Wave of Terror Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.2 Game Scale
• 2.0 Game Components
• 2.1 In General
• 2.2 Assembling the Maps
• 2.3 The Assembled Maps
• 2.4 Counters
• 2.5 A Sample Combat Unit
• 2.6 Nationality & Service Branch
• 2.7 Abbreviations
• 2.8 Unit Types
• 2.9 Heavy Status
• 2.10 Motorized Status
• 2.11 Attack & Defense Factors
• 2.12 Movement Factor
• 2.13 Steps
• 2.14 Units & Parent Organizations
• 2.15 Independent Units
• 2.16 Other Counters
• 3.1 Setting Up
• 3.2 U.S. First
• 3.3 Designated Set Up Hexes
• 3.4 Stacking Limits
• 3.5 The Starting Front Line
• 3.6 US Front Line Requirement
• 3.7 POL Markers & Belgian Fusiliers
• 3.8 German "A" Units
• 3.9 Demolished Bridges
• 3.10 US 14th Cavalry Regiment
• 3.11 Hex Control
• 4.0 How to Win
• 4.1 In General
• 4.2 Concession
• 4.3 Sudden Death German Strategic Victory
• 4.4 Allied Automatic Strategic Victory
• 4.5 Allied Automatic Operational Victory
• 4.6 Winning on Points
• 4.7 City Hex VP
• 4.8 Step Loss VP
• 4.9 National Socialist Ardor VP
• 4.10 British East of the Meuse VP
• 4.11 German Optional Reinforcements VP
• 4.12 Allied Optional Reinforcements VP
• 4.13 Degree of Victory
• 4.14 Allied Tactical Victory
• 4.15 Allied Operational Victory
• 4.16 Allied Strategic Victory
• 4.17 German Tactical Victory
• 4.18 German Operational Victory
• 4.19 German Strategic Victory
• 5.0 The Turn Sequence
• 5.1 In General
• 5.2 Turn Sequence Outline
• 5.3 Weather
• 5.4 Operation Baseplate (Ω)
• 5.5 Bridge Repair
• 5.6 Move or Fight
• 5.7 Artillery Recovery
• 5.8 Special Game Turn 1 Rules
• 6.1 In General
• 6.2 When to Check Supply
• 6.3 OOS Effects
• 6.4 Defense Unaffected by OOS
• 6.5 How Units Are Supplied
• 6.6 Tracing Supply Lines
• 6.7 Allied Supply Sources
• 6.8 German Supply Sources
• 6.9 Supply Line Capacity
• 6.10 Blocked & Water Hexsides
• 6.11 Demolished Bridges
• 6.12 Willful OOS
• 6.13 Enemy Controlled Towns & Cities
• 6.14 Enemy Units
• 6.15 Allied Aerial Supply
• 6.16 German Supply Problems
• 6.17 POL Depots
• 7.0 Stacking
• 7.1 In General
• 7.2 Stacking & Movement
• 7.3 Fog o' War
• 7.4 Artillery Stacking
• 7.5 Stacking Across Parent Organizations
• 7.6 Independent Units
• 7.7 Kampfgruppe Peiper
• 7.8 Free Stackers
• 7.9 Stack Movement
• 7.10 Splitting Stacks
• 8.0 Reinforcements
• 8.1 In General
• 8.2 Entry Areas
• 8.3 Moving Onto the Map
• 8.4 German Optional Reinforcements
• 8.5 British Across the Meuse
• 8.6 US 5th Armored Division
• 8.7 US 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment
• 9.1 In General
• 9.2 Movement Limits
• 9.3 Minimum Movement Ability
• 9.4 Enemy Units
• 9.5 No Off Map Moves
• 9.6 Terrain
• 9.7 Natural Terrain
• 9.8 Blocked Hexsides
• 9.9 Unbridged Water Hexsides
• 9.10 Improvised Minor River Crossings
• 9.11 Manmade Terrain
• 9.12 Roads
• 9.13 Bridges
• 9.14 Bridge Demolition (Ω)
• 9.15 Bridge Repair
• 9.16 No Bridges Peiper (Ω)
• 9.17 Column Movement (Ω)
• 9.18 Allied Airpower Road Interdiction
• 10.0 Combat
• 10.1 In General
• 10.2 Multi-Hex Attacks
• 10.3 Indivisibility of Units
• 10.4 Attack Sequencing
• 10.5 Basic Combat Procedure
• 10.6 Poor Odds Attacks
• 10.7 Odds Limits
• 10.8 Combat Resolution Die Roll
• 10.9 Numeric Combat Results
• 10.10 Zero Combat Results
• 10.11 Terrain Effects on Combat
• 10.12 Roads & Intact Bridges
• 10.13 Water & Blocked Hexsides
• 10.14 Allied Combat Air Support
• 10.15 Concentric Assaults (Ω)
• 10.16 Parent Organizations in Combat
• 10.17 Independent Units in Combat
• 10.18 Artillery in Combat
• 10.19 Artillery on the Defense
• 10.20 Artillery Range
• 10.21 Artillery & Terrain
• 10.22 Artillery Maximums
• 10.23 Artillery Bombardment Strength
• 10.24 Support Declaration
• 10.25 Combat-First Odds Shift
• 10.26 Advance After Combat
• 11.0 Designer's Notes

1.2 Game Scale

Each hex on the map represents 1.5 miles from [Gap] opposite side. Each complete game turn represents [Gap] hours. The vast majority of units in the game represent combat-maneuver battalions or battalion-sized detachments. Artillery units represent Allied brigade-sized "fjeld artillery groups" and German Volksartillerie Korps (also brigade-sized formations).

Old Hands Note. There are no ZOCs, replacements, or retreat-after combat. And you'll want to pay particular attention when reading the turn sequence and supply [Gap: end of sentence].

2.0 Game Components

2.1 In General

The components to a complete game of WoT include these rules, two 34x22" mapsheets, and 720 die-cut, half-inch counters (also referred to as "units" and "unit counters"). Players must also provide one standard (six-sided) die to resolve combat and other events.

Editor's note: this rule states 720 counters. BGG lists 840 counters for this game. The printed rule is followed here.

2.2 Assembling the Maps

The two maps should be fitted together along the long axis before play begins with hexrow 18xx of the western map overlapping hexrow 10xx of the eastern map. You will need to trim one of the maps to make for a flush fitting between the two sheets. Once matched, secure them together with removable plastic tape or small pieces of masking tape.

2.3 The Assembled Maps

The game map depicts the militarily significant terrain found across the Ardennes in late 1944. A hexagonal (hex) grid is printed over the map to regulate the placement and movement of units. A unit is considered to be in only one hex at any one time. Each hex contains natural and/or manmade terrain features that affect movement and combat.

Every hex on the maps has a unique, four-digit identification number printed in it. (For example, Bastogne is in hex 2033 of the east map.) The numbers are provided to help you find places more quickly and to allow you to record unit positions if a game has to be interrupted before it can be finished.

In these rules, whenever a hex number is mentioned it will be preceded by the letter "W" if it refers to a hex on the west map, and by the letter "E" if it refers to a hex on the east map. (Thus locating Bastogne in hex E2033.)

2.4 Counters

Most of the 720 counters represent combat-maneuver battalions; others serve as informational markers and memory aids. After reading through these rules at least one time, carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the "dog ears" from their corners with a fingernail clipper greatly facilitates handling during play and also enhances their appearance. Each combat unit counter has several pieces of information: the side it's on, its step and combat strengths, its type, its movement factor, the parent organization (division, brigade or regiment) to which it belongs (or a specific unit I.D. if it's an independent unit), and its set up hex or game turn of entry into play.

2.5 A Sample Combat Unit

This unit is one of the two setup heavy panzer (tank) battalions from the German side's 1st SS Panzer Division. It has a step strength of two (shown by the fact there's printing on both sides of the counter), an attack factor of eight, a defense factor of nine, and a movement factor of seven. It starts the game in or within one hex of hex E4217.

2.6 Nationality & Service Branch

An Allied unit's nationality, and a German unit's service branch, are [Gap: remainder of sentence illegible].

