The Greatest Day: Sword, Juno, and Gold Beaches Rulebook

Table of Contents

Part One — Grand Tactical Series Rules v2.0c

Part One — Grand Tactical Series Rules v2.0c

1.0 Introduction

The Grand Tactical Series is a World War Two, tactical, company-level system. Turns represent two hours of real time and hexes are approximately 500 meters across. The series rules apply to The Greatest Day and all future games in the series, and supersede pages 6-15 of the Exclusive Rule book that shipped in the box.

Each game also has its own exclusive rules booklet, which lists that game's components and its specific rules. The exclusive rules always take precedence over the series rules should the two conflict — usually the exclusive rules point out the conflicts for you.

1.1 A note about the rules

There are two sets of rules for the series: this full rulebook, which is deliberately repetitive so that a rule appears everywhere it is relevant, and a shorter set of concise rules plus charts and tables. Where the two seem to disagree, this rulebook governs.

Terms defined in the glossary (Rule 29.0) are capitalized in the rules. Named game charts and tables are also capitalized, though they do not appear in the glossary.

These are the version 2.0 rules. They reflect changes since The Devil's Cauldron, Where Eagles Dare and No Question of Surrender, and are not compatible with those earlier games. The major changes are to the Artillery, Assault and Activation systems.

1.2 A summary description of the game

Playing pieces are mostly company-sized Units. Units are grouped into Formations (real-life brigades or regiments), Formations into Divisions, and Divisions into Armies (the nationalities in the game).

The heart of the game is a random chit-pull activation system:

Every Division has an Activation Chit; so does every Formation.
At the start of each turn, each player puts an Activation Chit for each of his Divisions in play into a coffee mug, and may also "buy" (with Dispatch Points) a limited number of his Formation Activation Chits to put in.
Either player blindly pulls a chit. The player who controls that Division or Formation performs Actions with its Units. Then another chit is pulled, and so on.
When only one chit remains in the mug, that last chit is not drawn — it is automatically designated the first chit "drawn" for the next turn.

Division Activation Chits only allow that Division's Units to perform a limited range of non-combat Actions. Formation Activation Chits allow that Formation's Units the full range of Actions.

It is possible, though improbable, for one player to draw all of his chits before his opponent draws any — activating his whole force before the opponent moves at all.

Each player also gets a Direct Command Chit, which when drawn lets him spend Command Points to activate some of his Units. These are wild cards that give a player more options.

Major points of the system:

The game uses a ten-sided die. "0" is a zero, not a ten. Unless specifically noted, a roll of nine always fails and a zero always succeeds.
Movement is standard hex-to-hex, paying movement points for terrain, with Opportunity Fire and Fire Zones instead of Zones of Control. All Units are divided into three Movement Classes.
Fire combat is resolved on a single Combat Results Table using a Fire Rating, terrain and situational modifiers, and a die roll.
Combat results are largely morale results — suppression, disruption and rout — rather than raw step losses.
Leaders provide Command, and Command Points and Dispatch Points are the currency that lets you activate and push your force.

2.0 How to read the counters

Most Unit counters represent a company of infantry, tanks or engineers, or an artillery or mortar section. All the terms are defined in the glossary (Rule 29.0).

The color box around a Unit's designation corresponds to the Formation it belongs to; this matches the color of the stripes on that Formation's Leader counter.

Other color coding:

Coloring	What it tells you
Color of the Movement Allowance	The Unit's Movement Class
Color of the box around the Fire Rating and Assault Rating	The Unit's Weapon Class
Color of the box around the Defense Rating	Whether the Unit is Armored or Unarmored
Red Fire Range	The Unit is Auto-Command

Unit counter values: Steps, Troop Quality, Fire Range, Fire Rating, Assault Rating, Movement Allowance, Air Defense, Defense Rating, Unit Designation.

Leader counter values: Formation, Command Range, Attachment Rating, Name.

3.0 The time scale

Every daylight turn represents about two hours of real time. Night turns represent eight to twelve hours or more. The exclusive rules indicate when the night turn begins and ends.

4.0 The sequence of play

A. Weather. Check Weather if it is the first daylight turn. The weather stays the same for the entire day, until checked again at the start of the first daylight turn of the next day.
B. Airpower. Determine Airpower Availability if it is the first daylight turn.
C. Reinforcements. Place Reinforcements in Reinforcement Boxes.
D. Dispatch Points. First, buy Dispatch Points at a cost of 2 Command Points for 1 Dispatch Point. Then spend Dispatch Points to buy Formation Activation Chits.
E. Artillery and Contact. Create/Disband Artillery Parks. Attempt Contact / Drop Contact with Leaders.
F. Attachment. If the exclusive rules allow Independent or subordinate Formations to be attached to superior Formations, do that now.
G. The mug. Put the eligible chits into the coffee mug.
H. Activation Phase. Perform the Activation Phase.
I. Cleanup. Remove all barrage markers. Flip all Artillery Parks to their Non-Fired sides.
J. Turn record. Move the turn record marker up one turn.

5.0 The weather phase

Before the first daylight turn of each day, the players determine the weather. See the game's exclusive rules for how this works — roll on the appropriate table if applicable and apply the results.

6.0 Determine airpower availability

Before the first daylight turn of each day, the players also determine airpower availability. See the game's exclusive rules.

7.0 Spend Dispatch Points to buy Formation Activation Chits

7.1 Generally

Just as each Division has its own Activation Chit, each Formation in the game has its own Activation Chit, which allows that Formation's Units to be activated.

Actions permitted by chit type:

Action	Direct Command	Divisional Activation	DivAct 2nd Action	Formation Activation	Formation Activation 2nd Action
Move	X	X	X	X	X
Move into enemy Fire Zone	X	—	X	X	X
Enter an ENT (entrenchment)	X	X	X	X	X
Leave an ENT	X	X	X	X	X
Mount/Dismount	X	X	X	X	X
Build IP (improved position)	X	—	—	X	X
Build ENT	X	—	—	X	X
Build/Remove Roadblock	X	—	—	X	X
Create Rearguard	X	—	—	X	X
Remove Rearguard	X	X	X	X	X
Fire Action (Direct or Indirect)	X	Purple Fire Rating only	—	X	X
Assault Action	X	—	—	X	X
Rally	X	X	X	X	X
Pass (do nothing)	—	X	X	X	X

Division Activation Chits only allow a limited range of non-combat Actions; Formation Activation Chits allow the full range.

Unlike Division Activation Chits — which, once in play, automatically go into the mug at the start of every turn — the only way a Formation Activation Chit gets into the mug is if you spend Dispatch Points to put it there, and you must do so every turn. Buying a Formation chit for one turn does not keep it in play afterward: once played, it comes out, and you must buy it again to bring it back.

7.2 How do I spend Dispatch Points to buy Formation Activation Chits?

Look at your Formation Activation Chits and decide whether you want any of them in play this turn or next turn. If not, move on.

If you do want one, you have a choice:

Purchase	Cost
Formation Activation Chit in play this turn	2 Dispatch Points
Formation Activation Chit in play next turn	1 Dispatch Point

Chits purchased for next turn are set face-down next to the mug as a reminder. You do not reveal which Formations you have purchased — they are revealed as they are drawn. All purchases should be done in secret if possible.

Spend the points on the Command/Dispatch Point Record Track, deducting them from the Formation's Division.

There are two limits on how many Formation Activation Chits you can put in:

The number of Dispatch Points you have.
You can only buy one Formation Activation Chit at a time per Formation — once bought, it must be played before it can be bought again. This stops you from spending 1 Dispatch Point on Turn One to buy a chit for Turn Two, then buying the same chit on Turn Two for Turn Three. Likewise, if a Formation Activation Chit was the last one drawn during Turn One it is saved for Turn Two (Rule 10.0.6), so you cannot spend a Dispatch Point on Turn Two to buy it for Turn Three.

Unless stated otherwise, a Formation Activation Chit is first eligible for purchase on the turn any of the Formation's Units are either on a reinforcement hex or in play on the map.

Dispatch Points are allocated by Division. A Division can only spend Dispatch Points on its own Formations; it cannot spend them on another Division's Formations.

8.0 Place reinforcements

Check the reinforcement schedule in the scenario rules for the who, where and when.

Unless stated otherwise, a Division's reinforcements due on a given turn are placed at the start of that turn (Step C of the Sequence of Play) on the Division Display, in the appropriate holding box. If a game has independent Formations arriving as reinforcements, they must either be attached to a superior Formation as noted on the reinforcement schedule, or the player decides which Formation they attach to the moment they arrive in a Reinforcement Box.

When that Division's Activation Chit is pulled, place the reinforcements (with their Leader, if he is not already on the map) on the reinforcement hex marked on the map by the matching Divisional symbol, and activate them normally. Stack them all on the entry hex without regard to stacking limits; they start there — no counting hexes off the map edge.

If possible, Units in these hexes must all have moved out of the Reinforcement Hex by the end of the Division Activation — you may not hold Units back. If they cannot (for instance, every possible hex is in an enemy Fire Zone), they must move out as soon as the next chit is played that allows legal movement.

Reinforcement rules:

Entry hexes have unlimited stacking limits.
Reinforcement Units in reinforcement entry hexes may not be targeted by any type of fire.
The only Action a Unit in a Reinforcement Hex can take is to Move, and moving out of a Reinforcement Hex does not trigger Opportunity Fire.
You may not spend Command Points on reinforcements until they actually enter play. Reinforcement Units in entry hexes are considered Out of Command.
Reinforcements may start in Column or not, at the owning player's choice.
If the Division Activation is the last chit pulled, any reinforcements arrive the next turn. If that Division also receives reinforcements for the next turn, all of them simply arrive together.

