Heroes of Normandie: Civilians Under Fire

Expansions

Heroes of Normandie: Civilians Under Fire Rulebook

Table of Contents

Customizations

These are recruitment options of a special kind.

They may only be attributed to character. A character is the main unit of a recruitment tile. This should be an hero or an officer (counters with a yellow border). The character can't belong to an option but must have, or be part of, a proper recruitment tile, so the attributes may be placed on the tile or in its slots.

Bicycle

This customization replaces the character's normal movement value by a value of 5.

Place the bike token on the character to denote this. If the cyclist is eliminated or abandons it, leave the token on the space where it stopped being used.

To pick it up a character must end movement on the space with the token. In the next turn, the character can start moving at a value of 5.

Canticle

This customization gives you 3 tokens.

Each canticle token gives a bonus of +1 on one die roll for any unit within two spaces of father Bernard. These canticle tokens are cumulative, more than one may be spent on a single die roll. The use must be announced before the die roll.

The special ability Choir increases the range of tokens.

Champagne

This customization gives you 1 marker shaped like a champagne bottle.

This bottle can be discarded to remove 1 order token from an enemy unit inside the Zone of Control of Alexandre, the mayor.

Leader

This customization gives the character the Order 1 special ability. You can add 1 Order token to your total Order tokens of your army at the Order phase.

Tactical map

This customization gives the character 3 Tactical map tokens.

Each one can be spent on one unit to negate the effects of all difficult terrain it may encounter on 1 move action during a turn.

Weapons

The character is equiped with a weapon.

When a character opts to handle the weapon, its special ability, combat or shooting values must be applied. Characters refraining from using it, refer back to their basic values.

If the trait consists of markers (like grenades) its use is limited by the amount of markers.

Explosives

An infantry unit with an Explosive token can leave this token on any space it stands on or moves into during movement.

A unit with the special ability Engineer can set off explosives in its space:

in the Activation phase with an Order, instead of moving or shooting.
if still inactivated, in the Supply phase instead of moving.

The Detonator token gives the special ability Engineer to any unit that was given this token. It permits the unit to activate, within two spaces, any tokens or counters that have this symbol (two gears with a circular arrow, as printed on the Detonator token):

Alexandre, Mayor and Resistance Fighter Who Loves Champagne

When the liberators came, he was among the first to offer them a glass as a token of friendship. He wanted to introduce them to all the regional specialties, being very proud of these, as a good Frenchman... so proud he had succeeded in keeping the goods out of German hands.

Adorned with his tricolour sash and, being the chief of the local volunteer fire department, proudly wearing his gleaming brass helmet, he steps out whilst sporting the broadest of smiles. In the name of the Republic, holding a champagne bottle, he bids a very warm welcome to all those strangers who have come to indulge in France's splendid sparkling spirits. But this divine drink may also serve as weapon to make the heads of the Boche spin and catch them off guard. A toast to your good health!

Off Map Deployment

Some scenarios may need to deploy units OFF MAP.

Units deploying OFF MAP:

do NOT have to deploy on the map during the Preparation phase.
may show up in any turn, in whatever numbers, player's choice OR may even not show up at all and stay OFF MAP, not taking part in the game.
can not use the special ability "Scout".
have entrance points indicated by arrows on the scenario map.
move onto the map either with orders in the Activation phase or later in the Supply phase, then, start next to the board, perform normal movement to move into the game and start spending movement points from the moment they hit their entrance space.

Of course, a scenario may dictate different behaviour.

Civilians

"Civilians" refers to any type of Civilians in the game.

"CIVILIANS" refers specifically to those units that have this word printed on their counter as unit name.

All units with this division insigna are considered as Civilians.

Special Abilities

The source heading for this section is printed in French ("Capacités spéciales"); it is rendered here in English.

Snitch

This unit can reveal units in ambush within 2 spaces, even without having LOS to it.

Chorale

Any units, that have this ability, adjacent to father Bernard, may each increase by 1 the range of Canticle tokens.

Charm

At the end of the Order phase, this unit can remove 1 order token from 1 enemy unit in its view.

A Clear LOS to the target is required.

Driver

Vehicles with this special ability don't come equipped with a driver, unlike most other vehicles in the game.

Before this vehicle is allowed to be moved, one or several units must be in or on this vehicle. Their transport value must equal or exceed the number shown in this driver symbol.

