weapon of any kind may fire from a swamp hex. No blaze, smoke or fortification of any kind may ever occupy a swamp hex.

Airbursts—The Fire Attack Total of any mortar or artillery attack against a swamp hex is always increased by 2.

So a 6-FP mortar that fires into a swamp hex and makes an Attack roll of "7" would have an Attack Total of 15 instead of 13.

T98. Trail

MOVE COST: 1 if traveling along the trail depiction (that is, the moving unit crossed a trail hexside as it entered the hex); otherwise, depends on the other terrain in the hex. COVER: Use other terrain in the hex. LOS: Clear

T99. Water Barrier

A water barrier represents any body of water deep enough and/or large enough to hinder non-amphibious movement—from a Pond to a River to the Pacific Ocean itself.

MOVE COST: all

A moving unit must begin its Move order adjacent to the water barrier hex it enters and cannot Move into any other hexes along the way. A unit loses all remaining MPs after entering a water barrier hex, even if that hex contains a leader.

COVER: –2 (negative two) LOS: Clear

Water Terrain—No weapon of any kind may fire from a water barrier hex. No blaze, smoke or fortification of any kind may ever occupy a water barrier hex.

Fortifications

F100. General Rules

The following sections [F101–F107] need not be read and memorized your first time through the rules: They can be safely ignored until a fortification actually enters play—players can then look up the rules for that particular marker.

F100.1 Acquisition

There are seven "fortifications" in the game: cave, foxholes, trench, mines, wire, bunker and pillbox. Fortifications are normally brought into play at the beginning of a scenario, though some can also enter play during the game due to various actions and events.

F100.2 Removal

Fortifications can be eliminated during play via various events, the Demolitions action [A38], the Explosive Charge action [A40] or the Fortification Vulnerability Table [O24.3.4] when its hex is attacked by artillery or dive bomber.

F100.3 Stacking

No more than one fortification marker may ever occupy a single hex. The first such fortification to be placed in a hex takes precedence. Fortifications may never occupy water terrain (i.e. a bridgeless stream, swamp or water barrier).

The various fortifications are described in detail, below, and are listed in alphabetical order for ease of reference. A condensed version of the following information can also be found on the Track Display for ease of reference during play.

F101. Bunker

A bunker gives the hex it occupies an alternate Cover of "6" ("7" instead vs aircraft, mortars and artillery). As usual, this is not cumulative with other Cover in the hex.

During melee, the side that was the last sole occupant of a bunker hex wins if the Melee Totals are tied.

F102. Cave

A cave marker may only ever occupy a Hill Crest hex [T89.3.1]. One cave marker often represents multiple actual caves.

F102.1 Cave Occupancy

Japanese units (only) sharing a hex with a cave marker must always be identified as being "inside" or "outside" of that cave. Japanese units physically stacked underneath a cave marker are considered to be inside the cave—all other units in that hex are outside the cave (and thus derive no benefit/detriment from the cave [F102.2 & F102.3]).

Only Japanese units can use caves. Allied units can share a hex with a cave but are never considered to be inside it.

F102.1.1 Entering & Exiting Caves

A Japanese unit may only ever change its position within a cave hex – that is, enter or leave the cave – at the following times:

at the beginning of any order in which it is activated;
at the conclusion of any Move [O29] or Advance [O22] order (only) in which it was activated;
immediately after it is placed into the cave's hex (via the Infiltrate order [O28] or Stealth event [E75], for example);
immediately after the cave is placed into its hex (via the Hidden Cave action [A43.1]).

Entering or exiting a cave (as opposed to a cave's hex) is not considered movement, so no MPs need be expended and no Op Fire or other reactions are possible by the opponent.

So a Japanese unit activated to Move could exit a cave (although remaining in the same hex), Move into one or more new hexes then, in the last hex entered, be placed inside a cave in that final hex when the active player declared his Move order complete. Op Fire by the Allied player could be performed immediately upon the unit entering any of these new hexes as normal, but not as it initially exits the first cave and not when it enters the cave in the final hex of its movement.

F102.1.2 Caves & Stacking

A cave doesn't have a separate stacking limit for units: it shares the stacking limit of the hex it occupies.

F102.2 Cave Openings

F102.2.1 Cave Slopes

Another hex is considered to be "downslope" of a cave (and thus also to that cave's occupants) if the LOS to or from the cave's hex is traced through a lower-level hexside of the cave's hex. In other words, to be downslope of a cave, a LOS thread stretched taut between the cave hex's center dot and the other hex's center dot must, at the exact point that it crosses a hexside of the cave's hex, be at a lower level than that of the cave hex itself. Conversely, another hex is considered to be "upslope" of a unit inside a cave if the LOS thread crosses a hexside of that cave's hex at a point equal to or greater than that of the cave hex itself.