Allied Nationalities

• US, French & Belgian: white on olive drab green.
• British: black on tan.

German Service Branches

• Army: black on gray.
• SS: white on black.
• Air Force: black on sky blue.

Design Note. For all game purposes, French and Belgian units function as part of the American Army. See 8.5 for special restrictions on British units.

2.7 Abbreviations

The following abbreviations appear on various units of both sides:

• A: US Armored Division
• B: Brigade
• Bel: Belgian Fusiliers
• FEB: Führer Escort Brigade
• G: Guards
• H: Hussars
• L: Lehr
• Le: Light
• R: Regiment
• V: Volksgrenadier
• SS: Schutzstaffel
• [Gap: the remaining entries (FGB, Rg, Fallschirmjäger abbreviation and others) are illegible in the OCR and are not reproduced]

2.8 Unit Types

All ground units in the game belong to one of the following types:

[Gap: the unit-type symbols are graphics in the magazine and are not recoverable from the OCR text layer.]

2.9 Heavy Status

Some German units have a thick black band down the right side of their unit type box. Those are "heavy units" (or simply, "heavies"), which have special rules pertaining to their movement across blocked and unbridged water hexsides (see the Terrain Effects Chart and 9.8 and 9.10).

2.10 Motorized Status

Units with two wheel symbols (dots) on the bottom of their type box are motorized (truckborne).

Design Note. Though there are many "paratroop," "glider" and "air landing" infantry units in the game on both sides, that status means little in actual game terms. There are no paradrops during play, meaning those unit types behave pretty much as marching or motorized infantry.

Old Hands Note. The usual worries about whether a unit is "mechanized," or "straightleg" are not a concern in this game system.

2.11 Attack & Defense Factors

If a unit has three numbers printed across the bottom, the first is its "attack factor" and the second its "defense factor." The first is a quantification of its ability to perform in offensive combat, while the second number is used as its fighting strength when on the defense. (The third number is its movement factor.) If a unit has only two numbers printed across the bottom, the second is its movement factor and the first is its combined "combat factor." That is, on such units the same number is used as the combat strength for both attack and defense.

2.12 Movement Factor

This number is the measure of a unit's ability to move across the hex grid printed over the map. Units pay different costs to enter different hexes, with those exact costs being determined by the terrain in each hex and along the exact hexsides moved across.

2.13 Steps

"Step" is an arbitrary term used to describe one increment of a unit's ability to absorb losses in combat. [Gap: part of this sentence.] Those of the nonartillery groups can in the game have two steps (also called "strength steps"). The second step comes into play for the unit that had lost one step, by flipping the unit over so its reverse side (with lower combat factors) shows. [Gap: remainder of this sentence.]

A step loss does not mean all the men in the unit have been killed. Sufficient casualties and equipment losses have taken place to render it [Gap] for further combat operations. [Gap: the sentence on what a step loss may mean in some cases, including the percentage figure, is illegible.]

2.14 Units & Parent Organizations

The majority of units in the game are part of a "parent organization." That is, most of the individual battalions are part of a regiment, brigade or division. Units belonging to a parent organization have that higher formation's historical identification printed to the right of their type box. For example, look at the units of the German 1st SS Panzer Division at the top of countersheet number one. There are 11 battalions, each bearing the "1SS" designation: in aggregate, those units comprise all of that division as represented in the game.

Since there are several instances of similarly numbered parent organizations in both sides' armies, abbreviations have been added to help avoid confusion. For instance, note there is a German 5th SS Panzer Division, a regular German army 5th Panzer Division, and a regular German army 9th Infantry (Volksgrenadier) Division. The SS unit stands out from the two other divisions because of its color scheme as well as its "SS" designation, and the 9th Volksgrenadier's units all carry a "V" to distinguish them from the army's 9th Panzer Division.

Units with the letter "B" following their I.D. belong to a brigade; those with the letter "R" there belong to a regiment. Those with just an I.D. number designation or abbreviated name (such as "Lehr" in the German army) belong to divisions. Note that within the American army the many similarly numbered infantry and armored divisions are told apart by the addition of the letter "A" after their number designations.

2.15 Independent Units

Units that don't belong to any parent organization are [Gap]. Printed to the left of their type box, an independent unit [Gap]. For example, the German army 11th Assault Gun [OCR: "Assn Gu"] unit [Gap]. Don't confuse it with the units of the German army 11th Panzer Division, the [Gap].

Design Note. The significance of a unit's status as independent or belonging to a parent organization is explained in 7.5, 7.6 and 8.3.

2.16 Other Counters

The use of these other counters is explained at appropriate points throughout the remainder of the rules.

[Gap: the other-counter illustrations and their labels are graphics and are not recoverable from the OCR text layer.]

Beginners Note. Set aside all the markers followed by an omega (Ω) symbol above. You will not use them in your play. Ignore all rules references to them below.

3.1 Setting Up

After choosing who will control which side, both players should sort their units into two piles: one for the units that will [OCR: "sit"] the game already in play on the map, and the other for those that will enter play only after the game has been started. The two categories of units can be told apart by looking at their upper corners.

Those units with only a one- or two-digit number printed there (along with, for some, an asterisk and/or [Gap]) are your reinforcement units; they will enter play on or after the game turn indicated by that one- or two-digit number. Place your reinforcement units in the appropriately numbered boxes on the Turn Record Track printed on the mapsheet. For example, all units with the number "5" printed in either of their upper corners should be piled within the Game Turn 5 (20 December) block on the track.

Those units with a four-digit number (often followed by a dash and the number "1" or "2" or "3"), each of which corresponds to a particular hex on the eastern map, are your starting units. (The German also has several units that are simply printed with the letter "A" across their tops. They are also starting units; see below.)

All two-step units are set up at their full, two-step strength.

3.2 U.S. First

After both players have put their reinforcement units on the Turn Record Track as described above, the American player should complete his set up before the German player begins his.

3.3 Designated Set Up Hexes

[Gap: the opening words of this section.] Units are referred to as "designated set up hexes." Both players [Gap] placing all their starting units exactly in those designated hexes. In some cases that will make for unwieldy high stacks; break those units into two side-by-side piles sharing the same hex.

Note that most starting units have a "1" or "2" or "3" following their designated set up hex. That number represents the actual hex radius from the designated hex within which the unit may be finally located. For example, the units of the German [OCR: "121"] Panzer Division are all labeled "4110-1." That means those units may start in 4110 and/or any of the hexes one away from that hex ([Gap], 4210, 4211, 4111, 4011 and/or 4010).

If a starting unit's designated set up hex is followed by a "2," that unit may be finally set up in the designated hex, or one hex away from it, or a hex two away from it. The same principle extends to those with a "3" printed after that designated set up hex.

3.4 Stacking Limits

When units are first placed in their designated hexes, neither player need worry about observing stacking limits (see section 7.0), but once they've been fully deployed as described in the paragraph above, all units must conform to stacking limits. Within those restrictions it is permitted for units from different parent organizations to begin the game stacked together, though again, the stacking limit must still be observed.

3.5 The Starting Front Line

The initial front line is printed along the hexsides from E3600/E4000 to E3126/E3226. From there the front follows the Our River to E4239/E4240. The German side starts in control of all territory to the east of that line, while the Allied player controls all to the west of it. Note that overarching the set up instructions given above is the general proviso that units may only be set up in hexes on their own side of the starting front line. Note, too, that all set up of both sides takes place on the east map.

3.6 US Front Line Requirement

Whenever a given stack of starting US units has designated set up hexes in a hex bordering the front line, all the units of that stack must begin in front line hexes. For example, three battalions of the US 2nd Infantry Division have the set up designation "3610-1" printed on them. Hex 3610 borders the starting front line, therefore those units could only be set up in 3610 or 3609 and 3710, the latter two being the only ones that are no more than one hex away from 3610 and are also themselves front line hexes. Note that within these limits it is permitted for units with different set up designations to begin the game [Gap].

US starting units that have designated set up hexes behind (to the west of) the starting front line may only be set up within front line hexes if their radius number (1 or 2 or 3) allows for it, but they don't have to.

