Keep'em Rolling: 1944 – Race to the Rhine Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Overview to the new edition
  • How to play this new edition
• Game components and boards
  • The game boards
  • Board key
• Set up
• How to win the game
• Sequence of play
• Player actions
  • Core action: Move a Corps
  • Encirclement
  • Movement halted
  • Entering a Fortified space
  • Entering a Medal space
  • Entering a double-colored space
  • Transporting Supply markers
  • Core action: Take Supplies
  • Supply Limits
  • Core action: Truck Supplies
  • Core action: Take Trucks
  • Logistics Step
  • Core action: Air Support
  • Core action: Airborne Landing
• Bonus actions
  • Bonus action: Play a held Pursuit card
  • Bonus action: Use a Commander's Special Ability
• Combat
• Axis Reaction
  • Ultra
  • Counter-attack
  • Place Axis marker
  • OB West
    • Counter-attack
    • Place Axis marker
• Patch-Devers special rules
  • Logistics Step
  • Main Supply Base
  • French Forces of the Interior (FFI) & Maquis Zones
    • FFI movement
    • FFI markers - impact on play
    • Establishing contact
• Other rules
  • Antwerpen
  • Ostende
• Optional rules
  • Weather
  • Operation Wacht am Rhein & Operation Nordwind
  • Big Push
  • Red Ball Express
• Solitaire rules
  • Set up
  • Objective
  • Axis reaction

Introduction

Overview to the new edition

KEEP'EM ROLLING!: RACE TO THE RHINE ("KEEP'EM ROLLING!") is a new edition of 1944: RACE TO THE RHINE ("RTTR"), the highly popular operations and logistics focused euro-war game from PHALANX, first published in 2014.

This new KEEP'EM ROLLING edition:

• Introduces a 4th player option - Commanders Patch and Devers - for RTTR, and an additional modular board to accommodate this.
• Introduces a new Axis automa for RTTR - OB West - that allows for an alternative Axis Reaction mechanic, and a new solitaire play system.
• Integrates the existing RTTR Red Ball Express expansion as an optional rule for the game.
• Introduces new optional rules for RTTR.
• Redrafts the RTTR rulebook, tweaking some of the terminology used and how the rules are explained.
• Introduces new components, including new designs for the supply markers, and an updated board.
• Introduces a standalone solitaire game - THESE ARE MY CREDENTIALS ("TAMC") - that covers the Allied liberation of Brittany that occurred in parallel to the race to the Rhine. This uses the reverse side of the 4th player modular board. It shares some components with the base game, and introduces new cards and components. It has a separate rule book.

This new edition of RTTR does not change any of the rules in the original game. The only slight amendment is the removal of the Limited Supply Bases at Luneville and Sarrebourg. Time has revealed that the original map gave Patton a bit too much of an advantage in his race to the Rhine. Removing these 2 bases helps to address that.

How to play this new edition

The original RTTR was a 1 to 3 player game allowing you to control Montgomery, Bradley or Patton.

KEEP'EM ROLLING adds a 4th player option: General Alexander M. Patch, and later General Jacob L. Devers (referred to as "Patch-Devers"), leaders of the US 6th Army Group tasked with the liberation of Southern France.

The landing of the 6th Army Group in Southern France (Operation Dragoon) allowed for the strategic flanking by Allied forces of the Wehrmacht in France. But these Generals also had wider ambitions: to try to be the first General to lead Allied forces beyond the Rhine.

To accommodate this change, if you choose to play with Patch-Devers you should attach the Patch-Devers modular board to the right side of the main board and use the Patch-Devers side of the main player board.

You can play with any combination of Commanders. The Commanders should be adjacent to each other (e.g. in a 2-player game you cannot use Montgomery and Patton as they are not adjacent to each other).

KEEP'EM ROLLING! adds a variety of optional rules for RTTR as set out at the back of this rulebook that you can choose to play. These can be used at all player counts and for all Commanders.

Game components and boards

• This rulebook
• 4 player aids
• Main game board (2-sided, see below)
• Modular Patch-Devers side board (2-sided, shared with TAMC game, see below)
• 34 Axis markers
• 14 FFI markers
• 160 Allied markers (40 per Commander). Double-sided. The sand colored side is a Control marker. The reverse side is for marking a Commander's position on certain game tracks.
• 25 Medal markers
• 5 Airborne Unit markers
• 1 Weather marker
• 4 Air Support markers (1 per Commander)
• 1 Patch-Devers Current Supply Base marker
• 1 Montgomery Antwerpen Main Supply Base marker
• 1 Limited Supply Base marker (Ostende)
• 5 Commander cards: Montgomery, Bradley, Patton, Patch, Devers
• 13 Corps cards (4 brown / Montgomery, 3 white / Bradley, 3 blue / Patton, 3 green / Patch-Devers)
• 13 Corps wooden blocks (4 brown / Montgomery, 3 white / Bradley, 3 blue / Patton, 3 green / Patch-Devers)
• 88 Pursuit cards (22 cards per Commander)
• 31 Axis Unit cards
• 2 Operation Wacht am Rhein cards
• 9 Red Ball Express cards
• 1 XXI US Corps card
• Wooden Supply markers: 47 Fuel; 40 Ammo; 34 Food
• 40 Trucks
• Stickers (13) for the blocks
• Plastic zip bags

Before the first game, please carefully attach one sticker to each Corps block, making sure that each block has a sticker of the same color.

Note that in the box there are 9 blue blocks and 6 darker blue stickers not featured here. These 6 stickers and 6 of the blue blocks are used for the TAMC game, not RTTR.

The game boards

Main board - The game board has two sides. If playing with Patch-Devers use the Patch-Devers side (see bottom right of board).

Patch-Devers board - If playing with Patch-Devers place the Patch-Devers board on the right side of the main board.

Turn order track - Located at the top of the Patch-Devers board if playing with Patch-Devers, or above the Allied Truck Stock if not.