9.0 Put the eligible chits into the coffee mug

On the first turn, the scenario rules tell you what goes into the mug.

After the first turn, each player puts in:

All his Division Activation Chits currently in play; plus
Any additional Division Activation Chits the scenario rules give him as reinforcements; plus
His one Direct Command Chit; plus
Any Formation Activation Chits he bought with Dispatch Points this turn, or bought last turn and held out for this turn.

10.0 Perform the Activation Phase

10.0.1 First, take a chit

On the first turn, the scenario rules almost always say who goes first. Past the first turn, the player whose chit was the last one left in the mug on the previous turn must play that chit now as the first chit of this turn (see 10.0.6).

Once that is done, either player (it does not matter who) draws a chit from the mug.

If a Formation Activation Chit is drawn: All Units belonging to that Formation become Active and may perform Actions. You may also spend Command Points to have In Command Units of that Formation perform Second Actions (10.0.2).

If a Division Activation Chit (marked DivAct) is drawn: The controlling player first enters reinforcements from that Division's Reinforcement Box onto the map. Then he rolls to see how many Command Points and Dispatch Points the Division receives. Then all Units of that Division become Active and may perform a limited range of non-combat Actions (see 13.2) — generally they may not Assault, fire, or move into an enemy Fire Zone, though Light Mortar Units may fire as a First Action as an exception. You may also spend Command Points for Second Actions by In Command Units of that Division; Second Actions are not bound by the Division activation restrictions.

As a reminder of which Formations have finished, flip each Formation's Leader counter to its "Active" side when the Division Activation Chit is drawn, and flip it back when that Formation has finished activating.

If a Direct Command Chit is drawn: The owning player may spend Command Points to move and fight with his In Command Units (see 10.0.5).

10.0.2 What is a Second Action?

A Unit (including an Independent Unit) or a stack of Units that has just completed an Action may immediately perform a Second Action if all of the following are true:

The first Action was performed under a Formation Activation Chit or a Division Activation Chit (not a Direct Command Chit); and
The Units are In Command; and
The owning player pays one Command Point per Unit performing the Second Action; and
The Second Action is different from the Action just performed — a Unit cannot use its Second Action to repeat the same Action twice in a row; and
The Second Action is not an Engineer Action; and
The decision to perform the Second Action is made before the next Unit or stack performs an Action and before the next chit is drawn.

If a stack performs a Second Action, every Unit in the stack must perform the same Action, and you pay one Command Point for every Unit in the stack (three Units in a stack costs three Command Points).

A Second Action during a Division Activation is not subject to the Division Activation restrictions.

10.0.3 How can I get (or lose) Command Points and Dispatch Points?

Each time a Division Activation Chit is drawn, roll for that Division for both Command Points and Dispatch Points.

Command Points: Roll a die and add half the die roll (rounding down) to the Division's Command Rating (from the exclusive rules). The total is the number of Command Points the Division receives.

Dispatch Points: Roll a die against the Division's Dispatch Rating (from the exclusive rules).

Die roll	Result
Nine	The Division loses one Dispatch Point
Zero	The Division gains one Dispatch Point
Equal to or less than the Division's Dispatch Rating	The Division gains one Dispatch Point
Less than (but not equal to) the Division's current number of Dispatch Points	The Division gains one Dispatch Point

Apply as many of these results as are applicable — they stack. Example: Dispatch Rating six, current Dispatch Points two. A roll of one gives two more Dispatch Points; a roll of zero gives three; a roll of two gives one.

Converting Command Points: During Step D of the Sequence of Play, for every 2 Command Points of a Division you spend, you buy 1 Dispatch Point for that same Division.

Pre-night bonus: On the turn before the night turn, a Division automatically adds two Dispatch Points to its total after performing the Dispatch Point die roll — but only if its Division Activation Chit is actually drawn.

10.0.4 Is there a maximum or minimum number of Command Points and Dispatch Points?

A Division may never have fewer than zero or more than nineteen Command Points.

A Division may never have fewer than zero or more than nineteen Dispatch Points.

10.0.5 What if my Direct Command Chit is drawn?

You may activate any of your non-independent, In Command Units (all but white- and black-striped Units) by spending one Command Point per Unit. You may activate Units in any order. "In Command" is defined in Rule 21.0.

A Direct Command Chit is powerful: it is the only time you can coordinate the activation of Units belonging to different Divisions.

Important points:

You can activate as many or as few Units as you want, up to your available Command Points.
A Division's Command Points can only activate Units of that Division.
Only one activation per Unit — no Second Actions.
As with a regular activation, a Unit must finish its activation before the next one starts (but see point 7).
You keep unspent Command Points for later in the game — remembering the nineteen-point Division maximum.
You may only activate Units that are In Command (within their Leader's Command Range — see Rule 21.0).
To activate a stack for movement or Assault, you may pay all the necessary Command Points at once for the Units acting together. This is an exception to point 4.
You may not spend Command Points to perform an Engineer Action. It is the Action that matters, not the Unit — Engineers may still move, fire, Rally and so on under Direct Command.
Independent Units never activate under the Direct Command chit. They only activate when the Division Activation chit, or the Formation chit of the Formation they are attached to, is in play.

10.0.6 When does the Activation Phase end?

The Activation Phase ends after the second-to-last chit is drawn and played. The last chit in the mug is not drawn this turn — it becomes the first chit played next turn. If that last chit is a Formation Activation Chit, its owner gets it next turn for free, without paying again.

11.0 Remove all barrage markers

Pick them up. Flip all Artillery Parks to their Non-Fired sides.

12.0 Move the turn record marker up a box

Do that and go on to the next turn. If it was the last turn, determine victory.

13.0 Performing Actions with Units during the Activation Phase

13.1 Which Units can I perform Actions with?

During the Activation Phase you perform Actions with your Active Units, which means:

Division Activation chit drawn: all Units belonging to that Division — limited to non-combat Actions (13.2) unless performing Second Actions (10.0.2); or
Formation Activation chit drawn: all Units belonging to that Formation, plus independent Units within Command Range of the Formation's Leader, up to the Attachment Rating of that Leader (see 21.5); or
Direct Command Chit drawn: any In Command, non-independent Unit on which you spend a Command Point.

Counters are color-coded to show which Units belong to which Formation. The base color is the Division; a colored stripe identifies the Formation; a black or white stripe marks an independent Unit within the Division (see 21.6).

13.2 What can I do with my Active Units?

While their Formation or Division is Active, Units can perform one of the following Actions (the exception is the Second Action, 10.0.2):

Movement Actions: move (which includes entering or exiting Column, entering or exiting entrenchments, and exiting Transport Mode); entering Transport Mode; entering or leaving an entrenchment.
- Exception: a Unit activated with a Division Activation Chit may not move into an enemy Fire Zone. (A Unit already in an enemy Fire Zone may still get into or out of Column or Transport Mode.)
Fire. Exception: a Unit activated with a Division Activation Chit may not fire unless it has a purple Fire Rating.
Assault. Exception: a Unit activated with a Division Activation Chit may not Assault.
Rally.
Engineer Actions: build an improved position; build an entrenchment; build a road block; remove a road block; create a Rearguard; and any others the exclusive rules permit. None of these may be performed as a Second Action or during a Direct Command activation.
Remove a Rearguard.
Any other Actions permitted by the exclusive rules.
Pass. (Useful example: you drew a Division Activation Chit but want a Unit to fire and do nothing else. Pass as its Action, then pay one Command Point to have it fire as a Second Action.)

A Unit performing a Second Action may perform any of the above, with two extra restrictions:

The Second Action must be of a different type from the first Action; and
The Second Action cannot be an Engineer Action.

So a Unit cannot mount a vehicle and then move as a Second Action — both are Movement Actions.

A Second Action during a Division activation is not subject to the Division activation restrictions: the Unit can fire, Assault, or enter a Fire Zone. Only the initial free activation is limited.

Play note: A Unit can be activated more than once in a turn — as part of a Formation activation, a Division activation, and a Direct Command activation. The number of times a Unit has already been activated has no effect on what Actions it can perform in later activations. Each new activation is a fresh opportunity.

13.3 In what order can my Units perform Actions?

With a few important exceptions, you may act with your Units in any order. Within a Formation or Division activation the required order is:

Perform all Actions with your Units. Any Second Action for a Unit or stack must be performed immediately after that Unit's or stack's initial Action.
After all Units have moved, decide where you want the Formation's or Division's Leaders and transfer them there (see 21.2).

During Actions performed by spending a Command Point, a Leader must stay stacked with the Units he is currently stacked with (21.2).

Leaders transfer only after all other Units have performed all their Actions. Command Range is determined for all Units from the hex the Leader occupies at the moment of determination — the Leader may have moved with another Unit earlier in the activation.

13.4 What do all the Non-Active Units do during Activations?

Your opponent's Non-Active Units may fire at your Active Units using Opportunity Fire (Rule 17.0), or exchange fire during Assaults (Rule 18.0). Your own Non-Active Units mostly do nothing during assaults on other Units; they may get to Opportunity Fire at Units running away from Assaults.

14.0 Moving Units

14.1 General notes on the movement rules

Movement is standard hex-to-hex, paying movement points for terrain.