Design Note. The German has no front line requirements; his starting units are simply set up within their designated and radius set up hexes to the east of the front line.

3.7 POL Markers & Belgian Fusiliers

The US player has four counters labeled "POL" and all bearing the set up designation "2714-3." On the backs of two of them the word "Dummy" appears, while the other two bear the standard circular supply symbol. During set up the US player should deploy all four, no more than one per hex, in any non-town road hexes within that radius of 2714. Deploy them "POL" side up, not letting the German see which are real and which are the dummies. The Belgian Fusilier infantry unit (Bel) is then set up atop any one of the four markers.

Old Hands Note. See 6.13 and 6.14 for more details.

3.8 German "A" Units

The German player has four independent assault gun battalions and eight artillery units simply labeled "A" across their tops. Those units are also part of his starting force. The "A" stands for "Anywhere," meaning those units may start in any hexes (observing stacking rules) on his side of the front line.

3.9 Demolished Bridges

All bridges straddling the starting front line are considered demolished at the start of the game and should have "Bridge Blown" markers placed atop them during set up (and kept there until such time as repairs are made). Those places are: E3231/3330, E3232/3331, E3333/3433, E3436/3535, E3506/3607, E3538/3638, E3818/3911, E3028/3128, E3433/3539, E3537/3638, E3939/4040, E4039/4040, E4139/4140.

Beginners Note. In your play, bridges are always considered intact and are never destroyed by any means. Ignore all rules pertaining to bridge demolition and repair.

3.10 US 14th Cavalry Regiment

One of the battalions of the US 14th [OCR: "1ith"] Cavalry Regiment begins the game broken down into its three component troops (the three 1-9 armored cavalry units bearing the set up designation "3918-1" [OCR: 8.7 reads "3018-1"]). The parent battalion 4-9 is marked with an asterisk in its top left corner as a reminder. Set up the 1-9s and set aside the 4-9. For details on how the three smaller units can be reformed into the 4-9 after play has begun, see 8.7.

3.11 Hex Control

"Hex control" is the term used to describe which side is "in control" of a particular hex at each instant during play. Once set up is completed, hex control is really only important when considering town and city hexes and when tracing supply lines into such hexes. A town or city hex is under the control of the side that presently has a unit in it or was the last to have one of its units pass through the place. At the start of the game the Allies control all town and city hexes west of the front line; the German controls all to the east of it.

The control status of a hex changes the instant a unit from the other side enters and/or moves through it. Control markers have been provided to place in town and city hexes in situations where the front isn't defined enough to make control status obvious. Control status is important for victory point awards (see 4.0), supply line tracing (see 6.13), and bridge demolition (see [OCR: "919"; read as 9.14]).

4.0 How to Win

4.1 In General

Most matches of WoT will be won by the player who gains the most "victory points," awarded for the elimination of enemy units, the capture of city hexes, and certain other events. Other ways of gaining victory, not involved in tallying points, are also available to both players.

4.2 Concession

Though each match nominally lasts 17 complete game turns, either player is free to concede defeat at any time prior to that if he becomes convinced his position is hopeless and beyond recouping. For purposes of record keeping, concessions grant a strategic (the highest kind) victory to the winner.

4.3 Sudden Death German Strategic Victory

Play stops, and the German player is declared the victor; the instant he moves any supplied unit off the map via any of the road hexes between W[OCR: "WISI"; hex not legible] and E1800. (Such an exit takes place using the road movement rate.)

Design Note. In actuality, of course, a single German unit breaking free of the map and pressing on toward Antwerp would not have "won" the campaign or the war for the Germans. The idea behind this victory condition, however, is that in accomplishing such a feat the German player has so over-matched both his game opponent's and historical counterpart's performance as to deserve being awarded the win. In the psychological sense it also works to instill in the mind of the Allied player the historically proper degree of apprehension about such a development.

4.4 Allied Automatic Strategic Victory

At the end of Game Turn 17, if there are no supplied German units anywhere west of the starting front line, the Allied player is declared to have won a strategic victory no matter what the point situation.

4.5 Allied Automatic Operational Victory

At the end of Game Turn 17, if the Allied player's forces control the city of St. Vith (E3119), he is declared to have won an automatic operational victory no matter what the point situation. (Of course, he may pass on this if he feels the final point tabulation will give him a strategic victory.)

Design Note. The idea behind 4.4 and 4.5 is that the German player, for this to be a historically valid simulation, must remain true to the assumptions and goals behind Hitler's decision to launch the actual battle. Ground was to be given up only sparingly, lest valuable springboards for future offensive actions be lost.

4.6 Winning on Points

Most games between opponents of roughly equal skill will not be won by any of the extreme situations described above; they will be determined by their overall accumulation of victory points (VP) throughout the course of the game. If none of the kinds of victories described above are achieved, the player with the most VP at the end of the game is declared the winner. If both have precisely the same amount, the game is a draw.

Victory points are awarded as described below.

At the start of the game both players have zero VP. Use the markers provided in the counter mix to keep a running total of both sides accumulating VP throughout the game.

4.7 City Hex VP

At the end of the game, both players are awarded 10 VP for every city hex they control on their opponent's side of the starting front line. Neither is awarded any VP for controlling cities on his own side of the starting front line.

Old Hands Note. The supply state of any units in the friendly controlled cities is irrelevant.

4.8 Step Loss VP

Both players are awarded one VP for every step of their opponent's non-artillery units they eliminate during the course of the game, and two VP for every one of his artillery steps.

4.9 National Socialist Ardor VP

At the end of every game turn, examine the area west of the Meuse River line between W2343 and E1800, inclusive. The German is awarded one VP for every unit (supply condition irrelevant) he has within that area. (Yes, the same units generate new VP at the end of every game turn they survive there.)

4.10 British East of the Meuse VP

If the Allied player decides to move British units into the area east of the Meuse River line (W2444 to E2100; see 8.5), he rolls two dice at the time the first such unit crosses the line. The German is immediately awarded that number of VP. Only one such dice roll and German VP award is ever made per game.

4.11 German Optional Reinforcements VP

If the German player decides to enter into play the 10th SS and/or 11th Panzer Divisions without first meeting the Meuse crossing requirement (see 8.4), the Allied player is awarded five VP for the [Gap] entry and 10 VP for that of the 10th SS, for a maximum of [OCR: "BVO"; total not verified].

4.12 Allied Optional Reinforcements VP

If the two units of the US 5th Armored Division (see 8.6) that enter play as reinforcements on Game Turn [Gap: turn number not legible in OCR] are ever found adjacent to any German unit, the German player is immediately awarded four VP.

If the Allied player decides to enter into play any, some or all of the five units of the US [OCR: "3th"; read as 3rd] Armored Division available as reinforcements on Game Turn 8, the German player is awarded eight VP. Both these VP awards are one-time awards.

Design Note. Worried about a potential attack by the German 15th Army, off the map to the north, the Allied high command kept the bulk of the [Gap: division number] Armored Division in reserve in that area. The single combat command of the division that was released for operations within the area of the game map was never actually committed to combat.

4.13 Degree of Victory

A player can win one of three degrees of victory based on his victory point margin over his opponent's total. From highest to lowest, those degrees of victory are: strategic, operational, tactical.

To determine the victor's degree of victory, divide the losing player's total of VP into his. If the result is between 1.01 and 1.99, he has won a tactical victory. If the result is between 2.00 and 2.99, he has won an operational victory. If it's 3.00 or higher, he has won a strategic (aka "monstrous fine") victory.

The descriptions below allow players to gauge how their conduct of operations altered or maintained the general course of the war as compared to history.

4.14 Allied Tactical Victory

The Allies have won the battle, but at such a cost that their crossing of the Rhine takes place perhaps as much as a month behind the historical schedule. The Allied and Soviet armies eventually link up only a few miles east of the Ruhr industrial area in north Germany, though the westerners are still the first into Bavaria.

4.15 Allied Operational Victory

[Gap: the text of this victory description is not recoverable from the OCR.]

