Dagger Thrusts: Patton & Montgomery, September 1944

Dagger Thrusts: Patton & Montgomery, September 1944 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Mapsheet Terrain Key Erratum
1.0 Introduction & Designer's Notes
2.0 Game Components
3.0 Set Up & Hex Control
4.0 How to Win
5.0 Turn Sequence
6.0 Allied Supply
7.0 Stacking & Fog of War
8.0 Zones of Control
9.0 Reinforcements & Replacements
10.0 Movement & Mobile Assaults
11.0 Combat Phase Prepared Assaults
12.0 Charts & Tables
13.0 Dagger Thrust: Montgomery

Mapsheet Terrain Key Erratum

On the Terrain Key printed down the center of the mapsheet, two terrain icons have been switched with each other. That is, within the Key, the manmade terrain icon shown as City should actually be shown as Ruhr City, while the manmade terrain icon shown as Ruhr City should actually be shown as City. Those terrain representations on the playing area of the map itself are correct.

Also Note that wherever on the map you see the word Damns or Damn, that should instead read DAms or dam.

1.0 Introduction & Designer's Notes

1.1 Designer's Notes

This game came into being as the result of the influence on my thinking of four men. The first was Frank Chadwick, who a quarter-century ago designed the GDW game Road to the Rhine, which put the kernel of the idea in my head. The second was historian Victor Davis Hanson, whose excellent 1999 book, The Soul of Battle, got me thinking about Patton again for the first time in many years. The third was Gen. Patton himself, who, by mastering mobile warfare to the extent he did, created the factual basis for the alternative history modeled in this game. The fourth was Doc Cummins, who, one day a few weeks prior to my writing this, said, out of the blue: Say, have you ever given any thought to doing an alternative history game based on the idea Eisenhower sent the gasoline and supplies to Patton, rather than to Montgomery, in September '44?

Thus was born this low-complexity, two-player examination of the historic alternative to Montgomery's ill-fated Operation Market Garden. Instead of his left-jab through lowland Holland to the Rhine, we have Patton's right-hook, starting at Metz and swinging north and east toward the Ruhr for a war-winning knockout blow. Or, as an alternative within an alternative, the Allied player may try for a more conservative push straight east to the Rhine, there to create a bridgehead over that German 'father of waters,' thereby likely advancing the advent of V-E Day by at least three or four months.

As soon as you begin to game Patton's alternative to Montgomery's all or nothing plan, it becomes clear what a huge opportunity Eisenhower missed by backing the wrong subordinate. That is, for the British field marshal's plan to have succeeded, it really did have to go all the way, or at least get across the Rhine in some significant way. Failing short of both the Rhine and the Ruhr, as happened historically, meant a month had been wasted and a lot of lives lost only to create a salient to nowhere. Had Patton's idea been tried, only to fail as badly, a salient of that same size – but jutting north into the Rhineland from a base at Metz – would've done much more for the Allied cause.

With an Allied salient intruding behind the main part of the Germans' West Wall fortification line, Hitler's entire historic scenario for the Anglo-Allied front late in 1944 would've been largely thwarted, if not completely overturned. For instance, it's difficult to imagine any way he could still have launched his Ardennes counteroffensive. Had Patton failed to reach the Ruhr, but still managed to set up a functional Rhine River bridgehead late in the summer of 1944, it's again difficult to see how anything but a speedier end to the war in Europe could've come from even just that 'partial' success. And, of course, had Patton blitzed his way into the Ruhr, the industrial heartland of the Third Reich, Germany simply could no longer have continued the war. Complete political and military collapse would no doubt have followed quickly, thereby saving the millions of lives lost historically in Europe between October 1944 and May 1945, and ending the fighting with the Red Army still mostly outside central Europe.

It was again Doc's inspiration to broaden the appeal of this design beyond those who enjoy alternative history by including the second, historical, scenario. At first we were only going to cover the actual Market-Garden portion of Montgomery's operations in September 1944. It quickly became apparent, however, portrayed at these time, space and unit scales, such a game would be a complete dud (with a map about nine hexes long and three hexes wide). So I broadened the thing's shoulders, so to speak, by expanding the coverage to take in all Montgomery's possibilities that fateful month. So now you can choose a straight-up historic approach, or you can have alternative history within your actual history.

1.2 Game Scales

Each hex on the map equals seven miles from side to opposite side. Each game turn represents three days. Playing pieces represent divisions, brigades, combat commands and regiments of various kinds of infantry and armor formations, each containing from about 3,000 to 14,000 men and 50 to 400 armored fighting vehicles.

1.3 Halving

The general rule concerning the halving of numbers in the game is, whenever any such division takes place, all remainders are rounded down. Thus, for example, half of three is one, and half of two is one. If, however, only a single unit's combat factor is being halved, half of one is one. That is, no single unit's combat factor is ever reduced below one for any reason. If there were two or more units in the same battle and both were to be halved, all those involved units' combat factors would first be added together, so only one division and round-off would be made.

1.4 North

In the rules, whenever a compass direction is referenced, it should be understood the north side of the Dagger Thrust: Patton map is composed of hexes 4000 to 4007, inclusive. The east side of that map is composed of hexes 1018 to 4007, inclusive. The south side is 1000 to 1018, inclusive, and the west side is 1000 to 4000, inclusive. Similarly, the north side of the Dagger Thrust: Montgomery map is composed of hexes 1001 to 3401, inclusive; the east is 3401 through 3415, inclusive, and the south is 3415 through 1015. Note the corner hexes are therefore each part of two map sides.

1.5 Allied Command Structures

All the Allied units in the Patton game belong to one of two major commands: 1st Allied Airborne Army (1AAA) or the US 3rd Army. If a rule pertains to units of both those commands, it will be described as applying to all Allied units. If a rule pertains only to the 1st Allied Airborne Army, it will be described as applying only to the units of the 1AAA, and similarly with rules pertaining only to 3rd Army.

In the Montgomery game, all Allied units belong to one of three major commands: 1st Allied Airborne Army (1AAA), US 1st Army, or 21st Army Group. If a rule pertains to the units of all three of those commands, it will be described as applying to all Allied units.

1.6 Overall Rules Organization

The two game's general systems rules are presented in sections 1.0 through 12.0. All the particulars concerning the Patton game are also in those 12 sections. Rules specific to the Montgomery game are all presented in rules section 13.0. Except in so far as they're changed, added to, amended or deleted within section 13.0, all the rules presented in sections 1.0 through 12.0 also pertain to the Montgomery game.

2.0 Game Components

2.1 In General

The components to a complete game of Dagger Thrust (DT) include these rules, the mapsheet and 176 die-cut counters (also called units and unit counters). Players must provide themselves with a standard (six-sided) die to resolve combat and other probabilistic events that occur during play.

2.2 Game Map

The game map represents the militarily significant terrain found in and around the Rhineland in 1944 when portrayed at this scale. A hexagonal (hex) grid has been printed over it to regulate unit placement and movement similar to the way squares are used on Chess and Checker boards. A unit is always in only one hex at any one instant.

Each hex contains natural and/or manmade terrain features that may effect movement and combat. The map's terrain representations have been altered slightly from their exact real-world configurations in order to make them conform to the hex-grid, but the terrain relationships from hex to hex are accurate to the degree necessary to present players with the same space and time dilemmas that were faced by their historic counterparts during these campaigns.

Each hex on the map has a unique four-digit number printed in it. They are provided to help you find specific locations referred to in the rules (for example, the city of Aachen is in hex 2900 on the Patton map), and to allow you to record unit positions if a match has to be interrupted and taken down before it can be completed.

2.3 Counters

There are 176 counters in the game, most of which represent combat units; others are provided as memory aids and informational markers. Carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the dog ears from their corners and sides with a fingernail clipper facilitates handling and stacking during play and enhances their appearance. Each combat unit counter displays several pieces of information: nationality, organizational affiliation, specific type, mobility class, combat and step strength, reinforcement or set up status, and historic unit identifications.

2.4 A Sample Combat Unit

This unit is the German 1st SS Panzer Division. It has a combat factor of 3 and begins play set up in any non-Ruhr city hex in Germany (indicated by the A in its upper-left corner; see 3.4 below). It contains one strength step.

2.5 Sides

A unit's nationality, and therefore its side, as well as its mobility class is indicated by its color scheme.

The German Side

Mechanized units: white on black
Non-Mechanized units: black on gray
FLAK (static): black on sky blue

The Allied Side

US 3rd Army Divisional units (all mechanized) – black on green with unit-type boxes colored according to division affiliation
US 3rd Army Armored Cavalry Regiments – black on green
1st Allied Airborne Army (static): black on tan

2.6 Historic Unit Identifications & Other Abbreviations

Each ground combat unit is identified by the number or abbreviated name of its historic counterpart. Abbreviations are also printed on the counters to indicate their set up positions or times of entry onto the map. The abbreviations are as follows:

A – Any Ruhr and/or Non-Ruhr City Hexes in Germany (see 3.4)
B – British
Lehr – Elite German Army Panzer Training & Demonstration Unit
M – Metz Garrison (see 3.2)
Po – Polish
SS – Schutzstaffel (Security Service; elite Nazi Party Troops)
W. – Kampfgruppe (battlegroup) Walter

2.7 Unit Types & Mobility Classes

Units are distinguished by their specific type and mobility class, that is, whether they move about mostly using some kind of motor vehicles, go afoot, or don't move at all. Among the units in the game there are three mobility classes: mechanized, non-mechanized and static. There are three types of mechanized-class units, three types of non-mechanized-class units, and one type of static units.

Mechanized Units

Panzer/Armor
Assault Gun
Panzer Grenadier (German mechanized infantry)
US Motorized Infantry

German Non-Mechanized Units

Regular Infantry
Paratroop Infantry
Air Landing Infantry

Static Units

FLAK (German only)
1AAA Airborne (Allied only)
1AAA Air Landing (Allied only)

Note that among the German units in the game, paratroop and air landing units are treated for all purposes like regular (non-mechanized) infantry. On the Allied side, airborne (paratroops) and air landing units are static. The simple way to remember that distinction is to go by both groups' color schemes (see 2.5).

