Drive on Kursk: July 1943 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction & Designer's Notes
  • 1.1 In General
  • 1.2 Game Scales
  • 1.3 Halving
  • 1.4 North
• 2.0 Game Components
  • 2.3 Counters
  • 2.4 Sample Combat Unit
  • 2.5 Sides
  • 2.6 Unit Identifications & Abbreviations
  • 2.7 Unit Types & Mobility Classes
  • 2.8 Organizational Size
  • 2.9 Combat Factors
  • 2.10 Movement Factors Set by Mobility Class
  • 2.11 Step Strength
  • 2.13 Other Counters
• 3.0 Set Up & Hex Control
  • 3.2 Initial German Set Up & Reinforcement Codes
  • 3.3 Initial Soviet Set Up & Reinforcement Codes
  • 3.4 German Player: No Manstein's Gambit
  • 3.5 Soviet Player: No Manstein's Gambit
  • 3.6 German Player: Manstein's Gambit
  • 3.7 Soviet Player: Manstein's Gambit
  • 3.8 Initial Front Line
  • 3.9 Initial Marker Placement
  • 3.10 Hex Control
• 4.0 How to Win
  • 4.2 German Victory Points
  • 4.3 VP Awards & Debits
  • 4.4 Town & City VP
  • 4.5 German Mechanized-Class Withdrawal VP
  • 4.6 East & West Map Edge Hex VP
  • 4.7 Soviet Unit Elimination VP Awards
  • 4.8 German Unit Elimination VP Debits
  • 4.9 Soviet On Map Reserve Activation VP
  • 4.10 Extra Game Turn VP
• 5.0 Turn Sequence
  • 5.3 Move/Fight, Fight/Move, Move/Move or Fight/Fight
  • 5.4 Mutual Phase Order Determination Procedures
• 6.0 Supply
  • 6.2 Supply States
  • 6.3 Which Units Are In Supply
  • 6.4 Tracing Supply Lines
  • 6.5 Effects of Being OOS
  • 6.6 When to Check Supply
  • 6.7 Deliberate OOS
  • 6.8 Appropriate Supply Sources
  • 6.9 End Game OOS Removals
  • 6.10 Soviet Lgov Supply
• 7.0 Stacking & Fog of War
  • 7.2 Stacking & Movement
  • 7.3 Fog of War
  • 7.4 German Stacking Limits
  • 7.5 Soviet Stacking Limits
  • 7.6 Free Stacking Units
• 8.0 Zones of Control
  • 8.2 Exerting ZOC
  • 8.3 No Extra Movement Cost
  • 8.4 Exiting EZOC
  • 8.5 ZOC Reciprocity
  • 8.6 German Mechanized-Class EZOC to EZOC Movement
• 9.0 On-Map Reserves & Reinforcements
  • 9.2 Soviet On-Map Reserve Stacks
  • 9.3 German Regular Reinforcements
  • 9.4 Soviet Regular Reinforcements
  • 9.5 German Conditional Reinforcements
  • 9.6 Soviet Conditional Reinforcements
  • 9.7 Fight-Fight Reinforcements
• 10.0 Movement
  • 10.2 Movement Strictures
  • 10.3 Minimum Movement Capability
  • 10.4 Stack Movement
  • 10.5 Splitting Stacks
  • 10.6 Stack MF
  • 10.7 Enemy Units
  • 10.8 Terrain
  • 10.9 Natural Terrain
  • 10.11 Forest
  • 10.12 Hills
  • 10.13 Swamp
  • 10.14 Water Hexsides
• 11.0 Combat
  • 11.2 Procedure
  • 11.3 Static Units in Combat
  • 11.4 Attack & Defense Limits
  • 11.5 Multi-Unit & Multi-Hex Combat
  • 11.6 Defender Commitment & Integrity
  • 11.7 Combat Strength Unity
  • 11.8 Terrain Effects on Combat
  • 11.9 Odds Shifts Due to Phase Sequence
  • 11.10 Odds Shifts Due to Luftwaffe Combat Ground Support
  • 11.11 Concentric Attack
  • 11.12 Retreat After Combat
• 12.0 Charts & Tables
  • 12.1 Terrain Effects Chart
  • 12.2 Combat Results Table (CRT)
  • 12.3 Defender Retreat Conversion Table

1.0 Introduction & Designer's Notes

1.1 In General

This design is actually the third edition of the "Kursk" game originally published by old-SPI back in the early 1970s, which was later redesigned into a systemically overdone, mechanically obtuse, generally boring, and mostly unplayed second edition, retitled as: "Eric Goldberg's Kursk: History's Greatest Tank Battle, July 1943." We were told at the time adding the designer's name to the front of the title was done as a marketing experiment to see if wargamers would buy such celebrity designated releases in greater numbers: they didn't. I've always suspected it was simply that James Dunnigan or Redmond Simonsen lost some bet with Goldberg, and that title was his pay-off. (Anyway, I couldn't resist the idea of asking Doc Cummins to try the "experiment" again.)

I also changed the portion of the title appearing behind the colon, because – with more than a quarter-century of further warring behind us since the second edition's appearance in 1979 – depending on exactly how you want to define "greatest," this battle really doesn't fit that bill any longer. It surely will, though, remain World War II's greatest tank battle forever.

The first edition of the game used the clunky, clanking, proto-system originally devised by Dunnigan for the "France 1940" title he published early on in this magazine. That system lacked adaptability, failing even to work well as a simulation in the theater for which it had originally been created. So it wasn't surprising (and I mean to most of us who bought the game back in 1972 or thereabouts), when it failed doubly – as both historical simulation and entertaining game – when it was then shoehorned into one of the most atypical of all World War II battle scenarios.

By the time Goldberg took his shot at revision at the end of the 70s, the principle of higher-complexity-equals-better-simulation had been the dominant design approach in the SPI offices for several years. I, of course, reject that idea. The older I've gotten, the more I've become convinced of the approach that might best be summarized as: "If you can't make something work as a simulation simply, don't bother doing it at all."

There's also been a lot of excellent new information published on the Germans' July '43 offensive since Jimmy Carter was president. In particular, I made good use of 1999's "The Battle for Kursk, 1943: The Soviet General Staff Study," translated and edited by David M. Glantz and Harold S. Orenstein. The insights provided therein were many, but the one that will – having been translated into the order of battle of this redesign – cause the most eyebrow raising is likely to be the complete lack of separate Soviet artillery units. I took that approach precisely because the Red Army command did too – at least for the part of the overall summer campaign simulated here. Concerned, once the battle got rolling, they'd be unable to shift around their cannon as and where needed, they initially spread that combat arm throughout their defensive belts and units. Only later, once they'd switched to the strategic offensive in August, were the extra guns again brought together to form artillery divisions and corps.

Similarly, I ditched the heretofore obligatory May, June and August scenarios. Though those episodes tend to provide more symmetric situations, or at least more mobile ones, they also all suffer from one common failing: they're simply not the 'Battle of Kursk' we all know and want so much to game. Take away the belts of Soviet fortifications, or the centerpiece of a crazy, all-out, German strategic offensive and – wherever you really are – you're no longer at THE Battle of Kursk. And gentlemen, I want you to be assured, you are about to simulate THE Battle of Kursk. That August battle, and those earlier might-have-been battles, are – no doubt – fine topics for wargames in their own ways, but they're just not the topic of this wargame.

1.2 Game Scales

Each hex on the map equals 6.2 miles (10 km) from side to opposite side. Each game turn represents two days. Playing pieces represent divisions and corps of various kinds of infantry and armor, formations containing from about 5,000 to 18,000 men and 50 to 400 or so armored fighting vehicles.

1.3 Halving

The general rule concerning the halving of numbers in the game is all remainders are rounded down. Thus, for example, "half" of three is one and "half" of two is one. The exception is, "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 the involved units' combat factors are first added together so only one division and rounding is made.