Reminder (Transport special ability): Units on a side with the red skull symbol and Characters count as 1. All other units count as 2.

Stacking

Within the same space, any amount of civilian units may be stacked with each other or with one either friendly or hostile infantry unit.

When an infantry unit is stacked with civilians, this unit suffers a -1 on all attack/defence rolls, for every civilian counter present with the infantry in the same space.

Firing: All shots, with or without blast pattern, hit every counter present in the space. Roll a die for each unit.

Assault: In case of assault on an infantry unit stacked with civilians, the latter are not involved in the fight and are unscathed. When assaulting a stack entirely composed of civilians, combat is resolved against one counter chosen as target. This unit may be eliminated or forced to retreat. The other civilians in the stack are not involved in this fight and remain unscathed.

If the attacker wins, the unscathed civilians remain in place. They do not retreat along with the defeated unit and now become stacked again when the attacker moves onto the space left vacant by the defeated unit.

Faith

Units with faith need not make Terror tests (see Shadows over Normandie).

Bodyguard

Player's choice: when the bodyguard is within two spaces of a friendly character that suffers damage, this character is unscathed while all damages are inflicted on the bodyguard instead.

Inspiration

If a unit with this special ability has not been activated, neither by an order token nor by an Activate marker, it can, at any time, remove a Suppressed marker from another unit within 3 spaces.

After this action was performed, place an Activate marker on the unit that provided the Inspiration.

Dog trainer

Within a range of 4 spaces, a dog trainer can give an order to a unit with the special ability "Canine unit".

The trainer must have Clear or at least Obscured line of sight to the animal.

Objective

This unit can serve as objective during a SCENARIO.

Suppression (5+)

Roll a die. On a result of 5 or more, the target of this unit receives 1 Suppressed marker.

Canine unit

This unit can only receive order tokens from a unit with Dog trainer special ability.

Engineer

Units with this special ability can use and activate materials or terrain elements with the corresponding symbol.

Keys and Doors

The source heading for this section is "Pull the rope to lift the latch!".

To pick up keys, move a unit over the space with the "KEYS" counter.

If the bearer of the keyset is eliminated or decides to drop it, leave the counter in the space where the keys fell.

A unit must have keys and be adjacent to the door it wants to lock or unlock.

This can happen:

in the Activation phase, with an order which is used to lock or unlock the door, instead of taking a move action or firing action.
in the Supply phase, instead of taking a move action.

Place or retrieve the closed door marker accordingly.

Transferring Objects

At the beginning of the Supply phase, a unit holding an object (Radio, Keys, Bicycle, etc...) can transfer this to another unit in its ZoC.

Customizations (objects) can only be transferred between characters.

An object may only be transferred once per Supply phase.

Scenario 1: Radio Londres

Briefing:

D-Day will happen soon...but when?? We are in dire need of fresh orders from London. Without these we cannot be properly prepared to aid the troops that will disembark to liberate us. Those Germans have confiscated all radios. It is whispered that Philippe Maréchal still has one. We must proceed to his farm and find out if it's true. He's invited some friends over though, we must be very cautious, but we have no time to lose...

1. Battlefield and Deployment

The battlefield is a map of four sections, labelled C4-A, C1-B, C2-A and C3-A, with a German deployment zone in the centre. Three French entrance arrows are printed along the north edge, three along the west edge, three along the south edge and three along the east edge. The map itself is a printed image in the rulebook and is not reproduced here.

2. Composition of Armies

German army: Panzergrenadiere (X. Bataillon, PzGr Lehr Rgt 901)

Leader unit (star) with the Ob Hauser leader
Zündapp: 25
Fire Group, Recon Group, MG42 (as printed on the tile, grouped with Ob Hauser)
Grenade x3: 5
Assault Group (Fire Group, Fire Group, MG42): 55
Group total printed on the tile: 65

French army: FFI (Giselle Luceau "Sandy")

FFI Squad: 50
Heroic x3: 30
FFI MG42: 15
Sandy's group (Sandy, FFI, FFI Support, FFI, FFI) with Gears x3, printed total: 80

3. Preparation

Choose 2 bonus tactics at random and place them on the map.
Put the radio inside the house.
Park the tractor on tile C-3A as illustrated.
The FFI player uses the US markers, order tokens and the card deck.
Remove the following cards from both decks: all Artillery and Aviation cards, Don't stop, Hit and run, It bounced right off it, Precision, Ram, Repairs, Weak point. From US deck: American way of life, Resupply, Uncle Sam.
The German player deploys first in his deployment zone in and around the house. Hauser and the Collabo must be inside the house. The MG 42's are not deployed on their tripod side.
The FFI player deploys OFF MAP (see p.2) and their troops enter by spaces marked with French tricolour arrows.
The FFI player has initiative. Place the US marker on turn 1.
Each player draws 4 cards.