2.8 Unit Sizes

Units' organizational sizes are indicated by the symbols atop their unit-type boxes. There is no real difference in functionality among divisions, brigades and regiments; those details are provided for historical accuracy (and also see the stacking rules, section 7.0).

If a German unit has its organizational size-symbol bracketed on its counter, that unit is a Kampfgruppe (KG). That is, it's an ad hoc battlegroup unit that wasn't part of that army's normal tables of organization, but that was instead assembled on an emergency basis to take part in these campaigns. The size-symbol beneath the bracket corresponds to the standard-unit-size that most closely corresponds to the actual size of that KG, or to the size of that unit before it suffered heavy casualties and then reorganized as a KG (most likely as a unit of roughly battalion size).

XX – Division
X – Brigade or US armored division Combat Command
III – Regiment
II – Battalion

2.9 Combat Factors

This number is a measure of each unit's relative ability to attack and defend (see section 10.0).

2.10 Movement Factors by Mobility Class

Unlike most wargames, the movement factors of the units are not printed on their counters. Those numbers, which are measures of each unit's ability to move across the hex field printed on the map, are determined by each one's mobility class (see 2.7 above). The movement factor of all German mechanized-class units in the game is eight. The movement factor of all German non-mechanized units in the game is four. The movement factor of all static units of both sides is zero. The movement factor of all 3rd Army divisional units is 12; that of 3rd Army armored cavalry regiments is 14.

2.11 Step Strength

All units in the game, other than those belonging to the 1AAA, contain one or two strength steps (also simply called steps). That's an arbitrary term used to express the ability of a unit to absorb certain amounts of combat losses before ceasing to be an effective formation (a measure of its robustness in current US Army jargon). Those units with combat factors on only one side of their counter are one-step units; those with combat factors on both sides of a single counter are two-step units.

If a two-step unit suffers a step loss, it's flipped over so its reduced side (the one with the lower combat and step values) shows upward. If a one-step unit, or a two-stepper that had already been reduced, takes a step loss, it's removed from the map (eliminated) and placed in the dead pile.

The 1AAA is made up of four divisions (Br 1st and 52nd, US 82nd and 101st), each of which contains four steps, and one separate brigade (P1), which contains two strength steps. The step strength and step reduction process of that last unit is handled just as described for the other units in the game in the two paragraphs above this. Each of the four 1AAA divisions, however, is represented by two counters, only one of which may ever be in play on the map for each division at any one time. When at full-strength, each 1AAA division has four steps. The first two steps are represented by one counter, while the last two steps are represented by a substitute counter (which can easily be identified by the large dots in their upper-right corners).

When a four-step 1AAA division loses its first step, flip over that counter so the side with a step-strength of 3 shows upward. If that division suffers another step loss, remove the 3 counter and replace it, in the exact same location, with the substitute counter containing that division's 2 and 1 step strength levels, with the 2 side showing upward. If that two-step counter suffers a step loss, use the regular reduction procedure described in the first two paragraphs of this rule.

All units of both sides start the game at their full step strengths. No unit may ever give or loan a step to another. All units of both sides that enter the map as reinforcements after play has begun do so at their full step strengths.

2.12 US 3rd Army Divisional Units

The four armored cavalry units in the US 3rd Army (3rd, 6th, 14th and 15th) are termed non-divisional units. That is, those four regiments are all independent (or separate) formations; they don't belong to any divisional grouping within 3rd Army. Every other single unit in the 3rd Army is either a regiment within a (motorized) infantry division, or a combat command (CC) within an armored division. Every division in 3rd Army is made up of three such component sub-units. For example, the US 90th (Motorized) Infantry Division is made up of the 357th, 358th and 359th (Motorized) Infantry Regiments. Further, every component regiment or CC within each division, when at full strength, is a two-step unit. Unlike on German and 1AAA counters, no separate step strength number is printed on any 3rd Army unit counter. That's because for all 3rd Army units, step strength and combat factor are always the same: a unit with a printed combat factor of two also has a step strength of two; a unit with a printed combat factor of one also has a step strength of one.

The 3rd Army characteristics described above are important for stacking and achieving the divisional integrity bonus (see 7.5 and 10.30 for details).

2.13 A Sample US 3rd Army Divisional Unit

This unit is Combat Command A of 3rd Army's 4th Armored Division. It has a combat factor and step strength of two. It begins play off map, but will enter the map during Game Turn 1.

2.14 Other Counters

The uses of the following counters are explained at appropriate points throughout the rest of the rules:

Bridge
Destroyed Marker (see 10.14)
Game Turn Marker (see section 5.0)
Allied Aerial Supply Marker (see 6.5)
3rd Army Replacement Marker (see 9.6)

3.0 Set Up & Hex Control

3.1 In General

After the players have decided who will control which side, each player should sort through and separate all the units belonging to his own side according to the instructions below. Note both players must scrupulously follow the set up sequence given below. Each player sets up only his own side's units. Also note that while completing the steps given below, both players must generally adhere to normal stacking rules (see section 7.0), but also note the special no-stacking restriction of the German's Metz Garrison units given in the third paragraph of rule 3.2. The German player should sit off the east side of the map, facing west, with the Allied player sitting opposite him.

3.2 Initial German Unit Sorting & Reinforcement Codes

All German units with a single number, or asterisked number, in the upper-left corners of their full strength sides are units that enter the game only after play has already begun. The German player should start by placing all the units so numbered into the correspondingly numbered boxes of the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. For example, the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division should be placed into the Game Turn 2 box of the Turn Record Track.

The three German FLAK divisions included in the counter-mix (4th, 7th and 21st) should be placed directly in the hexes on the map corresponding to the number printed in each one's upper-left corner (2513, 3206 and 3604).

The three divisions with M in their upper-left corners (3rd and 15th Panzer Grenadier Divisions, and the 462nd Infantry Division) should be set up in Metz (1302) or any of the six hexes immediately adjacent to that city. None of those three units may set up stacked; they must be placed in their set up sector with no more than one of them per hex. (That special restriction is permanently removed once play begins.)

That will leave the German player with 15 units, each having the letter A printed in their upper-left corners. That A stands for Any city in Germany. Those units, however, should not be placed on the map at this time. The Allied player first needs to complete a portion of his set up. Temporarily set aside the German A units within easy reach.

3.3 Initial Allied Sorting & Reinforcement Codes

The Allied player should first take the 20 full-strength 3rd Army units that each have a 1 printed in their upper-left corners, and place them just off the map near the city of Commercy (1000). He should take his other full-strength 3rd Army units, along with the five aerial supply markers, which each have a number from 2 through 9 printed in their upper-left corners, and sort them into the correspondingly numbered boxes of the Game Turn Record Track. For example, the three full-strength CC counters of the 6th Armored Division go into the box for Game Turn 9.

Next, he should take his five full-strength 1AAA units (see 2.11) and place each one in any clear hex anywhere on the map. Each such hex may have only clear natural terrain in it. The five hexes may contain towns or bridges, but nothing else. The Allied player must select five such hexes, no more and no less, and put one 1AAA unit of his choice into each one. Within the strictures given above, the clear hexes selected may be adjacent to or separated from each other, and they may also be adjacent to hexes containing German units.

3.4 Completing the German Set Up

Once the Allied player has put all his 1AAA units on the map, the German player should then take all the A units he previously set aside and place them, within normal stacking limits (see section 7.0), in any non-Ruhr or Ruhr city hexes in Germany. Within that general stricture they may be placed in hexes directly adjacent to 1AAA units.

Design Note. The set up sequence given above provides a direct and easy way to duplicate the intelligence oversight that historically had the British, in Operation Market-Garden, driving on the one location where the strongest German combat formations opposing them were undergoing rest and refit. Of course, there's no telling if such an oversight would've been duplicated by Patton; however, since the historic blunder played such a huge part in shaping the real battle's outcome, it seemed unfair and inappropriate to let the Americans off that particular hook.

3.5 Initial Marker Placement

After all units have been sorted and placed according to the procedures described above, place the Game Turn marker in the Game Turn 1 box on the Game Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. Temporarily place aside, within easy reach, the other markers pictured in 2.14.

3.6 Hex Control

Hex control is the term used to describe which side is in control of important hexes at different times during play. In this game, hex control is only important when determining victory (see section 4.0). At the start of play, the German side controls all the hexes on the map except for those five occupied by the units of the 1AAA.

The control status of a hex changes the instant a unit of the other side enters it. The control status of each hex may change any number of times during a game as units of the two sides enter and reenter various parts of the map. There mere projection of a zone of control into a hex is not enough to establish or change the control status of that hex. (Don't confuse this idea of hex control with that of zones of control, which is explained in 8.0).

4.0 How to Win

4.1 In General

The Allied player is generally on the offensive throughout the game, attempting to run a campaign that will immediately end World War II in Europe by capturing the economic center of the Third Reich, the Ruhr industrial district. Failing that, or instead of that, the Allied commander may also win by creating a viable strategic bridgehead on the mighty Rhine River's east bank, thereby bringing on V-E Day at least three or four months earlier than occurred historically. The German player wins by preventing the Allied player from fulfilling either of his victory conditions.

4.2 Allied 'Sudden Death' Ruhr Victory

Play stops, and the Allied player is declared to have won the game, the instant the first Ruhr city hex is entered by any unit of 3rd Army. Note the supply status of that entering unit is irrelevant, as is the method of entry (advance after combat, retreat after combat or regular movement). This is by far the greater of the two types of Allied victory.