Each Unit belongs to one of four Movement Classes — Wheeled, Tracked, Leg, Immobile — color-coded on the counter. These govern terrain costs.
Each Unit belongs to one of three Unit Classes — Infantry, Gun, Vehicle — shown by the counter symbol. These affect how the Unit moves.
Movement allowances are printed on counters in the color of the Movement Class.
Stacking rules apply during movement.
Opportunity Fire can stop a moving Unit until that fire is resolved.

Two absolute limits: Units may never use a Movement Action to enter a hex occupied by an enemy Unit, and Units may never move within two hexes of an enemy reinforcement entry hex.

Terrain in this system channels vehicles: crests and forests restrict Tracked and Wheeled movement, and roads are often the only way vehicles cross certain ground — so anti-tank forces deploy accordingly. Combined arms matter concretely rather than as a flat die-roll modifier: barrage well-placed defenders before advancing, and dig infantry and anti-tank guns into covering terrain.

14.2 Which Units can move?

Active Units of these Movement Classes:

Movement Class	Movement allowance color
Wheeled (W)	Black
Tracked (T)	Red
Leg (L)	White

Each Movement Class pays different costs on the Terrain Effects Chart.

14.3 How do Units move?

Units move from hex to adjacent hex, spending the movement points listed on the Terrain Effects Chart to cross hexsides and enter hexes.

14.4 Which Units cannot move?

Units with no movement allowance are Immobile Units. They may never move or retreat by themselves, but they can be transported if they have Organic Transport (14.10).

14.5 What about terrain and movement?

See the Terrain Effects Chart for movement costs; different Movement Classes pay different costs. The exclusive rules describe the terrain types.

14.6 How can my Units use Column movement?

To use the Column movement rate, place a Column marker on the Unit. This costs one movement point when done as part of a Movement Action. Units may also take a Column marker for free when they dismount from a vehicle (14.10.3).

Leaving Column costs either:

one movement point — which can trigger Opportunity Fire normally; or
a Cohesion Hit — which does not trigger Opportunity Fire.

You may not place a Unit in Column and then remove the marker later in the same Action, unless the Unit leaves Column by taking a Cohesion Hit. (You cannot pay one movement point in and one movement point out in the same Action.)

A Unit with a Column marker does not have to stay on a Road — it can move through or across any allowed terrain, paying Column movement terrain costs.

Note that two Roads may run through a hex without connecting. You may not move from one Road to the other without paying the cost for the terrain in the hex.

14.6.1 What's the bad part about being in Column?

A Unit in Column is considered deployed for movement, and if fired at suffers unfavorable modifiers (all noted on the Column marker):

Value	Effect while in Column
Fire Rating	Reduced by one
Assault Rating	Reduced by one
Defense Rating	Increased by two

In addition, a Unit in Column that is fired upon never receives any beneficial (negative) terrain modifiers — exclusive rules may make exceptions. All modifiers that help the enemy's fire remain in force.

No more than one Unit in Column is ever allowed in a hex, and stacking limits are in effect at all times, including during movement.

14.6.2 Units in Column may not:

Stack with other Units in Column.
Perform Engineer Actions — build an improved position, build an entrenchment, build or remove a road block, create a Rearguard, or any additional Engineer Actions defined in the exclusive rules.

14.7 What about stacking and movement?

Units stacked together (and not in Column — stacking more than one Unit in Column is illegal) can move together if activated together. They must start the activation together — no picking Units up along the way. You may drop Units off, but a dropped-off Unit is finished for that Action; you cannot come back and move it elsewhere.

If a moving stack triggers Opportunity Fire (Rule 17.0), each firing Unit may target only one of the stacked Units — but the Non-Active player chooses which one. All Units in the stack still count toward the mass modifier.

Stacking limit: up to 8 steps in a hex when not in Column, and one Unit in Column (regardless of that Unit's step count). Stacking limits are in effect at all times during a turn. Leaders and informational markers do not count toward stacking.

General exceptions to the stacking rules:

Stacked Units moving together do not benefit from Roads.
Units not in Column may not cross a bridge or a ferry — put differently, only Units in Column may cross a bridge or ferry.
Overstacking is permitted for Units not in Column, but if you exceed 8 steps in a hex:
- You may only move one Unit at a time out of the stack — no moving "stacks" out of an overstacked hex.
- You may never Assault out of an overstacked hex.
- Any attempt to leave an overstacked hex by any method, successful or not, makes the leaving Unit suffer a Cohesion Hit. So a Unit that tries to move out and is stopped by Opportunity Fire takes a Cohesion Hit in addition to the Opportunity Fire result.
- Overstacked Units may not retreat out of, or choose to run away from, an Assault.

14.8 Forced march

Leg Units can gain two extra movement points by force marching. A Unit or stack that has already moved as far as it can may try. Each Unit must pass a Troop Quality Check; you may spend a Command Point to pass this check automatically.

Result	Effect
Passes the Check	Gains two extra movement points
Fails the Check	Its Action is over and it takes a Cohesion Hit

A Unit that is Out of Command subtracts one from its Troop Quality Rating for the forced-march Troop Quality Check.

14.9 Leg Infantry Units can (almost) always move at least one hex

When a Leg Infantry Unit is activated it may move one hex regardless of movement allowance and terrain costs, as long as it is not Suppressed. This movement uses the Unit's entire movement allowance, and the Unit may not Forced March after it.

The Unit still may not cross a hexside or enter a hex whose terrain is prohibited to it — for example, across a bridge while not in Column.

14.10 Transport

14.10.1 Transport generally

Infantry or Gun Units enter Transport Mode by mounting up on vehicles so they can move faster.

Some Infantry or Gun Units have Organic Transport, shown by a vehicle silhouette printed on the flip side of the counter and a black box around the Step dots on the front. Only these Units use the Transport Mode mechanic.

14.10.2 How do Units use Transport Mode?

Pick an Active Infantry or Gun Unit with a vehicle silhouette on its flip side. Announce that it is mounting up and flip it to its Vehicle side. It may be placed in Column for free at this time (some terrain types require it to be in Column). This finishes the Unit's Action.

This is a Movement Action and does trigger Opportunity Fire. The Opportunity Firing player decides whether to shoot before or after the mounting.
If the Unit began its activation in Column, it stays in Column.
A Unit that mounts up retains all its markers.

In its next Action the Unit moves as a Vehicle Unit and uses all the values on the Vehicle side of its counter for every purpose — it effectively becomes that Vehicle Unit.

14.10.3 How do Units exit Transport Mode?

In any Movement Action after entering Transport Mode, a Unit exits by paying half of the printed movement allowance on its Vehicle side, rounded down. Flip it back to its non-Vehicle side. It may be placed in Column or not at the owner's choice, as long as stacking limits are observed. The Unit's Action is then over.

Dismounting does trigger Opportunity Fire, and the Opportunity Firing player decides whether to shoot before or after the dismounting.

14.10.4 What if a Unit in Transport Mode is attacked?

Use the values on the Vehicle side of the counter.

If the Unit becomes Suppressed while in Transport Mode, it cannot exit Transport Mode until it Rallies.
All other combat results — Step Losses, Cohesion Hits — stay with the Unit after it exits Transport Mode.

14.11 Retire by prolonge

Gun Units whose movement allowance is a star rather than a number may move one hex if they pass a Troop Quality Check. If they fail the check they take a Cohesion Hit and may not move.

The one-hex move may not be into or across prohibited terrain, or into an enemy Fire Zone.
These Units count as Leg Units for Movement Type.
You may spend a Command Point to pass the check automatically.
These Units may enter or exit an Entrenchment by passing a Troop Quality Check, provided the Entrenchment is not in an enemy Fire Zone.

15.0 Fire Combat

15.1 Fire combat generally

Fire combat is either Direct Fire or Indirect Fire. For both, the firing Unit must be within Fire Range of its target. The two types have different effects and use different lines on the Combat Results Table. A Unit with no printed Fire Range has a Fire Range of one.

Direct Fire requires a Line of Sight between firer and target.
Indirect Fire requires no Line of Sight from the firer, but if there is none there must be a spotter Unit in radio contact with the firing Unit, and that spotter must have a Line of Sight to the target.

These fire rules also govern how Opportunity Fire is resolved; the Opportunity Fire rules (17.0) govern how it arises.

Purple Fire Rating. Allied infantry companies leaned on volume of fire — notably the light mortar — rather than shock. The Purple Fire Rating models this. Purple-rated Units use Direct Fire and so may attempt Opportunity Fire. They cannot use Indirect Fire the way regular (green Fire Rating) mortars do, and their fire does not cause Barrage markers to be placed.

15.2 Which Units get to fire?

Any Active Unit with a Fire Rating may fire. Exception: Non-Active Units with a Fire Rating can Opportunity Fire.

Fire Ratings are in the upper left of the counter. Units without one show "No" instead of a number. "0" is a valid Fire Rating.

15.3 Which Units can be fired at?

For Direct Fire, a Unit can fire at any one enemy Unit that is:

Within Fire Range of the firing Unit; and
In the Line of Sight of the firing Unit.

Direct Fire at a Unit in a stack affects only that Unit. (Some types of Indirect Fire may affect all Units in a stack — see 16.6.1.)

For Indirect Fire, a Unit can fire at any one enemy Unit within Fire Range that is either:

In the Line of Sight of the firing Unit; or
In the Line of Sight of a spotter Unit that has established radio contact with the firing Unit.

Certain Indirect Fire results may affect all Units in a stack (16.6.1), and Artillery Park restrictions (16.2) may prohibit fire from certain Indirect Firing Units.