4. Playing the Game

This game is played in 8 turns.

Clear night rules apply.

Clear night

Maximum shooting distance is 9 spaces, impossible to fire any further. Units whose special ability "Limited Range" exceeds this distance can't shoot beyond 9 spaces either. Long range penalty beyond 7 spaces.
An ambushed unit in terrain element can only be spotted by adjacent units with a LoS on the unit. A unit can go into Ambush in open terrain (no terrain element) when no enemy with a Clear line of sight to that unit is present within 4 spaces or less.
Dispersal roll distance is augmented by 1. The range of indirect shots remains unchanged.
It's impossible to play Aviation cards.

The night rules are also summarised on a printed reference chart: shooting range 9, dispersal +1, a 7+ roll gives -2, Aviation cards not playable, and ambush spotting by adjacent units or by a Clear line of sight within 4 spaces.

The FFI must leave the board through any side with the radio.

To pick up the radio, a unit must end its movement on top of the radio counter.

If the carrier is killed, the radio counter is left in the space where the carrying unit was eliminated.

The German player can not take the radio out of the house.

END: The game ends after turn 8 or when the radio is taken off the board by an FFI unit.

5. End of the Game and Victory

FFI victory: if the FFI succeeds in taking the radio off the board before the end of turn 8.
German victory: if the FFI fails to take the radio off the board before the end of turn 8.

Scenario 2: We Must Save Private Alexandre!

Briefing:

As reprisal for the attack of Philippe Maréchal's farm, the Gestapo arrested the mayor, who is now being detained in the Kommandantur. In the early morning hours, a brisk commando was sent to deal with the urgent matter of liberating poor Alexandre from the claws of the Gestapo. Whilst the men of the FFI close in on the prison, the priest, his choirboys and some other citizens follow in their tracks to provide support.

1. Battlefield and Deployment

The battlefield is a map of six sections, labelled C4-B, C5-B, C6-B, C3-A, C1-B and C2-A, with a German deployment zone in the centre (C5-B). Three French entrance arrows are printed along the west edge, three along the east edge and three along the south edge. The map itself is a printed image in the rulebook and is not reproduced here.

2. Composition of Armies

German army

Ilda, SS "She Wolf of the SS" (Heroic Platoon)
- Group A: Hundestaffel, 65
- Group B: MP40 (5), 65
Panzergrenadiere (X. Bataillon, PzGr Lehr Rgt 901)
- Group A: Ob Hauser, Recon Group, Fire Group, MG42, Grenade x3 (5), group total 65

French army: FFI (Giselle Luceau "Sandy")

FFI Squad: 50
FFI Citroen T23: 15
FFI MG42: 15
Sandy's group (Sandy, FFI, FFI Support, FFI, FFI) with Gears x3, printed total: 80

Civilians and other units

Bernard Ferrand, Armoured Priest: 35 (Grenade x1, 5)
Civilians: Sister, Toto, Papy, Baker, Postman, Alter Boys (each card shows its own printed values)

In Jail

Alexandre Renaud, Happy Mayor: 10 (Planning, 10)