4.16 Allied Strategic Victory

The German offensive has been smashed with crippling losses to Hitler's western armies. The Allies follow up by launching their final offensive into the Rhineland and beyond as much as a month ahead of the historic schedule. The western Allies eventually link up with the Soviets about 15 miles east of Berlin.

4.17 German Tactical Victory

The Germans have chewed up numerous Allied divisions and then succeed in withdrawing in good order back into their Westwall fortifications. The launch of the Allied offensive into the Rhineland and across the Rhine River is delayed until mid-April.

4.18 German Operational Victory

The equivalent of several Allied divisions has been completely [Gap: "annihilated" per OCR fragment "cnniilated"], with still others severely [Gap]. [Gap: remainder of this description.] The description concludes with the point at which the collapse of Germany [Gap] takes place.

4.19 German Strategic Victory

The [OCR: "ball"; likely "battle"] has been a complete fiasco for the Allies, [Gap] cramming the Reich into early September, when Berlin [Gap].

Design Note. The savage and all-pervading irony inherent in the German player's achieving a strategic victory is deliberate.

5.0 The Turn Sequence

5.1 In General

Each of the 17 game turns of Wave of Terror is divided into two "couplets" of strictly sequenced steps (also called "phases"), along with three phases separate from those couplets in which both players participate. Every action taken by a player must be carried out in the appropriate phase as described below. Once a player has finished a particular phase he may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless his opponent graciously permits it.

Beginners Note. This is war to the hilt; don't feel compelled to be gracious.

5.2 Turn Sequence Outline

The turn sequence is given below in outline. The rest of the rules are organized, as much as possible, to explain things in the order they're encountered as you work through each game turn's sequence. Note the German Operations Segment is the first in both couplets of all 17 game turns.

1. Game Turn Weather Determination Phase
2. First Couplet
   • A. German Operations Segment
     1. German Bridge Repair Declaration Phase
     2. German Movement or Combat Phase
     3. German Combat or Movement Phase
     4. German Bridge Repair Resolution Phase
   • B. Allied Operations Segment
     1. Allied Bridge Repair Declaration Phase
     2. Allied Movement or Combat Phase
     3. Allied Combat or Movement Phase
     4. Allied Bridge Repair Declaration Phase
3. First Artillery Recovery Phase
4. Second Player Turn Couplet
   • A. German Operations Segment
     1. German Bridge Repair Declaration Phase
     2. German Movement or Combat Phase
     3. German Combat or Movement Phase
     4. German Bridge Repair Resolution Phase
   • B. Allied Operations Segment
     1. Allied Bridge Repair Declaration Phase
     2. Allied Movement or Combat Phase
     3. Allied Combat or Movement Phase
     4. Allied Bridge Repair Declaration Phase

Editor's note: the fourth Allied step in each couplet is printed as "Bridge Repair Declaration Phase," while the German equivalent is "Bridge Repair Resolution Phase." The printed wording is kept here; the Allied fourth step is presumably meant to be the resolution phase, but this is unverified.

5.3 Weather

During the portion of the campaign depicted here, the ground conditions were pretty much always abysmal. That is, off-road movement was dominated by mud, interspersed with short freezes that, again, quickly turned into mud as soon as the ground was subjected to heavy traffic. All of that was often covered with melting or blowing snow. Thus, the lack of off-road mobility is accounted for by the high movement costs for off-road movement. Likewise, the weather rules are only concerned with conditions aloft, to determine are the skies overcast, or are they clear enough to allow the Allied air forces to apply their air supremacy to combat ground support, interdiction, and aerial supply operations.

The weather during the first three game turns is always overcast. After that, at the start of every game turn the German player rolls a die to determine the weather for that entire game turn. If the die roll result falls within the range for that game turn printed on the Game Turn Record Track on the mapsheet, the weather for that game turn is overcast; otherwise it's clear.

During Clear Skies game turns the Allied player has eight aircraft units available for use on various missions (unless Operation Baseplate has been launched by the German, see below, in which case the Allied player has only four aircraft available per game turn).

These rules are generally written with overcast weather taken as the norm; for the changes and potentialities created by clear skies, see 9.17, 9.18 and 10.14.

5.4 Operation Baseplate (Ω)

As soon as a game turn's weather has been determined to be Clear Skies, the German player should roll one die to see if the Luftwaffe high command launches Operation Baseplate that turn. The operation is considered to have been launched on a roll of six. Keep making one die roll per Clear Skies game turn until the operation is triggered or the game ends, whichever comes first.

The effect of launching Baseplate is immediate and permanent. That is, during that and all subsequent Clear Skies game turns Allied aircraft availability is reduced from eight to four units per game turn.

5.5 Bridge Repair

For details on repairing blown bridges, see 9.15.

5.6 Move or Fight

At the start of every one of his operations segments in both player turn couplets, the player who is up must declare in what order he will carry out his movement and combat phases that couplet. That is, he may choose to have his units move first and fight second, or fight first and move second. The decision is always up to him (exception: see [OCR: "5.7"; the exception described is the Game Turn 1 rule at 5.8]). The big advantage in choosing a fight/move sequence is that all your attacks that couplet thereby gain a one column rightward odds shift.

No matter what phase order you choose for one of your segments, all your non-artillery units get to participate to the limit of their normal capabilities in both phases. Moving or fighting does not preclude a non-artillery unit from performing both tasks during each couplet; only the order of execution is variable.

Each player only makes one phase order declaration per couplet, at the start of his own operations segment, which is then applied to all his units throughout that couplet. You may never choose one phase order for some of your units and the other phase order for others. Further, neither player may ever decide to have two of the same kind of phases during the same operations segment; he must always take one movement and one combat phase. Only their order of execution may be varied.

5.7 Artillery Recovery

In this game, unlike non-artillery units, artillery units may only move or fight (actually "bombard") once each player turn couplet; they may never do both during the same couplet. During the course of each couplet, as each of your artillery units moves, defends or bombards, flip it over so its "DONE" side shows. During both artillery recovery phases, both players should flip back all their artillery units so their top sides (the one with the printed movement factor) again show upward.

Design Note. For more specifics on artillery movement and combat, see 6.3, 7.4, and 10.18ff.

5.8 Special Game Turn 1 Rules

• The German player must always choose to carry out his combat phase first during the first couplet of Game Turn 1.
• The Allied player may not conduct any attacks during the first player turn couplet of Game Turn 1.
• No Allied artillery unit may bombard during all of Game Turn 1.
• Neither player may use column movement during the first player turn couplet of Game Turn 1.
• All units of both sides are automatically in supply during all of Game Turn 1.
• Neither side may conduct bridge demolition attempts during all of Game Turn 1.
• Neither side may conduct bridge repair during the first player turn couplet of Game Turn 1.
• No Allied reinforcements may enter the map during the first player turn couplet of Game Turn 1.

6.1 In General

Units require supply in order to be able to operate with their full (printed-on-the-counter) movement and combat factors. Units are always either "supplied" or "out of supply" (also referred to as "OOS" or "unsupplied"). No unit is ever reduced in step strength or eliminated simply for being OOS.

6.2 When to Check Supply

Check the supply state of each of your units at the instant you begin moving it in each of your movement phases throughout the game. Check the supply states of all involved units of the attacking side at the start of every combat resolution process in every combat phase throughout the game. (Exceptions: see [OCR: "38"; read as 3.8].)

6.3 OOS Effects

Units that are found to be OOS at the start of their movement have their movement factor reduced to three movement points for that phase. (Thus German artillery unit movement is unaffected by being OOS.)

Attacking non-artillery units that are found to be OOS at the start of their particular attack's resolution process have their attack factor halved for those computations. In such situations, round down all remainders, but no unit or stack ever has its attack factor reduced to less than one for any reason(s). When halving more than one unit in the same battle, add up the attack factors of all units to be halved in that battle, then make just one grand division.

OOS artillery units may not bombard.

6.4 Defense Unaffected by OOS

OOS defenders are unaffected by their OOS status: defense factors remain full.