Airborne Landing and Weather marker holders

General Stock

Allied Truck Stock

Logistics Level table

Board key

• Axis Reaction possible from this space
• Axis counter-attack source / Victory space
• Victory space (across the Rhine)
• Medal space
• Fortified space / 1 Ammo to enter
• Axis Unit present
• Limited Supply space
• Big Push space
• Westwall line
• Corps starting space
• Players starting area (already liberated at game start)
• Main Supply Base space
• FFI starting space (Patch-Devers only)
• Maquis Zone space (Patch-Devers only)
• French partisans contact space (Patch-Devers only)

Set up

Set up the game as follows, noting the special set-up procedure if playing with Patch-Devers:

Player area

1. Choose or randomly determine which Commander you will be. In a game of less than 4 players all the Commanders selected must be adjacent to each other (e.g. you cannot play a 2-player game with Montgomery and Patton).
2. Place your Commander card and Corps cards in your player area beneath your respective starting area on the board.
   • Montgomery: I BR, II CDN, XII BR, XXX BR
   • Bradley: XIX US, V US, VII US
   • Patton: XV US, XX US, XII US
   • Patch-Devers: II FR, VI US, I FR
3. Place Supply markers on the Corps cards matching the supplies printed on the cards. (Blank spaces are left empty).
4. Place your Control markers, Air Support marker, and 6 Trucks in your player area.
5. Shuffle and place your Pursuit deck face down in your player area.
6. Shuffle the Axis Unit cards and place them face down on the other side of the board. In a 4-player game use all 31 cards. In a 1 to 3-player game, randomly remove 7 cards so that there are 24 in the game.
7. Place the Axis markers in a supply next to the Axis Unit cards. The number to be placed depends on the player count:
   • 1 Player: 34 (in the solitaire game the number used is unlimited)
   • 2 Players: 18
   • 3 Players: 25
   • 4 Players: 34
8. Place the Medals near the board.

Board

9. Place your Corps blocks lying horizontally, face up, in their corresponding starting areas (indicated on the map by the corresponding Corps number).
10. Place 6 Trucks on the Allied Truck Stock on the board.
11. Place the remaining Trucks in a separate reserve near the board.
12. Place Supply markers on the General Stock in the amount corresponding with the number of players.
13. Place any remaining Supply markers in a separate Supply Pool by the side of the board.
14. Place Control markers of each Commander to indicate their current Level on the Logistics Level table.
    • Montgomery: 1
    • Bradley: 2
    • Patton: 1
    • Patch-Devers: 1
15. Place the Airborne Support markers on the Airborne Support Track (place 1 more marker than there are players in the game).
16. Randomly determine the first player. Place one of their Control markers on the first spot on the Player Order track. The second player is the player clockwise from them, and so on.
17. (Only if playing with Montgomery) Place the Ostende marker near the Ostende space.
18. If playing a game of fewer than 4 players, fill any double-colored spaces featuring the color(s) of Commanders that are not participating with control markers of their color (Corps cannot move into these spaces).

Patch-Devers

19. Place the General Patch Commander card on top of the General Devers Commander card in your player area. After the first Logistics Step, the Patch card will be removed from play.
20. Place the Patch-Devers Current Supply Base marker on the Landing Zone space.
21. Place FFI markers in the 3 Maquis Zones, up to the number indicated in the zone (i.e. put 7 markers in Alpes du Nord), and 1 FFI marker in each FFI Starting space.

Additional set-up procedures for using the Optional Rules are set out in the Optional Rules section.

How to win the game

You win the game:

1. Immediately if you are the first player to place a Control marker in a Victory space across the Rhine, and you can trace an unbroken chain of spaces with your Control markers from that space back to your starting area OR
2. If you have the most Medals at the end of the round in which the last Axis marker in the pool was placed. In case of a tie, the winner is the player who defeated more Axis Units. If there is still a tie, the winner is the tying player later in the player order sequence.

Medals are awarded:

• For capturing Medal spaces
• For defeating larger Axis Units (these Medals are printed on the Axis Unit card)
• For every 5 Ammo markers on defeated Axis Units cards (rounded down) which are not marked with a Medal

Example: In the left image, Patch-Devers crossed the Rhine into Freiburg with 1 FR Corps. He defeated the Axis Unit there and placed a Control marker. He is able to trace an unbroken chain of spaces with his green Control markers from Freiburg back to his starting area. He wins the game.

In the right image, although he could cross the Rhine this turn and attack the Axis Unit there, an Axis counter-attack earlier in the round removed his Control marker at Pontarlier, breaking his chain of control back to his Main Supply Base. He must place another Control marker in one of the spaces with an 'X', as well as placing a Control marker in Freiburg, in order to win.

Example: The game has ended without any Commander crossing the Rhine. Victory is determined by who has the most Medals instead. Patton calculates his total Medal count. He has gained 4 Medals through controlling Medal spaces on the board. He has 2 Axis Unit cards with Medals, and 5 Axis Unit cards without medals. Those 5 Axis Unit cards have a total of 7 Ammo symbols on them (rounded down to 1 Medal). Patton's final Medal count is 7 (4 + 2 + 1)

Sequence of play

You play the game over a series of Rounds until a Commander successfully crosses the Rhine, or the last Axis marker in the supply is placed. In the case of the latter, play continues until the end of the Round (i.e. the last player on the Player Order track has taken all their actions), and then the game ends and the winner is determined. Note that even if later in the same round Axis markers are returned to the supply following combat, the game still ends.

The sequence of play, in player turn order, is as follows:

1. Take actions
2. FFI movement (Patch-Devers only)
3. Axis reaction

Player actions

On your turn you take 2 Core actions, and any number of Bonus actions. You may do these in any order. You may take the same type of action more than once.

The Core actions you can take are:

• Move a Corps
• Take Supplies
• Truck Supplies
• Take Trucks / Logistics Step
• Air Support
• Airborne Landing

The Bonus actions you can take are:

• Play a held Pursuit card
• Use a Commander's Special Ability

Core action: Move a Corps

To move a Corps you must spend 1 Fuel from the Corps's supply. You may then move the Corps up to 3 spaces along the point-to-point map. You may not move the same Corps twice in the same Round.

All Supplies spent by the Corps as part of its movement, including when resolving combat, are returned to the Supply Pool.

A Corps may only enter spaces that have your background color (including double-colored spaces). The Corps may move backwards or forwards - the direction of the arrows between the spaces is for thematic purposes only. A Corps may not enter a space containing another Corps or a Control marker of another Commander.

If your Corps enters a space without an Allied Control marker you must either:

1. Draw an Axis card and resolve a combat if that space has an Axis marker or Axis flag OR
2. Draw a Pursuit card from your Pursuit deck

If you run out of cards to draw, shuffle the discard pile and use it as a new draw deck.

