When Tigers Fight

When Tigers Fight Rulebook

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Game Components
3.0 Set Up and Hex Control
4.0 How to Win
5.0 The Turn Sequence
6.0 The Weather Line
7.0 Supply
8.0 Stacking
9.0 Replacements, Reinforcements, and Withdrawals
10.0 Strategic Movement
11.0 Operational Movement
12.0 Infiltration Combat
13.0 Prepared Assault Combat
14.0 Airpower
15.0 Designer's Notes

1.0 Introduction

1.1 General Rule

When Tigers Fight (WTF) is a two-player wargame that simulates the great Japanese offensives and Allied counteroffensives that took place on mainland Asia during 1944. In it, players step into the roles of the various theatre commanders. To win, the Japanese player must attempt to knock China out of the war, though that may be accomplished in ways other than direct territorial conquest. The Allied player must successfully resist the Japanese onslaught, then counterattack to recapture key cities and towns. The game is ideal for multiple commanders, with one player taking the Burma front and the other the China front for each side.

1.2 Game Scale

Each game turn represents one month. Each hexagon on the map equals approximately 37.2 miles (60km) from side to opposite side. Ground units in the game represent mostly brigades and divisions varying in strength from about 3,000 to 20,000 men. The air units are more abstract; each represents enough sorties flown during a month to significantly affect combat at this scale.

1.3 Time Limits

After becoming familiar with the game, we recommend limiting each side to no more than 20 minutes per player turn. This not only speeds play, it will more accurately present players with the real-world necessity of making hurried decisions under pressure.

2.0 Game Components

2.1 General Rule

The components to a complete When Tigers Fight game include these rules, the 34" x 22" game map, one Chart and Table Card, and two sheets with 352 die-cut counters, also referred to as units and unit counters. (Eighty-one of those counters are errata and variant counters for other XTR games.) Players must provide one standard (six-sided) die to resolve combat.

2.2 The Game Map

A. The map represents the militarily significant terrain found across China and Southeast Asia in 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 artificial terrain features that may affect the movement of units and combat between units.

B. The natural terrain and artificial structures shown on the map have had their boundaries altered slightly to fit within the hex grid, but the relationships between the terrain from hex to hex are accurate to the degree necessary for presenting players with the same space/time dilemmas faced by their historic counterparts.

C. Each hex on the map has a unique, four-digit, identification number. These are provided to help find places more quickly (Example: Mandalay is in hex 1924.), and to allow the recording of unit positions if a match has to be interrupted and taken down before it can be completed.

D. Errata: Add the following hexes as rough terrain: the row of 4 hexes 3904 to 4203, the row of 5 hexes in 3804 to 4202, and the row of 6 hexes in 3703 to 4201.

E. Errata: Add the hexes 2310 and 2410 as mountain terrain. (Charts cut into the map reducing the possible play area.)

F. Errata: The Irrawaddy River is east of Myitkyina. Move the river so that it runs along the south edge of 2219 then the east edges of 2219 and then the east edges of 2218 so that the newly drawn correct location of the river joins the river on the map.

2.3 Counters

A. There are 271 counters included in the game, most of which represent combat units. A few others are provided as informational markers or memory aids. After reading through these rules at least once, carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the "dog ears" off their corners with a fingernail clipper will greatly facilitate handling and stacking during play (and enhances their appearance).

B. Each combat unit counter displays several pieces of information: nationality, historical identification, unit type and size, combat and step strengths, movement allowance, and setup or game-entry codes.

2.4 A Sample Combat Unit

[Sample counter diagram in the source.]

Specific units are identified by numbers and/or letter abbreviations of their full historical name. The abbreviations break out as follows.

Japanese Units

MAG: Mandalay Garrison
MYG: Myitkyina Garrison

Japanese Puppet Units

BIA: Burmese Independence Army
INA: Indian National Army
T: Thai

Grand Alliance Units

ATC: Air Transport Command
CHN: Chindits (3rd Indian Division)
I: Indian
KM: Kohima Militia
LKA: Li Kuo's Army
M: Militia
MM: Merrill's Marauders
N: New
P: Provisional
RDF: River (Valley) Defense Force
WA: West African

This unit is the British Chindit Special Forces Division. It contains four strength steps. Each side of each counter represents one step (2.11). At its full (4-step) strength, it has an attack factor of 4, a defense factor of 8, and a movement factor of 4. It starts the game in hex 2019.

2.5 Nationality

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

2.5.1 The Japanese Side

Type	Color Scheme
Tank	Red on White
Other Japanese Forces	White on Red
Japanese Empire Puppet Forces	Black on Red

2.5.2 The Grand Alliance Side

Type	Color Scheme
British Commonwealth*	Black on Tan
United States	White on Olive Drab
Chinese Untried Forces	Black on Sky Blue
Chinese Veteran Forces	White on Dark Blue
US-Trained Chinese Forces	Gold on Dark Blue

*For all game purposes, the various nationalities contained within the Commonwealth army (West Africans, Indians, and others) all constitute one large national force. British units are those with no other identifier on the counter.

2.6 Historical Identification

[Counter illustration in the source; no further text.]