6.5 How Units Are Supplied

Units are supplied when they are able to trace a supply line (a path of contiguous hexes) from a friendly supply source to their location hex. There are no counters [Gap: remainder of this line illegible]. [Gap] is all done just in the mind's eye of the player.

6.6 Tracing Supply Lines

[Gap: most of this section is illegible in the OCR text layer.]

[Gap: opening words illegible; OCR fragment: "When counting the three hex on-road"] count from the unit to the road; [Gap: "don't count the hex the unit is in" is a probable reading of the OCR fragment "dor count the hex the unt Is"; remainder illegible].

6.7 Allied Supply Sources

Allied supply sources are all the hexes along the maps' west, north and south edges. An Allied board edge supply source hex temporarily loses its supply capacity while occupied by a German unit. That capacity is regained, however, as soon as the German unit leaves or is eliminated.

6.8 German Supply Sources

[Gap: the opening of this section is illegible.] A German board edge supply source hex temporarily loses its supply capacity while occupied by an Allied unit. That capacity is regained as soon as the Allied unit leaves or is eliminated.

6.9 Supply Line Capacity

There are no limits to the number of units that may trace supply through any given supply path. Nor are there any limits on the number of units that may trace supply to any single, friendly, map edge supply source.

6.10 Blocked & Water Hexsides

No non-road supply line may cross more than one blocked or unbridged water hexside. That water or blocked hexside will always be the last hexside that particular supply line may cross on its way to the tracing unit. Thus, for example, a German unit in E3435 (assuming the bridge across the Our River there is still [OCR: "dover"]) could trace non-road supply over the water to the road in E[OCR: "3554"], but another German unit in, say, E3335 could not.

6.11 Demolished Bridges

The road portion of a supply line may never cross over [Gap] as described in 6.10 above.

6.12 Willful OOS

Both players may willfully move their units into hexes where they will, or likely will, become OOS.

6.13 Enemy Controlled Towns & Cities

No portion of a supply line may enter or pass through enemy controlled town or city hexes, even if no enemy units are actually in such hexes at the time of tracing. Use the control markers provided to indicate which town and city hexes are controlled by which side in areas where the delineation of the front line itself does not make that status obvious.

6.14 Enemy Units

[Gap] traced into or through hexes containing enemy units at the time of tracing.

6.15 Allied Aerial Supply

During all Clear Skies game turns, the Allied player automatically has available three aerial supply markers for immediate use. The Allied player commits them, once per Clear Skies game turn, at the end of the Weather Determination Phase by placing them, no more than one per hex, in any clear, forest, town, city or ridge hexes on the map. Each counter can serve as a supply source for up to 30 steps of any types (exception: count every artillery step so supplied as two steps).

Units may trace supply lines to these counters that contain any combination of road and non-road hexes, as long as the total length is not over five hexes (but again, only one blocked or unbridged water hexside).

Aerial supply is sufficient to enable Allied artillery units drawing on it to bombard.

If a German unit enters a hex containing an Allied aerial supply marker, immediately remove it. It does, though, become available for reuse on subsequent Clear Skies game turns.

6.16 German Supply Problems

In addition to the normal burdens of supply tracing, the units of some German parent organizations may become OOS according to the German Supply Problems table printed on the mapsheet.

Beginning Game Turn 4 the German player rolls two dice and consults the table at the start of the first player turn couplet. All units of the parent organizations indicated by the result of the dice roll are automatically OOS for that entire game turn. (OOS markers have been provided in the counter mix for use in identifying units suffering this kind of penalty.) Units of the designated parent organizations that may also happen to be OOS due to inability to trace a valid supply line do not suffer any kind of "double" OOS penalties because of the dice roll outcome.

If the German player gains control of a real POL depot in any [OCR: "Liege"] hex, even temporarily, using a unit that is in regular supply at the instant of capture, he is no longer consulting the Supply Problems table for the rest of the game.

6.17 POL Depots

The Allied player has four POL depot markers, two real and two dummy, which he deploys at the start of the game according to 3.7. Those markers have no step, stacking or combat values of their own. Each time a German unit enters a POL hex, flip that marker over to check its real or dummy status. Dummy or real, the depot is immediately removed (but see 6.13 above). In all games, remove all POL markers at the start of Game Turn 6. The Allied units in the game never make any kind of logistical use of the POL depots.

7.0 Stacking

7.1 In General

"Stacking" is the word used to describe the piling of more than one unit into the same hex at the same time. The general rule is that both players may stack up to four of their side's non-artillery units in any hex at any one time.

7.2 Stacking & Movement

The stacking rules are in effect at all times throughout the game turn. That means players must pay attention to the sequence in which they move their units or they risk having carelessly made early moves block units moved near the end of their movement phases. But within the limits of the rules of this section, there is no limit to the number of units that may enter and pass through a given hex over the course of any given movement phase.

Units that begin a movement phase stacked together need not remain together.

Make a check of each of your own stacks at the end of each phase in the turn sequence. If any of your units are found to be overstacked at any of those times, eliminate the excess unit(s).

7.3 Fog o' War

Neither player ever needs to examine the unit that is beneath the top unit of any of his opponent's stacks until the combat resolution process begins for a force involved in combat. Both players may, of course, freely examine their own stacks at all times.

Beginners Note. You are free to examine all stacks and each other's roster sheets at all times.

7.4 Artillery Stacking

Artillery units are an exception to the general four-units-per-hex stacking rule. No artillery unit may ever stack with any other unit, either artillery or non-artillery, not even temporarily during the course of any unit's movement.

7.5 Stacking Across Parent Organizations

Within the limits described above, it is permitted for units from different parent organizations and/or independent units to stack together, both temporarily during the course of a unit's move and between phases, segments and game turns.

Design Note. All artillery units of both sides are also considered independent units, but rule 7.4 supersedes rules 7.5 and 7.6.

7.6 Independent Units

[Gap: the body of this section is largely illegible in the OCR text layer. Legible fragments include "...could be any non-artillery unit belonging to any parent...", "...independent units could stack with one or two non-artillery units...", and "...independent unit could stack with any three non-artillery..." These fragments are not enough to reconstruct the rule and are not transcribed as rules.]

7.7 Kampfgruppe Peiper

[Gap: opening of this section illegible.] The German player may stack a total of any four units from the 1st SS Panzer Division, stacking them together beneath the KG counter in any hex [Gap]. The advantage of this for the German player is that the entire stack [Gap] during that side's movement phases. [Gap: between-phase rules.] The stack may move freely even through hexes containing artillery [Gap].

[Gap: OCR "autism"; unreadable] throughout Game Turns 1, 2 and 3. The KG counter itself has no VP, step, stacking or combat values.

[Gap: the conditions for elimination.] The KG is considered permanently eliminated the instant the last [Gap].

[Gap: remainder of this section.] The KG is considered to be heavy.

7.8 Free Stackers

Note that all the counters pictured in rule 2.16 have no stacking values of their own and may be freely added to any stacks in accordance with the rules governing their [Gap: sentence end cut off].

7.9 Stack Movement

To move together as a stack, non-artillery units must begin their side's movement phase already stacked together. But non-artillery units are not required to move together simply because they started the movement phase in the same hex; such units might be moved together, individually, or in smaller sub-stacks.

7.10 Splitting Stacks

When moving a stack you may halt it temporarily to allow a unit or sub-stack to split off and move away on a separate course. The units left behind in the original ("parent") stack may then resume their own movement, even splitting off other units again, if desired. But once you begin moving an entirely different parent stack (or individual unit that began in a different hex), you may no longer resume the movement of the earlier-moved stack without your opponent's permission.

If units with differing movement factors are traveling together in a stack, the stack must use the movement factor of the slowest units (exception, see 7.7 above). Of course, as the slower units in a stack exhaust their MFs, you may leave them behind and continue on with the faster ones.

8.0 Reinforcements

8.1 In General

Reinforcements are units that don't start the game on the map at the beginning of play; instead, they enter play after the game has begun. In general, reinforcement units become available for entry any time over the course of either of your movement phases of the game turn printed across the top of their counters.

It is permitted for both players to delay the arrival turn of their reinforcement units, but those game turn times may never be advanced.