After resolving the card and any combat, place a Control marker of your color on the space, and place the resolved card in the relevant discard pile. If the Corps still has some of its movement allowance left, and it hasn't been halted, it may continue to move.

Resolution of combat is covered in Section 7. A summary of the effect of the Pursuit and Axis cards is set out on the player aids.

Example: Bradley's VII Corps moves into Meaux. He draws a Pursuit card and resolves it, turning the Weather marker to the Poor side. He then places a Control marker down. VII Corps may then continue its movement.

Example: Patton's XIX US Corps ends its movement by taking Aachen, placing a Control marker in the space. This Control marker, and those of Montgomery to the west, collectively cut off Maastricht and the 4 uncontrolled spaces beneath it from being able to chain a line of uncontrolled spaces to Düsseldorf. As a consequence all these spaces are encircled, and so Patton places Control markers on all of them. Maastricht is a double-colored space. Since Patton encircled it, he places his marker on it, and claims the Medal for liberating it.

Encirclement

If, by placing a Control marker on a space, you cut off other connected uncontrolled spaces from tracing a continuous chain of uncontrolled spaces to Düsseldorf or Karlsruhe (if playing with Patch-Devers), those spaces are 'encircled'. Multiple spaces may become encircled as the result of a single Corps movement.

Once the Corps movement has finished, check for encirclement and place Control markers in the color of the encircled space; they are now controlled. In the case of double-colored spaces being encircled, the active player gains control of the encircled spaces.

Note spaces with an Axis marker or flag cannot become encircled. Fortified spaces are treated like normal spaces for the purpose of encirclement. If a Medal space becomes encircled, the player placing the Control marker takes the Medal.

Example: Montgomery's 1 BR Corps has encircled Yvetot. A Control marker is placed on it. However, while Le Havre similarly can no longer trace a chain of uncontrolled spaces back to Düsseldorf, because it has an Axis flag on it, it is not subject to encirclement.

Movement halted

If you draw a card with the halt icon (all Axis Unit cards have this icon), after resolving the card, the Corps movement ends, even if it has not moved its full 3-space allowance. You can spend 1 additional Fuel to ignore this icon and continue the Corps movement up to its allowance.

Example: Patch-Devers uses an action to move VI Corps. He spends 1 Fuel to begin the movement. He moves into Lure. Since this is already controlled he does not draw a card. He then moves to Remiremont. Since this has an Axis marker he draws the top card from the Axis deck, revealing the 59 Infanterie Div. He spends his 2 Ammo to defeat it. This card also halts his movement. He can choose to spend his remaining Fuel to continue his movement - he has 1 movement allowance left. Or he could save the Fuel and end his movement there.

Entering a Fortified space

If you enter a space without an Allied Control marker with a Fortified icon (an image of a bunker), you must pay 1 Ammo. There is an icon to remind you of this. If you cannot pay this, you cannot enter.

After paying the Ammo you then draw the relevant card.

Entering a Medal space

If the space has a Medal icon, after placing a Control marker take a Medal from the supply and place it in your player area. If you lose control of the space due to an Axis counter-attack you must return the Medal to the supply.

Entering a double-colored space

You may enter a double-colored space unless there is a Control marker of another Commander already on it.

Example: Amiens is a double-colored space: both Montgomery and Bradley can take control of it. Bradley's VII gets there first. After resolving the Pursuit card from Bradley's deck, a white Control marker is placed on the space, and Bradley takes a Medal. Unless Bradley's Control marker is subsequently removed, no Corps controlled by Montgomery can now enter that space.

Transporting Supply markers

If a Corps moves into a space containing Supply markers, they can be immediately moved onto the Corps card (if there is no space on the Corps card, existing Supplies can be swapped out and left in the space). Similarly, at any point during the Corps's movement it can drop off Supplies at spaces it enters (provided there is a Control marker in that space, and it's within the Supply Limits of that space).

Example: Patton's XII Corps moves up from Troyes. As it passes through Vitry-le-Francois, it takes a Fuel and a Food from its supply, and drops them off in that space, before continuing its movement. In a subsequent action Patton's XX Corps moves up through Vitry-le-Francois, picking up the Supplies XII Corps left there and continues its movement.

Core action: Take Supplies

You use the Take Supplies action to place Supplies in your Main Supply Base, or a Limited Supply Base that you control.

A Limited Supply Base is the same as a normal space, except that once you have your Control marker on the space you can place supplies directly there, rather than in your Main Supply Base, limited as set out below.

If you are placing Supplies in your Main Supply Base, you may take either 3 of one type of Supply from the General Stock - provided Supplies of that type remain available - or 1 of each type from the Supply Pool.

If you are placing Supplies in a Limited Supply Base, you can only take 1 of each type from the Supply Pool.

Note that the amount of Supplies in the General Stock is limited (3 of each type per player). Once it is all taken you cannot take any more from General Stock until it is refreshed after the next Logistics Step. The amount of Supplies in the Supply Pool is limited only by the number of components in the game.

If you take this action, place the Supplies in the desired space, ensuring that you meet the Supply Limits (see below).

Example: Montgomery wants Fuel so he takes 3 Fuel from the General Stock and places it in his Main Supply Base.

Example: Bradley also wants Fuel but there is none left in the General Stock - it has been taken by the other Commanders and won't refresh until the next Logistics Step. Instead he has to just take 1 of each type of Supply from the Supply Pool.

Example: Patton has taken control of Charmes, which is a Limited Supply Base. Using the Take Supplies action he can place 1 of each type of Supply in that space. This is taken from the Supply Pool.

Supply Limits

• A normal space, including a Limited Supply Base, can hold up to 6 Supplies.
• A Main Supply Base can hold up to 9 Supplies.

If placing Supplies in a space would breach this limit, you must remove excess (back to the Supply Pool) to remain within the limit (you can choose which Supplies are removed). Supplies held on the Corps card of a Corps in this space do not count towards this limit.

Example: As a Limited Supply Base, Lyon can hold a maximum of 6 Supplies. As a Main Supply Base, Base 901 can hold a maximum of 9.