1.4 North

The compass rose printed on the map shows its overall relationship to magnetic north. In the rules, whenever a compass direction is referenced, it should be understood the north side of the map is comprised of hexes 6000 to 6027, inclusive. The east side of the map is comprised of hexes 6027 to 1027, inclusive. The south side is 1027 to 1000, inclusive, and the west side is 1000 to 6000, inclusive. The corner hexes are therefore each part of two map sides.

2.0 Game Components

2.1 The components to a complete game of Kursk include these rules, the map sheet and a sheet of 280 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 The Map represents the militarily significant terrain found across the area around Kursk in 1943 when portrayed at this scale. A hexagonal ("hex") grid is printed over it to regulate unit placement and movement similar to the way squares are used in Chess and Checkers. A unit is always in only one hex at any one time. Each hex contains natural and/or manmade terrain features that may affect 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/time dilemmas faced by their historic counterparts during the battle. Each hex on the map also 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 Kursk is in hex 3415), 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 280 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 with a fingernail clipper facilitates their handling and stacking during play and enhances their appearance. Each combat unit-counter displays several pieces of information: nationality, type, combat strength, reinforcement or set up status and specific historic unit identifications.

2.4 Sample Combat Unit

This unit is the German 1st SS Panzer Division. It has a combat factor of "26," and begins play set up in, or within one hex of, hex 1907. It contains two strength steps.

2.5 Sides

A unit's nationality, and therefore its "side," is indicated by its color scheme.

• German Side
  • Mechanized units: white on black
  • Non-Mechanized units: white on gray
• Soviet Side
  • Mechanized units: white on red
  • Non-Mechanized units: white on tan
  • Static units: black on yellow

2.6 Unit Identifications & Abbreviations

Each ground combat unit is identified by the number or abbreviated name of its real-world historic counterpart. The abbreviations are as follows:

• C - Conditional Reinforcement
• S - Security
• SS - Schutzstaffel
• G - Guards
• GD - Gross Deutschland
• HG - Hermann Goering
• L - Light
• M - Manstein's Gambit
• N - NKVD
• R - On-Map Reserve

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, or go afoot, or just don't move much at all. This is important for movement (see section 8.0). 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 unit.

Mechanized Units (German Term/Russian Term):

• Panzer/Tank
• Panzer Grenadier/Mechanized Infantry
• Motorized Infantry (Soviet only)

Non-Mechanized Units:

• Regular Infantry / Rifle
• Paratroop Infantry / Airborne Infantry
• Mountain Infantry (German only)

Static Units:

• Fortified Zones (Soviet only)

2.8 Organizational Size

Units' organizational sizes are indicated by the symbols atop their unit-type boxes. There's no real difference in functionality between divisions and brigades, but for important rules concerning the differences between them on the Soviet side when it comes to stacking, see 7.5:

• XXX = corps
• XX = division
• X = brigade

2.9 Combat Factors

This number is a measure of each unit's relative ability to attack and defend (see section 10.0). Only Soviet fortified zone units have two different combat factors, one for attack (always a zero) and one for defense (always a three). See 11.3 for details.

2.10 Movement Factors Set by Mobility Class

Unlike most wargames, the movement factors of the units aren't printed on their counters. Those numbers, measures of each unit's ability to move across the hex field printed on the map, is determined by mobility class (see 2.7 above). The movement factor of all mechanized-class units in the game is eight. The movement factor of all non-mechanized units in the game is four. The movement factor of all "static" units is two. Units pay different movement costs to enter or cross the different types of terrain in and around the hexes into which they're moving (see section 10.0).

2.11 Step Strength

All ground units in the game have one or two "strength steps," or simply "steps." That's an arbitrary term used to express the ability of a unit to absorb a certain amount 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. Note that all German units are two-steppers, while all Soviet units are one-steppers.

When units of these sizes are eliminated in play it doesn't mean every individual within them has been killed. It means enough casualties and equipment losses have been suffered to render them useless for further operations. If a two-step unit suffers a one-step loss, it's flipped over so its reduced side (the one with the lower combat factor) shows. If a one-step unit, or a two-stepper that's already been "reduced," suffers a step loss, it's removed from the map ("eliminated") and placed into the "dead pile." For more details, see section 11.0. All two-step units that start play set up on the map do so at their full two-step strength. All two-step units that enter the map as reinforcements after play has begun also do so at their full two-step strength.

2.13 Other Counters

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

• Victory Point Hex Control Marker (see 3.10)
• Game Turn Marker (see section 5.0)
• German Air Force Combat Ground Support Markers (see 11.10)
• German Victory Point Markers (see section 4.0)
• Extra Game Turn Decision Marker (see 4.10)
• Soviet Phase Sequence Marker (see 5.4)

3.0 Set Up & Hex Control

3.1 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 that both players may simultaneously conduct the steps described in 3.2 and 3.3 below, but after that the rest of the set up is carried out in strictly sequenced steps completed one player at a time. Each player sets up only his own side's units. Also note that while completing the steps in 3.2 and 3.3, both players ignore normal stacking rules (see section 7.0).

3.2 Initial German Set Up & Reinforcement Codes

All German units with a capital letter "M" on their left of their two-step sides are units that appear only if that player has declared "Manstein's Gambit" to be in effect. Sort those units (including the aircraft counter with "1M" on it) into a separate pile and set them aside within easy reach.

Four German mechanized-class divisions (see 2.7) have the capital letter "C" on the left of their two-step sides. Those units are "Conditional" reinforcements. Sort them into a separate pile and set them aside within easy reach.

One German unit, the 19th Panzer Division, has the number "3" in the left of its two-step side. That unit is a regular reinforcement. Place it in the "Game Turn 3" box of the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. The counter with the aircraft icon and the number "1" printed on in it (not "1M," just "1") is similarly placed in the "Game Turn 1" box.

All other German units have four-digit hex reference numbers, followed by a short dash and a single number between "1" and "9," printed on their two-step left sides. Those are the German units already set up on the map at the start of play. At this point in the set up sequence the German player should ignore the single digits appearing after the short dashes, and simply stack all his starting units directly on the map in the exact hexes corresponding to the four-digit numbers printed on them. For example, the 1st SS, 2nd SS and 3rd SS Panzer Divisions should all be placed in hex 1907.

3.3 Initial Soviet Set Up & Reinforcement Codes

All Soviet units with a capital letter "C" on their left sides are "Conditional" reinforcements. Sort those units into a separate pile and set them aside within easy reach.

Five Soviet mechanized-class units (see 2.7) have the numbers "2" or "4" printed on their left sides. Those units are regular reinforcements. Place them in the two boxes of the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet that have game turn numbers corresponding to those numbers.

All other Soviet units have four-digit hex reference numbers, followed by a short dash and a single number between "1" and "9" or the capital letter "R," printed on their left sides. Those are the Soviet units set up on the map at the start of play. At this point in the set up sequence the Soviet player should ignore the single digit or letter appearing after the short dashes, and simply stack all his starting units directly on the map in the exact hexes corresponding to the four-digit number printed on each of them. As he's doing that, whenever he sets on the map units with the capital letter "R" appearing after their hex coordinate number, he should immediately flip over those units so only the large "R" on their reverse sides are showing.

3.4 German Player: No Manstein's Gambit

If the German player has decided not to activate "Manstein's Gambit," he must declare that fact at this point in the set up sequence. In that case he should complete his side's set up by finishing the deployment of all his on-map units. He does that by moving all his stacked units from their present hexes to any hexes on his side of the initial front line (see 3.8) such that: 1) there are no longer any over-stacked hexes; 2) all hexes within his front line fortifications contain one or more German units or zones of control; 3) no units with differing set up coordinates on them may finish this process in the same hex; and 4) no units end up farther away from their own hex reference set up coordinate than the second number (counted in hexes) printed after it on their counters.