4.3 Allied Rhine Bridgehead Victory

If, at the end of the last game turn, the Allied player is seen to have established a viable strategic bridgehead anywhere along the Rhine River's east bank, he is declared to have won the game at that time. Note this is not a 'sudden death,' play stopping, victory as described in 4.2. It's possible for the Allied player to create a viable strategic bridgehead at some time during play prior to the game's end (see 5.5), and yet still not win the game because the German player counterattacked and reduced the bridgehead to less than viable status prior to the end of the last game turn.

4.4 Viable Strategic Rhine Bridgehead Defined

To meet the criterion for victory as defined above in rule 4.3, an Allied Rhine bridgehead must: 1) contain five or more Allied controlled hexes on the east side of the Rhine; and 2) all five of those hexes must be in overland supply; and 3) at least five of the bridgehead hexes must be east bank river hexes that are also adjacent to at least one other bridgehead hex. For example, a viable strategic bridgehead could consist of hexes 1915, 2015, 2114, 2115 and 2216. Of course, a bridgehead may be expanded beyond that minimum defined area, both inland from the river bank and/or more broadly along its banks, and still be defined as viable.

5.0 Turn Sequence

5.1 In General

Every game turn of DT is divided into two player turns, one Allied and one German, preceded during Game Turns 8, 9 and 10 by an Autumn Weather Arrival Check. That sequence makes up one game turn, of which there are a maximum of 10 in one entire match. The Allied player turn is the first player turn in every game turn. At the very end of every completed game turn, move forward the Game Turn marker one box on the Game Turn Record Track.

Every action taken by a player must be carried out during the appropriate part of the game turn sequence outlined below. Once a player has finished a particular activity, he may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless his opponent graciously permits it.

5.2 The Turn Sequence

The game turn sequence is given below in outline. The rest of the rules are organized, as much as possible, to explain things in the order they're encountered as you go through each game turn's sequence.

I. Autumn Weather Arrival Check & Roer River Flood Phase
II. Allied Player Turn
- A. 3rd Army Replacement Start Phase
- B. Bridge Destruction Phase
- C. Airborne Arrival & Aerial Supply Phase
- D. Movement or Combat Phase
- E. Movement or Combat Phase
- F. 3rd Army Replacement Completion Phase
III. German Player Turn
- A. Reinforcement Arrival Phase
- B. Movement or Combat Phase
- C. Combat or Movement Phase

5.3 Allied Move/Fight, Fight/Move, Move/Move or Fight/Fight Choice

For each of his player turns, the Allied player determines, and must declare out loud at the start of his player turns, the sequence of phases his forces will use for that player turn. He may choose from among all the combinations presented in the title of this rule. That is, he may choose to have his movement phase first, followed by his combat phase; or he may chose to fight first, then move; or he may choose to have two movement phases; or he may choose to have two combat phases.

Note both players may conduct mobile assaults (also called MAs; see 10.20) during any and all their movement phases using overland supplied 21st Army Group, 1st or 3rd US Army units, or German mechanized-class units. Also note that whenever the Allied player chooses the fight/move sequence, all the prepared assaults he launches during that player turn's combat phase gain a one column rightward odds shift (in addition to all other applicable shifts; see section 11.0). Finally, note further that whenever the Allied player chooses the fight/fight sequence, all the prepared assaults he launches during that player turn's second combat phase suffer a one column leftward odds shift (in addition to all other applicable shifts; see section 11.0).

5.4 German Move/Fight or Fight/Move

The German player may choose between (and announce) only the two phase sequences given in the title of this rule. That is, he may choose to move first and fight second, or he may choose to fight first and move second. Note the German player may conduct mobile assaults (also called MAs; see 10.20) during any and all his movement phases using his mechanized-class units.

5.4 Phase Order Determination Procedure

Both players declare the phase sequence they'll use for their own player turn at the start of each of their own player turns. Each may make only one declaration that applies to all their in-play units that turn. Each player is entirely free to choose among his side's allowed sequence options during each turn of play.

5.5 Ending a Game: Autumn Weather Arrival Checks

At the very start of Game Turn 8, the Allied player should roll a die. If that result is a one, two or three, the game ends immediately and victory is adjudicated on the basis of the situation then extant on the map. (The arrival of heavy autumn rains, along with growing logistical crises on other parts of the front, have forced a halt to major Allied offensive efforts in this campaign.) If the die roll result is four, five or six, Game Turn 8 is played through normally. That same procedure is repeated at the very start of Game Turn 9, and again at the very start of Game Turn 10 if the Game Turn 9 die roll result is another four, five or six. If all three die roll autumn weather checks are passed, play stops at the end of Game Turn 10, no matter what.

5.6 Roer River Flooding

Either player may declare the Roer River dams opened, and thereby flood that river valley, starting with that phase (I.) of Game Turn 1 or later. See 10.29 for details.

6.0 Allied Supply

6.1 In General

The units of the Allied side need supply to operate at their full movement and/or combat potentials. There are no counters representing the actual materiel consumed; instead, that process is represented by supply line tracing to a supply source hex, or by the use of Aerial Supply markers to indicate materiel has been flown into particular hexes by transport aircraft. German units are always automatically in supply throughout the game, no matter their positions on the map.

Design Note. That last statement above will seem blasphemous to some of you; however, during playtesting, the German supply rules we tested simply 'came out in the wash.' That is, this entire campaign is being fought inside those units' home country, all within easy distance of one of the greatest industrial centers of those times. At the same time, the concentric assault bonus (see 11.10) works neatly to simulate the effects of disrupting supply in tactical situations.

6.2 Allied Supply States

There are three supply states for the Allied units in the game, and each unit of that side always exists in one of them: 1) overland supply, which is also referred to as regular supply or regular overland supply; 2) aerial supply; and 3) out of supply, which is also referred to as being OOS or unsupplied.

6.3 Which Units Have Regular Supply

A unit is in supply if it can trace a path of contiguous hexes of any length – not cut by the presence of German ground units, German zones of control (see section 8.0), or unbridged Rhine River hexsides, or blocked mountain hexsides – from its location hex to an Allied supply source hex. Units with supply have their full movement and combat factors available for use that player turn.

The Allied supply source hexes are the 11 west and south map edge hexes inside the Metz Area Supply Line shown on the map (1600 to 1005). Such hexes lose their supply providing ability while occupied by German units, but regain that characteristic the instant such occupation is ended. That process may go on any number of times during each game for each supply source hex.

6.4 Tracing Regular Allied Supply Lines

A supply line (or path) consists of an uninterrupted chain of hexes traced from the unit or stack in question back to a valid supply source. In general, such hex paths may enter and cross all kinds of terrain and water bodies except unbridged Rhine River or blocked Hunsruck Mountain hexsides. Supply lines may never enter hexes occupied by German units or their un-negated zones of control, nor may they enter German controlled Ruhr or non-Ruhr city hexes even if such hexes are at that time empty of actual German units.

Note there is an additional restriction on regular supply line tracing for Allied units in hexes outside the perimeter (to its north and/or east) of the Metz Area Supply Line printed on the map. That is, such units must trace their supply line through the city of Metz (1302), prior to that line reaching any supply source map edge hex, in order for it to be considered a valid supply line. Allied units within the Metz supply area perimeter may simply trace directly to the supply source hexes via any routes within the perimeter. (This rule reflects the controlling status Metz had as a road juncture.)

6.5 Allied Aerial Supply

Throughout the game the Allied player has the ability to deliver supply by aircraft to a grand total of any five of his 3rd Army or 1AAA units anywhere on the map. During Game Turn 1, because of the aerial insertion of the 1AAA units, all that capacity is considered to be automatically tied up with those five units. Starting with Game Turn 2, however, the Allied player is not required to expend his aerial supply capacity solely on the 1AAA units that may still be on the map. He may choose to do so, in whole or part, but he is not required to do so.

He makes that decision, on a unit by unit and game turn by turn basis, starting with phase II.D. (the Airborne Arrival & Aerial Supply Phase) of Game Turn 2. To grant aerial supply to an otherwise OOS unit, the Allied player simply places an aerial supply counter atop it on the map. Note the aerial supply markers have no stacking, step or combat values of their own, and that each one provides aerial supply to up to one full division stacked beneath it. For these purposes, a division equals any three sub-divisional units (regiments or combat commands). More than one marker may be used per hex.

Once placed, an aerial supply marker remains in that hex until phase II.D. of the next game turn or until a German unit enters its hex, whichever comes first. All five of the supply markers may be reused in each turn of play, no matter the circumstances of their removal from the map the previous turn.

A 1AAA unit given aerial supply has its full, printed defense factor available for use that turn. A 3rd Army unit given aerial supply is considered fully supplied while it remains in the hex with the supply counter. If it moves out of that hex, however, its supply state must be judged according to 6.7 below.

6.6 Effects of Being OOS

Units are never eliminated simply for being OOS; units may exist indefinitely in the OOS supply state. OOS 3rd Army units have their movement and combat factors halved (round down all remainders), and they may not launch MAs. OOS 1AAA units have their combat factors halved. (When determining supply state for 3rd Army MAs, judge the status in each MA's launch hex – see 10.20).

6.7 When to Check Supply

Check the supply status of each Allied unit and stack at the start of its movement, and again at the start of each individual battle in which such units are involved on offense or defense. US 3rd Army units found to be OOS at the start of their movement have their movement factors halved for that phase and mobile assaulting is denied them. Any Allied units found to be OOS at the start of any battle in which they're participating, either on offense or defense, have their combat factors halved.

6.8 Deliberate OOS

The Allied player may deliberately move or airdrop his units into hexes wherein they will or may become OOS.

6.9 Further 1AAA Supply & Combat Restrictions

No 1AAA unit may trace a regular overland supply line – no matter its situation on the map – until such time as one or more overland-supplied 3rd Army units have entered or passed through its hex. Note, too, no 1AAA unit may attack unless one or more overland-supplied 3rd Army units are also conducting a prepared assault with it while also being stacked with it. In such situations, the 1AAA unit may contribute its combat factor to that attack (it still may not advance after combat see 11.13).