Core action: Truck Supplies

Supplies can be moved between adjacent spaces either by being transported by a Corps as part of the Movement action, or through a Truck Supplies action. Using the Truck Supplies action allows you to place available Trucks, up to your Logistics Level, from your player area to transport up to 5 Supplies per Truck from one space to an adjacent space.

A Truck can be placed on any route between adjacent spaces to transport supplies provided that:

• You control both spaces between the route.
• There is not already a Truck placed on that route.
• You do not place more Trucks per action than permitted by your Logistics Level.

You may pick up and drop off Supplies as part of this action provided that you do not exceed the Supply Limits. You may place Trucks at different routes provided they meet the above criteria - i.e. they do not need to be in a chain.

Example: Montgomery is at Logistics Level 2, which allows him to place up to 3 Trucks. He has 4 Ammo, 1 Fuel and 1 Food at his Main Supply Base. He takes the Truck Supplies action, allowing him to move up to 5 Supplies per Truck placed. He places 2 Trucks between Lisieux and Rouen, transporting 3 Ammo, 1 Fuel and 1 Food. At Rouen he leaves 1 Ammo, and transports the other 4 Supplies with the remaining Truck he can place to Le Feuille. These can either be placed on the Corps card of the II CDN, or left in the Le Feuille space.

Example: Patch-Devers needs to get Food and Ammo to VI US Corps, and Fuel to 1 FR Corps. He cannot Truck Supplies directly from Lons Le Saunier to VI Corps in Besancon because there is already a Truck there from a previous round. Instead he can Truck Supplies via Pontarlier. It requires placing 2 Trucks, but the route is clear. He is at Logistics Level 3 so can place up to 4 Trucks with his action. He can also place a Truck between Lons Le Saunier and Bourg en Bresse, transporting the Fuel to the 1 FR Corps.

Core action: Take Trucks

Each player begins with 6 Trucks in their player area. These can be replaced or added to by the Take Trucks action.

If you take this action, you take the number of Trucks from the Allied Truck Stock up to the amount permitted by your current Logistics Level, and place them in your player area. You can take Trucks from the Allied Truck Stock even if you have unused ones in your player area, but you may never exceed the maximum amount allowed by your Logistics Level.

If immediately following this action there are no Trucks left in the Allied Truck Stock, play is interrupted to resolve the Logistics Step (see below). Note that the triggering of the Logistics Step comes after the end of the Take Trucks action, even if there were fewer Trucks from the stock than you had capacity to take.

Logistics Step

The Logistics Step is not a specific player action. It is triggered when there are no Trucks left in the Allied Truck Stock at the end of a Take Trucks action. It interrupts play. If the player that triggered it still has Actions left to take, they can be taken after the Logistics Step is resolved.

The following applies to all players when the Logistics Step is triggered:

1. (First and second Logistics Steps only) Move your Logistics Level up on the Logistics Level table by the amount indicated on the track. Once all Commanders are on Level 3, they cannot advance any further.
2. Remove all Trucks from the map and place them in the Allied Truck Stock (Trucks in your player area remain there).
3. (First Logistics Step only) Add Trucks to the Allied Truck Stock from the separate reserve by the side of the board created at set-up. Add 2 Trucks, then an additional 2 Trucks per player (e.g. in a 3-player game add 8 Trucks). This only occurs once, during the first Logistics Step of the game.
4. Refill the General Stock with the appropriate number of Supplies, depending on the player count.
5. Feed your Corps. Each of your Corps must spend a Food (either from its card or from the space it is located in). If it cannot do this you must flip it over to its blank facing side. It cannot take a Move action until a Food Supply has been moved to its space. An unfed Corps will always spend a Food Supply if it enters its space (i.e. feeding the Corps isn't optional if it's possible).
6. Unflip all spent Commander cards. They can now be used again.
7. Return all spent Air Support markers from next to the Axis / Pursuit deck. They can now be used again.

Example: It's the start of Montgomery's turn. He needs to get Supplies from his Main Supply Base to his Corps, but he only has 2 Trucks left in his player area. He needs more Trucks, so he uses the Take Trucks action. He is now at Logistics Level 2, meaning that he can take up to 6 Trucks with the Take Trucks action. There are only 4 Trucks remaining in the Allied Truck Stock. Montgomery takes them all, putting them in his player area. He now has 6 Trucks. At Level 2 he can hold up to 9 in his player area. Because at the end of this action there were no Trucks left in the Allied Truck Stock, all players now immediately perform the Logistics Step. Then Montgomery can take his second action.

Example: All players move all their trucks on the map to the Allied Truck Stock.

Example: It's the first Logistics Step of the game. Bradley begins the game on Logistics Level 2, so advances to Level 3. Patch-Devers moves directly to Level 3 from Level 1. Montgomery and Patton advance a level to Level 2.

Example: It's a 3-player game so the players refill 2 empty sets of Fuel and Ammo, and 1 empty set of Food.

Example: It's the Logistics Step and the II FR Corps does not have any Food. The Patch-Devers player flips the II FR Corps marker to its blank side. It cannot unflip to move again until Food is transported to Avignon.

Core action: Air Support

As an action you may place your Air Support marker on the top card of your Pursuit deck or the Axis deck to secretly view the next card to be drawn from the deck. Leave the marker on top of the card until it is drawn; it will provide you with an additional 1 Ammo towards any combat that results from the draw. Once the card is drawn the marker becomes spent, and cannot be used again until after the next Logistics Step. Leave it next to the deck to show it has been used.

Note that multiple Air Support markers can potentially be placed on the same Axis card. Each marker only supports the Commander whose color it is.

Example: Montgomery wants to advance his XXX BR Corps into a space with an Axis marker, which will trigger a combat. The Corps only has 1 Ammo, so he wants to give it a boost by placing his Air Support marker on the Axis card he will draw. For his first action he takes the Air Support action, and secretly looks at the top Axis card. Unfortunately he sees the Axis Unit is the 3rd Fallschirmjager Div.: a 3 Ammo requirement. Even with the additional Ammo provided by the Air Support, XXX BR Corps would lose the battle. For his second action Montgomery decides to Truck Ammo to XXX BR Corps. However, before he gets to use his Air Support, later that round Patton has a combat. He draws the 3rd Fallschirmjager Div card. He does not get the benefit of Montgomery's Air Support marker, which is now placed, spent, next to the Axis deck. It cannot be used again until the next Logistics Step.