2.7 Unit Size

A unit's size is indicated by the following symbols.

Symbol	Unit Size
XXXXX	Army Group
XXXX	Army
XXX	Corps
XX	Division
X	Brigade
III	Regiment

Design Note: If there is a bracket atop a unit's size symbol, it means the unit is an irregular or ad hoc formation. The various corps, armies and army group units in the game are that in name only, and were actually closer to western brigades or divisions in size.

2.8 Unit Types

The symbols in the boxes in the center of the counters indicate the types of major units deployed in this campaign:

Symbol	Type
Infantry	Infantry
Tanks	Tanks
Special Forces	Special Forces
Cavalry	Cavalry
Paratroops	Paratroops (Treat like infantry.)

2.9 Attack and Defense Factors

These two combat factors are separate measures of a unit's ability to conduct offensive and defensive combat operations. Their uses are explained in section 13.0.

2.10 Movement Factor

This number is a measure of a unit's ability to move across the hex grid printed on the map. Units pay different movement costs to enter different hexes, depending on the terrain in the hexes entered and along the hexsides crossed.

2.11 Step Strength

A. All ground units have from one to four steps. Units with combat and movement factors printed on only one side of one counter have just one step. Units with combat and movement factors printed on both sides of one counter have two steps.

B. Four step units (British, Japanese, and US-Trained Chinese divisions) are each represented by two counters. Only one of each of those units' counters may be in play at a time.

C. The lower-valued counter is substituted for the higher-valued counter as the units take losses.

D. The higher-value counter may be substituted for the lower-valued one if the unit receives replacements (9.1).

E. The steps contained in a unit are the measure of its ability to absorb combat losses before being eliminated. When a unit is eliminated in game terms, it does not mean every individual in it has been killed. It means enough casualties and equipment losses have been suffered by the unit to render it useless for further combat operations.

F. If a two-step unit takes a step loss, it is flipped over so its reduced side (the one with the lower combat and movement values) shows.

G. If a one-step unit (or a two-step unit that had already been reduced) takes a step loss, it is removed from the map (eliminated) and placed in the "dead" pile.

H. There are no naturally occurring three step units in the game; however, if a four-step unit took a single step loss, it would then be referred to as a three-step unit.

2.12 Important Definitions

The following terms are used throughout the rules to describe the two opposing sides in the game and the subgroups within those sides. When a rule is said to apply to one of these groups, it applies to all the units within the parameters of these definitions.

2.12.1 The Grand Alliance Side

All units of all the nations opposed to the Japanese: the British Commonwealth, the US, and China.

2.12.1.1 Anglo Allied (AA)

All units in the Commonwealth army, plus the US MM unit.

British Commonwealth: All ground units colored black on tan.

2.12.1.2 US

Merrill's Marauders and the ground support aircraft of the 14th Air Force.

2.12.1.3 Chinese

All three categories of units (2.5) in the Nationalist Chinese armies. There are no Chinese Communist forces in the game.

2.12.2 The Imperial Side

All units of all the nations opposed to the Grand Alliance: Japan, Burma, Thailand, and the renegade Indian National Army.

2.12.2.1 Japanese

All red on white and white on red units.

2.12.2.2 Japanese Puppet Forces

The BIA, INA, and Thai armies.

2.13 Other Counters

The use of each of these counters is explained in the rules section indicated.

3.0 Set Up and Hex Control

3.1 Choosing Sides and Set Up

A. Players decide which side each will command.

B. Place units with a four-digit hex number printed in its upper-left corner directly on the map in the specified hex.

C. Place units with a one- or two-digit number in its upper-left corner (corresponding to a game turn number) in the appropriate box on the Turn Record Chart.

Example: The British 4th Infantry Brigade enters as a reinforcement (9.0) during Turn 3. At the start of play it is stored temporarily in the Turn 3 box in the corner of the mapsheet.

3.2 Full Strength

A. All units begin the game at full strength.

B. All reinforcements enter play at full strength.

C. Place the lower-valued, second counters of four-step units off to the side.

3.3 Untried Chinese Units

A. The bulk of the Chinese forces are made up of one-step untried units. Place all those units off to the side, or on a tray, with the question mark sides showing. Mix them up so neither player knows where any specific unit is.

B. Place one untried unit with the question mark side up and without looking at the combat factor in each of the Untried Chinese starting hexes (e.g., 3824, 4801, and 5613).

C. Also place one untried unit in every city inside China starting under Chinese control (e.g., 4700, 5116).

D. Treat all untried units as infantry until revealed.

3.4 Marker Placement

A. Place markers as follows:

Box	Marker
8	14th Air Force Bases Remaining
8	Chinese Replacements
8	ATC Bases Remaining
6	Japanese Tank Fuel
6	Japanese Aviation Fuel
0	Japanese Prepared Assaults East of Weather Line
0	Chinese Cities Attacked Last Turn
1	Game Turn Indicator

B. Place the other markers, along with both sides' aircraft units, temporarily off to the side.

3.5 City and Town Control

A. All town and city hexes on the map are always controlled by one side or the other. This distinction is important for determining who wins the game, and for using various other rules.