7.0 Stacking & Fog of War

7.1 In General

Stacking is the word used to describe the piling of more than one unit in a hex at the same time. Note that step strength has no bearing on any unit's ability to stack. For stacking purposes, a unit is a unit is a unit, no matter how many steps it or its partners in the stack may have.

7.2 Stacking & Movement

The stacking rules are in effect at all times throughout the game turn. That means players must pay attention to the sequence in which they move their units or risk having early moves block units moved later in the phase. Note, though, there is no limit on the number of units that may enter and pass through a given hex over the course of a movement phase, player turn or game turn as long as stacking limits aren't violated at any one time.

Units beginning a movement phase stacked together need not remain together simply because of that fact; they may be moved off individually or in smaller groups.

Watch for stacking restrictions all through play, and make certain to check all stacks of both sides at the end of every phase and the end of the resolution of every individual combat. Whenever any hexes are found over-stacked, the owning player must immediately eliminate the excess units of his choice. Note, too, stacking restrictions are in effect during the entry of both sides' reinforcements.

7.3 Fog o' War

Neither player may examine the units beneath the top unit of any of his opponent's stacks until the combat resolution process begins for it when it's involved in combat. No attack may be called off after such a stack-check has been made.

7.4 German Stacking Limits

The German player may stack up to four of his units in any hex at any time.

7.5 Allied Stacking Limits

Within 3rd Army, the Allied player may stack up to nine 3rd Army divisional sub-units (infantry regiments and/or armored CCs) in any hexes at one time. In addition to that, he may also have one armored cavalry regiment in any hex, thus making the cavalry the 10th unit in a maximally stacked hex (but also see 11.22). The maximum of nine divisional component units in a 3rd Army stack may potentially come from any number of 3rd Army divisions; however, if a given stack contains elements from more than three 3rd Army divisions, none of the units in that stack can make use of the divisional integrity bonus on offense or defense (see 10.30 & 11.21).

It is allowed for 3rd Army and 1AAA units to stack together using the same general limits (including the cavalry) described above. In those situations, every 1AAA division, no matter its step strength, counts as three regiments for stacking purposes, and the P1 brigade counts as two regiments. Note, too, there may never be more than a single 1AAA unit in any given hex.

7.6 Free Stacking Units

None of the counters pictured in rule 2.14 have any stacking values. They may be added to any stacks according to the rules governing their particular uses.

8.0 Zones of Control

8.1 In General

The six hexagons immediately surrounding a hex containing one or more units constitute the zone of control (ZOC) of the units in that hex. A moving unit must stop its movement for that phase the instant it enters the first hex containing an enemy zone of control (EZOC). Zones of control extend across all hexsides and into all types of in-hex terrain except unbridged Rhine/Major River hexsides and blocked Hunsruck Mountain hexsides. All units of both sides project their ZOCs at all times in all supply states. There is no qualitative difference between ZOCs projected by units of different mobility classes, army affiliations or sides.

8.2 Exerting ZOC & Negating EZOC

All units exert their ZOC throughout all game turns, regardless of their supply states, the phase or player turn. The projection of an EZOC into a hex is negated by the presence of friendly units in the hex into which the EZOC is being projected for purposes of tracing supply lines (see 6.4), and allowing for both sides' map edge reinforcement entries (see 9.2 & 9.4).

The projection of an EZOC into a hex isn't negated by the presence of friendly units in the hex into which the EZOC is being projected for purposes of tracing regular movement (see section 10.0), or retreat after combat and displacement (see 11.11 & 11.12), or German reinforcement entry via city hexes (see 9.2 & 9.3), or the Market-Garden or Antwerp Opened victories in the Montgomery game (see 13.16).

EZOC have no effect on the ability of units to advance after combat in prepared assaults; see 11.13.

8.3 No Extra Movement Cost

Your units don't pay any extra movement points to enter EZOC. All units must, however, end their movement for that phase in the first hex they enter containing an EZOC.

8.4 Exiting EZOC

In general, for a unit that begins its movement phase already in an EZOC, there are three ways to exit that hex: 1) by retreat or advance-after-combat [see 11.11, 11.12 and 11.13]; or 2) by removal, as a result of combat, of the enemy unit or stack exerting the EZOC; or 3) by moving in such a way the first hex it enters contains no EZOC. In that last case, such units would again have to halt their movement for that phase if they subsequently entered another EZOC hex. Note that direct EZOC to EZOC movement is never possible for any unit.

9.0 Reinforcements & Replacements

9.1 In General

Reinforcements are new units for both sides that enter play for the first time after a game has already begun. Replacements are levies of new troops and equipment available to replenish 3rd Army units that are still in play on the map but that have been reduced in strength through combat losses.

9.2 German Reinforcements

German reinforcements arrive during Game Turns 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. The number printed in the upper-left corner of German reinforcement units corresponds to their earliest possible game turn of arrival into play on the map. The German player may (with one exception; see 9.3 below) voluntarily delay the arrival of his reinforcements, decided by that player on a unit by unit and turn by basis, but no German reinforcement may ever have its turn of arrival accelerated.

All the reinforcements that will be entered by the German player during a given game turn must be placed onto the map during phase III.A. of his player turn. Stacking rules are in effect during German reinforcement placement. In general, German reinforcements may be brought into play via any east edge map hex not at under Allied occupation at that instant. Entering into east map edge hexes containing Allied ZOC is allowed.

Alternatively, the German player may choose to enter some or all of his reinforcements, decided on a unit by unit and turn by turn basis, via any town, city and/or Ruhr-city hexes in Germany he controls and that have never yet been under Allied control during the game. Further, such places must be able to trace a path of hexes entirely free of Allied ZOC, and that doesn't cross any unbridged Rhine River or blocked Hunsruck Mountain hexsides, from their location hex to an east map edge hex. Note entirely free means just that: no Allied ZOC may be being projected into the city hex itself, negated or not (see 8.2).

Their placement on the map doesn't cost arriving German reinforcement units any of their movement points for that turn. When it comes time for them to move, the German player will begin calculating their movement factor expenditures only as they move out of their map edge or city/Ruhr-city placement hexes. All German reinforcements arrive with their full step strength and combat values available for immediate normal use.

9.3 German 17th SS Panzer Grenadier & Panzer Lehr Divisions (2*)

The two German reinforcement units listed in the title above have an asterisked two (2*) in their upper-left corners. That number corresponds to their mandatory game turn of entry. The asterisk is there as a reminder of their unique entry strictures. That is: 1) they may enter only during phase III.A. of the second game turn; and 2) they may enter only via the city of Aachen in hex 2900. If for any reason(s) one or both those units can't enter play via that hex at that time, they are considered to have been surrounded and eliminated off the west map edge. In that case simply place them into the dead pile.

9.4 US 3rd Army Reinforcements

On the Allied side, only 3rd Army receives reinforcement units, arriving on Game Turns 1, 2, 3, 7 and 9. Like the German player, the Allied player may usually choose to delay any given reinforcement unit's arrival, but he may never accelerate it.

The 20 Game Turn 1 reinforcement units may not be delayed, and they must enter play via the city of Commercy in hex 1000. Further, they must do so initially organized into two stacks of three full divisions and one armored cavalry regiment each. The first stack pays one movement point to enter the Commercy hex, then calculates movement costs normally from there. The second stack pays two points to enter via Commercy, then also pays normal movement point costs from there.

Subsequent 3rd Army reinforcements may enter via any west and/or south map edge hexes within the Metz area supply perimeter (1600 to 1005, inclusive) that are unoccupied by German units at that instant (they may enter directly into EZOCs). They may enter play during any portion of any Allied movement phase(s) of the game turn specified by the numbers in their upper-left corners. They may be delayed, decided on a turn by turn and unit by unit basis by the Allied player. All 3rd Army reinforcements arrive in supply and with their full step strength and combat values available for immediate normal use.

9.5 Aerial Supply Marker Reinforcements

For the rules governing the use of the five Allied aerial supply markers that arrive as reinforcement on Game Turn 2, see 6.5.

9.6 US 3rd Army Replacements

Reduced 3rd Army divisional component units are eligible to replenish their step strength using this replacement process. To be eligible to receive replacements, a reduced 3rd Army divisional component unit must begin the Replacement Start Phase in regular overland supply. (German unit adjacency and/or EZOC projection isn't an issue.) The Allied player should, during that phase, place a Rep marker atop the one or two eligible units he wants to replenish that player turn. A unit with a replacement marker atop it may not move or attack in any way during that Allied player turn. During that same player turn's Replacement Completion Phase, the Allied player removes the replacement marker(s) and increases each replenishing unit by a step.

Within the strictures above, any given 3rd Army divisional component unit may go through the replacement process any number of times per game; however, once an entire formation has been eliminated (both its component steps are in the dead pile), that formation may not be returned to play at any strength by using replacements or by any other method. Note there are never any replacements available for 1AAA, armored cavalry or German units.

10.0 Movement & Mobile Assaults

10.1 In General

Every unit in the game has a movement factor as described in rule 2.10. That movement factor is the number of Movement Points (also referred to as MP and MF) available to the unit to use in moving across the map during its side's movement phase(s) every game turn.

10.2 Movement Strictures

MPs may not be accumulated from turn to turn or phase to phase, nor may they be given or loaned from one unit to another. A player may move all, some or none of his non-static units in each of his side's movement phases throughout the game at his own discretion.

Units that move are not required to expend all their MP before stopping. The movement of each individual unit or stack must be completed before that of another is begun. A player may change the position of an already moved unit or stack only if his opponent agrees to allow it.

Units move from hex to adjacent hex – no skipping of hexes is allowed – paying varied movement costs to do so depending on the terrain or water barriers in the hex being entered and along its hexsides. In general, the movement of your units takes place only during your own player turn; no enemy movement takes place during your player turn (exception: rules 11.11, 11.12 and 11.13).