Fire Range reduction. A Unit's Fire Range is reduced to one hex if it is adjacent to an enemy Unit, or if it is in a hex with a barrage marker.

Exception: an artillery Unit in an Artillery Park, or an Emplaced Artillery Unit, may still perform spotted Indirect Fire normally from a hex with a barrage marker. This applies only to Artillery Parks and Emplaced Artillery — Mortars and Organic Artillery do have their Fire Range reduced to one hex in a barraged hex.

15.4 What is a Line of Sight?

A Line of Sight is a straight, unblocked line between the center dot of the firing or spotting Unit's hex and the center dot of the target hex. "Unblocked" means it does not pass through hexes with Blocking Terrain (listed on the Terrain Effects Chart), crest hexsides, or hexes with barrage markers.

A Line of Sight may enter a hex containing Blocking Terrain, as long as it ends there.
A Line of Sight may exit a hex containing Blocking Terrain, as long as it begins there.
A Line of Sight may not pass through a hex containing Blocking Terrain or a barrage marker.

Once you have an unblocked Line of Sight, count the hexes along it — count the last hex but not the first — for the Line of Sight distance.

Condition	Maximum Line of Sight distance
Clear daylight turn	8 hexes
Day or night turn with fog or rain	2 hexes
Clear night turn	3 hexes

The observation post rule (15.4.2) and strongpoint rule (15.4.3) are major exceptions.

15.4.1 What does and does not block Line of Sight?

Blocking Terrain blocks Line of Sight; the Terrain Effects Chart shows which terrain does and does not.

Units and Leaders do not block Line of Sight.
A Line of Sight does exist along a hexside between two hexes, one with Blocking Terrain and one without.
A Line of Sight can always be traced into or out of a hex with Blocking Terrain — you just cannot trace through (into and out of) one.
Crest, slope and ridge hexsides are special cases of Blocking Terrain. They block a Line of Sight crossing them unless the crest/ridge hexside is part of either the firing Unit's hex or the target Unit's hex. Running along a crest, slope or ridge hexside blocks Line of Sight.
Barrage markers block Line of Sight the same way Blocking Terrain does. A Unit may see out of a hex with a barrage marker normally — it just cannot see through a barraged hex.

15.4.2 What are Observation posts?

Observation posts are the small triangles printed on the map. They are never removed and both sides can occupy and use them. They are the big exception to the Line of Sight rule for spotting, for Indirect Fire only — they have no effect on Direct Fire.

Any Unit in an observation post hex:

Has a maximum daylight, non-fog, non-rain Line of Sight distance of thirteen hexes instead of eight.
May trace a Line of Sight through as many as three hexes or hexsides with Blocking Terrain, and into a fourth hex (which may itself contain Blocking Terrain).
This extended Line of Sight may only be used when spotting an Indirect Fire mission for another Unit — never for self-spotting.

Condition	Maximum Line of Sight from an Observation Post
Clear daylight	13 hexes
Rain or fog	2 hexes
Clear night	3 hexes

Lines of Sight are not reciprocal between an observation post and a non-observation post hex: a Unit in an observation post having a Line of Sight to another Unit does not mean that Unit can see back.

15.4.3 What are Strongpoints?

Strongpoints are the small star-like symbols on the map. Like observation posts they are never removed and either side may use them. They are the second exception to the Line of Sight rule.

A Unit in a strongpoint may trace a Line of Sight through as many as two hexes or hexsides with Blocking Terrain and into a third hex (which may contain Blocking Terrain).
Unlike observation posts, strongpoints do not change the maximum Line of Sight range, and they may be used for both Direct Fire and spotting Indirect Fire.
Lines of Sight are not reciprocal between a strongpoint hex and a non-strongpoint hex.

15.5 How do I fire at a Unit?

Summary of the fire combat steps (these are the complete steps for Direct Fire, and are also used to resolve Opportunity Fire; for Indirect Fire you begin with the Indirect Fire steps, then return here to finish):

Say which Unit you want to fire with.
Say which Unit you want to fire at.
Determine the firing Unit's final Fire Rating by modifying its printed Fire Rating with any applicable Direct Fire modifiers (15.6 / the Combat Results Table).
Roll one die to determine whether there is a hit and, if so, whether there is damage.
Check the Combat Results Table for the effects.

Expanded steps:

1. Say which Unit you want to fire with.

a. It must be Active — unless it is Opportunity Firing.
b. It must have a Fire Rating of "0" or greater (upper left of the counter).
c. One Unit targets one Unit. Units may not combine fire, and more than one Unit may not be targeted.

2. Say which Unit you want to fire at.

a. The target must be within the firing Unit's Fire Range.
b. For Direct Fire the firer must have a Line of Sight to the target. For Indirect Fire the firer must have either a Line of Sight to the target, or radio contact with a spotter Unit that has one.
c. One Unit fires at one Unit; a Unit may not fire at more than one target.
d. Remember that if the firing Unit is adjacent to an enemy Unit, or is in a hex with a barrage marker, its Fire Range is reduced to one hex (exception: Units in an Artillery Park).

3. Determine the firing Unit's Fire Rating, including applicable modifiers.

a. Start with the Fire Rating printed on the upper left of the counter.
b. Determine which modifiers apply (15.6 and the Combat Results Table). You never modify fire die rolls in this game — you modify Fire Ratings. This is very important.

4. Roll one die.

a. Hit if the die roll is equal to or less than the modified Fire Rating. A die roll of zero is always a hit, whatever the modified Fire Rating. Go to step 5.
b. Miss if the die roll is greater than the modified Fire Rating. A die roll of nine is always a miss, whatever the modified Fire Rating. The firing Unit's Action is over.

5. Consult the Combat Results Table. Cross-index the die roll you just made with the Weapons Class (Direct HE, SA, DP, etc.) and the target type (Armored or Unarmored), and immediately apply the result to the target (Rule 19.0).

You only roll the die once for combat — the same roll that determines a hit also determines the damage. Note that Indirect HE, Emplaced Artillery, or Organic Artillery Units performing Direct Fire use the yellow Direct HE Weapons Class on the Combat Results Table.

15.6 What are the fire modifiers?

These are also listed on the Combat Results Table. All of them modify the firing Unit's Fire Rating, never the die roll.

Firer-based modifiers:

#	Modifier	Where the value comes from
1	Cohesion Hits and Step Losses taken by the firing Unit	Listed on the marker
2	Range to the target	Combat Results Table
3	Company Bonus	+2, if earned (see below)
4	Weather conditions and night	Combat Results Table
5	Barrage marker in the firing Unit's hex	Listed on the marker
6	Entrenchment	Listed on the marker

Range note — armored versus unarmored targets differ. Firing at an armored target at three hexes is a total of -1 to the firing strength (unless the firing Unit's own range is 3, in which case -2). Firing at an unarmored target at the same range is a total of -2 (0 for the first hex, then -1 for each additional hex).

Company Bonus (modifier 3). If the firing Unit is a two-Step Unit that has taken no Step Losses, make a Troop Quality Check (nine always fails, zero always succeeds). On a pass the Unit gets the Company Bonus of plus two.

A Command Point may not be spent to automatically pass this Troop Quality Check.
Units performing Opportunity Fire cannot receive the Company Bonus.

Defender-based modifiers:

#	Modifier	Where the value comes from
7	Defense Rating of the target	Target counter
8	Target's mass — counts all Units in the stack, not just the target	Combat Results Table
9	Target's terrain	Terrain Effects Chart
10	Improved position / entrenchment	Listed on the marker
11	Defender is in Column	Listed on the marker; no negative terrain modifiers apply

16.0 Indirect Fire, Mortar Units and Indirect High Explosive Units

16.1 What are the Indirect Fire Weapons Classes?

Mortar, Indirect HE, Emplaced Artillery and Organic Artillery are the Indirect Fire Units.

Mortar Units (green Fire Rating):

Use Indirect Fire only — they may not Direct Fire.
Use the green Mortar Weapons Class on the Combat Results Table.
May not Opportunity Fire.
May be spotted for by any In Command Unit in their Formation, or any Independent Unit in Command of their Formation's Leader.
Cannot enter an Artillery Park.

Note: a light mortar Unit (purple Fire Rating) fires using the Direct Fire procedure and is not considered a mortar for Indirect Fire.

Indirect HE Units (orange Fire Rating):

Use Indirect Fire or Direct Fire depending on range.
Minimum Indirect Fire Range of four hexes — they cannot Indirect Fire at Units closer than four hexes — and a maximum Direct Fire Range of three hexes.
Use the orange Indirect HE Weapons Class for Indirect Fire and the yellow Direct HE class for Direct Fire.
May perform Opportunity Fire with their Direct Fire.
May be put in Contact with any friendly Leader, and be spotted for by any In Command Unit of that Leader's Formation, or any Independent Unit In Command of that Leader.
Must be in an Artillery Park to use spotted Indirect Fire, and while in an Artillery Park may not self-spot.

Emplaced Artillery Units (black Fire Rating):

Use Indirect Fire or Direct Fire depending on range.
Minimum Indirect Fire Range four hexes; maximum Direct Fire Range three hexes.
Use the black Emplaced Artillery Weapons Class for Indirect Fire and the yellow Direct HE class for Direct Fire.
May perform Opportunity Fire with their Direct Fire.
May be put in Contact with any friendly Leader, and be spotted for by any In Command Unit of that Leader's Formation, or any Independent Unit In Command of that Leader.
Cannot enter an Artillery Park.