Core action: Airborne Landing

The game begins with several Airborne Landing markers available to be used (1 more than the number of players). These may be used by a player to support a future combat, but must be used within 2 rounds of being placed.

You may place up to 3 Airborne Landing markers in a single action. To do so:

• Discard 1 Medal marker from your player area (must be a marker, not a defeated Axis Unit with a Medal icon) per Airborne Landing marker you wish to use.
• Place the marker(s) green side-up on a space that you do not control, including a space with an Axis marker. You may only place 1 marker per space.
• If not used to support combat (see below) in the turn it was placed, you must flip the marker over to its gray side. If not used to support combat at the end of your next turn (the following round) the marker is removed from play.

If any Corps (it does not have to be a Corps of the Commander who placed the marker, in the case of a double-colored space) enters the space with the Airborne Landing marker, they receive a +1 Ammo bonus. This can be used to support a combat, or to pay the 1 Ammo cost for entering a Fortified space. After it is used, the marker is removed from play.

Example: Patton wants support for his forthcoming combat with the Axis Unit in Saarbrucken. He spends 1 of his Medals, returning it to the Medal supply, and takes an Airborne Landing marker. There are now only 4 left for the rest of the game. He places it on Saarbrucken. He must use it within 2 turns, including this one, or it will be discarded. For his next action he moves the XII Corps in. He uses the Airborne Landing marker to pay the 1 Ammo cost to enter the space (as it's Fortified) and removes the marker from the game. Then he draws the top card from the Axis deck.

Bonus actions

Bonus action: Play a held Pursuit card

2 types of Pursuit cards ('Resistance' and 'Recon') have this 'hold' symbol, and an accompanying 'action' (+1 additional action or review the top card of the Axis/Pursuit deck) printed on the card. When you draw cards with this symbol you can either use them immediately, or you can hold them in your hand, to play on a later turn. There is no limit to the number of such cards you can hold in your hand, or the number you can play on a turn as a Bonus action. See the player aids for more details on the effects of these cards.

Bonus action: Use a Commander's Special Ability

Each Commander has a Special Ability printed on their Commander card. This ability can be used once and then becomes exhausted; flip the Commander card over to show this. It becomes refreshed when the Logistics Step is triggered: the card is flipped back over.

Note that some Commanders' Special Abilities are passive, in that they provide a boost to an action that is being taken. Others are a specific type of action. Since this is a Bonus action this does not count towards the 2 Core actions per turn limit. See the player aids for more details on the Special Abilities.

Example: Montgomery uses a Take Supplies action and boosts it using Montgomery's Special Ability, allowing him to take 2 more Supplies. He then flips his Command card over. He can't use that Special Ability again until after the next Logistics Step.

Combat

When you draw a card with an Axis Unit you must resolve a combat. All cards in the Axis deck feature Axis Units, as do some cards in the Pursuit deck. To defeat an Axis Unit you must spend Supplies from your Corps card to match the requirement of the Axis Unit.

Each Axis Unit has this requirement printed on the top left of the card. This will range from 1 Ammo to up to 3 Ammo or 2 Ammo and 1 Fuel.

If the Corps can meet this requirement:

1. Remove the required Supplies from the Corps card.
2. Place a Control marker on the space, removing the Axis marker - if relevant - back to the supply.
3. Place the defeated Axis Unit card in your player area, it will count towards your final number of Medals (see Section 4: How to win the game).

If the Corps is unable meet this requirement:

1. Remove as many Ammo and Fuel markers as possible to meet the requirement(s).
2. Move the defeated Corps back to the space it entered from. Its movement action has now ended (you cannot continue movement by paying another Fuel).
3. Shuffle the Axis Unit card back into the deck from which it was drawn.

Remember:

• If your Corps is entering an uncontrolled Fortified space, it must pay the 1 Ammo cost before drawing the relevant card.
• If the drawn card has your Air Support marker on it, or the space being entered has an Airborne Landing marker on it, you gain +1 Ammo for resolving the combat. If there are both, you gain +2.
• For Patch-Devers your Corps can gain additional Ammo from FFI markers present in the space where the combat is occurring (see Section 9 for more information).

Example: Patton moves the XII Corps into the uncontrolled space of Chaumont. He draws the top card of his Pursuit deck - it's the 346 Infanterie Div., which has a 1 Ammo requirement. The Ammo is removed from the XII Corps card, a Control marker placed on Chaumont, and the Axis card placed in Patton's player area. However, the Axis card also has a Halt icon on it. If he wishes to continue this movement action - he can move up to another 2 spaces - he'll need to spend another Fuel to do so.

Example: Montgomery's XXX BR Corps moves into Rheyd, paying 1 Fuel for the movement and 1 Ammo to enter the Fortified space. It only has 2 Ammo left. Because there is an Axis marker on the space, Montgomery draws the top card of the Axis deck. It's the 3rd Fallschirmjager Div, which requires 3 Ammo to defeat. That's 1 more than XXX BR Corps has, and so the Corps is defeated. As a result, the 2 Ammo is removed from the Corps card, the Corps moves back to Venlo, its movement has ended, and the Axis Unit card is shuffled back into the deck.

Axis Reaction

Once you have finished your turn the Axis will react. This Axis Reaction can be to:

• Counter-attack - removing Control markers from unprotected spaces; and/or
• Place Axis markers - placement occurs in uncontrolled spaces, determined by the variant being played.

There are 2 variants in the game for how the Axis Reaction works. Before starting the game, you should decide which variant you want to play:

1. Ultra - the player decides where the Axis counter-attack will happen, or where an Axis marker will be placed. This variant allows for greater interaction between players as you choose how the Axis will attack your opponents. It is also less punishing. However, it does not usually result in a realistic Axis defensive strategy.
2. OB West - All eligible counter-attacks occur, and then Axis markers are placed based on a priority placement schedule unique to each Commander. This variant is suitable for players looking for more challenge or realism, though it removes the player agency and interaction of the Ultra system; the Axis reactions are predetermined.

Ultra was a term coined by the British and then more widely adopted by the Allied forces to refer to important intelligence on Axis forces and plans obtained through code-breaking. OB West ('Oberbefehlshaber West') was the overall commander of German forces on the Western Front.

Ultra

If playing with this variant, at the end of your turn you may either do a single counter-attack, or place an Axis marker. If both options are available, it is your choice of which to do.