10.3 Minimum Movement Capability

Every non-static unit in the game is guaranteed the ability to move one hex during each of its movement phases throughout the game by expending all of its MF to do so, not matter the terrain and water costs otherwise involved. This guarantee does not, however, give units the ability to make moves that are otherwise against the rules, nor does it grant 3rd Army units an unconditional ability to launch mobile assaults; nor does it grant any unit the ability to cross unbridged Rhine River hexsides or move directly from EZOC to EZOC.

10.4 Stack Movement

To move together as a stack during any friendly movement phase, units must begin that phase already stacked together. Units are not required to move as a stack, however, simply because they started a movement phase in the same hex. In such situations those units might be moved together, individually, or in smaller sub-stacks. Note, too, static units don't become mobile because they may happen to stack with non-static units.

10.5 Splitting Stacks

When moving a stack you may halt it temporarily to allow a unit or sub-stack to split off and move away on a separate course. The units left behind in the original (or parent) stack may then resume their own movement, even splitting off more sub-stacks and lone units if desired. Once you begin moving an entirely different parent stack, however, you may no longer resume the movement of earlier stacks without your opponent's permission.

10.6 Stack MF

If units with different movement factors are moving together in a stack, the stack must use the movement factor of the slowest non-static unit within it. Of course, as the slower units exhaust their MPs you may leave them behind and continue with the faster units.

10.7 Enemy Units

With one crucial exception (see below, 10.20ff), it's not permitted for your units to enter hexes occupied by enemy units.

10.8 Terrain

There are two general classes of terrain on the map: natural and manmade. Each class is further divided into several different types (see below). There is never more than one type of natural terrain in any one hex, but more than one type of manmade terrain may exist in a hex.

10.9 Natural Terrain

There are seven types of natural terrain and water barriers: clear hexes, forest hexes, mountain hexes, blocked mountain hexsides, along with non-Rhine river hexsides, and bridged and unbridged Rhine River hexsides. The effects those various terrains and water barriers have on the movement of units are described below and are also summarized on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet for quick reference.

10.10 Clear

Clear terrain is the base terrain of the game, and it's just that —clear. That is, hexes with only clear terrain in them represent areas devoid of any natural features that would enhance defense or slow movement. Each clear hex costs units one MP to enter. For a hex to be considered clear terrain, that must be the only kind of natural terrain pictured within it. Hexes containing natural terrain types other than clear, or in addition to some clear, are identified by the other natural terrain type within them.

10.11 Rough

All units pay two MPs to enter each rough hex.

10.12 Mountains Hexes & Blocked Mountain Hexsides

All units pay three MPs to enter each mountain hex. A unit may cross a blocked mountain hexside only if it starts a friendly movement phase already located in a hex bounded by such a hexside. The move across the blocked hexside then uses up all that unit's or stack's movement allowance for that phase. Note that units may not retreat after combat across blocked mountain hexsides, nor may Allied overland supply paths be traced across such hexsides.

10.13 Water Hexsides

Unlike the terrains described above, all water bodies on the map lie between hexes, along hexsides, rather than lying in-hex. River hexsides belonging to rivers other than the Rhine or other major rivers may be crossed by all units at the cost of one extra MP. The same is true for crossing bridged Rhine and major river hexsides. Unbridged Rhine and major river hexsides may not be crossed by any units at any time during any game turn in any way, nor may Allied overland supply lines be traced across such hexsides.

Moving 3rd Army units may ignore the +1 MP cost for crossing bridged Rhine River hexsides, and for crossing non-Rhine River hexsides, provided either the hex from which they are crossing the water barrier, or the hex into which they are crossing, is occupied at the instant by a 1AAA unit. Note, though, the presence of a 1AAA unit does nothing to alter the blocked characteristics of unbridged Rhine River and flooded Roer River hexsides. Note also that the supply status of both the moving 3rd Army force and the 1AAA 'crossing-guards' is not in any way relevant to negating the +1 MP penalty.

10.14 Rhine River Bridges

There are 13 Rhine River bridge hexsides on the map. Only the Allied player cause the destruction of such bridges, and even he may do so at a rate not greater than one bridge per game turn. All bridge destruction takes place only during phase II.B. of every game turn. At that time, the Allied player may simply announce which bridge, if any, he wants brought down that game turn. No die rolling is involved; simply mark the bridge with the Bridge Destroyed marker provided. (If you need more such markers, make them up from blank counters.)

A Rhine bridge once destroyed is considered wrecked for the remainder of the game and its hexside is henceforth considered unbridged for all purposes.

Design Note. Modeling that side's capabilities on what was demonstrated during the historic Market-Garden campaign, the German player is prohibited from destroying Rhine River bridges throughout the game. That's because: 1) the confusion inherent up and down the German command chain during this period prohibited anyone other than Hitler from making any determined decision regarding such important actions, and he was set against it; and 2) if a local commander decided to destroy a bridge on his own initiative, he would likely find himself subject to swift court martial on the grounds his action denied some otherwise inevitable and soon-to-be-victorious German counterattack the ability to get across the Rhine at the crucial spot, etc.

On the Allied side, bridge-downing is limited to no more than one per turn because those units are traveling light, concerned mainly with keeping themselves supplied with ammunition and fuel, not heavy engineering equipment. Thus most of the bridge destruction conducted by that side would likely be by aircraft, which was a tricky and time-consuming operation using World War II aerial technology.

10.15 Manmade Terrain

Manmade terrain exists in four types: German fortified hexes, towns, cities and Ruhr cities. More than one type of manmade terrain may exist in a given hex together with other such terrains as well as natural stuff. If more than one manmade and/or natural terrain exists in a hex being entered by a moving unit, the unit pays all costs involved for both manmade and natural terrains, as well as for crossing any water hexside. For example, a unit entering a mountain hex (3 MP) by crossing a non-Rhine river hexside (+1 MP) would pay a total of four MP to do so. Note all water hexside crossing costs are also cumulative to the costs involved for in-hex terrain.

10.16 German Fortified Hexes

All non-static units of both sides may enter fortified hexes at no extra cost. That is, fortifications generate no movement costs of their own. When entering such hexes, simply ignore them when calculating movement costs (but also see 10.27, 11.22 and 11.23).

10.17 City & Ruhr City Hexes

It costs all units of both sides one MP to enter any city or Ruhr city hex on the map.

10.18 Towns

Units entering a hex containing a town do so at the normal MP cost for any other terrain located in that hex (plus water hexside costs, if any). That is, towns generate no movement costs of their own. When entering town hexes, simply ignore them when calculating movement costs.

10.19 No Off Map Moves

No unit once in play on the map may be moved off it any way other than through elimination in combat.

10.20 Mobile Assaults (MAs)

All German mechanized-class and overland supplied 3rd Army units may conduct a special form of attack during their own side's movement phases called mobile assault, or simply MA. To conduct an MA, an eligible moving unit or stack enters the enemy occupied hex chosen to be attacked, paying twice the normal MP cost to do so while also suffering a one column leftward odds shift, along with all other applicable odds shifters, when calculating that attack's odds. (see section 11.0).

No unit or stack may conduct more than one MA per friendly movement phase; neither into the same hex nor into different hexes. Further, though, any given defended hex may potentially be mobile assaulted any number of times during any one movement phase as long as each such effort is delivered by a different force of eligible units. Each new mobile assault force, though, must enter the defended hex from a launch hex not overstacked with friendly units at time of that moving force's launch of the MA. The stacking limits for the two opposing sides' involved units within an assaulted hex itself are mutually exclusive. A mobile assault's launch hex is the last hex occupied by the assaulting force just prior to entering the defender's hex.

10.21 More MA Limits

MAs may be launched into any kinds of hexes other than wetlands, and across any kinds of hexsides other than unbridged Rhine River or blocked mountain. Note also that in-hex terrain doesn't limit the hexes from which MAs may be launched.

German non-mechanized and static units, as well as 1AAA units, may never launch MAs, nor is the concentric assault odds shift bonus (see 11.26) ever available for MAs.

The guaranteed ability of units to move at least one hex per friendly movement phase by expending all their MPs to do so (see 10.3), doesn't work to guarantee otherwise ineligible units the ability to launch an MA; the assaulting unit or stack must have sufficient MP available to pay for the MA or it may not be made.

10.22 MA & 3rd Army Supply State

The supply state of 3rd Army units involved in an MA is determined at the instant of battle and at the location of that battle's launch hex. That is, no otherwise eligible 3rd Army unit or stack may conduct an MA if it is without overland supply in the launch hex of that MA. (Remember: all German units are always in supply; see section 6.0).

10.23 MA Stack Eligibility

To be able to MA together during a given movement phase, eligible units must have begun that phase already stacked. Note, though, the fact some collection of MA-eligible units begins in a single hex doesn't mean those units are required to MA as one force. For example, if the US player had a hex containing three overland-supplied 3rd Army divisions in it, and he wanted to MA a German occupied hex next to it. He could take all three divisions and make one grand-MA, or he could take just part of the force and MA with it; then, supposing the Germans held against that first effort, he could go in again with another part of the US starting force (or all the rest of it at once, etc.). The idea behind breaking up a large force into more than one MA effort would be to try to burst through the German defense while still retaining some US units that hadn't yet expended their ability to MA that phase. That way, those still unused US units could move through the hex just cleared of Germans and move on to try to do more of the same elsewhere.

10.24 Unfavorable MA Combat Result

If an MA achieves any result that fails to entirely clear the defended hex of all enemy units, the involved MA force suffers whatever losses are dictated for it by that same result and the survivors are placed back in the launch hex for that MA; they may not move farther or MA again that phase. Such units could potentially make a prepared assault, into the same or a different enemy defended hex, in the following friendly combat phase, provided the sequence chosen for that turn was move/fight; or, if they are US 3rd Army units, they could move and MA again in the next movement phase of that same player turn provided the sequence chosen was move/move (see 5.3).