F102.2.2 Cave Visibility

Units inside a cave trace LOS normally to hexes lying downslope of that cave, and vice versa. However, units inside a cave never have LOS to any hex lying upslope of that cave. Similarly, units upslope of a cave never have LOS to units inside that cave—even if they may be able to see other units in the same hex but outside the cave. Because of this, units inside a cave are immune to all fire attacks emanating from a unit or weapon upslope of them, even when other units in the same hex – but outside the cave – are affected normally.

So it is possible to have LOS to a cave's hex without being able to see any unit inside that hex's cave. This is important for things like fire attacks and being able to play a Reconnoiter order, among other things.

Example: A fire attack made against a cave hex from upslope will affect Japanese units outside the cave only—never the units inside the cave. (Indeed, if there were no enemy units outside the cave the fire attack couldn't be announced to begin with as no enemy unit could be seen in the hex.) Targeted units outside the cave will always use the other (non-cave) Cover of the hex.

F102.2.3 Cave Cover

A cave bestows upon its occupants – only; not the hex itself – an alternate Cover of "4" to most fire attacks emanating from downslope. A cave grants its occupants an alternate Cover of "8" instead vs

aircraft or mortar attacks emanating from downslope
any artillery attack.

As usual, these Cover values are not cumulative with any other Cover in the hex.

F102.3 Cave Tunnels

A Japanese unit inside a cave may Advance – never Move – directly to any other hex containing a cave (not just an adjacent one). Caves are considered linked to one another by underground tunnels, whether natural or excavated.

See also the cave example in the playbook.

F103. Foxholes

"Goddamit, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!" —Lt. Colonel Henry P. Crowe, USMC: Guadalcanal, 13 January 1943

A foxholes marker gives the hex it occupies an alternate Cover of "3" ("4" instead vs aircraft, mortars and artillery). As usual, this is not cumulative with other Cover in the hex.

F104. Mines

"Everything that is shot or thrown at you or dropped on you in war is most unpleasant but, of all horrible devices, the most terrifying ... is the land mine." —Sir William Slim

F104.1 General Rules

A mines marker occupying a hex will attack any unit (enemy or friendly) that Moves or Advances into or out of that hex. Units entering/exiting together are attacked with a single roll; otherwise a separate Mine Attack should be made against each unit as it enters or exits a hex containing mines. Units that were already in a mines hex at the moment another unit enters/exits the hex are immune to that Mine Attack.

F104.2 Mine Attack

The strength of a Mine Attack is a default 6 FP unless the scenario specifically assigns (or the Scenario Defender specifically purchases) a 7- or 8-FP Minefield capability.

In such a case, players may wish to place the Minefields marker pictured above on its appropriate side into the matching space of the Track Display for ease of reference during play.

Cover for a Mine Attack is automatically set to "0", and cannot be modified by any means.

A Mine Attack roll follows the same general rules and restrictions as for a Fire Attack roll [O27.3.3 & O27.3.4] except that only the moving/advancing units in the hex need make a Defense roll. The player controlling such a unit makes its Defense roll whereas his opponent makes the Attack roll.

Important—An unbroken unit that becomes broken while leaving a Mined hex is still placed into the hex it was entering.

It made it but might have a casualty to contend with.

F105. Pillbox

"However firm and stout pillboxes you may build at the beach, they will be destroyed by bombardment of main armament of the battleships." —Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi: Report to Japanese Imperial Headquarters from Iwo Jima

A pillbox gives the hex it occupies an alternate Cover of "5" ("6" instead vs aircraft, mortars and artillery). As usual, this is not cumulative with other Cover in the hex.

During melee, the side that was the last sole occupant of a pillbox hex wins if the Melee Totals are tied.

F106. Trench

F106.1 General Rules

A trench marker gives the hex it occupies an alternate Cover of "4" ("5" instead vs aircraft, mortars and artillery). As usual, this is not cumulative with other Cover in the hex.

F106.2 Trenches & Movement

A unit moving from one hex containing a trench into an adjacent hex containing a trench, bunker or pillbox (or vice versa) always expends only 1 MP to do so, regardless of the terrain in the two hexes. This applies even if the unit is moving uphill. Furthermore, that unit cannot be the target of Op Fire [A41] in the hex moved into.

F107. Wire

F107.1 General Rules

A wire marker sharing a hex with a unit affects that unit by reducing each of its FP, range and morale numbers by 1. Command is unaffected by wire.