Organic Artillery Units (brown Fire Rating):

Use Indirect Fire or Direct Fire depending on range.
Minimum Indirect Fire Range four hexes; maximum Direct Fire Range three hexes.
Use the brown Organic Artillery Weapons Class for Indirect Fire and the yellow Direct HE class for Direct Fire.
May perform Opportunity Fire with their Direct Fire.
May be spotted for by any In Command Unit in their Formation, or any Independent Unit in Command of their Formation's Leader.
Cannot enter an Artillery Park.

16.2 How do Artillery Parks Work?

For Indirect HE Units — all Orange Fire Rating Units (not Black, Brown or Green) — to perform a spotted Indirect Fire attack, they must be in an Artillery Park.

Only Artillery Units in Artillery Parks can engage in counter-battery fire against enemy Artillery Units in enemy Artillery Parks (16.7).

An Artillery Unit in an Artillery Park is always In Command, and may perform Direct Fire as normal.

16.2.1 Creating Artillery Parks

Every Division has at least one Artillery Park, with markers and boxes on its Division Display.

Artillery Parks may be created during Step E of the Sequence of Play, at a cost of one Dispatch Point each.
Move the Artillery Park marker from the Division Display to any legal hex on the map. The hex must already contain at least one ready-to-fire Orange Fire Rating Unit (a Dismounted or Self-Propelled Artillery Unit) from the same Division.
Place the marker in that hex and move the Artillery Unit(s) to the corresponding Artillery Park box on the Division Display.
No more than one Artillery Park may occupy a hex at any time.
You need not be In Command to form an Artillery Park.

16.2.2 Adding Units to an Existing Artillery Park

Additional Orange Fire Rating Artillery Units of the same Division join by moving into the Park's hex and dismounting (if not Self-Propelled).

A Unit may enter the Artillery Park hex in Column, but once in the Artillery Park box it is considered not in Column.
A Unit that dismounts or leaves Column after entering a Park does not trigger Opportunity Fire.
There is no limit to the number of Artillery Units in an Artillery Park.
An Artillery Unit may never enter another Division's Artillery Park, though it may enter and occupy the same hex.

16.2.3 Artillery Park Restrictions

Units in an Artillery Park may not self-spot and may not spot for other Units.
No Units other than Orange Fire Rating Artillery Units may ever enter an Artillery Park, though other Units may enter and occupy the same hex.
Artillery Units in the Park do not count toward hex stacking, but do count toward any mass modifier applied to fire against a target in that hex.
Once Non-Self-Propelled Units are in an Artillery Park they cannot leave or change status in any way — no mounting up, entering an Improved Position, entrenching, entering Column — until the Park is disbanded.
Self-Propelled Artillery Units may leave an Artillery Park only if at least one artillery Unit remains in it.
Artillery Units, whether in an Artillery Park or in the same hex as one, may never Entrench or be in an Improved Position.
An Artillery Park may not move.

16.2.4 Disbanding Artillery Parks

An Artillery Park may disband during Step E of the Sequence of Play. Remove the marker from the map and return it to the Division Display, then return the Artillery Units from the Park box to the hex the Park occupied — in Column or not, owner's choice. Those Units are subject to the normal overstacking rules (14.7).

16.2.5 Artillery Parks and Combat

Units in an Artillery Park may be targets of Direct Fire or Assault.

The moment Direct Fire is announced against a Unit in an Artillery Park, or the hex containing the Artillery Park marker is successfully assaulted (the assaulting Unit passes its Bravery Check), the Artillery Park is immediately disbanded (16.2.4) and the Direct Fire or Assault is then resolved normally.
In addition, all In Contact markers the Park's Units had on Leaders are removed and placed back on the Artillery Units, Contact Pending side up.
Artillery Parks may also be fired on by normal Indirect Fire, subject to the normal rules (spotting, etc.).
Counter-battery fire (16.7) allows Artillery Parks to be fired upon without a spotter.

16.3 How do I use these In Contact/Contact Pending markers?

All Orange and Black Fire Rating Artillery Units have a Contact marker that normally sits with the Unit, Contact Pending side up.

Non-suppressed Artillery Units may attempt to establish radio contact with Leaders during Step E of the Sequence of Play. Orange firepower Units must be in an Artillery Park to make the attempt.

To achieve contact, roll equal to or less than the Contact Pending number on that Unit's Contact marker.
Apply the Radio Contact modifier of -3 to the Contact Pending value if the Leader being contacted is not from the same Division as the Artillery Unit.
On success, place the Contact marker on that Leader, In Contact side up.
An Artillery Unit may only attempt to contact a Leader once in this phase. On a failure, you may not try again until next turn.
If the Artillery Unit has a White Stripe, it now counts against that Leader's Attachment Rating, and will do so until contact is broken (16.3.1).

16.3.1 Breaking Radio Contact with Spotters

A barrage marker on an Artillery Unit's hex does not cause it to lose contact. There are seven ways contact with a Leader can break:

Involuntarily, when a 9 is rolled on a Fire mission — place the Contact marker back on the Artillery Unit, Contact Pending side up.
When a different Formation successfully establishes contact with the Artillery Unit by rolling equal to or less than the In Contact number on the marker during Step E; place the Contact marker on the new Leader, In Contact side up.
When the Artillery Unit's Artillery Park is disbanded during Step E.
If the Artillery Unit is an Emplaced Artillery Unit (black firepower) and it self-spots a target.
If the Artillery Unit suffers any combat result from any source — a failed S? counts as a combat result; a passed S? does not.
If the Artillery Park is attacked by Direct Fire or Assaulted, the Park is immediately disbanded (16.2.5).
If a Leader voluntarily gives up contact with an Artillery Unit — contact is immediately lost and the Artillery Unit cannot gain contact with any Leader until the next turn.

16.3.2 GTS Radio Contact Summary

Establishing contact. Place the Contact marker on the selected Leader, In Contact side up.

When	How
Step E of the Sequence of Play (no more than one attempt per artillery Unit)	Roll, adding the In Contact modifier if it applies. If the result is less than or equal to the number on the marker's currently visible side — Contact Pending if on the artillery Unit, In Contact if on another Leader — contact is established.

Losing contact. Place the Contact marker back on the artillery Unit, Contact Pending side up.

When	How
A new Leader establishes contact with the Artillery Unit during Step E	Contact is transferred immediately
A 9 is rolled when the Artillery Unit fires	Contact is lost automatically
The Artillery Unit takes effective fire (from any source)	Contact is lost automatically
The Artillery Unit's Park is disbanded	Contact is lost automatically
An Emplaced Artillery Unit self-spots	Contact is lost automatically
The Leader voluntarily gives up contact with the Artillery Unit	Contact is lost automatically, and the Artillery Unit cannot gain contact until the next turn

Effective Fire is when a Unit incurs a step loss, a Cohesion Hit, or becomes Suppressed.

16.4 What is Indirect Fire?

With Indirect Fire you do not necessarily need a Line of Sight to your target — but if the firing Unit has none, it must be in contact with a Unit that does. When a Unit uses Indirect Fire against a target it can see, it is self-spotting.

Once spotting is settled, the Indirect Fire procedure is the same as Direct Fire, except that there are no range modifiers, and certain Indirect Fire results can affect all the other Units in the hex as well as the target.

For spotting, each Indirect HE and Emplaced Artillery Unit has its own In Contact / Contact Pending marker (16.3). If a Leader carries an Artillery Unit's In Contact marker, any Unit of that Leader's Formation — or any Independent Unit In Command of that Leader — may spot for that Artillery Unit. That Unit's Formation is called the spotter Formation.

A single Formation can be the spotter Formation for several Indirect HE or Emplaced Artillery Units at once, up to the Formation Leader's Attachment Rating. A Formation Leader may therefore carry more than one contact marker.
A spotter for a Mortar or Organic Artillery Unit must be from the same Formation as that Unit (or, if Independent, In Command of the Formation's Leader). Contact is automatic for these.
A Unit in a reinforcement entry hex may not act as a spotter.

16.5 How do I carry out an Indirect Fire mission?

Use this procedure whenever you activate a Mortar Unit for a fire combat Action, or whenever you activate an Indirect HE, Emplaced Artillery or Organic Artillery Unit for a fire combat Action against a target Unit — or an empty hex — four or more hexes away. If such a Unit fires at a target three or fewer hexes away, use the Direct Fire procedure (15.5) instead.

If the mission is self-spotted (the firing Unit has a Line of Sight to the target), start at step 7.
If the mission needs a spotter, start at step 1.

Confirm the firing Unit is in range of the target Unit or empty target hex and is In Command. Adjacent enemy Units reduce Fire Range to one hex. Firing Units that are Out of Command may not use spotters. An Indirect HE Unit in an Artillery Park may still perform spotted Indirect Fire even with a barrage marker in its hex.
Find an Unsuppressed, In Command Unit to spot. If you cannot, you cannot fire the mission.
Confirm the spotter has a Line of Sight to the target Unit or hex.
If a Mortar or Organic Artillery Unit is firing: the spotter and firing Unit must belong to the same Formation (or the spotter, if independent, must be In Command of that Formation's Leader), and the spotter must be In Command. If not met, you cannot fire. If met, go to step 7.
If an Indirect HE or Emplaced Artillery Unit is firing: if the spotting Unit is In Command and belongs to a Formation already in contact with the firing Unit (or, if independent, is In Command of that Formation's Leader), go to step 7.
If the spotter for a firing Indirect HE or Emplaced Artillery Unit is neither from the Formation the firing Unit is in contact with nor an Independent Unit from the same Division, you cannot use that Unit as a spotter.
Take your shot. Follow the Direct Fire procedure (15.5) but do not include range modifiers. A Unit using Indirect Fire is eligible for the Company Bonus fire modifier.
Apply the special effects of Indirect Fire (16.6) to any Units in the hex and to the hex itself — place a barrage marker as appropriate.