Counter-attack

A counter-attack allows you remove a Control marker of another Commander provided it meets both of the following criteria:

• It is not in the same space as, or adjacent to, any Allied Corps, or adjacent to an Allied starting area. AND
• It is adjacent to an uncontrolled space that can trace a continuous chain of uncontrolled spaces to Düsseldorf or (if playing with Patch-Devers) Karlsruhe (the presence of an Axis marker or flag on one or more of these spaces has no effect on this).

Counter-attacks are the way in which it is possible to break a Commander's chain of controlled spaces back to their starting area, and so prevent them winning an automatic victory for crossing the Rhine.

If a control marker is removed from a Medal space you must return the Medal (unless you do not have any to return as they have been spent on Airborne Landings, in which case there is no impact).

Early in the game it is unlikely that any player will be able to make counter-attacks. These become more common as Corps move up the map and it becomes harder for players to 'defend' controlled spaces (i.e. have Corps adjacent to them).

Example: Besancon is unprotected. There are no Allied Corps in its space or an adjacent space, and an adjacent uncontrolled space (Vesoul) can trace a continuous chain of uncontrolled areas to Düsseldorf. This means Besancon can be counter-attacked on the Axis Reaction phase. If this happens the Patch-Devers Control marker on the space is removed, and the Medal for taking the space is returned to the supply.

Place Axis marker

Instead of counter-attacking, or if that is not an option, you can place an Axis marker from the supply on any empty space (the space can have an Airborne Landing marker) which meets one of these criteria:

• It is adjacent to a Victory space with an Axis flag. OR
• It is adjacent to a space already containing an Axis marker, and this marker can trace a continuous chain of Axis markers to a Victory space with an Axis flag.

If there is no space eligible to receive the Axis marker, it is removed from play. After placing the very last Axis marker from the supply, the end of the game is triggered - the current round is played until its end, i.e. other players in turn order may perform their turns, then the game ends.

It is possible for an Axis marker to be returned to the supply after the end of the game has been triggered. This is permitted, and it can be placed as normal, but it does not prevent the end of the game from happening after the last player's turn that round.

Example: It's the end of the very first turn of the game. There is nowhere undefended where the Axis could counter-attack, so Montgomery must place an Axis marker. He decides to target his neighbor Bradley, placing an Axis marker in Monschau, which is adjacent to a Victory space with an Axis flag (Köln).

Example: It's the end of Bradley's turn and he places the last Axis marker from the supply in Le Thillot, in Patch-Devers's area. He can do this because Le Thillot is adjacent to Gerardmer, which already contains an Axis marker, and can trace a chain of Axis markers to Freiburg, a Victory space with an Axis flag. As he has placed the last Axis marker from the supply, the end of the game is triggered.

OB West

If playing with this variant, at the end of your turn you must always counter-attack. Further, you place an Axis marker based on your Commander's Axis Priority Placement Schedule as set out on the player aid.

Counter-attack

This works the same as with the Ultra variant, but all spaces that meet the criteria on the map must be counter-attacked, including your own.

Place Axis marker

Each Commander has a specific Axis marker placement list that must be followed. This sets out Priority spaces that receive markers first, and then a Victory space. This represents the OB West determining and prioritizing which are the key spaces to be protected.

Refer to the player aid for your Commander when it is your turn to place an Axis marker. The aid sets out between 7 and 8 named spaces in your player color where you must place an Axis marker. Do not place a marker where there is an Allied Control marker (or FFI marker for Patch-Devers) or an existing Axis marker. In this case, skip to the next priority space.

Unlike in the Ultra variant, the Axis marker does not need to be placed adjacent to another Axis marker or form a chain back to a Victory space with an Axis flag.

If a Priority space has an Allied Control marker that is subsequently removed by a counter-attack, it becomes available for Priority space placement again.

If all Priority spaces have Axis markers or Control markers on them you then move on to Victory space protection.

Each aid has a specific Victory space (across the Rhine) that Axis units will protect. Place the Axis marker, following this priority order if there are multiple spaces available:

1. In the space closest to the named Victory space (Axis markers should be placed so that all the closest spaces to the Victory space have markers on them, before moving out to the next line of spaces).
2. In the space closest to the nearest Allied Corps.
3. In a Fortified space.
4. The player to the right makes the final decision.

As with the Ultra variant, if there is no space eligible to receive the Axis marker, it is removed from play, and if the last Axis marker in the supply is placed the current round is played to the end, and the game ends. In this latter situation, if no Axis markers are available they cannot be placed, but counter-attacks occur as normal.

Example: Patton has completed his actions for his turn and so moves to the Axis Reaction Phase. There is nowhere to counter-attack so he moves on to Axis marker placement. Referring to the Patton player aid, priority placement for Patton after Neufchâteau and Commercy is Verdun-sur-Meuse, so he places an Axis marker there. Unlike in the Ultra variant, newly placed Axis markers do not need to be adjacent to existing Axis markers, you always place where instructed.

Example: Patton has no more available Priority spaces. His Victory space for the purposes of Axis placement is Mainz. Referring to the placement criteria, the first marker he places is in Bad Kreuznach. Worms was the other possibility, but it is further away from the nearest Allied Corps. In the next round he places a marker in Worms. This is because it is the available space closest to Mainz. In the next round he can place a marker between Birkenfield and Kaiserslautern. They are the 2 available spaces both closest to Mainz and the nearest Allied Corps. Neither is Fortified. Consequently, Patch-Devers, to the right of Patton, gets to decide. He places the marker in Kaiserslautern.

Patch-Devers special rules

The 6th Army Group's invasion of Southern France - named Operation Dragoon - was slightly different in nature to that of Overlord and the eastward advances of Montgomery, Bradley and Patton. Commanders Patch and Devers faced a more dynamic situation in terms of where to establish their Main Supply Base. They also had significant interaction with and support from French resistance fighters.

To represent this in the game, there are a few additional rules that apply to Patch-Devers.

Logistics Step

Following the first Logistics Step:

• Remove the Patch Commander card from the game and replace it with the Devers Commander card. Devers is now the Commander for the remainder of the game. (Design note: After the initial success of Operation Dragoon General Devers took control of US forces from General Patch.)
• The Patch-Devers marker is moved directly to the '3' space on the Logistics Level table.