As an example of number four above, the 1st SS, 2nd SS and 3rd SS Panzer Divisions all have the set up code "1907-1" printed down their front left sides. Thus, at the end of the procedures described in rule 3.2, all three of those units were stacked together in hex 1907. At the end of the sequence being described here, the possibilities for them are as follows: 1) since they're not violating the normal stacking rules where they are, one, two, or all three could simply be left in hex 1907; or 2) since they have a "1" printed after their hex reference coordinate number, they could, together or in any combinations, be moved from 1907 to any of the six hexes immediately around ("one away from") that hex.

As an example of number three in the first paragraph above, note the German player has units initially placed in hex 1809 (set up codes of "1809-1"). That "1" means those "1809" units could now be moved to, say, hex 1908. But that's also a hex within the set up range of the units initially placed in 1907. Therefore, units from either—but never both—of those groups could be moved to hex 1908 at this time (as decided by the German player).

When counting the ranges dictated by the numbers after the dashes on the German units, don't count the initial hex of placement. For example, a unit with the code "1503-3" on it could be moved to hex 1504, 1505 or 1506; but hex 1507 would be one too far. Note, too, though the example given here is linear, in actuality the hex-counting can be done in any and all directions, just as long as that range counting begins in the hexes immediately adjacent to the initial placement hex.

When fulfilling condition number two in the first paragraph above, the German player should ignore any Soviet zones of control (see section 8.0) that may be projected across the front line and into his fortifications. Such enemy zones of control have no bearing on his fulfillment of that condition. Note, too, once play actually beings, the requirement to maintain a solid front line is also lifted for the rest of the game for both players.

While the German player is carrying out all the steps given above, his opponent is free to watch him do so.

3.5 Soviet Player: No Manstein's Gambit

If the German player decides there's to be no Manstein's Gambit (the Soviet player has no say in the matter), after the steps described above in 3.4 are completed, the Soviet player finishes his side's set up as follows.

All "R" units stay exactly where they are, as they are, with their large "R" still facing up. For details on how those units become actively involved in play, see 9.2.

All Soviet units previously deployed on the map, other than the "R" units, are now further deployed according to the numbers printed on each of them following their hex reference numbers. That's done under exactly the same restrictions applied to the German player in 3.4 above (except, of course, this all takes place on the Soviet side of the initial front line). Further, no redeployed unit may end this process stacked with any "R" units.

While the Soviet player is carrying out all the steps given above, his opponent should turn away from the map and not turn back until the Red Army commander is finished setting up.

When fulfilling condition number two in the first paragraph of rule 3.4 above, the Soviet player should ignore any German zones of control (see section 8.0) that may be projected across the front line and into his fortifications. Such enemy zones of control have no bearing on his fulfillment of that condition. Note, too, once play actually begins, the requirement to maintain a solid front line is also lifted for the rest of the game for both players.

3.6 German Player: Manstein's Gambit

If, at the conclusion of the portion of the set up process described in 3.3, the German player decides to activate "Manstein's Gambit," he should declare that fact as soon as his opponent has fulfilled all the steps of rule 3.3. In that case, he (the German player) should then pause to allow the Soviet player to temporarily remove all the Red Army "R" units from the map.

That done, the German player should then place the counter with the aircraft icon and "1M" printed in its upper-left corner into the "1" box of the Game Turn Record Track. He should then also remove 19th Panzer Division from box "3" of that track. Finally, he should gather all the previously separated "C" and "M" units into one combined pile immediately in front of him.

All that done, the German player should then add all the gathered "3," "C" and "M" units to his on-map forces. (There is no longer any distinction between the "3," "C" and "M" units.) He does so under the following strictures: 1) the newly added units may only be set atop other German units already on the map; they may not be placed into any hex that didn't already have at least one German unit in it at the start of this step; and 2) normal stacking limits are again ignored during this step.

As soon as the additional C/M/3 units have been placed on the map as described above, the German player should finish his set up as given in rule 3.4. All the strictures given in the first paragraph of that rule still apply, with the further stipulation the C/M/3 units just added to the initial on-map stacks are now considered part of those stacks for purposes of completing the German set up.

3.7 Soviet Player: Manstein's Gambit

If the German player declares for "Manstein's Gambit," the Soviet player should immediately remove all his "R" units from the map. When the German player has completed the steps described above in 3.6, the Soviet player then places all those "R" units back on the map under the following strictures: 1) they may be placed, within normal stacking limits, in any hexes on the Soviet side of the initial front line; 2) within normal stacking limits, they may be placed in entirely empty hexes stacked with non-R Soviet units, or stacked with other "R" Soviet units. Note: no changes are made among Soviet conditional or regular reinforcements.

Design Note. "Manstein's Gambit" is my own term for describing the alternative scheme put forward for this German summer offensive by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein. He believed the plan, codenamed "Operation Citadelle," as put forward by Hitler and carried out historically, had little chance of success. Manstein therefore argued the attack – once he understood the dictator could not be dissuaded from launching an offensive – should then be made with all available forces. The additional units added to the initial German order of battle represent would've been the likely results, then, of scouring the rest of the eastern front, as well as all the other fronts and rear areas of the Third Reich, to bring into this fight virtually all the divisions capable of conducting offensive operations of this scale and ferocity. For more on the gambit's effects on game play, see 4.9 and section 9.0.

3.8 Initial Front Line

The initial front line is delineated by the hex sides shared by the German fortification hexes and the most westward of the Soviet fortification lines. For example, hex 1713 is on the German side of the initial front line, while hex 1714 is on the Soviet side of the initial front line. Note, too, for purposes of this rule, the city of Belgorod, in hex 2113, is considered part of the initial German front line. Aside from its effect on the set up procedures described above, the initial front line has no affects on any other aspect of play.

3.9 Initial Marker Placement

After all units have been sorted and placed in one of the two procedures described above, place the "Game Turn" marker in the Game Turn 1 box on the Game Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. Place the "VPx1" and "VPx100" markers in the 0 (zero) box on the Victory Point Track printed on the map, while putting the "VPx10" marker in that same track's "6" box. Temporarily place aside, but within easy reach, the other markers pictured in 2.13.

3.10 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 important only when completing the set up and when considering victory point hexes (see section 4.0). At the start of play the German player controls all hexes in and generally west of his fortification line, while the Soviet player controls all hexes generally to the east of that line. For example, the German player initially controls hexes 2704 and 4723, while the Soviet player controls hexes 2705 and 4724.

The control status of a hex changes the instant a ground 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. Their 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).

Markers have been provided in the counter-mix for placement in hexes on the map to show control status in those places where the general configuration of the battle line doesn't make that status obvious.

4.0 How to Win

4.1 The German player is generally on the offensive throughout the game, attempting to run a battle that will serve, by leading to the destruction of multitudes of Soviet units and the capture of important jump-off areas, as the set up for a follow-on drive to Moscow.

4.2 German Victory Points

Only the German player earns and loses victory points (VP). He starts play of every game (Manstein's Gambit or not) with 60 VP, for the total VP values of all the towns and cities he controls on his side of the initial front line. Keep track of the German VP total using the three markers provided in the counter-mix on the VP Track printed on the mapsheet. For example, to record a total of 184 German VP on the track, you would place the "VPx100" marker in the "1" box, the "VPx10" marker in the "8" box, and the "VPx1" marker in the "4" box.

Record all additions to, and subtractions from, the German VP total immediately as each change takes place. If, for any reasons, the German VP total ever falls to zero, play stops and the Soviet player is declared to have won the game. Failing that, play continues until the completion of Game Turn 7, 8 or 9 (see 4.10 for details on that).

At that time, if playing without Manstein's Gambit, the German player is declared to have won the game if he has more than 180 VP. If the German player has 155 to 180 VP, that game is a draw. If the German player has fewer than 155 VP, the Soviet player has won.