8.2 Entry Areas

All German reinforcements enter via any map edge hexes along the eastern edge of the assembled game map that are not occupied by any Allied units at the time of entry.

All British reinforcement units enter via any western or northern map edge hexes from W1810 to E2000 [OCR: "WI8I0 @ E200"], inclusive. Again, entry hexes may not be occupied by enemy units at the instant of movement onto the map.

US and French reinforcement units enter via any map edge hexes according to the letter-code printed after their arrival turn across the top of their counters. An "N" refers to the north edge from W1800 to E3900, inclusive. A "W" means the west edge, from W1800 to W1844, inclusive. An "S" indicates the south edge from W1844 to E[OCR: "244"; final digits not legible], inclusive. And again, entry hexes may not be occupied by any enemy units at the instant of movement onto the map.

8.3 Moving Onto the Map

Within the above restrictions, both players are free to choose their arriving units' exact entry hexes, but the following strictures must also be observed:

All the units of a given parent organization must enter through the same hex. More than one parent organization may be chosen to enter through the same hex during the same movement phase. Once the entry hex for a group of units is chosen, stack them up within regular limits in a "column" starting at the board edge and leading away from it. From there, units are moved onto the map one stack or unit at a time, paying all normal movement costs from their very first move, even before they get onto the actual map. All off-map terrain is considered to consist of clear road hexes.

Within the limits of the stacking rules, independent units may be entered alone, stacked with parent organization units or other independent units.

Reinforcements always enter play supplied and at their full step strength, and they have all their normal movement and combat capabilities available for immediate use according to the regular rules governing them (including entry via Column Movement, if all normal strictures for it are met; see 9.17).

8.4 German Optional Reinforcements

The German has two parent organization reinforcements, the 10th SS and 11th Panzer Divisions, which have an asterisk (*) printed after their Game Turn 8 arrival times on their counters. Those units may enter play as scheduled only if, at the start of [OCR: "Game Turn 3"; the arrival turn is 8], there are five or more supplied German units in any hexes west of the Meuse River line (W234 [OCR; final digit may be missing] to E2000). If that condition is not in effect, the German may choose to: 1) delay those divisions' arrivals from turn to turn until such time as a five-unit Meuse crossing has been accomplished; or 2) bring on one or both divisions then or later without worrying about accomplishing the crossing, but at the cost of a victory point award to the Allied player (see 4.11).

8.5 British Across the Meuse

The general rule is British units may only move and attack into hexes west of the Meuse River line. However, the Allied player may choose, starting on Game Turn 10 or thereafter, to commit a force of any one British division or any three British brigades to operate (move and/or fight) on the east side of that line. Such a decision carries with it a one-time VP award for the German (see 4.10). Once that decision is made, the chosen units are free to operate on both sides of the river for the rest of the game.

8.6 US 5th Armored Division

The US 5th Armored Division is another asterisked reinforcement parent organization with restrictions on its commitment into play (see 4.12).

8.7 US 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment

The Allied player may choose to reform that unit's three squadrons (the 1-9s with the set up coordinate "3918-1" [OCR: "3018-1" in this section] printed on their counters) at the end of any movement phase in which all three are in the same hex. Simply remove the 1-9s and substitute the 4-9 in place. Once rejoined, the battalion may never be broken down again during the course of a game. Once one or more of the 1-9s is eliminated from play, it is impossible to reform the battalion.

9.1 In General

The movement factors printed in the lower right of the units are the number of movement points (referred to as "MP" or "MF") available to them to use in moving across the map during its side's movement phase each couplet. Units move from hex to adjacent hex (no "skipping" of hexes is allowed), paying varied costs to do so depending on the terrain in and around the hex being entered. The movement of each player's units takes place only during his own player turn's movement phases; no enemy movement takes place during your own player turn.

9.2 Movement Limits

MPs may not be accumulated from phase to phase or turn to turn, nor may they be loaned or given from one unit to another. Within the limits described in this section and in the turn sequence, a player may move all, some or none of his units in each of his movement phases throughout the game. Units that move are not required to expend all their MPs before stopping. The movement of each unit must be completed before that of another is begun. A player may only adjust the position of an already moved unit if his opponent allows it.

9.3 Minimum Movement Ability

All units are generally guaranteed the ability to move at least one hex during their side's movement phase by expending all their available MPs at the start of their move. This guarantee does not allow units to enter hexes or cross hexsides that are otherwise impassable to them.

9.4 Enemy Units

[Gap: opening of this section illegible.] Units may not enter a hex occupied by any enemy unit (exception: see [OCR: "616"; read as 6.16]).

9.5 No Off Map Moves

Moving off the map by any unit once in play is prohibited except as described for German units in 4.3.

9.6 Terrain

There are two general categories of terrain on the map: Natural and Manmade. Each category is divided into different types (see below).

No hex is considered to contain more than one natural terrain type. For a hex to be considered "Clear" it must contain only clear natural terrain; any forest or ridge or marsh printing existing in such a hex would change its status to that of whatever terrain type was printed there.

9.7 Natural Terrain

There are seven kinds of natural terrain on the map: Clear, Forest, Ridge, Marsh, Blocked Hexsides, Major River and Lake Hexsides, and Minor River Hexsides. The effects of these features on movement are described below and on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet. For example, each Clear hex costs all units two MP to enter.

9.8 Blocked Hexsides

All artillery units and all units with printed MFs of five or more are prohibited from ever moving across any blocked hexside. (Yes, that prohibition remains in effect for OOS units with printed MFs of five or more.)

Non-artillery units with printed movement factors less than five may move across such hexes, no more than one per movement phase, provided they began their move in the hex next to it and move no farther that phase after crossing it.

9.9 Unbridged Water Hexsides

Water in the form of lakes and major and minor rivers exists along hexsides, rather than in-hex like the terrains described above.

Units may move across major river or lake hexsides only via intact bridges.

Certain units may cross unbridged minor river hexsides by making "improvised crossings," see below. (And, yes, a minor river hexside with a blown bridge is considered "unbridged" until such time as repairs are completed.)

Design Note. Unlike many other games, a unit prohibited from moving across a certain type of hexside may attack across that same type of hexside (see 10.13).

9.10 Improvised Minor River Crossings

Artillery and Heavy units (see 2.9) may never make improvised minor river crossings; all other units may. (Artillery and Heavies may only move across water on intact bridges.)

To make an improvised crossing, eligible units must [Gap: "Desi ther ada arent phase" fragment; remainder illegible] containing the hexside to be crossed. At any point during a [Gap] movement phase, [Gap]. Where a crossing is being made, [Gap] moves. The unit [Gap] in that phase.

9.11 Manmade Terrain

Manmade terrain exists in five types: Roads, Bridges, Towns, Cities, and West Wall Fortifications. Except for roads and demolished bridges, no manmade terrain types have movement effects of their own. Rather, the cost for entering such hexes is determined by the natural terrain type involved in each move.

9.12 Roads

Units may move from road hex to road hex via road hexsides at the cost of only one MP per hex. Note that a blown road bridge works to cut that road at the bridge hexside until such time as repairs are completed.

9.13 Bridges

All bridges except those straddling the starting front line (see [OCR: "38"; read as 3.9]) begin the game intact. Bridges are either intact or demolished ("blown"). Intact bridges completely nullify the movement costs and prohibitions that would otherwise be in place for units attempting to cross the water spanned by the bridge.

9.14 Bridge Demolition (Ω)

After Game Turn 1, either player may attempt to demolish bridges for which he controls both abutment hexes when an enemy unit first moves into either of those hexes. Bridge demolition attempts take place during the movement phase and possibly also during combat, if triggered by an advance after combat (see 10.26). In general both players may attempt any number of bridge demolitions per movement phase, but no more than one demolition attempt may be made for any one particular bridge throughout a single game turn.

Procedure is the non-moving player calls on the other player to temporarily stop moving when an enemy unit or stack first enters an abutment hex of a bridge that was, until that instant, entirely controlled by the non-moving player. The non-moving player then rolls a die. A result of six (6) means the bridge has been demolished before the moving unit or stack could cross it. Place a "Demolished Bridge" marker across that hexside. Exception: If the moving unit is German and there is one or more supplied US Engineer units within two hexes of the abutment hex being moved into, the bridge is considered blown on a die roll of five (5) or six (6).