10.25 Favorable MA Combat Result

If an MA force completely clears its target hex of defending enemy units, those victorious units may continue their movement from that hex with the MP remaining to them, provided only that they aren't already in another EZOC in the hex in which they've just won their MA victory. (In that case they're stalled there for the phase.) And, even having won their MA in such a way as to break free entirely of all EZOC, they may still not launch any further MAs that same phase. They could make a prepared assault later in that same player turn, provided the phase sequence chosen that turn was move/fight; or, if they are US 3rd Army units, they could move and MA again in the next movement phase of that same player turn provided the sequence chosen was move/move (see 5.3).

Note there is never any automatic advance-after-combat in victorious MAs as there is in victorious prepared assaults (see 11.36); all post-MA movement is governed by the MP left to the moving units.

10.26 MA & Phase Sequence

The ability of units to MA in any given movement phase is not effected by the phase sequence chosen by their owning player. When using the fight/move sequence, eligible units might participate in a prepared assault during that player turn's combat phase and then, during the following movement phase, also move and/or launch an MA. The same is true when the move/fight sequence is chosen: units that launch an MA during the movement phase might also participate in a prepared assault during the combat phase later that same player turn. Also note, during turns when the Allied player picks the move/move phase sequence (see 5.3) his otherwise eligible 3rd Army units may MA in both those phases.

10.27 German Fortifications & MAs

If a hex being mobile assaulted by 3rd Army units contains a German fortification, the 3rd Army MP cost for that assault is twice the normal MP entry cost plus one. That is, for example, if a 3rd Army force were launching a mobile assault into a forest hex that also contained a fortification, the cost of that MA would be five MP. That's twice the normal forest hex entry cost of two (2x2=4), plus one extra MP (4+1=5) for the presence of the fortification. Note that increased movement cost is not applied against 3rd Army units making otherwise undefended entries into German fortification hexes. Note, too, fortification hexes are immortal and indestructible. That is, if the Allied player clears such hexes of German defenders only to allow some other enemy units to later make their way back into those same fortification hexes, the defensive benefit of those works is again available to the new German defenders. And finally on this, also note Allied units never obtain any benefit for defending in fortification hexes.

10.28 MAs Across Non-Rhine & Bridged Rhine River Hexsides

Otherwise eligible units may launch MAs across bridged Rhine River hexsides. In addition to all other applicable odds shifters, though, their attack factors are halved for doing so unless that MA is being run by 3rd Army units from a launch hex that also contains a 1AAA unit. (The 1AAA unit itself does not contribute its combat factor, or in any other way take part in, such MAs.)

Similarly, within the strictures given above, MAs may also be launched across non-Rhine River hexsides as long as they're not flooded Roer River hexsides; see 10.19 below. The penalty for doing so is a one column leftward odds shift, unless that MA's launch hex contains a 1AAA unit and the MA itself is being conducted by a 3rd Army force, in which case there is no additional penalty other than the normal one column leftward odds shift described in 10.20 above.

Design Note. Within the limits and exceptions given above, mobile assaults are otherwise resolved the same way as prepared assaults; see section 11.0.

10.29 Roer River Flooding

During phase I. of each game turn of both games, starting with the first, either player may, with one precondition, declare he's opened the Roer River dams and thereby flooded that river valley. The precondition is that at the time of his declaration he must be in control of both dam hexes, 2902 and 2903. Once the declaration is made by either player, it can't be revoked, nor can the flooding be conducted more than once per game, total, by either player (whoever acts first).

The effect is, for that game turn and the two game turns following, all 11 hexsides of the Roer River; starting at 2902/2903 and extending to 3300/3400, inclusive, on the Patton map; and starting at 3114/3215 and extending to the point where 3009/3010/3109 come together on the Montgomery map, are entirely impassable and blocked for all game activities, including supply, movement, MAs, PAs, retreat and advance after combat, etc. Note that even the presence of a 1AAA unit in one or more of the riverbank hexes would not serve to undo any the effects of flooding. When/if Roer flooding is declared, one of the players should note on a piece of paper its final game turn as a reminder for both players.

10.30 3rd Army Divisional Integrity Bonus in MAs

Whenever a US mobile assault force contains all three components of one or more 3rd Army divisions, those divisions that have all three of their components present are said to have achieved divisional integrity. The component units of a division with divisional integrity have their combat factors doubled when calculating the odds for their mobile assault.

Note that the presence of an armored cavalry regiment and/or partial components from (an)other 3rd Army division(s) would not deny the component units of the division(s) that is/are entirely present from receiving this doubling effect. For example, if the US player had all three regiments of one 3rd Army infantry division, an armored cavalry regiment, and two combat commands from an armored division making up a single MA force, all three of the component regiments of the infantry division would have their combat factors doubled (and that regardless if one, two or all of them happened to be at reduced strength). The same combat factor doubling also takes place whenever overland supplied 3rd Army units with divisional integrity are defending against German MAs.

10.31 Wetlands

Wetlands is a generic term for hexes containing intermittent marshes, a high water table, and/or sufficient dykes and drainage ditches to inhibit rapid tactical deployments. No MAs may be launched into such hexes, nor may 1AAA units be landed within them.

11.0 Combat Phase Prepared Assaults

11.1 In General

Combat phase combat – referred to as prepared assaults or PAs so as to distinguish it from the mobile assaults or MAs conducted by eligible units during movement phases – occurs between/among directly adjacent enemy units, potentially in every combat phase of both sides during the game. Attacking is always voluntary; the mere fact of enemy adjacency doesn't require units to attack or be attacked. The player whose player turn it is, is termed the attacker, and the other player is the defender, no matter what the general situation across the map.

11.2 Static Unit PA Participation Limitations

German static units (FLAK) never attack. Even if other non-static German units launch a PA from their hex, German FLAK units may in no way participate in such efforts. They simply sit passively and let the battle rage around them. On the defense, though, they always participate fully and normally.

Allied static units – all the 1AAA units in the game – may never MA, but they may participate in PAs under certain circumstances. That is, if a 1AAA unit is stacked with one or more 1st or 3rd Army units, or with 21st Army Group units, and those 3rd Army units launch a PA from that hex, the 1AAA unit may join in that attack. Such PA-ing 1AAA units, though, may still never advance after combat.

11.3 Combat Procedure

The attacker totals the combat strength of all the units attacking a given hex and compares that total to the total combat strengths of the defending units in the hex under attack. The comparison is expressed as a ratio between attacking and defending strength points (attacking strength points divided by defending strength points), and is simplified by rounding down to one of the odds ratios listed across the top of the Combat Results Table (CRT) printed on the mapsheet. For example, if 13 strength points were attacking four strength points, the combat odds ratio would be 3.25 to 1, rounded off (always in favor of the defender) to three to one (3:1).

Having determined the actual combat odds, the attacker rolls a die. The result indicates the line on the CRT that's cross-indexed with the column representing the combat odds. The intersection of line and column yields a combat result. That should be immediately applied to the involved units before going on to resolve any other combat. Separate combats may generally be resolved in any order, as long as each is entirely resolved before the resolution of another is begun.

11.4 Attack & Defense Limits in PAs

No unit may attack more than once per friendly combat phase, and no enemy unit may be attacked more than once per friendly combat phase.

11.5 Multi-Unit & Multi-Hex Combat

All defending units in a single hex must defend as a single force; the strength of all the defending units in one hex is always totaled. A single attack may potentially involve any number of attacking or defending units, but no single attack by either player may have as its objective enemy units located in more than one hex.

If more than one attacking unit is in a given hex, those units need not be used as an integral combat force; they may be committed to different attacks on a unit-by-unit basis. Similarly, not every unit in a hex containing attacking units is required to attack; the attacker is always free to hold back units that are otherwise eligible to attack.

Friendly units in two or more hexes may combine their attack strengths and attack a single hex of defenders as long as that defender hex is adjacent to all attackers.

11.6 Defender Commitment & Integrity

With one exception (see 11.23), the defending player may not withhold a unit in a hex under attack. The attacker must attack all the units in a defending stack together; different enemy units in the same hex may not be attacked separately.

11.7 Combat Strength Unity

A single unit's combat strength is always unitary. It may not be divided among different combats either on attack or defense.

11.8 Terrain & Water Effects on Combat

Defending units in certain types of terrain have their combat strength enhanced by shifts to the combat odds. See the Combat Effects column of the Terrain Effects Chart. For example, a unit defending in a mountain hex would have its combat odds shifted two to the left (in its favor) when calculating the odds for that battle. Note that all applicable terrain and water barrier odds shifters, both natural and manmade, are applied cumulatively in every combat.

Note, too, no unit of either side may ever attack in any way through a flooded Roer River hex (see 10.29) or through an unbridged Rhine or major river hexside. Units launching a PA through a bridged Rhine or major river hexside have their attack strength halved for doing so, with but one exception. That is, 3rd Army units attacking across a bridged Rhine or major river hexside while stacked with a 1AAA unit do not suffer that penalty.

Similarly, prepared assaults by both sides usually suffer a one column leftward odds shift for coming through a non-Rhine non-major river hexside. Again, though, if 3rd Army units and a 1AAA unit are stacked together and attack together across such a hexside, that odds shift penalty is lost to the German defenders. In the case of a multi-attack-hex PA, all the involved attackers would have to be coming through such hexsides or the river shift is lost to the defender.

11.9 Odds Shifts Due to Phase Sequence & Game Turn

Shift the odds one column right for all Game Turn 1 German attacks against hexes containing only 1AAA units.
Shift the odds one column right for all prepared assaults by both sides made during combat phases when using the fight/move sequence.
Shift the odds one column right for all concentric prepared assaults (see 11.10 below).
Shift the odds one column left for all mobile assaults.
Shift the odds one column left for all Allied prepared assaults made during the second combat phase of every fight/fight Allied player turn.