3. Preparation

Choose 2 bonus tactics at random and place them on the map.
The FFI player uses the US markers, order tokens and the card deck.
Remove the following cards from both decks: all Artillery and Aviation cards, Don't stop, Hit and run, It bounced right off it, Precision, Ram, Repairs, Weak point. From US deck: American way of life, Resupply, Uncle Sam.
The German player sets aside Group B, consisting of Ilda, her bodyguard and her car. All the other units belong to Group A; this group is placed in the deployment zone.
3 units of CIVILIANS are placed, face down, 1 unit in each house. One of these CIVILIANS units must be the one with the red border that has the Objective special ability. In this scenario, this unit contains the Collaborator. Set aside both the COLLABO and the KEYS counter.
- He has come to give back the keys of the Kommandantur that Hauser lost during last night's diner at Philippe Maréchal's place.
Alexandre is placed in the prison cell of the Kommandantur with the locked door marker in place. He can not get out of prison by playing a SURPRISE card.
The FFI player takes the recruitment tile for Alexandre and adds the customization "Planning".
- Surrounded by Germans, as an act of defiance, Alexandre is singing "la Marseillaise" at the top of his lungs to encourage his liberators.
- Hence, the extra order token provided by Alexandre's "Planning" may be added to the FFI order token pool and used by the FFI player, even when the mayor is in jail.
- The German player can not kill the mayor as long as this character is locked up.
The FFI player deploys OFF MAP (see p.2) and their troops enter by spaces marked with French tricolour arrows.

4. Playing the Game

This game is played in 8 turns.

Clear night rules apply.

Clear night

Maximum shooting distance is 9 spaces, impossible to fire any further. Units whose special ability "Limited Range" exceeds this distance can't shoot beyond 9 spaces either. Long range penalty beyond 7 spaces.
An ambushed unit in terrain element can only be spotted by adjacent units with a LoS on the unit. A unit can go into Ambush in open terrain (no terrain element) when no enemy with a Clear line of sight to that unit is present within 4 spaces or less.
Dispersal roll distance is augmented by 1. The range of indirect shots remains unchanged.
It's impossible to play Aviation cards.

The Civilians

The civilians are treated as FFI units.
This means they can not be in the same space as an enemy unit except when they assault or when they are captured.
The German player can capture them by moving onto a space that is occupied by one or several civilians.
Once captured, they remain with the German unit and can't do anything but follow this unit. If the civilians are ever abandoned by the German unit, the FFI player regains control over them.
Captured civilians may be transferred from one German unit to an adjacent German unit. Take the effects of the "Stacking" trait into account!
They may be targeted and fired upon by opponent units in the game.

Liberating Alexandre

The goal of the FFI player is to liberate Alexandre and take him to safety before the end of turn 8.
First of all, they must find where the German player hid the keys.
Any FFI or civilian unit controlled by the FFI player who is in a building with a CIVILIANS counter may check if these CIVILIANS have the Objective special ability.
If this is the case, the Collaborator is found and singled out. Take the COLLABO and place him, along with the KEYS counter, in an empty space of the building, or on top of the CIVILIANS counter if no free space is available.
To take the keys from him, a unit controlled by the FFI player must be on the same space as the COLLABO at the end of a supply phase.
Once the keys are taken they must be used to unlock the cell door and liberate Alexandre. The FFI player takes the recruitment tile of Alexandre as soon as he is liberated.
If the bearer of the KEYS is eliminated or drops it, leave the counter in the space where the keys fell. To pick up keys, move a unit over the space with the KEYS counter.
Keys may be passed to another unit in accordance with the "Transferring objects" rule.
From the moment the door is unlocked, the MAYOR may move normally.
Now he must be brought to safety. To do so, Alexandre must exit the board through any one of the three road spaces on C-1B, C-4B or C-6B before the end of turn 8.

Turn 3 - Ilda is coming...

During the Supply phase of turn 3, the German player brings group B into the game through any one of the three road spaces on C-1B, C-4B or C-6B.
The German player can not block the entrance to the Kommandantur with the car.

END: The game ends after turn 8 or when Alexandre leaves the board, but also when the German officer is eliminated.

5. End of the Game and Victory

FFI victory: if the mayor is moved off the board before the end of turn 8.
German victory: if the mayor is not moved off the board before the end of turn 8.

Scenario 3: Hostages

Briefing:

The landings are a fact. The Germans have taken the little town's people hostage. Accompanied by the mayor, the priest and some civilians, Giselle Luceau, whose resistance name is Sandy, was able to warn the troops of the American 4th infantry division. The FFI and the Americans are now stepping on it to prevent a massacre.

1. Battlefield and Deployment

The battlefield is a map of six sections, labelled C4-B, C5-B, C6-B, C3-A and C2-A, with a German deployment zone in the north (C5-B) and an FFI deployment zone along the south edge. A single marked house "A" is printed on the map. The map itself is a printed image in the rulebook and is not reproduced here.