If playing with Manstein's Gambit, the German is declared to have won the game if he has 280 or more VP. If the German player has fewer than 280 VP, the Soviet player is declared to have won the game. No drawn games are possible when using Manstein's Gambit.

Note that, except for the unlikely event of the German VP total falling to zero, no game is decided prior to the end of its last game turn. For example, it wouldn't matter if, say, the German player reached a total of 181 (or more) VP during Game Turn 5. Play would continue until the end of the last game turn before victory is decided. Of course, if either player determines his situation has become hopeless at some time prior to the end of the last game turn, he's free to concede defeat at any time.

4.3 VP Awards & Debits

The German player is awarded and penalized VP according to the following list. Note: all VP awards, debits and procedures remain the same whether Manstein's Gambit is used or not used, except for 4.9. More detailed explanations follow the list below.

Victory Point Event	VP Award or Debit	Notes
Capture/Lose Town Hex	+1/-1	See 4.4
Capture/Lose Kursk Hex	+40/-40	See 4.4
Capture/Lose Any Other City Hex	+10/-10	See 4.4
Withdraw Any Mechanized-Class Div.	+1 to +6	See 4.5
Capture/Lose East Map Edge Hex	+3/-3	See 4.6
Lose/Recapture West Map Edge Hex	-10/+10	See 4.6
Each Eliminated Soviet Div.	+1	See 4.7
Each Eliminated Soviet Corps	+3	See 4.7

4.4 Town & City VP

Each time the German player gains or loses control of any town hex other than Lgov, he's awarded (for gaining such a hex) one VP, or debited (for losing control of such a hex) 1 VP. The award for the town of Lgov, in hex 3509, is 10 VP. (Lgov was the western-most logistical and communications terminus for the Soviets in this part of the front.) Note that the supply state of a town hex in question is of no importance; points are awarded or debited simply based on control status. Also note that any given town hex may change its control status any number of times throughout a game, and the VP for it are awarded/debited each time that occurs. The same is true for all cities other than Kursk, except the VP amount involved here each time is 10 rather than one. The same is also true for the city of Kursk (hex 3415), except the VP amount involved here each time is 40 rather than one. Also see 6.9.

4.5 German Mechanized-Class Withdrawal VP

Starting with Game Turn 5 (never before), at the beginning of each of his own player turns, the German player may carry out the withdrawal from play of one or two of his side's mechanized-class divisions. No more than two such divisions may be withdrawn per German player turn, though he may decide to withdraw just one, or none, always at the start of each of his turns, decided on a turn by turn and unit by unit basis.

To be eligible for withdrawal, a mechanized class division must be in supply, not in a Soviet zone of control (see section 8.0), and able to trace a path of contiguous hexes from its own location to a western map edge hex that's also entirely free of Soviet units and/or zones of control. Note that German units don't negate Soviet zones of control for purposes of tracing such a path.

If two divisions are to be withdrawn, they need not both start the turn in the same hex as long as both meet the other strictures described above. Further, selected and eligible divisions need not be at their full two-step strength; one-steppers may be selected to go.

Those conditions all having been met, as soon as a withdrawal is conducted, the German player rolls a die and awards himself that many VP (one to six). Once a division is withdrawn from play, it may never reenter the game.

Whenever any elite division is withdrawn, the procedure is the same except the German player thereby automatically adds three points to the die roll result when determining the amount of his VP award. Every German division with a front-side combat factor of "26" is considered elite, and that classification remains in place even if an elite division is down to one-step strength at the time of its withdrawal.

Withdrawn units are not moved off the map in the normal hex-by-hex fashion; they are simply picked up and set aside by the German player. Note no Soviet withdrawals are made during the game.

4.6 East & West Map Edge Hex VP

Each time the German player gains or loses control of any east map edge hex (1027 through 6027, inclusive), he is awarded (for gaining each such hex) three VP. Note that the supply state of a map edge hex in question is of no importance; points are awarded simply based on its control status. Also note that any given east map edge hex may change its control status any number of times throughout a game, and the VP for it are awarded/debited each time that occurs. Each time the German player loses or regains control of any west map edge hex (1000 through 6000, inclusive), he is debited (for losing each such hex) 10 VP. Note that the supply state of a map edge hex in question is of no importance; points are awarded simply based on its control status. Also note that any given west map edge hex may change its control status any number of times throughout a game, and the VP for it are debited/awarded each time that occurs. Also see 6.9.

4.7 Soviet Unit Elimination VP Awards

Each time the German player eliminates a Soviet division of any type, he is awarded one VP for having done so. Each time the German player eliminates a Soviet corps of any type, he is awarded three VP for having done so. Also note any Soviet units found to be out of supply at the end of the game are considered to be eliminated for purposes of this rule (see 6.9).

4.8 German Unit Elimination VP Debits

Each time a German infantry division is fully eliminated, the German VP total is debited two VP. Each time a German paratroop or mountain infantry division is fully eliminated, the German VP total is debited three VP. Each time a non-elite (see paragraph five, rule 4.5) German panzer or panzer grenadier division is fully eliminated, the German VP total is debited four VP. Each time an elite (see paragraph five, rule 4.5) German division is fully eliminated, the German VP total is debited five VP. Note that all those awards are made only for full unit eliminations; no debits are made to the German VP total simply for having a unit suffer a single step loss. Also note any German units found to be out of supply at the end of the game are considered to be fully eliminated for purposes of this rule (see 6.9).

4.9 Soviet On Map Reserve Activation VP

When playing with Manstein's Gambit, the Soviet on-map reserves ("R") become part of that player's fully available units from the start of play (see 3.6 and 3.7); so they're already activated, and thus generate no VP. When playing without Manstein's Gambit, however, for every stack of on-map reserves activated by the decision of the Soviet player (rather than waiting for approaching German units to cause their activation), the German player gains VP. The amount of VP awarded depends on the game turn during which each activation is made. Those amounts are shown on the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. For example, an "R" stack activated by the Soviet player's decision during Game Turn 1 would increase the German VP total by seven; each stack activated by the decision of the Soviet player during Game Turn 2 would yield six VP, those on Game Turn 3, five VP, etc. For more details on Soviet on-map reserve activations, see 9.2.

4.10 Extra Game Turn VP

At the end of Game Turn 7, both players should take their own Yes/No "Extra Game Turn Decision Marker" (see 2.13) and place it on the table in front of them with either the "Yes" or "No" side showing upward, and with the entire counter temporarily concealed beneath their hand. Then both players reveal their choice. If both chose "Yes" (by having that word show when they lift their hand from their counter), the "1st Extra Game Turn" (8) is played as a normal turn with no VP adjustment made either way because of it, though regular VP tallying continues.

If the German player called for an extra game turn ("Yes"), but the Soviet player did not ("No"), the first extra game turn is still played as a regular game turn. In that case, however, have the German player roll two dice. That amount, from two to 12 points, is immediately deducted from his VP total.

If the Soviet player called for an extra game turn ("Yes"), but German player did not ("No"), the first extra game turn is still played as a regular game turn. In that case, however, have the German player roll two dice. That amount, from two to 12 points, is immediately added to the German VP total.

If both players said "No" to the idea of playing an extra game turn, play is concluded and victory determined on the basis of the German VP tally at the very end of Game Turn 7.

If an extra game turn was played, much the same procedure is followed again at its end. That is, at that time both players use their Yes/No counters to determine if a second extra game turn (9) is to be played. In both VP generating situations, though, this time three dice are rolled (or one die three times), making for a possible VP change of in either direction of up to 18 points. Under no circumstances may a third extra game turn be played.