F107.2 Wire & Movement

A moving unit loses all remaining MPs immediately after entering or exiting a hex containing wire.

So if a unit begins its Move in a wire hex it must stop moving in the first hex entered—even if that hex contained a friendly leader. If a unit moves into a wire hex, its movement will also automatically cease there.

Units can Advance into and out of a wire hex normally, as MPs are not utilized during an Advance order.

F107.3 Wire & Fire Attacks

Units in a hex with wire cannot form a Fire Group [O27.3.1] with pieces outside the hex. No weapon may be fired from a wire hex.

Credits

Game Designer — Chad Jensen

Series Developer — John A. Foley

Co-developer — Kai Jensen

Art Director — Rodger MacGowan

Box Art & Packaging Design — Rodger MacGowan

Cards — Chad Jensen and Mark Simonitch

Counters — Lee Brimmicombe-Wood

Maps — Leland Myrick

Rules & Player Aids — Chad Jensen

Play Testers — Kai Jensen (lead), Alex Ostroumov, Mark Beyak, Kris Adamson, Richard Pardoe, David desJardins, John Gibbins, Rob Bottos, Omar Little, Martin Scott, Chris Storzillo, Marty Sample and Paul Bravey

Production Coordinator — Tony Curtis

Producers — Gene Billingsley, Tony Curtis, Andy Lewis, Rodger MacGowan and Mark Simonitch

Order & Action Manifest

The following table lists how many of each Order and Action card appear in each nation's 72-card Fate deck.

Orders	Japan	CW	US
Advance	x10	x6	x5
Asset Denied	x3	x3	x3
Asset Request	x6	x8	x9
Charge*	x5	–	–
Command Confusion	–	x11	x12
Fire	x20	x20	x20
Infiltrate	x5	–	–
Move	x10	x11	x12
Reconnoiter	x5	x4	x3
Revive	x8	x9	x8

Actions	Japan	CW	US
Ambush	x6	x4	x3
Bayonets	x6	x4	x3
Bore Sighting**	x1	x1	x1
Command Confusion	x2	x3	x4
Crossfire	x8	x8	x8
Demolitions	x3	x3	x3
Enfilade	x6	x6	x6
Explosive Charge	x1	x2	x3
Hand Grenades	x9	x9	x9
Hidden Cave**	x1	–	–
Hidden Mines**	–	x1	x1
Hidden Panji Trap**	x3	–	–
Hidden Pillbox**	x2	x1	x1
Hidden Trenchline**	x2	x2	x2
Hidden Unit**	x1	x1	x1
Hidden Wire**	–	x2	x2
Light Wounds	x12	x6	x6
Marksmanship	–	x6	x3
No Quarter	x3	–	x1
Smoke Screen	–	x4	x6
Sustained Fire	x6	x9	x9

* Banzai Posture only ** Defender Posture only

Sources & Suggested Reading

Bergerud, Eric. Touched with Fire – The Land War in the South Pacific. New York, Viking, 1996.

Bidwell, Shelford. Artillery Tactics 1939-45. Surrey, England, Almark Publishing, 1976.

Bishop, Chris. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. New York, Metro Books, 1998.

Buell, Hal (ed.). World War II Album – The Complete Chronicle of the World's Greatest Conflict. New York, Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc, 2002.

Bull, Stephen, Dr. World War II Jungle Warfare Tactics. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2007.

Camp, Dick. Iwo Jima Recon – The U.S. Navy At War, February 17, 1945. St. Paul, MN, Zenith Press, 2007.

Cannadine, David. Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat – The Speeches of Winston Churchill. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1989.

Cowley, Robert (ed.). No End Save Victory – Perspectives on World War II. New York, Putnam, 2001.

Dear, I.C.B. (ed.). The Oxford Guide to World War II. Oxford University Press, 1995.

Deighton, Len. Blood, Tears and Folly. Edison, NJ, Castle Books, 1993.

Edgerton, Robert B. Warriors of the Rising Sun – A History of the Japanese Military. New York, Norton, 1997.

Esposito, Brigadier General Vincent J. (ed.). The West Point Atlas of War – World War II: The Pacific. New York, Tess Press, 1959.

Hallas, James H. Killing Ground on Okinawa – The Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill. Westport, CT, Praeger, 1996.

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Combat Commander: Pacific Rulebook

Table of Contents

Foreword
CC:Europe to CC:Pacific — What's Different?
Game Contents
Game Scale
Glossary
Core Rules—Components
Core Rules—Mechanics
Orders
Actions
Events
Terrain
Fortifications
Credits
Order & Action Manifest
Sources & Suggested Reading