If a nine is rolled during the Indirect Fire procedure, radio contact is lost. Turn the marker to its Contact Pending side and place it back with its Indirect HE or Emplaced Artillery Unit. No Indirect Fire takes place, and the firing Unit's Action is over.

16.6 Special effects of Indirect Fire

16.6.1 Stacking and Indirect Fire

All Units stacked in the same hex as a Unit targeted by Indirect Fire from an Indirect HE, Emplaced Artillery or Organic Artillery Unit (not a Mortar Unit) suffer an "S?" result if:

The target Unit receives an "S?" result and fails its Troop Quality Check; or
The target Unit receives any other combat result.

16.6.2 Indirect Fire and barrage markers

There are two kinds of barrage marker: light barrage and heavy barrage.

16.6.2.1 When to place and remove barrage markers

Place a light barrage marker in a hex if:

The printed Fire Rating of the Indirect Firing Unit — as modified by any Company Bonus modifier and any modifiers from markers on the Unit, such as Column — is five or less; and
The fire combat die roll is less than nine.

Place a heavy barrage marker in a hex if:

The printed Fire Rating (not Assault Rating), modified as above, is six or more; and
The fire combat die roll is less than nine.

Rules for barrage markers:

You do not combine the Fire Ratings of different Units firing into the same hex — three twos are not a six.
You must place a heavy barrage marker when mandated; you may not voluntarily "reduce" it.
Barrage markers are placed after the Indirect Fire attack is resolved.
Only one barrage marker may be in a hex at a time. Heavy barrage markers replace light ones, but not the reverse.
You may fire at a hex empty of Units purely to place a barrage marker there — any die roll other than 9 places the marker, light or heavy according to the firer's strength.
All barrage markers are removed from the map after the Activation Phase and before the end of the turn.
Assault Actions never place barrage markers, even if the Assault Value is the right color to do so.

16.6.2.2 Effects of barrage markers

Barrage markers affect Units of both sides, regardless of who placed them.

Effect	Light barrage	Heavy barrage
Fire Range of Units in the hex	Reduced to one hex	Reduced to one hex
Line of Sight	Treated as Blocking Terrain	Treated as Blocking Terrain
Extra cost to move out of the hex	+2 movement points	+2 movement points, plus a Cohesion Hit and a Troop Quality Check before it can move
Fire Rating and Assault Rating of Units in the hex	-1	-2
Troop Quality Rating of Units in the hex	-1	-2

Fire Range exception: an artillery Unit in an Artillery Park (orange Fire Value) or an Emplaced Artillery Unit (black Fire Value) may still perform spotted Indirect Fire normally from a hex with a barrage marker. This applies only to Artillery Parks and Emplaced Artillery Units.

Heavy barrage and moving out. If a Unit fails the Troop Quality Check it must stay in the hex but still takes the Cohesion Hit.

To move a stack out of a heavy barrage hex: first announce which Units are moving, then make the Troop Quality Check for each Unit one at a time. Once all have rolled, those that passed must leave the hex as a stack. You cannot change your mind about the later rollers based on how the earlier ones went — once committed, all are committed.

16.7 Counter-Battery Fire

Counter-battery fire is a type of Indirect Fire. When any Artillery Unit in an Artillery Park fires, flip the Artillery Park marker to its "Fired" side. Artillery Parks on their Fired side may be subject to counter-battery fire.

For an Artillery Unit to engage in counter-battery fire against an enemy Artillery Park, all of the following must be true:

The Artillery Unit must be in contact with the currently active Formation;
The Artillery Unit must be in an Artillery Park;
The Artillery Unit must be in range of the target enemy Artillery Park;
The target enemy Artillery Park must be on its "Fired" side.

Counter-battery fire is conducted as a normal Indirect Fire mission with an additional -2 modifier to the firing Unit's Fire Rating. If the designated target (one of the Artillery Units in the Park being fired on) suffers a result — a passed S? does not count as a result — all the Units in that Artillery Park also suffer an "S?".

Flip all Artillery Park markers back from their Fired sides when barrage markers are removed from the map.

Artillery Parks can also be fired at normally, with a spotter and an in-contact Leader. Counter-battery fire simply allows artillery that has not been spotted by normal means to be targeted as well.

17.0 Opportunity Fire

17.1 Opportunity Fire generally

Opportunity Fire is what a Non-Active Unit may do when an Active Unit does certain things near it. Once triggered, it is resolved the same as Direct Fire, except for some special Opportunity Fire modifiers (17.6).

17.2 When is Opportunity Fire triggered?

Opportunity Fire may occur whenever a Unit tries to do any of the following in a hex that is in an enemy Unit's Fire Zone (17.3):

Any Movement Action. For movement, Opportunity Fire is triggered by leaving a hex in an enemy Fire Zone, not by entering one. The other Movement Actions are entering Transport Mode (mounting) and entering or leaving an entrenchment. Entering or exiting Column by spending movement points, and exiting Transport Mode (dismounting), are part of a move and so also trigger Opportunity Fire.
Assault — but only the defending Units may Opportunity Fire — or running away from an Assault, in which case only Units not involved in the Assault may Opportunity Fire (see 18.0).
Any Engineer Action.
Other Actions defined in the exclusive rules.

Opportunity Fire generally happens before the Active Unit begins its Action. The Active player announces which Unit will perform which Action, then the Non-Active player gets the chance to Opportunity Fire with any eligible Units. So the Opportunity Fire occurs in the hex the Active Unit is in when the fire was triggered — which matters for command status, range, terrain and target mass.

Exceptions and clarifications:

Units entering or leaving entrenchments, or leaving improved positions, never benefit from the entrenchment or improved position when taking Opportunity Fire.
Opportunity Fire against a Unit entering or exiting Transport Mode may happen either before or after the mode change, at the Opportunity Firing player's discretion.
Units entering or exiting Column always take Opportunity Fire in Column. But a Unit that leaves Column by taking a Cohesion Hit does not trigger Opportunity Fire at all.

17.3 What is a Fire Zone?

Unit type	Fire Zone
Any Unit other than the below	Any hex to which it has a Line of Sight and that is within its Fire Range
Indirect HE, Emplaced Artillery, Organic Artillery Units	Up to three hexes within their Line of Sight
Mortar Units	No Fire Zone at all

Remember: if a Unit has an enemy Unit adjacent to it, or is in a hex with a barrage marker, its Fire Range is reduced to one hex — so its Fire Zone is limited to the hexes adjacent to it.

Play note: Every hex in a Fire Zone that an Active Unit leaves is another trigger for Opportunity Fire. A Non-Active Unit with a range of five gets four Opportunity Fire triggers as an Active Unit approaches.

17.4 Which Units can Opportunity Fire?

Any Unit that can Direct Fire can Opportunity Fire. So Mortar Units and Units with no Fire Rating may not. When an Indirect HE, Emplaced Artillery or Organic Artillery Unit uses Opportunity Fire it uses the yellow Direct HE Weapons Class, because it is using Direct Fire.

The catch: before a Unit can Opportunity Fire it must pass a Troop Quality Check. You may not spend a Command Point to pass this check automatically.

Note on terminology: the trigger Actions do not trigger the Opportunity Fire itself — they trigger the opportunity for it, the "Opportunity Fire process". A player can always decline to fire, or may want to fire and have his Unit fail its Troop Quality Check. In both cases the process was triggered but the fire did not occur.

17.5 Which Units cannot Opportunity Fire?

Units with a "No" Fire Rating, and Mortar Units.

17.6 What about those different modifiers for Opportunity Fire?

Four situations and modifiers apply only to Opportunity Fire:

#	Situation	Modifier to the Opportunity Firing Unit's Fire Rating
1	The target is moving into a hex that is in the Fire Zone of any enemy Unit (including the firer)	+2
2	The target is moving into a hex that is not in any enemy Fire Zone	-1
3	Firing at a Unit running away from an Assault	+2 (in addition to the +2 above for Fire Zone to Fire Zone movement)
4	Company Bonus	Never available for Opportunity Fire

For both 1 and 2, remember that the Opportunity Fire is still conducted in the hex the Active Unit is leaving.

The +2 of case 1 also applies to these trigger Actions: Assaulting; running away from an Assault; entering or exiting Transport Mode; entering or leaving an entrenchment; entering or exiting Column; any Engineer Action; and other Actions defined in the exclusive rules.

17.7 What happens to the Units that take Opportunity Fire?

Apply combat results from Opportunity Fire immediately, in the hex where the trigger Action occurred — for movement, that is the hex being left, not entered.

The only results that stop a Unit from continuing its movement are Suppression (if not converted to a Cohesion Hit) and elimination.

17.8 Opportunity Fire procedure

Once Opportunity Fire is triggered, the Non-Active player decides whether to shoot. If he does, he stops the Active player, announces which Unit will attempt Opportunity Fire, and makes a Troop Quality Check to see whether it can. If the fire happens, it follows the Direct Fire procedure but with the Opportunity Fire modifiers.