5.0 Turn Sequence

5.1 Every game turn of Kursk is divided into two "player turns," one German and one Soviet, preceded by a "Mutual Phase Order Determination Segment." That sequence makes up one "Game Turn," of which there are a maximum of nine in an entire match. The German 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 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. Mutual Phase Order Determination Segment
• II. German Player Turn
  • A. German Movement or Combat Phase
  • B. German Movement or Combat Phase
• III. Soviet Player Turn
  • A. Soviet On Map Reserve Activation Phase
  • B. Soviet Movement or Combat Phase
  • C. Soviet Movement or Combat Phase

5.3 Move/Fight, Fight/Move, Move/Move or Fight/Fight

For each of their player turns, both players determine the phase sequence their own forces will use for that player turn. They may choose from among all the combinations presented in the title of this rule. That is, they may choose to have their movement phase first, followed by their combat phase; or they may chose to fight first, then move; or they may choose to have two movement phases; or they may choose to have two combat phases.

5.4 Mutual Phase Order Determination Procedures

At the start of each of the Mutual Phase Order Determination Segments throughout the game, the Soviet player should begin by taking his two "Phase Sequence Markers" (see 2.13) and placing them, one each, in any order he desires, in the two boxes of the Soviet Phase Sequence Table printed on the map sheet. For example, if the Soviet player determines he wants to have his combat phase followed by his movement phase that game turn, he'd put one marker, with its "Fight" side up, in the box labeled "1st Phase," and the other marker, with its "Move" side up, in the box labeled "2nd Phase."

The German player should look away while the Soviet player makes those marker placements. Further, the Soviet player should, once he's placed his two markers, immediately cover them with a note card or piece of paper. With the Soviet phase determination having been made in that fashion for a game turn, the German player should simply declare what his sequence will be, by saying either: "Move—Fight"; or "Fight—Move"; or "Fight—Fight"; or "Move—Move." Keep the Soviet phase order markers covered until that player is due to begin his own player turn each game turn. At that point, lift the covering to reveal to the German player what sequence has been selected by his opponent for that turn.

Follow the procedure above at the start of every new game turn. One turn's selection in no way influences what may be chosen by either player in the next turn. Likewise, whether Manstein's Gambit is played or not has no effect on this process. Once the Soviet player has placed and covered his two markers, he may no longer change his declaration for that turn's sequence. Similarly, once the German player has announced his phase sequence, he may no longer change it that turn.

6.0 Supply

6.1 The ground units of both sides need supply to operate at their full movement and combat potentials. There are no counters representing the actual materiel consumed; instead, that process is represented by "supply line tracing" to supply source hexes.

6.2 Supply States

There are two supply states for the ground units of both sides in the game, and each unit of both sides always exists in one of them: 1) "in supply," which is also referred to as "being supplied" and; 2) "out of supply," which is also referred to as being "OOS" or "unsupplied."

6.3 Which Units Are In Supply

A unit is in supply if it can trace a path of contiguous hexes of any length, unblocked by enemy ground units or their zones of control (see section 8.0), from its location hex to an appropriate supply source hex. Note the presence of a friendly unit in a hex containing an enemy zone of control negates that zone of control for purposes of tracing your supply lines. German supply source hexes are all the hexes along the map's west edge, from 1000 through 6000, inclusive. Soviet supply source hexes are all the hexes along the map's east edge, from 1027 through 6027, inclusive. Units with supply have their full movement and combat factors available for use that player turn.

6.4 Tracing 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. Such paths may enter and cross all kinds of terrain and water bodies. Supply lines may never enter hexes occupied by enemy units, nor may they enter enemy controlled city hexes even if such city hexes are at that time empty of actual enemy units. In general, an enemy zone of control projected into a hex is also enough to block the tracing of a friendly supply path into or through that hex.

Again, though, note that the presence of a friendly unit in a hex containing an enemy zone of control negates that zone of control for purposes of tracing your supply lines. Both sides supply source hexes cease to function as such while under enemy control, determined on a turn by turn and hex by hex basis, but regain their supply capacity the instant they're brought back under friendly control. That process may go on any number of times during each game.

6.5 Effects of Being OOS

Units are never eliminated simply for being OOS (but see 4.8); units may exist indefinitely in the OOS supply state. OOS units have their movement and combat factors halved; round down all remainders.

6.6 When to Check Supply

Check the supply status of each of your units and stacks at the start of its movement, and again at the start of each individual battle in which you have forces involved on offense or defense. Units found to be OOS at the start of their movement have their movement factors halved for that phase, and road mode movement (see 10.18) is denied them. 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.

6.7 Deliberate OOS

Players may deliberately move their units into hexes in which they will or may become OOS.

6.8 Appropriate Supply Sources

The supply source hexes in the game only work for the units of the proper side as described in the rules above. If, for example, the Soviet player's forces captured a German supply source hex, that hex wouldn't become a supply source for Soviet forces.

6.9 End Game OOS Removals

At the very end of the game, units of both sides found to be out of supply at that time are removed to the dead pile, and those eliminations generate normal VP. If both sides have OOS units on the map at that time, first remove all the Soviet OOS units, then determine which German units need to be removed and remove them. Note such removals also grant the opposing side control of the hexes in which they're taking place, which may, in turn, generate more territorial VP additions or subtractions (see 4.4 and 4.6).

6.10 Soviet Lgov Supply

Soviet units located in the town of Lgov (hex 3509) are in supply in that hex provided only it hasn't yet fallen under German control. If Lgov once falls under German control, even if only temporarily, it thereby permanently loses its supply capacity for the rest of the game,

7.0 Stacking & Fog of War

7.1 "Stacking" is the word used to describe the piling of more than one unit into a hex at the same time.

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 they risk having early moves block units moved later in the phase. Note, though, beyond the restrictions given in this section and section 3.0, there's 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. 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 players 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' regular and conditional reinforcement units.

7.3 Fog of 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 three of his side's units in any hexes at any times. Note: 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.

7.5 Soviet Stacking Limits

The Soviet player may stack up to three corps in one hex at one time. Every Soviet division in the game is equal to one-third of a corps for stacking purposes.

7.6 Free Stacking Units

None of the counters pictured in rule 2.13 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 The six hexagons immediately surrounding a hex constitute the "zone of control" (ZOC) of any 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 hex sides and into all types of hexes, no matter what kinds of terrain or water barriers are involved.

8.2 Exerting ZOC

All ground units of both sides exert their ZOC throughout all game turns, regardless of their supply state, the phase or player turn. The projection of a ZOC into a hex is negated by the presence of enemy units in the hex into which it is being projected only in one case, the tracing of supply lines (see 6.3). For all other purposes, the presence of friendly unit(s) in a hex containing an EZOC doesn't negate that EZOC.

8.3 No Extra Movement Cost

Units don't pay any extra movement points to enter ZOC, enemy or friendly. 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 a phase already in an EZOC, there are three ways to exit that hex: 1) by retreat or advance-after-combat [see 11.12, 11.13 and 11.14 ]; 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 the case of number three, such units would again have to halt their movement for the phase if they subsequently entered another EZOC hex. Note: direct EZOC to EZOC movement is possible only for some units in certain circumstances; see 8.6 below.

8.5 ZOC Reciprocity

If a given friendly unit or stack is in an EZOC, the enemy unit or stack projecting that EZOC is also in the ZOC of the friendly unit. The two forces are equally, simultaneously and mutually effected. If there's a friendly ZOC and an EZOC being projected into the same hex, both zones of control co-exist in that hex. There's no additional effect from having more than one ZOC and/or EZOC projected into the same hex at the same time.

8.6 German Mechanized-Class EZOC to EZOC Movement

German mechanized-class units are the only ones in the game that may move directly from one EZOC hex directly into another EZOC hex. Such movement is called "infiltration," and it may be conducted only under a limited set of circumstances. For a German mechanized-class unit or stack to be able to "infiltrate" directly from one EZOC hex to another EZOC, that force must begin the German Movement Phase already located in an EZOC hex. Further, a force making an infiltration move must also start the phase in supply. Even more, no German unit may ever infiltrate into a Soviet fortification hex or a Soviet controlled city hex, nor may any German unit ever infiltrate across a major river or lake hexside.