Main Supply Base

The location of the Patch-Devers Main Supply Base changes after the first and second Logistics Steps. Any Supplies on the old Bases remain there. Place the Current Supply Base marker as follows:

• Until the first Logistics Step: the Landing Zone (the capacity of this Base is limited to 6 Supplies).
• Until the second Logistics Step: Marseille (holds up to 9 Supplies).
• After the second Logistics Step: Supply Base 901 (holds up to 9 Supplies).

French Forces of the Interior (FFI) & Maquis Zones

The FFI markers represent the support provided to the 6th Army Group by the French resistance and partisans. You can move them each round and they can be used to prevent German counter-attacks and provide Ammo to your Corps, in particular benefiting the French Corps.

The FFI markers begin the game in one of 3 Maquis Zones and the dedicated FFI starting spaces. The Maquis Zones are all considered playable spaces, so if a Corps enters one, you must draw a Pursuit card as normal. However, Axis markers are never placed in a Maquis Zone.

FFI movement

This occurs for the Patch-Devers player after you have taken your actions, but before the Axis Reaction. It allows you to move a single FFI marker:

• From a Maquis Zone to an adjacent space, or vice versa, OR
• From one space to an adjacent space.

You may not place an FFI marker in a non-Maquis Zone space that already has 2 FFI markers. There is no limit in the Maquis Zones. There are no further restrictions; you may place FFI markers in spaces containing your Corps or Axis markers.

FFI markers - impact on play

FFI markers have different impacts on play:

• Axis Reaction - Axis markers cannot be placed, nor can a counter-attack take place, in a space containing an FFI marker.
• French Corps Support - If either French Corps (I FR Corps and II FR Corps) enters a space with at least 1 FFI marker, you may discard the marker(s) and replenish the French Corps card with Ammo markers equal to the number of FFI markers discarded (limited by the amount of available supply spaces on the Corps card). This includes a Maquis Zone. The markers may be used immediately to carry out a combat against an Axis Unit if one is present in that space, or transported as normal.
• U.S. Corps Support - If VI Corps enters a space with at least 1 FFI marker, you may discard the marker(s) to gain an immediate +1 Ammo bonus for any combat that occurs in that space. Unlike for the French Corps, the VI Corps may not discard the FFI marker(s) to replenish its card with Ammo markers. Note that this only applies after you have entered the space, thus an FFI marker cannot be used to pay the 1 Ammo cost to enter a Fortified space.

Establishing contact

Historically, it was important for Generals Patch and Devers to quickly establish a sufficient level of contact with the local partisan forces. To represent this, by the time of the first Logistics Step you must have placed a Control marker on either Dijon or Langres. If you fail to do this, as part of the first Logistics Step, remove 1 FFI marker from each space on the board, excluding the Maquis Zones. Any FFI markers remaining on the board can be moved as normal.

(If you did place a Control marker in Dijon or Langres but it was removed by an Axis counter-attack, this still counts as establishing contact, so the FFI markers are not removed).

Other rules

Antwerpen

If Antwerpen and all the 4 nearby spaces marked with an [A] become controlled by Montgomery, then Antwerpen can become Montgomery's Main Supply Base, replacing Lisieux. It's the Montgomery player's choice if and when this happens. Place the Antwerpen Main Supply Base marker if it replaces Lisieux. Any Supplies in Lisieux remain there.

Ostende

If the Ostende space becomes controlled by Montgomery it becomes a one-time Limited Supply Base. The Ostende marker is placed on the space, 'Open' side up. After it has received Supplies from the Take Supplies action, the marker on the space is flipped to its 'Closed' side. It cannot receive Supplies from Take Supplies again.

Optional rules

The following optional rules are modular. They can be used individually or all in the same game.

Weather

The Weather rule increases the realism but also the randomness of the game. Each time a Pursuit card with a Weather symbol is drawn from any Commander's deck, the Weather marker should be adjusted to show its side matching the Weather symbol on the card ('fair' or 'rain').

If the Weather is rain, then the Air Support and Airborne Landing actions cannot be performed (excluding the Bonus action from Bradley's Special Ability, which is still allowed). If the Weather changes from fair to rain, all Air Support markers currently on the top of any deck are treated as spent.

Operation Wacht am Rhein & Operation Nordwind

Operation Wacht am Rhein (the Battle of the Bulge, as known to the Allies) was the last major German offensive of World War 2. It was supported in North East France - the area of advance of Patch-Devers - by the subsidiary Operation Nordwind (though in the game the geographical split is not relevant).

This optional rule increases the threat posed by Axis Units to all players. When a Corps of any player enters a space beyond the German Westwall fortification line (a line of fortified spaces from Kleve, Aachen, Trier, Pirmasens, to Strasbourg), a new card is shuffled into the Axis deck to increase the strength of the German resistance.

Setup: When setting-up, set aside the Wacht am Rhein and Nordwind cards.

Activation:

• When the first Allied Corps (of any player) enters a space beyond the Westwall, shuffle the Wacht am Rhein card into the Axis deck.
• When the second Allied Corps (of any player) enters a space beyond the Westwall, shuffle the Nordwind card into the Axis deck.
• When one of these cards is drawn by any player, that player must draw a second card from the Axis deck and apply the effects of the Wacht am Rhein / Nordwind card to the combat. (In the unlikely event the second card is a Wacht am Rhein / Nordwind card, ignore it and draw the next card).
• If the combat is successful, add the Wacht am Rhein / Nordwind card to your Medal area (it provides an additional Medal / Ammo).
• If you lose the combat, shuffle the Wacht am Rhein / Nordwind card back into the Axis deck.

Operation Wacht am Rhein effect: Defeating the Axis Unit costs +1 additional Ammo and +1 additional Fuel. Receive an additional Medal if successful.

Nordwind effect: Defeating the Axis Unit costs +1 additional Ammo.

Big Push

This rule introduces secondary objectives for each General, and allows a player that has fulfilled all their secondary objectives to make a one-off, make-or-break 'big push' to cross the Rhine first by calling on the US XXI Corps reserve. It costs you all your Medals (a minimum of 4) to call upon the reserve, but doing so immediately grants one of your Corps the 2 Ammo and 2 Fuel markers from the US XXI Corps reserve that they can use for the Big Push.

Setup: Put the US XXI Corps card by the side of the board.