Key points:

The same Unit can trigger Opportunity Fire from many different enemy Units at once — they queue up and each takes its turn. The Non-Active player must announce when he will fire, in order to pause the Active player.
A Unit can also trigger consecutive Opportunity Fires from the same Non-Active Unit, simply by leaving several hexes in that Unit's Fire Zone during one move.
If a stack of two or more Units moving together triggers Opportunity Fire, the firing Unit may only fire at one Unit in the stack, chosen by the Opportunity Firing player (14.7).

18.0 Assault

An assault is a force advancing to dislodge the enemy from his position. In the game it is a fire and morale contest that can end early with the assault bogging down, or run for up to two — possibly bloody, possibly inconclusive — rounds.

Assault is an Action.

The Units performing the Assault Action are the Assaulting Units.
The Units in the hex being Assaulted are the defending Units.
The hex they are in is the defending hex.

18.1 Which Units can Assault?

A Unit may Assault if it has a numerical movement allowance (not a star), has an Assault Rating, does not occupy an entrenchment, and could legally move into the hex it is Assaulting — so terrain restrictions matter. For example, Vehicle Units can only enter city or town hexes while in Column, and Units in Column cannot stack together, so only one Vehicle Unit could Assault into a city or town hex.

Units that may not Assault:

A Unit with a blank Assault Rating — it has none, and cannot Assault or perform Assault Fire.
Zero-Step Units.
A Unit under a Heavy Barrage.
A Unit in an overstacked hex.
A Unit with a Green, Brown, Orange or Black Fire Rating — i.e. any Unit capable of Indirect Fire. Check the Direct Fire Rating here, not the Assault Rating. A Unit with a white Fire Rating and a green Assault value may assault.

18.2 Which Units can be Assaulted?

Any Unit can be Assaulted.

18.3 Can Units Assault together?

Yes. If there is more than one eligible Unit in a hex, the Active player may activate more than one of them to Assault together, by:

Declaring during a Formation Activation, as a first Action, that multiple Units in the same hex are activated to Assault; or
Spending one Command Point per Assaulting Unit in the hex during a Formation or Division Activation, as a Second Action; or
Spending one Command Point per Assaulting Unit under a Direct Command Chit.

18.4 Can Units from more than one hex Assault together?

No. Assault only takes place between two adjacent hexes; Units from more than one hex cannot combine.

18.5 Can Units in more than one hex be Assaulted at the same time?

No. Assault only takes place between two adjacent hexes; Units in more than one hex cannot be Assaulted together.

18.6 Can a Unit be Assaulted more than once per Activation?

Yes.

18.7 How do I Assault?

Step 1 — Announce an Assault.

Pick a hex with one or more of your Units. Pick an adjacent hex with one or more enemy Units; you may place the Assault marker there as a reminder. Announce which of your unentrenched Units are Assaulting.

Step 2 — Check for Bravery.

Each Assaulting Unit must make a Bravery Check, which works like a Troop Quality Check. A Command Point may not be spent to pass it.

To determine your Bravery value:

Find the defending player's Unit with the lowest Defensive value that has a Fire Zone on the Assaulting Unit's hex — that is, the defender's best Unit for this purpose. It need not be a Unit in the defending hex. If two or more tie, use any one of them. If no enemy Units project a Fire Zone into the Assaulting Unit's hex, no Bravery Check is required.
Add that value to the attacker's Troop Quality value. (Adding a negative reduces your value: Troop Quality 6 attacking within the Fire Zone of a -3 Defense armor Unit leaves you at 3.)
Subtract the best modified Defensive value in the Assaulting force. (Subtracting a negative adds: continuing the example, an attacker with -3 defense gives 3 - (-3) = 6, so each Assaulting Unit needs a 6 or less to pass.)

Each Assaulting Unit checks separately. Any that fail do not Assault and their Action is over. All that pass must continue with the Assault.

Modify the Defensive values of both the Assaulting Unit and the defending Unit being used, by any markers on the Units and by the defender's terrain:

Marker	Modifier	Apply to Attacker	Apply to Defender
In Column	+2	Yes	Yes
IP (improved position)	-1	No	Yes
ENT (entrenchment)	-2	No	Yes
Hero	-2	Yes	Yes
Bocage	-1	No	Yes
Paradrop	+2	Not applicable (cannot assault)	Yes
Glider Land	+3	Not applicable (cannot assault)	Yes
In-hex terrain (Direct Fire value)	Varies	No	Yes
Hexside terrain	Varies	No	Only if the Assault crosses that terrain

Add the hexside fire modifier only if the Assault is crossing the applicable terrain. Remember that negative modifiers are not applied to Units in Column unless an exclusive rule says otherwise.

Step 3 — Perform Opportunity Fire.

The Unit or Units being assaulted may now attempt regular Opportunity Fire on the Assaulting Units.

This Action takes place in-hex, so it is always Fire Zone to Fire Zone.
You may only Opportunity Fire at the Assaulting Units, but since they do not actually leave the hex, the mass of all Units in the hex counts for the Mass Modifier. All other modifiers are in force.
Apply all Opportunity Fire results. Any Assaulting Unit that is Suppressed is no longer assaulting and its Assault Action is done; unsuppressed Assaulting Units must keep going.

Step 4 — See if there are any Assaulting Units left.

If no Assaulting Units remain, the Assault is over.
If Assaulting Units remain, eliminate any zero-Step defending Units and proceed.
If no defending Units remain in the hex, advance the attackers into the defender's hex and the Assault is over.

Step 5 — Perform the first Assault round.

5A. Defending Units choose to stand or run away.

The Non-Active player decides. All defending Units must do the same thing — if one stands, all stand; if one runs away, all run away.

Running away:

Defending Units running away, and any Leaders stacked with them, all move to the same adjacent hex, which must be one they could legally enter.
You cannot change transportation status in any way — no entering Column, mounting or dismounting.
All Units that run away are Suppressed.
The retreat is an Opportunity Fire chance for any eligible non-Assaulting Units — including Units that failed their Bravery Checks in this Assault — that project a Fire Zone on the defender's hex.
The attackers must then advance into the hex and the Assault is over.

Units that may not run away:

Suppressed Units.
Units with "No" or star movement allowances.
Units in an overstacked hex.
Units under a Heavy Barrage.

Defending Units under an IP or entrenchment marker may run away, but immediately lose the benefit of those markers the moment running away is declared.

If the decision is to run away and one or more defending Units cannot do so — immobility, suppression, being surrounded by prohibited terrain — those Units are eliminated (they surrender, but the effect is the same).

5B. Assaulting Units declare charge or Assault Fire.

If the defenders did not run away, the Assaulting player declares whether he is charging or Assault Firing. All Assaulting Units must do the same — no mixing.

A charge ends the Assault whether it succeeds or not.
Assault Fire may or may not end the Assault.

Charging goes to 5C; Assault Firing goes to 5D.

5C. Resolve the charge.

The Non-Active player makes a Troop Quality Check with one defending Unit of his choice — a Command Point may be spent to guarantee a pass. (Pick your best Troop Quality defender.)

Passes: go to step 5D.
Fails: all defending Units in the hex are eliminated (they surrender). The attackers advance into the hex and the Assault is over.

5D. Resolve the Defender's Assault Fire.

Assault Fire takes place only during Assaults and is not an Action. It follows the Direct Fire procedure but with different fire modifiers.

Roll for Company Bonus for each defender if applicable — the one roll applies to both his Assault Rating and his Fire Rating.
Each defender fires with both his Fire Rating and his Assault value. He may pick different targets for each and does not have to pre-designate. He must resolve his Direct Fire attack first.
No negative terrain modifiers apply to fire against Assaulting Units.
Suppressed defenders may Assault Fire, but only with their Assault value and at a -2 modifier (as shown on the marker).
Defending Units with colored Assault values fire using their Assault value twice instead of using their Fire Rating. "Colored" means the assault number itself is not black or white — usually it is red.
Units with "No" as their Fire Rating may not Assault Fire at all.

Apply the results to the attacker. If any attackers are Suppressed they stop their assault and are done for this Action. If no unsuppressed attackers remain, or if the attacker charged, the Assault is over.

5E. Resolve the Attacker's Assault Fire (if the attacker is not charging).

Roll for Company Bonus for each attacker if applicable — one roll covers both his Assault value and his Fire Rating.
The attacker fires with both his Fire Rating and his Assault value, may pick different targets for each, and may see the results of his first fire before choosing his next target. He must resolve his Direct Fire attack first.
Assault Fire on defending Units receives all terrain defensive benefits, as for Direct Fire.

Apply the results to the defender. If no defenders remain, advance the Assaulting Units into the hex and the Assault is over.

At this point:

Any Assaulting Units still in Column may leave Column for the cost of one Cohesion Hit.
Any defending Units still in Column remaining in the Assault may likewise leave Column for one Cohesion Hit.

5F. The attacker may choose to continue the Assault (if he did not charge) or withdraw.

If he withdraws, the Assault is over. If he continues, repeat 5B through 5F. After that second pass concludes, the Assault is over.

19.0 Combat results

19.1 The combat results are:

Result	Meaning
S?	Possible Suppression
S	Suppression
C	Cohesion Hit
1	Step Loss
E	Elimination

19.2 What the combat results mean

19.2.1 S? — Possible Suppression

What it simulates: the Unit is starting to crack under the strain of combat and its leaders are working to keep control. Whether they succeed depends on the Unit's quality and some luck.

What you do: make a Troop Quality Check. On a pass there is no effect. On a failure, treat it as a Suppression result and follow the Suppression rules below. Before making this check you may spend an available Command Point on an In Command Unit to guarantee a pass.

19.2.2 Suppression

What it simulates: the Unit is pinned and nervous. It does not want to do anything and must be Rallied.