Those preconditions having been met, the German player may move an eligible force one hex directly into another EZOC hex, where its movement must end for that phase. Note that if there were more than one eligible unit in the initial German occupied hex, one or two or three of them could infiltrate into the same or different EZOC hexes, provided all the conditions given above were met.

Other than the strictures given above, there are no limits on the number of infiltration moves the German player may make during each of his movement phases. The German player should make all of his infiltration moves in each of his movement phases before he begins any other movement.

9.0 On-Map Reserves & Reinforcements

9.1 On-map reserves are the eight stacks of Soviet "R" units described in 3.5, 3.7 and 4.9. Reinforcements (regular and conditional) are new units for both sides that enter play for the first time after a game has already begun. Note, the Soviet 309, 325, 348 and 354 Rifle Divisions are incorrectly shown on their reverse side to be "R" units. They are not "R" units. The set-up coordinates on their front sides, without "Rs", are correct as-is. Ignore the reverse-side "Rs".

9.2 Soviet On-Map Reserve Stacks

Prior to their "activation" (being flipped over so their non-R sides show upward), no Soviet on-map reserve stacks may be moved or participate in combat in any way. While in reserve status, though, they do exert ZOC normally. All Soviet on-map reserve activations take place on a stack by stack base; it's impossible for any one stack to be partially activated and partially still in reserve.

One method by which on-map reserve stacks maybe activated is described in 3.7: automatic and mass activation by the German player's declaration of Manstein's Gambit. Assuming the gambit is not used, there are two other methods of activation. The first is described in rule 4.9. That is, at the start of each of his own player turns, the Soviet player may simply activate any number of on-map reserve stacks he desires. He does that by flipping them over from their "R" sides and then also yielding VP per flipped stack to the German player.

The third method of Soviet on-map reserve activation is as follows: any time a German unit moves into a hex immediately adjacent to any stack of Soviet on-map reserves, those units are immediately activated (flipped), and that's done without making any adjustment to the German VP total.

Once a Soviet on-map reserve unit is activated by any of the methods described above, it never goes back into reserve status. Further, all such units begin operating with all normal capabilities the instant they're activated.

9.3 German Regular Reinforcements

When playing with Manstein's Gambit, there are no German ground unit reinforcements, regular or conditional. All those units are added to the initial on board order of battle for that side (see 3.7). When playing without Manstein's Gambit, the German player receives the 19th Panzer Division during Game Turn 3, and one Luftwaffe ground combat air support unit during Game Turn 1. The Luftwaffe air support unit simply becomes available for use during Game Turn 1, as described in rules 3.2 and 11.10.

At the start of his movement phase (either one, if he chose to have two such phases that turn) on Game Turn 3, the German player may enter the 19th Panzer via any west map edge hex then under his control and not in an EZOC (see 1.4 and section 8.0). Alternatively, the German player may choose to have the unit enter through the city hexes of Bryansk (5308) or Kharkhov (1609), provided only that the chosen city hex is in supply at that instant and no Soviet units are in any hexes adjacent to it. If city entry is used, the division's placement in the city costs nothing; its movement factor only begins to be used up when it actually starts to move from its arrival hex. If the unit is brought on board via an edge hex, begin debiting movement points from its movement factor with the very first hex of entry.

When the 19th Panzer Division arrives, it does so at full step-strength and with all normal combat and movement capabilities instantly available for regular use. If he desires, the German player may delay the entry of the 19th from game turn to game turn; however, he may never accelerate its arrival.

9.4 Soviet Regular Reinforcements

Soviet Regular Reinforcements are described in rule 3.3. They and the circumstances of their arrival remain unchanged no matter the status of Manstein's Gambit. Those units may enter play under the same general strictures as described above for the 19th Panzer Division, except the Soviet entry hexes are restricted to just the east map edge hexes of 1027 to 6027, inclusive. They may be entered stacked within normal limits.

9.5 German Conditional Reinforcements

When playing with Manstein's Gambit, there are no German conditional ("C") reinforcements, since all those units are added to that side's initial on-map order of battle (see 3.3 and 3.6). When playing without the gambit, however, the German player should start the game with the four mechanized-class divisions with "C" in the upper-left corners set aside. Those units only enter play under the following circumstances.

If a German player turn begins with the town of Lgov (3509) under German control, no matter the hex's supply state, the German player may bring in any two of the four "C" units (his choice). They enter play under the same general strictures described above for 19th Panzer Division in 9.3. They may enter stacked. At the start of the following German player turn, no matter the control or supply status of Lgov, that player may enter the remaining two "C" units.

Similarly, if a German player turn begins with one or more of the marked German conditional reinforcement trigger hexes, all located two-away from the Kursk city hex (3413, 3513, 3614, etc.), under his control (and supply status again irrelevant), he may enter any two "C" units as described in the paragraph above. At the start of the following German player turn, and no matter the control or supply status of the hexes involved, that player may enter the remaining two "C" units.

If a German player turn begins with Lgov and one or more the trigger hexes surrounding Kursk under that player's control, he may then enter all four "C" units at one time. (Normal stacking limits apply.) Note the Lgov and near-Kursk trigger hexes are all marked on the map with double iron cross icons as reminders of their special status.

9.6 Soviet Conditional Reinforcements

Numerous Soviet units are printed with a "C" in their upper-left corners. Those units constitute that side's conditional reinforcements no matter if Manstein Gambit is being used or is not used.

If one or more hexes of the Soviet conditional reinforcement trigger line—the uneven line of hexes running north/south across the map from 1016 to 6021, inclusive, and also including the towns of Sukhinichi in 6017 and Oboyan in 2913—begins a Soviet player turn with one or more of its hexes under German control, supply state irrelevant, the Red Army commander is thereby allowed to bring into play any three of his "C" units (his choice, and as described in 9.4). Note those hexes are all marked on the map with single red star icons as reminders of their special status.

If the town of Lgov (3509) begins a Soviet player turn under German control, no matter its supply status, the Red Army commander is thereby allowed to bring into play in any three of his "C" units (his choice, and as described in 9.4).

If the Kursk city hex (3415) begins a Soviet player turn under German control, no matter its supply status, the Red Army commander is thereby allowed to bring into play any nine of his "C" unit (his choice, and as described in 9.4). Note that hex is marked on the map with a triple red star icon as a reminder of its special status.

Always consider separately each of the trigger areas described in the rule above. Once one area has been triggered, the number of units thereby freed for entry (three or nine), is afterward available each turn even if the involved trigger hexes all come back under Soviet control. It's therefore possible, if a Soviet player turn began with one or more hexes of the one-star trigger line, the Lgov circle trigger line, and Kursk all under German control, for the Red Army commander to enter up to 15 "C" units in one turn.

9.7 Fight-Fight Reinforcements

If either player has any kind(s) of reinforcements due him during player turns in which he's chosen the fight-fight phase sequence, those reinforcements are placed normally, as a preliminary step in the first combat phase, but they may not move from their hex of placement that turn.

10.0 Movement

10.1 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

MP 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 units in each of his movement phases throughout the game at his own discretion. Units that move aren't 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 in the hex being entered and along its hex sides. In general, the movement of your units takes place only during you own player turn; no enemy movement takes place during your player turn (exceptions: see rules 11.12, 11.13 and 11.14).

10.3 Minimum Movement Capability

Every unit in the game is guaranteed the ability to move one hex during each of its side's movement phases throughout the game by expending all of its MF to do so, matter the terrain and water costs otherwise involved. That guarantee doesn't, however, give units the ability to make moves that are otherwise against the rules.

10.4 Stack Movement

To move together as a stack, units must begin their side's movement phase already stacked together. Units aren't required to move as a stack, however, simply because they started that phase in the same hex. In such situations those units might be moved together, individually, or in smaller sub-stacks.