The moving unit or stack triggering the successful demolition of the bridge may continue moving in other directions.

Design Note. The procedures given above represent the only bridge demolition methodologies used in the game. It is prohibited, for example, for either player to attempt "pre-emptive bridge demolition campaigns" at the start of, or during, the game.

9.15 Bridge Repair

Except during the first couplet of Game Turn 1, both players may repair bridges during their own side's operations segments throughout the course of the game. No new bridge construction takes place; only demolished bridges printed on the mapsheet may be repaired.

The German player may never make more than 20 bridge repairs over the course of a game, and he may never make more than three repairs per couplet. The Allied player [Gap: limit and remainder of this paragraph illegible]. [OCR fragment: "Uprooted and moved for reassembly at another site"] [Gap].

In general, you may repair any demolished bridge for which you control both abutment hexes and can trace a normal supply line to at least one of them at the time of beginning the repair. Declare a repair effort underway at any eligible demolished bridge at the start of your operations segment and place a construction marker atop that hexside. At the end of your operations segment remove the counter to reveal the intact bridge icon printed on the re[Gap].

9.16 No Bridges Peiper (Ω)

If the German has gained control of two bridge abutment hexes by having KG Peiper move into or through them, he may not make repairs on such spans until such time as a supplied unit not belonging to the KG enters or passes through either of those hexes. (The KG carried no bridge repair equipment with it.)

9.17 Column Movement (Ω)

All normally (not aerially) supplied units other than German artillery are potentially eligible to use column movement. To be able to do so, any normally supplied unit other than a German artillery unit must start its side's movement phase on a road hex and not adjacent to any enemy unit(s). Such units are then eligible to move, only on roads, up to twice their printed movement factor, as long as they never pass directly adjacent to any enemy units during the move or end their movement in a hex adjacent to any.

Neither side may use column movement during the first player turn couplet of Game Turn 1. Further, no German units may ever use column movement during game turns for which the weather is determined to be Clear Skies (see 5.3). German artillery never uses column movement.

Design Note. For another important restriction on the mobility of both sides' artillery units, see 5.7.

9.18 Allied Airpower Road Interdiction

As soon as any game turn's weather has been determined to be Clear Skies, the Allied player may choose to commit any number of his available aircraft units (either eight or four; see 5.3 and 5.4) to interdiction missions. To do that he immediately places them, no more than one per hex, in any road hexes anywhere on the map. The effect is to nullify the roads in those hexes for movement purposes, but not for supply tracing, throughout the game turn. At the end of each Clear Skies game turn the Allied player should pick up all his interdiction aircraft from the game map.

Design Note. The road nullification effect pertains to both German and Allied movement into such hexes. Air-to-ground liaison was not always what it should have been for the Allies during this campaign; there were several major air-to-ground "friendly fire" incidents.

10.0 Combat

10.1 In General

During your side's combat phase you can attack all enemy units adjacent to your units across playable hexsides. The player whose player turn it is, is considered "the attacker" and the other is "the defender," no matter what the overall situation across the map. Attacking is [Gap].

10.2 Multi-Hex Attacks

An enemy occupied hex may be attacked in one battle by as many of your eligible units as you can bring to bear from the surrounding hexes; however, no single attack may have as its objective more than one hex.

10.3 Indivisibility of Units

No single attacking unit may have its combat factor divided and applied to more than one battle. Likewise, no defending unit or stack may have part of its defense strength attacked by one or a few attackers while another part is attacked by others. Defending units stacked together may only be attacked as if they constituted one combined unit. No attacking unit may attack more than once per combat phase and no defending unit may be attacked more than once per combat phase.

10.4 Attack Sequencing

Aside from the restrictions described above there is no artificial limit on the number of attacks each player may set up during his combat phase. The attacker need not declare all his attacks beforehand, and he may resolve them in any order he wishes, as long as the resolution of one is completed before that of the next is begun.

10.5 Basic Combat Procedure

Normally the attacking player should strive to have more attack factors involved in a given battle than the defender has defense factors. Such attacks are called "high odds attacks." To resolve them, the attacking player must first calculate his "odds." Do that by adding up the combat factors of all the attacking units involved in a battle; then determine the combat factors of the enemy units defending in the battle. Divide the attacker total by the defender total and round off (down) any remainder.

Example: 26 attack factors versus 7 defense factors yields an odds ratio of 3:1. That is: 26 ÷ 7 = 3.71, which rounds down to 3. To turn that "3" into a ratio, you must set a "1" next to it on the right. Thus "3" becomes "3:1" (which is read "3-to-1"), which corresponds with a column on the Combat Results Table (on the map).

10.6 Poor Odds Attacks

Battles in which the attacking force has fewer combat factors than the defender are called "poor odds attacks." Procedures are modified in that now you divide the defender's total by the attacker's; round remainders up, and set the "1" on the left side.

Poor Odds Example: A force with 5 attack factors is attacking a force with 11 defense factors. Divide 11 by 5 (11 ÷ 5 = 2.2), and round up (2.2 becomes 3), then set the "1" on the left of that "3," yielding odds of 1:3.

Beginners Note. "High Odds" and "Low Odds" attacks are simply terms of convenience, good for nothing more than indicating which of the two odds calculating procedures you'll use for a given battle. It's possible to have successes with low odds attacks, and fiascoes at high odds. In general, though, the higher your combat odds, the better the chances for success in any attack. That is, you want to be attacking on the right side of the CRT. And, of course, in situations where the two sides have precisely the same amount of combat factors involved, no mathematics are necessary; odds will be 1:1.

10.7 Odds Limits

The column headings on the CRT range from 1:4 to 7:1. If the combat ratio obtained for a battle is 1:5 or lower, that battle automatically has a combat result of 4/0. If the combat ratio obtained for a battle is 8:1 or more, that battle has an automatic combat result of 0/4.

10.8 Combat Resolution Die Roll

To resolve a battle, find the odds column of the CRT corresponding to its odds ratio and roll a die. Look down the proper odds column on the CRT until you cross-index with the number you just rolled. That is your "combat result" for that battle. For example, if you're attacking at [OCR: "24"] and roll a "4," your result is 1/2.

10.9 Numeric Combat Results

Numeric results to the left of the slash apply to the attacker; those to the right apply to the defender. All results are given in terms of step losses to the forces involved. That is, each whole-number increment of the combat result means one step of the affected side must be eliminated.

Combat results are applied by the players among their own involved units as each sees fit, with the single exception that no involved unit of your side may be completely eliminated until all your involved units have first been reduced to one step.

10.10 Zero Combat Results

A zero (0) combat result means the involved forces of the side receiving that result are entirely unaffected; there is no step loss for that side.

10.11 Terrain Effects on Combat

Natural and manmade terrain have effects on combat, shown on the Terrain Effects Chart printed on the mapsheet, either by generating column shifts favorable to the defender or by halving the combat factors of attacking units. It is always the terrain in the defender's hex and along its hexsides that determines those effects; the terrain in the attacker's hex(es) has no bearing. In every battle, all applicable terrain effects are cumulatively applied.

10.12 Roads & Intact Bridges

Roads and/or intact bridges don't negate or modify any of the combat effects of manmade or natural terrain; they affect only movement and supply, not combat.

10.13 Water & Blocked Hexsides

When halving the combat factors of multiple units attacking through such hexsides, add up the factors of all the affected units involved in the battle and then make just one grand division. Round all remainders down.

Non-artillery units are not prohibited from making such attacks, not even those prohibited from moving across such hexsides. Similarly, artillery bombardment strengths are unaffected by such hexsides.

10.14 Allied Combat Air Support

During Clear Skies game turns the Allied player has available either eight or four (see 5.3 and 5.4) aircraft units to support his ground operations. Each air unit may be committed once per game turn. For procedures for interdiction missions, see [OCR: "9.19 and 920"; no sections 9.19 or 9.20 appear in the text].