What you do: decide whether to try to convert the Suppression into a Cohesion Hit.

If you do not want to try, place a Suppressed marker on the Unit and move on.
If you do, make a Troop Quality Check. On a pass the Unit takes a Cohesion Hit instead of the Suppression; on a failure it takes the Suppression. Before making this check you may spend an available Command Point on an In Command Unit to guarantee a pass.

Play note: any time a Unit takes a Suppression result — except as a result of running away from an Assault — you may try to convert it into a Cohesion Hit, even if doing so would eliminate the Unit.

What happens to your Unit:

A Suppressed Unit can do nothing except try to Rally itself out of Suppression and defend in an Assault (including Assault Fire).
Its Assault Rating is reduced by two and its Troop Quality Rating by one.
Suppressed Units project no Fire Zones.
If a Suppressed Unit receives another Suppression, it takes a Cohesion Hit and remains Suppressed.
If a Suppressed Unit receives a Cohesion Hit or a Step Loss, it takes that result and remains Suppressed.
An Indirect Fire Unit loses any radio contact it has with a spotter Formation.

Rules note: unless stated otherwise, a Suppressed Unit can do nothing beyond Rally and defend in an Assault. Assume this holds throughout the rules even where it is not repeated; exceptions are called out explicitly.

19.2.3 Cohesion Hit

What it simulates: casualties and the beginning of a loss of unit cohesion or effectiveness. The Unit still functions, but it is fragile. It can be Rallied. More Cohesion Hits lead to a Step Loss.

What you do:

Current state	Effect of a new Cohesion Hit
No Cohesion Hit marker	Place a one Cohesion Hit marker
Zero-Step Unit	The Unit is eliminated
One Cohesion Hit marker	Replace it with a two Cohesion Hits marker
Two Cohesion Hits marker	The Unit takes a Step Loss

On that Step Loss: a one-Step Unit, or a two-Step Unit already down to its last Step, is eliminated. A two-Step Unit that has not yet taken a Step Loss is flipped over, but the two Cohesion Hits marker stays. If the reverse side is an Organic Transport side with a vehicle silhouette, use a Step Loss marker for the Unit instead.

What happens to your Unit:

Cohesion Hits	Assault Rating	Fire Rating	Troop Quality Rating
One	-1	-1	Unchanged
Two	-2	-2	-1

A Unit already marked with one or two Cohesion Hits that takes a Suppression can still try to convert it into another Cohesion Hit (19.2.2).
A Unit with one or two Cohesion Hits that takes a Step Loss keeps its Cohesion Hits.
A Unit with one or two Cohesion Hits can still perform Actions.
An Indirect Fire Unit loses radio contact with a spotter Formation when it takes a Cohesion Hit.

19.2.4 Step Loss

What it simulates: fear and loss of combat effectiveness, as well as dead, wounded and missing.

What you do: eliminate zero-Step and one-Step Units, including two-Step Units already down to one Step. Flip over two-Step Units, or place a Step Loss marker on them if their flip side is an Organic Transport side with a vehicle silhouette.

What happens to your Unit: a two-Step Unit now down to one Step has its Fire Rating, Assault Rating and Troop Quality Rating each reduced by one, and can no longer receive the Company Bonus modifier. An Indirect Fire Unit loses radio contact with a spotter Formation when it takes a Step Loss.

19.2.5 Elimination

What it simulates: high casualties and low morale have finished the Unit as an effective fighting force for this campaign.

What you do: take the Unit off the map permanently.

20.0 Rally

You can try to remove Suppressed or Cohesion Hit markers by Rallying. Rally is an Action.

If a Unit is In Command, a Rally Action is automatically successful — no Troop Quality Check needed.
Out of Command Units must pass a Troop Quality Check to Rally. Remember that Suppressed markers, two Cohesion Hit markers, and being Out of Command all reduce a Unit's Troop Quality Rating.

Men Rallying markers. Every time a Unit fails a Troop Quality Check on a Rally Action it receives a Men Rallying +1 marker. Each such marker adds one to the Unit's Troop Quality Rating for any Rally attempt. There is no limit to how many a Unit can accumulate. They are removed when the Unit Rallies successfully, or when it performs any Action other than Rally.

What a successful Rally does. It lets the Unit either recover from Suppression, or recover from one Cohesion Hit. If a Unit is Suppressed and has Cohesion Hits, you must remove the Suppression first — you must Rally from Suppression before you can Rally from a Cohesion Hit.

Fire Zone restriction. A Unit may never Rally to remove Cohesion Hits while it is in an enemy Fire Zone during a daylight turn — though it may still Rally from Suppression. At night a Unit may remove Cohesion Hits regardless of whether it is in an enemy Fire Zone.

21.0 Leaders and Command

21.1 What are Leaders and what do they do?

Leaders are the counters with a portrait on them (real portraits where available). Leaders are not Units.

21.2 How do I move my Leaders?

Leaders have no movement allowances — they transfer.

You transfer a Leader at the end of his Formation's activation and also at the end of his Division's activation. After the Active Units have finished, you may transfer the Leader from where he is to any hex containing a Unit of his Formation, or any independent (black- or white-striped) Unit of his Division.

If at the end of the activation the Leader is in a hex with no Unit of his Formation, you must transfer him to a hex that contains one. Note that here only a Unit of the Leader's own Formation counts — not a black- or white-striped Unit.
The transfer of the Active Formation's (or Division's) Leaders is the last thing that happens in any activation.
Leaders never count against stacking limits.

Leaders under Command Point activations. If a Leader is stacked with a Unit that moves or Assaults using a Command Point — under a Direct Command Chit, or as a Second Action — the Leader must remain stacked with a Unit of his Formation. If he is stacked with several Units, some of which move and some of which stay, he may move with the departing Units, or stay behind only if another Unit of his Formation remains in the hex. So a Leader moves differently under a Direct Command Chit or purchased Second Actions: he must stay with a friendly Unit he is currently stacked with at all times during that chit play, and cannot transfer at the end of a Direct Command activation.

If Units stacked with a Leader run away during an Assault, the Leader must run away with them.

The reverse side of each Leader counter is marked "Active" — a memory aid during a Division Activation for tracking which Formations have not yet finished.

Note: command is always determined at that instant, and using proper sequencing to your benefit is not "gamey" — it is encouraged.

21.3 Can my Leaders die?

No. If a Leader is ever in a hex with no Units of his Formation — other than during his Formation's or Division's activation — simply move him to the nearest Unit of his Formation (owner's choice if several qualify).

If the whole Formation is wiped out, remove the Leader from play immediately, since there is no legal place for him. If Units of that Formation arrive later as reinforcements, the Leader returns and is placed with them.

21.4 How do I know if a Unit is In Command?

Every Leader has a Command Range printed on his counter: the maximum number of hexes (not movement points — this represents radios) a Unit can be from its Leader and still be In Command. Enemy Units and terrain do not interfere with this range in any way.

Command is checked for a Unit at the instant before the Unit does something that either (i) requires it to be In Command — perform a Second Action, spend a Command Point to pass a Troop Quality Check — or (ii) would be affected if the Unit were Out of Command, such as passing a Troop Quality Check.

Independent Formations have no Leaders. Their Units are In Command if within Command Range of any Leader from the same Division.
Reinforcement Units in reinforcement entry hexes are Out of Command. Leaders in reinforcement entry hexes may not command Units.

21.4.1 Command for Independent Units

A white- or black-striped Unit is In Command for purposes other than Activation if within Command Range of any Leader of its parent Division.
Indirect HE Units are automatically In Command when in an Artillery Park.
An Emplaced Artillery Unit must be In Command of the Leader it is In Contact with.
If a white- or black-striped Unit is used as an artillery spotter, it must be In Command of the Leader the artillery is attached to — or part of the Formation, for brown or green Fire Value Units.
Independent Units never activate under the Direct Command chit — only when the appropriate DivAct or Formation chit is in play.

21.5 Leaders and Attachment

Each Leader has an Attachment Rating below his Range: the number of Independent Units the Leader may activate in addition to Units of his own Formation. All attachments are determined at the beginning of the Formation's activation.

White-striped Artillery in contact with a Leader is automatically considered attached. If that number exceeds the Leader's Attachment Rating, the owning player chooses which artillery is active, but no additional white-striped Units may be attached.

Attachment markers are provided to track which Units have been attached in an activation. They have no effect on play and are purely a memory aid.

21.6 Independent Units (white- and black-striped)

21.6.1 White-striped Units are attachable to multiple Formations

White-striped Units are attachable and may be activated along with any Active Formation within their Division, per 21.6.2. In addition, any white-striped Indirect HE Artillery in an Artillery Park, and all white-striped Emplaced Artillery Units, are attachable under 21.6.2 even if they belong to a Division other than the Active Leader's.

21.6.2 Activating white-striped Units

When a Leader's Formation is Active, that Leader may activate any number of In Command, white-striped Units up to his Attachment Rating, subject to 21.6.1. Units are In Command if within the Leader's Range.

White-striped Units activated this way are treated exactly as Units of the Active Formation for the entire activation, including spending a Command Point for a Second Action if they remain within Command Range.

Any white-striped Artillery Unit currently In Contact with a Leader automatically counts against that Leader's Attachment Rating.

21.6.3 Artillery Units are attachable to multiple Formations

Artillery Units are attachable and may be activated along with any Active Formation within their Division — or, with a negative modifier to their Contact Pending number, they may attach to Leaders of other Divisions.