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 unit within it. Of course, as the slower units exhaust their MP, you may leave them behind and continue with the faster units.

10.7 Enemy Units

May not 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 one hex along with the natural stuff.

10.9 Natural Terrain

There are four types of natural terrain: clear, forest, hills, and swamp, along with river, major river, and lake hexsides (which are collectively termed "water barrier hexsides"). The effects those terrain types and water bodies have on the movement of ground units are described below and are also summarized on the Terrain Effects Chart printed in the last section of these rules.

10.10 Clear terrain is the 'base' terrain of the game, and is 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 all 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 terrain type within them. Also see 10.15.

10.11 Forest

All mechanized-class units pay two MP to enter each forest hex. All non-mechanized and static units pay one MP to enter each forest hex.

10.12 Hills

All mechanized-class units pay three MP to enter each hill hex. All non-mechanized and static units pay two MP to enter each hill hex.

10.13 Swamp

All mechanized-class units pay five MP to enter each swamp hex. All non-mechanized and static units pay three MP to enter each swamp hex.

10.14 Water Hexsides

Unlike the terrains described above, all water bodies on the map lie between hexes, along hexsides, rather than lying in-hex. Rivers may be crossed by all units at the cost of one extra MP. Major river and lake hexsides may be crossed by mechanized units at the cost of three extra MP; non-mechanized and static units pay two extra per such hexside. "Extra" means in addition to the cost of the terrain in the hex the moving unit enters after crossing the water barrier.

10.15 Manmade terrains exists in four types: friendly fortified hexes, enemy fortified hexes, towns and cities. More than one type of manmade terrain may exist in a given hex together with other types of such terrain as well as natural stuff. If more than one manmade or natural terrain exists in a hex being entered by a moving unit, the unit pays all costs involved for both manmade and natural terrain types, as well as for crossing any water barrier hexside. For example, a mechanized unit entering a hill hex (3 MP) that was also an enemy fortified hex (2 MP) would pay five MP to do so. Note, further, that all water barrier hexside crossing costs are cumulative to the costs involved for in-hex terrain types.

Clarification: the cumulative movement cost process doesn't mean the clear terrain cost of "1" is added to every other terrain type's cost. That is, because of the way in which clear terrain is represented visually on the map, the "cumulative cost" explanation given above might lead players to think you'd also have to add a "1" there, to account for the clear terrain cost – since, visually, some clear terrain can be seen in every "hill" hex, every "forest" hex, etc. So, the clear terrain cost of "1" is not additive to the terrain costs, manmade or natural, of other terrains found in the hexes.

10.16 Fortified Hexes

All non-mechanized and static units may enter friendly fortified clear terrain hexes at the cost of one MP for each such hex. All mechanized-class and static units may enter friendly fortified clear terrain hexes at the cost of two MP for each such hex. When entering enemy clear terrain fortified hexes, the mechanized cost remains unchanged, but the non-mechanized and static cost is likewise increased to two MP for each such hex. When entering fortified hexes that contain natural terrain other than clear, the entry costs described above are additive to that natural terrain's cost, as described above in 10.15. Note that fortifications in the game are immortal and indestructible. Enemy fortified hex costs are paid no matter how long a given hex of that type may have been under friendly control.

10.17 City hexes cost all units of both sides two MP to enter.

10.18 Towns

Units entering a hex containing a town do so at the highest MP cost for any other terrain located in that hex, plus water barrier 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 Road Mode Movement

Under certain circumstances, road mode movement may be used to enhance your units' movement allowances during each of your side's movement phases. To be eligible to use road mode movement, a given unit or stack must begin that movement phase in supply and not in an EZOC. Those two preconditions having been met, such units have their MF doubled for that phase. Note, though, there are further restrictions in that units using road mode movement may not enter an EZOC, or end their move in an EZOC hex. Within those limits, any number of your units may use road mode movement in every one of your movement phases. Within all those strictures, newly entering reinforcements of all types and of both sides may use road mode movement during their turns of arrival.

10.20 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. Units forced off the map are thereby considered to have been eliminated.

11.0 Combat

11.1 Combat occurs among directly adjacent enemy units, potentially during every combat phase of both sides during the game. Attacking is always voluntary; the mere fact of enemy adjacency doesn't require units attack or be attacked. The player whose player turn it is, is termed the "attacker," and the other player is the "defender," no matter the general situation across the map.

11.2 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 ratios listed across the top of the Combat Results Table (CRT) printed at the end of these rules. For example, if 13 strength points were attacking four strength points, the combat 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 ratio, the attacker rolls a die. The result indicates the line on the CRT that's cross-indexed with the column representing his combat ratio. 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 separate combat is entirely resolved before the resolution of another battle is begun.

11.3 Static Units in Combat

Static units—which exist only within the Soviet order of battle; see 2.7—never attack; they only defend. The presence of a static unit or units in a hex doesn't in anyway inhibit the activity of other friendly units in that same hex. In such situations, entirely ignore the presence of the static units. They may not take part in any part of an attack made by other units in their hex, nor may they be used to satisfy any part of such an attack's combat result. In general, static units defend normally, but see 11.20 below. Unlike all other units, static units have two combat factors printed on their counters: "0/3"—the first number, a zero, serves as a reminder of their no-attack restriction, while the second number, a three, is their strength when fighting on the defense.

11.4 Attack & Defense Limits

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. If you select the fight/fight phase sequence (see 5.3), all your units may participate fully in both those phases.

11.5 Multi-Unit & Multi-Hex Combat

All units in a single hex must defend as a single force; the strength of all the 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 strength; they may be committed to different attacks, decided by the owning player 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 would otherwise be 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 its attackers.

11.6 Defender Commitment & Integrity

The defending player may not withhold any units in a hex under attack. The attacker must attack all the units in a stack together; different enemy units in the same hex may not be attacked separately.

11.7 Combat Strength Unity

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

11.8 Terrain 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 (12.1). For example, a unit defending in a hill hex would have its combat odds shifted two to the left (in its favor) when calculating the final odds for that battle. All applicable terrain and water barrier odds shifters, both natural and manmade, are applied cumulatively in every combat. Note that in all cases but one—attacks into swamp hexes—the column shifts for terrain are always made in favor of the defender (leftward). The shift in the case of defenders in swamps is in favor of the attacker (rightward) because you can't dig hasty entrenchments, or simply take good cover, in places where you're beneath the water table as soon as you hit the ground or stick in a shovel.

11.9 Odds Shifts Due to Phase Sequence

Whenever the German player chooses the fight/fight sequence, all his supplied attacks during the first combat phase of his player turn thereby receive a two column rightward odds shift. German attacks containing any OOS units are unable to take advantage of this benefit.

Whenever the German player chooses the fight/move sequence, all his supplied attacks during the combat phase that player turn thereby receive a one column rightward odds shift. German attacks containing any OOS units are unable to take advantage of this benefit.

Whenever the Soviet player chooses the fight/fight sequence, all his supplied attacks during the first combat phase of his player turn thereby receive a one column rightward odds shift. Soviet attacks containing any OOS units are unable to take advantage of this benefit.

Whenever the Soviet player chooses the move/fight sequence, all his attacks during that player turn thereby suffer a one column leftward odds shift.

Note that all the shifts described above are applied in addition to any and all other applicable odds shifters.

11.10 Odds Shifts Due to Luftwaffe Combat Ground Support

When playing with Manstein's Gambit, the German player has available two Luftwaffe combat ground support aircraft counters; when playing without the gambit, he has only one available. An available Luftwaffe counter is eligible to support one combat per game turn, either on offensive or defense, but never both. No more than one Luftwaffe counter may be assigned to any given battle, even if two are otherwise available. The counters have no range limits and may operate freely all across the board. They are immortal and indestructible; they have no step or combat values of their own; they are unaffected by all combat results, and they don't exert ZOC.