The Allied player may commit any air units not used for interdiction to provide direct combat ground support to any of his battles, offensive or defensive, during the game turn. No more than one plane may be committed per battle. The effect is to shift the odds one column in the Allied side's favor in the battles being so supported.

10.15 Concentric Assaults (Ω)

Whenever a single hex is attacked by units in opposite hexes, or by units in three hexes with one hex between each one and the next, or by units in more than three hexes, a concentric assault has been created, which works to generate a 1R odds shift [OCR: "TR"]. The presence of other units of the same side as those being concentrically assaulted in hexes next to the assaulted hex in no way serves to negate this shift. In the diagrams to the right the unit in the center is being concentrically assaulted.

[Gap: the diagrams referred to are graphics and are not in the text layer.]

10.16 Parent Organizations in Combat

Non-artillery units from different parent organizations may never take part in the same attack, either from the same or different hexes.

Defending units from different parent organizations stacked together in the same hex suffer no penalties because of their differing organizational affiliations.

10.17 Independent Units in Combat

No more than four independent non-artillery units may ever take part in the same attack, either from the same or different hexes. Independent units do not suffer any defensive penalties when attacked while stacked with non-independent units or any allowable mix of independents and non-independents.

10.18 Artillery in Combat

Both sides' supplied (normally or aerially) artillery units may each be used once per player turn couplet to assist in stacks or defenses.

All artillery units of both sides are independent units with special stacking and movement provisions; see 7.4. Artillery units never actually attack the way non-artillery units do, either alone or in conjunction with non-artillery units. What they do instead is support the attacks and defenses of in-range non-artillery units by contributing their "bombardment factor" to the odds calculation process. Further, artillery units must be supplied in order to be able to bombard.

No artillery unit may both move and bombard during the same couplet [Gap: one line illegible]; it may move or bombard during a couplet, never both (see 5.6 and 5.7). Likewise, any artillery unit that is itself attacked during the course of an enemy combat phase should be flipped over so its "DONE" side shows upward.

Artillery never conduct independent shoots; they [Gap: remainder illegible].

Design Note. The historic I.D.s on Allied artillery units are read: "corps/group." Thus "3/1" means "the 1st Artillery Group of 3rd Corps." An I.D. such as "1st Army" means "1st Army's Artillery Group." [OCR shows "7 Army" in this example; read as "1st Army" from the explanation that follows.]

10.19 Artillery on the Defense

Every artillery unit has a defense factor of two (2) no matter which side is showing upward. An artillery unit being attacked during an enemy combat phase cannot bombard to try to increase its own, or any other [OCR: "hey's"] defense strength during that phase. (In such situations, the attacking player should resolve his attacks against enemy artillery units first.)

10.20 Artillery Range

All artillery units have a range of four hexes. Count from the artillery unit to the hex of the friendly unit being supported. Don't count the artillery unit's hex; do count the hex being supported. In a situation in which a multi-hex attack is being supported, four hexes to any one of the involved friendly non-artillery units is enough to put the supporting artillery unit within range of the battle.

10.21 Artillery & Terrain

Artillery bombardment is never affected by blocked or unbridged water hexsides. Neither are there any [Gap: OCR "Tne of Moats anes"; text not recoverable].

10.22 Artillery Maximums

The Allied player may never commit more than five [Gap] artillery units to any one battle, for attack or defense; the German limit is two artillery units. [Gap: remainder of this section.] Artillery units may provide support without regard to the nationalities of the [Gap].

10.23 Artillery Bombardment Strength

During each artillery supported battle's odds calculation process each player rolls one die for each of his bombarding artillery units. That result is that artillery unit's bombardment strength for that battle. Make a new calculation for each artillery unit each time it bombards.

10.24 Support Declaration

[Gap: "stile borne pts" fragment] are declared by each player, attacker always first, on a battle-by-battle basis at [Gap].

10.25 Combat-First Odds Shift

In every player turn couplet in which a player uses the Fight/Move rather than the Move/Fight sequence, all his attacks gain a one column rightward odds shift.

10.26 Advance After Combat

Whenever all the defenders in a battle are eliminated, some or all of the involved non-artillery attacking units may occupy the vacated hex. Normal stacking limits apply, but this kind of movement doesn't require the expenditure of MPs. Advances are not mandatory, but the decision to do so must be made immediately, before the next battle's resolution process is begun. Victorious defenders never advance after combat; they [Gap] their position.

Important stricture: victorious attackers are prohibited from advancing after combat across hexsides or into hexes they couldn't move across or into during their normal movement. For example, victorious attackers that just fought and won a battle across a major river hexside would only be allowed to advance after combat if an intact bridge were present across the hexside of the advance.

An advance after combat can trigger a bridge demolition attempt (see 9.14).

11.0 Designer's Notes

You'd think that with all the games, official histories and other books on this subject, coming up with an exact order of battle would be easy. Actually, though there's a lot of O.B. data out there, much of it is contradictory. Unit histories proved most helpful, particularly those from outfits that were already veterans at the time this campaign began. Those from green units, like the US 106th Infantry Division, tended to be sketchy. German units were often difficult to pin down in that many of them had organizations for this battle that varied considerably from their earlier structures.

Anyway, I've always felt the "cannon counting" approach to assigning combat factors is never of much help. Through my research I tried to establish a general gauge of every involved "parent organization's" overall proficiency and then factored that into my final numbers. I used the "cookie cutter" approach with Allied units because of the US Army's penchant, well developed by late 1944, for standardization. Of course, veteran divisions tended to gather up a lot of extra equipment, and that surplus is reflected in their greater staying power (higher reduced step strengths).

The Green American units required some shakedown, but still mostly fought pretty well. They start out as sixes, but after a round of combat lose half their strength.

Airborne units had fewer men in their line companies and lighter weapons for support, but still managed to generate about the same staying power as their ground-pounder brethren. I rated US glider infantry units one point lower because those troops were considered the black sheep of the airborne community, demonstrated slightly less elan, and were chronically understrength.

The battalions from both sides' armor and panzer units are assumed to actually go into battle as combined arms groupings of tanks, infantry, engineers and division-held artillery, and have been rated accordingly.

Many will point out, and rightly so, that individual German tank models were superior to those of the Allies in terms of armor protection and fire power. Yet by this time in the war, Allied armor divisions consistently outperformed their German organizational counterparts.

Perhaps the greatest mistake the Germans made during the campaign was sending poorly trained infantry formations into a battle in which success would largely depend on their performance. With the exception of the 12th and 26th Volksgrenadier Divisions, few German infantry units performed well. Indeed, several of them were shot up so badly on the first day that they failed to make any significant contribution throughout the rest of the campaign.

But though all the German units were rated according to their highly varied offensive capabilities, it was assumed they could all defend well (and they did). Few of the German infantry units had participated in offensive fighting in the recent past, but they all had men well experienced in defensive fighting.

I realize I might have gone against the grain in simply "factoring in" von der Heydte's paratroop drop. But in my opinion, given all the factors weighing against him, the colonel's mission had no real chance of success. A lot would have had to change for his detachment of 1,300 troops to have been able to make a difference as a combat unit. So why go through the exercise of a drop with a suicide die roll (one through five you're dead)? Even a full strength von der Heydte unit would have been swiftly overwhelmed by any American division.

The real contribution of the von der Heydte paratroop drop is reflected in the US reinforcement schedule. One combat command of the 3rd Armored Division and one regiment of the 1st Infantry Division arrive at the front several days after their divisions' main bodies. While that delay can hardly be described as decisive, you'll find getting those American troops earlier would sure have been handy.

What you have here is a game without a lot of chrome. There are no troublesome unit "modes," combined arms bonuses, tank-type comparisons, headquarters units and chains of command, complex logistical rules, and so on. After all, what are all those staff-weeny REMEs for if not to accomplish all that stuff for you, the commanding general?

The game is intended to be able to be set up and played to a conclusion over a long Saturday gaming session, or maybe over a couple weekday evenings. Players are given a system that sets them to combating each other, not the rules.