Activation

• Each General has 3 to 5 spaces on the board that count as secondary objectives (these relate to historic goals, e.g. the launch sites of the V1 rockets for Montgomery). To claim a secondary objective you must place a Control marker of the relevant color on the space.
• Spaces:
  • Montgomery: Dieppe, Abbeville, Montreuil-sur-Mer, Calais
  • Bradley: Cambrai, Landrecies, Hirson, Givet, Sedan
  • Patton: Charmes, Nancy, Luneville, Sarrebourg
  • Patch/Devers: Dijon, Langres, Epinal

Example: Abbeville is a secondary objective for Montgomery.

• If you have claimed all the required secondary objective spaces for your General with Control markers, you may, if you are able to cross the Rhine and win the game with a movement action this turn, call up the US XXI Corps for a one-off 'big push' action.
• If you do so, you must discard all the Medals you have claimed (you must have a minimum of 4 Medals to be able to take this action).
• Add 2 Fuel and 2 Ammo markers to a Corps card of your choice that will move this turn (these Supplies are effectively drawn from the US XXI Corps that is supporting you).
• If you are unsuccessful, remove any of the remaining Ammo and Fuel markers provided by XXI Corps from your relevant Corps card, and remove the XXI Corps card from the game.

Red Ball Express

The Red Ball Express was a famous Allied truck convoy system put in place following D-Day. Trucks with red balls painted on their front were given priority on roads, including closing them to civilian traffic. The trucks were primarily driven by Black American soldiers, and when operating at full capacity transported around 12,500 tons of supplies using 6,000 trucks each day.

This optional rule reduces randomness in the gameplay by allowing players to select from a set of common Red Ball Pursuit cards that they can hold in their hand. It is recommended that if playing with this optional rule then the Ultra variant for the Axis Reaction is used and the optional Weather rule is used.

Setup: This rule adds 7 new Pursuit and 2 new Axis Unit cards to the game - all these cards have this icon on them. During set up each player removes 2 Starving Civilian cards (Patch-Devers only removes 1) so that each player has just 1 Starving Civilian card in their Pursuit deck.

Remove the following cards from the Axis Unit deck and shuffle them to create a new Axis deck:

• 4 cards with 3 Ammo symbols
• 8 cards with 2 Ammo symbols
• 8 cards with 2 Ammo symbols and 1 Fuel symbol

Set aside the other standard Axis Unit cards. If the above deck is exhausted, use the unused Axis Unit cards removed at set-up to form a new Axis Unit deck.

Place the 2 special Red Ball Express Axis Unit cards near the Axis deck.

Shuffle the 7 Red Ball Pursuit cards and place them in a face down deck near the board. Reveal the top 3 cards, placing them in a line along the side of the board. These represent SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) support.

Activation: At any point on your turn you can use your Commander's Special Ability, provided it's not already exhausted, to take one of the revealed Pursuit cards from the SHAEF area. This exhausts the Commander card as if the Special Ability had been used. All the Red Ball Express Pursuit cards have the hold icon and can be held to be played as a Bonus action at a later point. Once one of these cards is played as a Bonus action, it is then removed from the game.

When any player places a Control marker in a Fortified space for the first time, pause the game and shuffle in the 2 Red Ball Express Axis Unit cards to the Axis deck. Then continue the game.

End of game scoring: If no automatic victory occurred, then when counting Medals, you receive 1 Medal for every 3 (not 5 as normal) Ammo on defeated Axis Unit cards which do not have a Medal.

Red Ball Express Pursuit card explanation

• Engineers: Play during your Move a Corps action - the Corps does not need to pay 1 Ammo to enter a Fortified Space.
• Red Ball Express: Play during your Truck Supplies action - each Truck placed during this action can transport up to 6 Supplies (instead of the usual 5). In addition, you can place 1 Truck more than permitted by your current Logistics Level. This extra Truck must still come from your player area, as usual.
• Self-propelled artillery: Play when your Corps is in combat - the Corps spends 1 less Ammo than the required amount shown on the Axis Unit card.
• Armored column: Play at the start of your Move a Corps action - this Corps may move 4 spaces instead of the usual 3.
• Able subordinate: Play at any point during your turn to refresh (flip up) your Commander card.
• Air supplies: Play at any point during your turn to take 1 Supply marker of your choice from the Supply Pool and place it in any space where you have a Corps (but not exceeding the Supply Limit for that space).
• Weather forecast: This is a special hold card that grants a permanent passive ability (i.e. it does not need to be played from your hand, once selected it remains in play for the rest of the game) - if you have this card, then you do not suffer the effects of rain, nor the effects of the Bad weather card (see below).

Red Ball Express Axis Unit card explanation

• Wacht am Rhein: After revealing this card (as a result of combat or a Recon or Air Support action), interrupt the current action to apply the card's effect. All areas vulnerable to counter-attack suffer a counter-attack. Areas not vulnerable to counter-attack when the card is revealed, but which become vulnerable while applying the card's effect, also suffer a counter-attack, and so on, in a chain reaction, until all possible vulnerable areas have been counter-attacked. Then remove this card from the game and reveal (or secretly check, if Recon or Air Support) the next card from the Axis deck to complete the interrupted action.
• Bad weather: After revealing this card (as a result of combat or a Recon or Air Support action), interrupt the current action to apply the card's effect. All players must discard 1 Food from each of their Corps cards. Then remove this card from the game and reveal (or secretly check, if Recon or Air Support) the next card from the Axis deck to complete the interrupted action. Then set the Weather marker to rain.

Solitaire rules

It is possible to play the game solitaire by using the OB West Axis Reaction rules. You can use any Optional rules you wish.

Set up

Set up as normal, choosing the Commander you wish to play. Place all the Axis markers in the supply. Place another Commander's Control markers on double-colored spaces in your part of the map with, you cannot enter these spaces.

Do not place any Airborne Unit markers. You cannot take the Airborne Landing Core action if playing solitaire.

Objective

In the solitaire game it is not possible to run out of Axis markers, so the game continues until you have successfully crossed the Rhine. Keep track of the number of rounds it takes for you to achieve this; your goal is to improve on this number in subsequent attempts.

Axis reaction

The solitaire game plays in exactly the same way as the multiplayer game using the OB West variant. OB West performs counter-attacks and places Axis markers based on the relevant Commander's Priority Space placement schedule.