11.10 Concentric Attack

If a defending unit or stack is attacked (PA only) by enemy units from opposite sides, or by units from three hexes with one hex between each and the next, or by units from more than three hexes, that PA gains a one column rightward odds shift.

11.11 Defender Retreat After Combat (DR)

When a combat result requires a player's units be retreated after combat—the DR result—the defending player must immediately move the affected units one hex. If no such hex is open to receive the retreat, a blocked unit or stack is instead kept in place and must there suffer a DE result instead (see 11.17 below). No unit may retreat into an EZOC, and note that the presence of another friendly unit in a retreat-blocking EZOC doesn't negate that EZOC for purposes of judging a retreat's validity.

Units retreating from the same hex may must be retreated into the same hex unless stacking limits would thereby be violated in the new hex. In that case, the owning player must carry out the minimum stack-break up necessary in order to meet stacking limits.

Both players retreat their own units. If more than one retreat destination hex is open to retreating German units, they should be retreated into the hex that brings them closest to the nearest Ruhr city hex. If two or more retreat-destination hexes exist equidistant to the nearest Ruhr hex, the German player is free to choose between/among them. If more than one hex is open to retreating 3rd Army units, they should be retreated into the hex that brings them closest to Commercy. If two or more retreat-destination hexes exist equidistant from Commercy, the Allied player is free to choose among/between them.

If a unit is retreated onto another friendly unit or stack that is subsequently attacked that same phase, the retreated-in unit doesn't contribute its combat strength to the new defense, but it does share in the result of the attack made into its new hex.

If any unit or stack of either side is entirely blocked from retreating for any reasons other than overstacking (see below), it suffers a DE result in place (see 11.17 below).

11.12 Displacement

If the only hex available to a retreating unit or stack is one into which it normally couldn't enter because of stacking limits, one or more of the friendly units already in the hex being retreated into must be displaced. The displaced unit is simply moved away one hex by the owning player as if it were making a retreat after combat, and its place is taken by the original retreating unit. One retreating unit displaces one unit in a stack; two retreating units displace two, etc.

A displaced unit may not be forced into an EZOC (negated or not). If a displacement would cause the displaced unit to be eliminated for any reason, the original retreating unit is eliminated instead and no displacement takes place. Always perform retreats one unit at a time.

Displaced units may themselves displace other friendly units in a kind of chain reaction of displacements, if that is the only path of displacement/retreat open to the owning player.

11.13 Advance After Combat (PA Only)

Whenever a defended hex is vacated as a result of PA combat, at least one involved victorious attacking unit may be advanced into that vacated hex. Within normal stacking limits, more than one involved attacking unit may advance. Exactly which involved unit(s) conduct(s) the advance-after-combat is up to the owning player. For the both players, such advances after combat may be made without regard to EZOC. Advances after combat don't involve the expenditure of any movement points by the advancing units; they are, in essence, free movement.

Advances after combat are always voluntary, but each must be performed immediately as the opportunity for it occurs, before any other PAs are resolved. Note there are never any defender advances after combat; victorious defenders simply remain in place. Also note there is never any free advance after combat in MAs; there such movement is governed according to rules 10.24 and 10.25.

11.14 Odds Limits & Odds Shifts

Attacks with final odds greater than 6:1 have automatic DE results. Attacks with final odds less than 1:3 have automatic AL1 results. When calculating odds, always apply all applicable shifters first, then – and only then – look at the Combat Results Table, and only then bring the odds within the range of ratios shown on the table.

11.15 Attack Stalled (AS) Result

In effect, nothing happens. No losses are suffered, nor does any movement take place, by the involved units of either side.

11.16 Attacker Lose One (AL1) Result

One step from one involved attacking unit, owning player's choice, is eliminated. Surviving attacking units, if any, remain in place.

11.17 Defender Eliminated (DE) Result

First, all involved defending units that contain only one strength step are permanently removed from the map. Then also eliminate one strength step from all involved defending units containing two or more strength steps. Surviving defending units, if any, remain in place. If the hex is entirely cleared of defenders, the victorious involved attackers may conduct an advance after combat.

11.18 Defender Retreat (DR) Result

All involved defending units must retreat after combat as described above in rules 11.11 and 11.12.

11.19 Defender Retreat Conversion

DR results obtained against 1AAA defenders – even if one or more 3rd Army units is/are also present in that same hex – as well as against all defenders of both sides in city or Ruhr city hexes, must be converted to either AL1 or BB results. The choice as to which result, AL1 or BB, to convert the DR into is entirely up to the attacking player, decided and announced on a case by case basis after the resolution die roll is made.

11.20 Bloodbath (BB) Result

First count the number of strength steps in both involved forces. If one player has fewer involved steps than his opponent, no matter if attacker or defender, all that lesser side's involved units are eliminated and placed in the dead pile. Then the player who had the greater number of involved strength steps must remove an equal number of steps from among the units of his attacking force. It's important to note this procedure is worked through entirely on the basis of involved strength steps, not combat factors.

Surviving units in the attacking force, if any, may advance after combat if this attack was a PA, or they may continue moving if this was an MA and they still have MPs left to do so.

If both players had an equal number of strength steps involved in this combat, the attacker announces how many steps will be exchanged. He may pick any number from one up to the number of steps involved on both sides.

11.21 3rd Army Divisional Integrity Bonus in PAs

Whenever a US prepared assault force contains all three components of one or more 3rd Army divisions, those divisions that have all three of their components present are said to have achieved divisional integrity. The component units of a division with divisional integrity have their combat factors doubled when calculating the odds for their prepared assault.

Note that the presence of an armored cavalry regiment and/or partial components from (an)other 3rd Army division(s), and/or a 1AAA unit, would not deny the component units of the division(s) that is/are entirely present from receiving this doubling effect. For example, if the US player had all three regiments of one 3rd Army infantry division, an armored cavalry regiment, and two combat commands from an armored division making up a single PA force, all three of the component regiments of the infantry division would have their combat factors doubled (and that regardless if one, two or all of them happened to be at reduced strength). The same combat factor doubling also takes place whenever overland supplied 3rd Army units with divisional integrity are defending against German PAs.

11.22 Armored Cavalry Extended Advance After Combat

Whenever an Allied PA force contains one or more overland supplied armored cavalry regiments, and that force wins the ability to make an advance after combat (see 11.13), the involved armored cavalry may make a two-hex advance.

The procedure is: conduct a normal one-hex advance as described in 11.13, including in that advancing force any one or more involved armored cavalry regiments. (This is one exception to their normal one-only stacking limit; see 7.5.) As soon as that one-hex advance is completed, the Allied player may immediately advance any involved armored cavalry units a second hex. Such second hex advances must be made under all the strictures given for one-hex advances, plus they may not be made into city, Ruhr-city or fortification hexes. And as soon as the armored cavalry advances out of their first hex of advance, their normal one-only stacking restriction immediately goes back into effect.

11.23 Armored Cavalry Retreat Before Combat

If an armored cavalry regiment is alone in a hex and the German player launches a prepared assault against it, and that German PA force doesn't contain any mechanized-class units, the Allied player may declare he will retreat before combat with his armored cavalry regiment. The declaration is made prior to the combat resolution die roll being made. Such retreats before combat allow for normal German advances after combat, must be made under all the strictures given for the normal DR result and, further, they may not be made into city, Ruhr-city or fortification hexes. This rule never applies to MAs, only PAs.

11.24 Armored Cavalry AL1 Conversions

Whenever an overland or aerially supplied armored cavalry regiment attacks alone (MA or PA), or in conjunction with only one or more other armored cavalry regiments (PA only), and the die roll result for that attack is an AL1, it is converted instead into an AS result.

12.0 Charts & Tables

(On the mapsheet.)

13.0 Dagger Thrust: Montgomery

13.1 Additional Unit Types

The following three new unit types are added among the units of the German side in the Montgomery game.

Heavy Tank
Self-Propelled Anti-Tank
Semi-Motorized FLAK

The important thing to note about them is semi-motorized FLAK is not static. That unit, the 16th FLAK Division, moves around the map as a non-mechanized units (yes, NON-mechanized). The other two new unit types are simply treated as general mechanized-class units.

13.2 Additional Unit Abbreviations

B – Kampfgruppe B
Be – Kampfgruppe Bechlt
C – Canadian
Eb – Kampfgruppe Eberwein
Er – Kampfgruppe Erdmann
Lu – Luftwaffe Kampfgruppe
G – Guards
He – Kampfgruppe Helle
Kn – Kampfgruppe Knaust
Kr – Kampfgruppe Kraft
P – Penal Battalion
Po – Polish
R – Reserve
SS B – SS Kampfgruppe Bitterich
Str – Sturm Battalion
T – Tiger
Te – Kampfgruppe Tettau

13.3 New Unit Colors

Germans

Mechanized – white on dark gray
Non-Mechanized & Semi-Mechanized – black on field gray

Allies

21st Army Group – white on scarlet
US 1st Army – white on olive drab

13.4 Step Strength & Combat Factors

In this game, all divisional Allied units share the same step-strength presentation, rules and procedures, etc., as those given for 1AAA units in the Patton game (see 2.11). All Allied units enter play at their full step strength.

Note the units of 21st Army Group and US 1st Army have two combat factors printed on their counters. The first number is used for attacks, and the second number is used for defense.

Also note the German side has one formation this game, SS Kampfgruppe Bitterich, which is also organized along the same lines as a 1AAA division. That unit starts play at its full four-step strength in hex 3010.

13.5 Movement Factors

As summarized on the Movement Factors Table, the MF of all German units in this game is the same as in the Patton game, determined by unit mobility type (semi-mechanized FLAK moves in all ways as a non-mechanized unit). The MF of all units of 21st Army Group, as well as that of US 1st Army divisions, is 12; that of the lone US armored cavalry regiment in the game is 14. All 1AAA units, just as in the Patton game, are static once placed on the map (see 13.7 below).