2. Composition of Armies

German army

Ilda, SS "She Wolf of the SS" (Heroic Platoon)
- Untersuchung: 75
- MP40 (5)
- Veteran x3: 15
- Group total printed on the tile: 65
Panzergrenadiere (X. Bataillon, PzGr Lehr Rgt 901)
- Panzergrenadiere (Recon Group, Fire Group, MG42): 45
- Ob Hauser, Recon Group, Fire Group, MG42, Grenade x3 (5), group total printed on the tile: 65
Panzer IV: 65 (set aside until turn 3)
The Collaborator (COLLABO) and Ilda's bodyguard are placed as described in the preparation below.

FFI (Giselle Luceau "Sandy")

FFI Squad: 50
FFI Panzerschreck: 20
Leader: 15
Sandy's group (Sandy, FFI, FFI Support, FFI, FFI) with Gears x3, printed total: 80

Other FFI characters

Bernard Ferrand, Armoured Priest: 35 (Grenade x1, 5)
Alexandre Renaud, Happy Mayor: 10 (Rifle, 5)

American army: Rifle Platoon (1st Inf. Div. 8th Inf. Reg.)

Bazooka Squad: 55
Rifle Grenade x3: 10
Ammo x3: 10
.30 Cal Squad: 50
Group total printed on the tile: 70

Other American unit

The Rock, Heavy Gunner: 30

Civilians

Sister, Altar Boys, Toto, Papy (each card shows its own printed values)

3. Preparation

Choose 2 bonus tactics at random and place them on the map.
The FFI player uses the US markers, order tokens and the card deck.
Remove the following cards from both decks: all Artillery and Aviation cards, Precision, Ram.
- From German deck: Weak point.
- From US deck: Don't stop, Hit and run, It bounced right off it, Repairs.
The Collabo, Ilda and her bodyguard are placed in the Kommandantur.
The Panzer IV is set aside.
The hostages are placed in house A.
The German player deploys first in the appropriate deployment zone.
The FFI, the US soldiers and the civilians that joined them are placed in the US deployment zone.
The FFI player has initiative. Place the US marker on turn 1.
Each player draws 4 cards.

4. Playing the Game

The game is played in 8 turns.

The FFI must eliminate at least 8 German units AND liberate the hostages of which at least one must survive until the end of the game.

The collabo counts as one German unit and is valid towards victory conditions when eliminated.

The collaborator

The COLLABO is controlled by the German player.
He can not be targeted by the FFI player who will neither shoot nor assault him.
Too bad though if he "stands too close" to a grenade blast...

The Civilians

The civilians are treated as FFI units.
This means they can not be in the same space as an enemy unit except when they assault or when they are captured.
The German player can capture them by moving onto a space that is occupied by one or several civilians.
Once captured, they remain with the German unit and can't do anything but follow this unit. If the civilians are ever abandoned by the German unit, the FFI player regains control over them.
Captured civilians may be transferred from one German unit to an adjacent German unit. Take the effects of the "Stacking" trait into account!
They may be targeted and fired upon by opponent units in the game.

The hostages

The hostages don't do anything until they are freed from captivity.
A German unit may stack with hostages.
To liberate the hostages, the allies must enter the house and NO more Germans are inside the house.
The civilians can not be fired upon or assaulted by the Germans. Civilians can, however, get caught in a grenade blast.
The German player may not lob a grenade into the house before the captives are set free.
Once free, the hostages are considered FFI units (but count for the number of liberated hostages).
In order to count the number of eradicated German units, one German unit is subtracted from the FFI score for each hostage unit eliminated.
- For example: FFI eliminated 9 enemies, minus 3 hostages killed, equals a score of 6.

Turn 3 - Vroooooom!

During the Supply phase of turn 3, the Panzer IV may enter the game through the road space marked with an arrow on tile C-6B.

END: The game ends at the end of turn 8.

5. End of the Game and Victory

FFI Minor victory: The FFI eliminated 8 German units and at least 1 liberated hostages have survived.
FFI victory: The FFI eliminated 8 German units and at least 4 liberated hostages have survived.
FFI Major victory: The FFI eliminated 8 German units and at least 6 liberated hostages have survived.
German victory: If FFI did not eliminate 8 German units, or none of the freed hostages has survived.