Within the strictures given above, a Luftwaffe unit generates a one column shift in favor of the German ground units in the battle it is supporting. The German player makes the commitment decision as the last step prior to the die being rolled. An otherwise available Luftwaffe unit may not be committed to the second die roll in a battle that results in a defender retreat conversion (see 11.20 below).

11.11 Concentric Attack

If a defending Soviet unit or stack is attacked by German 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 German attack gains a two column rightward odds shift. The bonus is also available to attacking Soviet units, but they only achieve a one-column rightward shift. Note, too, this bonus is never available against defenders located in cities or in fortified hexes of their own side.

11.12 Retreat After Combat

When a combat result requires a player's units be retreated after combat, the owning player must immediately move the affected units one hex. If no such hex is open to receive a Soviet retreat, a blocked Soviet unit or stack is instead eliminated in place. Retreating German units may retreat without penalty into an EZOC provided no other move is open to them. Note that the presence of a friendly unit in an EZOC doesn't negate that EZOC for purposes of judging a retreat's validity. Soviet units may never retreat into EZOC.

Units retreating from the same hex 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. (Transcription note: the source file prints "may must be retreated"; the word "may" is the publisher's struck-out word per the 04 November 2008 update, so it is omitted here.)

Both players retreat their own units. Within the strictures given above, both are free to choose their units' path(s) of retreat when more than one hex is available to receive 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 of either side is blocked from retreating for any reason, it's eliminated in place.

11.13 Displacement

If the only hex available to a retreating unit is one into which it normally couldn't enter because of stacking limits, one of the 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 itself making a retreat after combat, and its place is taken by the retreating unit. One retreating unit displaces one unit in a stack; two retreating units displace two, etc.

A displaced Soviet unit may not be forced into EZOC. 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's the only path of displacement/retreat open to the owning player.

11.14 Advance After Combat

Whenever a defended hex is vacated as a result of combat, at least one involved victorious attacking unit must 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. Such advances after combat are made without regard to EZOC for both sides. Advances after combat must be performed immediately as they occur, before any other combats are resolved.

Only supplied German mechanized-class units may ever advance after combat more than one hex. The first hex of such an advance must always be into the hex just vacated by the defeated defenders. The second hex may be any hex empty of enemy units and, further, no second-hex advance may ever be conducted into a Soviet fortified hex, a Soviet controlled city hex, or across a major river or lake hexside. If the second hex of an advance after combat would carry advancing German mechanized units into a hex already containing other friendly units, normal stacking rules must be applied and no displacement may take place. Note there are never any defender advances after combat. Victorious defenders simply remain in place.

11.15 Odds Limits & Odds Shifts

Attacks with final odds greater than 6:1 are resolved at 6:1. Attacks with final odds less than 1:3 are resolved at 1:3. When calculating odds, always apply all applicable shifters first, then—and only then—look at the Combat Results Table.

11.16 Attacker Stalled (AS) Result

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

11.17 Attacker Lose One (AL1) Result

If the attacker was the Soviet player, one unit of his choice must be eliminated and permanently removed from the map. The surviving attacking units, if any, simply remain in place. If the attacker was the German player, one step from one unit of his choice must be eliminated. He may choose to eliminate a one-stepper or reduce a two-stepper. The surviving attack units, if any, simply remain in place.

11.18 Defender Eliminated (DE) Result

If the defenders were Soviet, all involved defending units are eliminated and permanently removed from the map. If the defenders were German, first remove all involved one-step units to the dead pile, then reduce all the involved two-step units to one-steppers. Survivors remain in place.

11.19 Defender Retreat (DR) Result

All involved defending units must retreat after combat as described above in rules 11.12 and 11.13.

11.20 Defender Retreat Conversions

The defending player may declare defender retreat conversion whenever his units are defending in a town, city or friendly fortification hex. That call must be made prior to the combat die roll. The Soviet player must declare defender retreat conversion any time his defending force contains one or more FZ, no matter what the terrain involved in that hex. Subtract one from the conversion die roll result if the attack odds were 4:1 or 5:1. Add one to the conversion die roll if the attack odds were 1:2 or 1:1 (see 12.3). Note that using the defender retreat conversion rule doesn't replace making a first-roll on the regular CRT. The "conversion" only comes in when that's been done and a "DR" has been the result obtained. That done, and "conversion" having been called earlier by the defender, a second die roll is then made and referenced on table 12.3.

11.21 Bloodbath (BB) Result

If the defending force was Soviet, eliminate and remove to the dead pile all involved units of that side. The German player must then remove enough steps or whole units from his involved attacking force so the amount of combat factors thereby given up is at least equal to the number of combat factors lost by the Soviet player. (Eliminated FZ count as three factors.)

If the defending force was German, first remove all involved one-step units of that side to the dead pile; then reduce all the involved two-step German units to one-steppers. Survivors remain in place. The Soviet player must then remove enough of his involved units so his total of combat factors thereby given up is at least equal to the number of combat factors just lost by his opponent.

Always take supply into account when counting combat factors.

11.22 SS Panzer Corps National Socialist Ardor

Whenever all three divisions of the SS Panzer Corps (1st SS, 2nd SS and 3rd SS Panzer Divisions) are stacked together in the same hex—reduced or at full strength, no matter—any attack or defense in which the entire stacked corps participates receives a one column shift in favor of the German side. On the attack, divisions from outside the corps may participate without negating this shift benefit, but only from hexes other than the one occupied by the three SS panzer divisions. On the defense, no non-corps stacking is permitted or the shift is lost. If one or more of the SS panzer divisions becomes fully eliminated or is withdrawn from the game, the shift is no longer available.

11.23 Fallschirmjaeger Elan

When playing with Manstein's Gambit, whenever the two German paratroop divisions are stacked together, their defense of that hex gains the German side a one column leftward shift. This shift is only available on the defense. Also note one or both of the paratroop units may be reduced and the shift is still available as long as they're stacked together. Any non-paratroop units stacked in the same hex with the paratroop divisions also works to negate this shift.

12.0 Charts & Tables

12.1 Terrain Effects Chart

Movement costs are given as Non-Mech / Static, then Mech.

Terrain Types	Movement Costs (Non-Mech / Static & Mech)	Combat Effects
Clear	1/1	NE
Forest	1/2	1L
Enemy Fortification	2/2	Attacking Into: 3L - Possible DR Conversion; No Concentric. Defending In: 1L
Friendly Fortification	1/2	Attacking Into: 1L. Defending In: 3L - Possible DR Conversion; No Concentric
Hills	2/3	2L
City	2/2	3L - Possible DR Conversion; No Concentric
Town	OT	1L - Possible DR Conversion
River Hexside	+1/+1

Notes:

• In every situation, all applicable combat effects are cumulative.
• NA - Not Allowed
• NE - No Effect
• OT - Movement costs are determined by other terrain(s) in that hex.
• Costs for crossing hexside features are in addition (+) to those for entering the hex being crossed into.
• #L - Shift odds that number of columns left on the CRT.
• 1R - Shift odds one column right on the CRT.

12.2 Combat Results Table (CRT)

Die Roll	1:3	1:2	1:1	2:1	3:1	4:1	5:1	6:1
1	AS	DR	BB	DE	DE	DE	DE	DE
2	AS	AS	DR	BB	DE	DE	DE	DE
3	AS	AS	DR	DR

Note: Final odds greater than 6:1 are treated as 6:1; final odds less than 1:3 are treated as 1:3.

There are discrepancies between the results shown on the CRT printed in the paper magazine and the CRT appearing above. This eRules CRT is the correct one.

12.3 Defender Retreat Conversion Table

Die Roll	Converted Result
0	DE
1	DE
2	BB
3	BB
4	BB
5	BB
6	AS
7	AL1

Notes:

• +1 to die roll if odds were 1:2 or 1:1
• -1 to die roll if odds were 4:1 or 5:1.