13.6 German Set Up

The German player should set up first. Note the counter-mixes of the German units for the Patton and Montgomery games are completely exclusive. That is, no given German unit-counter appears in more than one of the games.

All German units with a single-digit number in their upper-left corners are reinforcements and should be placed in the correspondingly numbered block on the Game Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. All German units with four-digit hex identification numbers printed in their upper-left corners should be placed directly into those specific hexes.

The four German units that have AB (Anywhere in Belgium) in their upper-left corners may be set up by that player in any hex(es) of Belgium other than those lying in the 10xx hex row.

13.7 Allied Set Up & Reinforcements

There are no Allied units on the map at the start of Game Turn 1. The Allied player should therefore begin by sorting his units into the boxes of the Game Turn Record Track that correspond with the game-turn-of-entry numbers printed in the upper-left corners of his full-strength 21st Army Group and US 1st Army units. Those units enter play as reinforcements, via any hexes of the west map edge, decided by the Allied player on a unit by unit and turn by turn basis. Such units begin paying movement costs from their entry hex. They may enter via map edge hexes containing German ZOCs, but not any containing actual German units. Normal stacking rules apply from the instant of entry.

13.8 Entry of the 1AAA

At the start of play, after the German set up has been completed, the Allied player should select all the unit-counters comprising the following 1AAA divisions: Br 1, US 82 and 101. The German player should then look away while the Allied player surveys the map and selects (by writing down on a piece of paper) the identification numbers of any one or two or three clear terrain hexes (town and/or bridges OK) that will receive those divisions via air drop, one division per hex.

The Allied player should also note the game turn number(s) during which those air drops will be made. He may choose Game Turns 2 through 8. Those notes should all be made out of sight of the German player, and should only be revealed to that player for verification when each air drop is about to be executed.

When a game turn arrives for one or more Allied air drops, that player may, on a division by division basis, decide to cancel or go ahead with each drop, basing those decisions on any criteria he wants to use. A division's air drop, once cancelled, may not be rescheduled for the remainder of that game.

If one or more German units occupy a 1AAA drop hex, and the Allied player decides to go ahead with that drop, resolve it as if it were an MA, including the leftward column odds shift. If the air-assaulting 1AAA unit gets an AL1 or AS result, that 1AAA unit is thereby fully eliminated. If the air-dropping 1AAA unit gets a DR result in its landing attack, that result is automatically converted to a BB. Each such air-assaulting 1AAA unit resolves its fate alone; it may not be assisted by any other Allied units, either from the air or already on the ground in an adjacent hex.

Once during the game the Allied player may choose to attempt to replenish any one 1AAA division then already on the map and that's lost two or more steps. To do that he rolls a die. On a result of one or two, the division receiving the reinforcements receives that number of steps. On a result of three through six, no reinforcements make it in. If the unit receiving the replenishment is drawing regular overland or coastal supply at that instant, the die roll result is automatically considered to be two. (That's the Polish brigade going in.)

13.9 Boundary of 1st US Army

The line demarcating the northern edge of US 1st Army operations begins at the hexside shared by hexes 1010 and 1011, and runs from there over to the one shared by hexes 3410 and 3411. No US 1st Army unit may ever move or attack or advance-after-combat across that line. Retreats-after-combat may be made across the line if no hexes on the south side of it are available, but such US 1st Army units must then move back across into their own sector as soon as possible (and may still not enter EZOC while temporarily north of the line).

The units of 21st Army Group may freely move, advance, retreat and attack across the line. Note, though, that 21st Army Group and US 1st Army units may never join in the same PA; nor may they MA into the same hex during the same Allied movement phase; nor may they ever stack together or pass into or through one another's occupied hexes. (In effect, this rule allows you to extend southward 21st Army Group's area of operations, but you may never extend US 1st Army's area northward.)

13.10 Reinforcements & Replacements

German reinforcements, decided by that player on a unit by unit and turn by turn basis, may be entered via any east map edge hex not occupied by any Allied unit, and/or via any town and/or city hexes in Germany, and/or via any town and/or city hexes in Holland other than Flushing, provided the hexes selected each time have never yet been under Allied control during the game. Further, such places must be able to trace a path of hexes entirely free of Allied ZOC, and that doesn't cross any unbridged Rhine or other Major River or hexsides, from their location hex to an east map edge hex. Note entirely free means just that: no Allied ZOC may be being projected into the city hex itself, negated or not (see 8.2).

Similarly, the German player may also choose, separate from or in conjunction with units entering in the locations described above, to bring in reinforcements via any north map edge hexes from 2402 through 3401, inclusive. Units entering via such north map edge hexes need not trace a hex path from their hex of entry to the east map edge.

There are no German, 21st Army Group or 1AAA replacements in this game. US 1st Army units may receive replacements as described for US 3rd Army units in the Patton game; however, no more than one such step may be taken per Allied player turn.

13.11 Allied Stacking

The Allied player may stack up to three 21st Army Group or three US 1st Army divisions in any hexes at one time. In addition to that, within US 1st Army the armored cavalry regiment may be freely added to any stack. Similarly, within 21st Army Group, one or both of the armored brigades may be freely added to any stack.

It's also allowed for 1AAA units to stack together with 21st Army Group or US 1st Army units using the same general three-division limit described above. Note that in this game an Allied division is considered a full division for stacking purposes no matter what its step strength at any given time.

13.12 Phase Sequence Choices & Odds Shifts

In this game, both players are restricted to the two phase sequence choices given for the German player in rule 5.4, along with those same announcement procedures. That is, both players are restricted to choosing between fight/move and move/fight. The Allied player must choose the move/fight sequence for Game Turn 1.

Shift the odds one column right for all German prepared assaults made during combat phases when that side is using the fight/move sequence.
Shift the odds one column left for all Allied prepared assaults made during combat phases when that side is using the move/fight sequence.
Shift the odds one column right for all concentric prepared assaults by either side.
Shift the odds one column left for all mobile assaults.

13.13 Allied Supply Sources

Allied supply sources are all those hexes on the west map edge not occupied by German units at the time of tracing. All Allied supply lines may be traced freely, back and forth any number of times, across the US 1st Army area of operations boundary line from any west map edge source hex, without any penalty.

Units of 21st Army Group and/or the 1AAA that are located in coastal hexes from 1002 to 1601, inclusive, are considered to be automatically in coastal supply while in those hexes. Such units have their full defense factors available, and also have full attack factors available for PAs, but they may not MA. Units not in coastal hexes may not trace supply to coastal hexes.

Aerial supply is available to all Allied units, potentially during all game turns, as described in rule 6.5.

13.14 Rhine River & Major Rivers

In the Patton game, the only major river on the map is the Rhine. In this game, only a small portion of the Rhine is actually on the map, but that portion is still governed by the same Rhine River rules as given in 10.13 and 10.14. Further, two other major rivers, the Maas and the Waal, are also shown on the Montgomery map. In general, the same rules that govern the Rhine also govern the Maas and the Waal (all three together are major rivers).

13.15 Game Length

The Montgomery game always ends at the completion of Game Turn 8, or when one player concedes prior to that, or when the Market-Garden victory condition is fulfilled. There are never any weather die rolls.

13.16 How to Win

The Allied player wins by fulfilling any one of the three following conditions. The German player wins by preventing his opponent from fulfilling all three of these victory conditions through the end of Game Turn 8. No draws are possible. Note that victory is always judged at the end of Game Turn 8.

Market-Garden Fulfilled. At the end of Game Turn 8, the Allied player is declared to have won if Operation Market-Garden has been successfully completed. That's considered to have happened when all eight MG hexes on the map are under Allied control, are entirely free of German ZOC, and a normal overland supply path may be traced from hex 3302 through that corridor of MG hexes to any Allied supply source hex on the west map edge. Allied units don't negate German ZOCs for purposes of adjudicating this kind of victory.

Antwerp Opened. At the end of Game Turn 8, the Allied player is declared to have won if all three Antwerp hexes (2006/2105/2106), and all 17 West Scheldt coastal hexes are under his side's control and are free of German units and their ZOCs. Again, Allied units don't negate German ZOC for the purposes of adjudicating this kind of victory.

Westwall Breached. At the end of Game Turn 8, the Allied player is declared to have won if all the Westwall hexes on the map, along with the cities of Aachen (2913), Roermond (3109), Julich (3212), Duren (3214) and Munchen-Gladbach (3310), are all under Allied control. In this case, German ZOC have no bearing, only that the Allied player was the last to have one or more of his units enter and/or pass through all those hexes. (The Westwall consists of the 14 fortification hexes that run along and close to the German border from hex 3305 through 2914/3015.)

13.17 German Ferry Movement

In general, neither player is allowed to conduct any game activities into or across all-sea (estuary) hexes or hexsides, and also note ZOC don't extend into or across such hexes or hexsides. There's one exception, however, in that once during each of his movement phases throughout the game, the German player may use ferry movement between hexes 1501 and 1601. That is, in every German movement phase, a German unit that began that phase already in one of those hexes may be moved to the other one (that's one unit, total, per movement phase). The unit being ferried may embark from and/or debark into EZOC, but it may not move any farther in any way that phase. German units may not attack, retreat- or advance-after combat using ferry movement. This movement capacity permanently disappears the instant either 1501 or 1601 comes under Allied control.

13.18 Germany Heavy Panzer Bonus

If the German heavy panzer (506th Tiger) or heavy self-propelled anti-tank (189th JagdPanther) battalion(s) is/are stacked with one or more other German units, and at least one of those other units is a division, that stack receives a one-column leftward odds shift whenever it's attacked (MA or PA). The qualifying division in the stack may itself be a KG, as long as the XX division symbol is part of its size designation. Only one column shift is received for this, even if both the heavy battalions are present in the same hex.