B. Control of a city or town hex switches whenever a ground unit from the non-controlling side enters the hex.

C. Control switches immediately, and may occur any number of times.

D. At start of the game, the Japanese side controls all Chinese cities colored red-in-black, and all the towns and cities in Indochina and Burma.

E. The Grand Alliance player controls all Chinese cities colored black (and the town in 2320), along with all the cities and towns in India.

3.6 Japanese Garrison Requirements

A. Japan must maintain garrisons in the cities and towns marked with a number inside a red circle east of the weather line. The number is the minimum number of Japanese steps needed to garrison that city.

B. Check the garrisons at the end of each Japanese player turn. Any city improperly garrisoned at that time immediately rises in revolt.

C. Japan must immediately move any units it has in the rebelling city/cities one hex. If not impossible, the units are eliminated.

D. The Grand Alliance immediately places three untried units in the hex(es), using the procedure in rule 9.6.

E. A city may rebel any number of times during play, assuming Japan retakes it after each revolt.

F. Errata: Haiphong does not need to be garrisoned (even though it is marked with a circled 1) as it is not a Chinese city and is west of the weather line.

4.0 How to Win

4.1 Instant-Decisive Japanese Victory

Japan wins a Decisive Victory (4.5) if it fulfills either of these conditions at the very beginning of its player turn:

Its side controls any two of Kunming (3019), Chengdu (3308), and Chunking (3710); or
A die roll is greater than the number of Air Transport Command (ATC) bases controlled by the Grand Alliance at that instant (4.2).

Design Note: The conditions in 4.1 are based on the idea of Japan fully accomplishing the goals that nation aimed for historically in 1944: knocking the Nationalist Chinese out of the war by direct conquest of their critical Szechuan redoubt area or by logistical strangulation. Note there are eight ATC bases on the map at the start of the game (the Grand Alliance player may open one or two more during play, see 7.7.4 and 14.2). The Imperial player should not bother making the die roll until getting the ATC base number down below six.

4.2 Dimapur

Whenever Imperial forces control Dimapur (1516), all ATC bases in hex rows east of there (16xx, 17xx, etc.) are considered lost to Grand Alliance control for purposes of the second condition in 4.1. Thus, if the Japanese control Dimapur, even though there might actually be Grand Alliance ground units in every ATC base on the map, for purposes of 4.1 Japan would only need to roll a 3 6 to win. That is because only the ATC bases in Dacca (1020) and Chittagong (1223) are west of Dimapur.

Historical Note: India's ground transport system was such that all the materiel going to the ATC bases east of Dimapur had to pass through that town on the way to those fields. Japanese control of Dimapur effectively puts a hold on the aerial supply operation to China.

4.3 End of Game Victory

Assuming Japan fails to win an instant decisive victory by the start of its player turn in Turn 10, both players receive victory points (VPs) at the end of that turn to determine the winner using the following criteria.

VPs	Side	Event/Condition
1	Imperial	Control all cities on the map in and east of the 38xx hex row, plus Hanoi (3526) and Haiphong (3726).
1	Imperial	Control all US 14th Air Force bases in China.
1	Imperial	Control Mandalay (1924).
1	Grand Alliance	Control Myitkyina (2218).
1	Grand Alliance	Control any Chinese city that started the game under Imperial control. (Max 1 VP)
1	Grand Alliance	There are no Imperial ground units anywhere in India.
1	Grand Alliance	Japan fails to make at least three PAs against town or city hexes in India. These PAs need not have been made by the same units; nor during the same game turn, nor against the same town or city.

4.4 Degree of Victory

Compare the VP totals for each side. The difference determines the level of victory.

Difference	Victory Level
0	Draw
1	Marginal
2	Major
3+	Decisive

Design Note: It is intentional that the key to achieving the higher levels of victory lies in not only fulfilling your side's VP conditions, but also in denying your opponent's.

4.5 Victory Analysis

Below are summaries of the broader implications of each level of victory on the course of the war against Japan.

Level	Implications
Grand Alliance Decisive Victory	The Japanese are beaten beyond their ability to recover or delay impending surrender. The Nationalist Chinese will be in a good position to defeat the Communists in the renewed civil war. Soviet involvement in Asia will be curtailed well below historic levels.
Grand Alliance Major Victory	The Japanese are beaten badly and probably can be mopped up in mainland Asia early in 1945. Chiang Kai-Shek has a secure power base and will stand an even chance of beating the Communists. Soviet involvement in Asia will be kept to a minimum.
Grand Alliance Marginal Victory	This is the historic result. The Allies kicked the Japanese out of India, and held Myitkyina; the Japanese still had Mandalay. The Japanese botched their last chance to accomplish anything to enhance the Empire's survival; but they can slog through most of 1945, surrendering only when compelled to by the blockade and air bombardment. The Nationalists are barely dominant in China; the Communists are in an excellent position to win the coming civil war, especially with the significant Soviet aid that will flow to them after the Red Army takes Manchuria.
Draw	A stalemate bodes ill for both sides. The Soviet army will be needed to defeat the Japanese in mainland Asia, and Mao's forces may soon launch strong attacks against both the Japanese and the Nationalists. At the end of the war, no one will be in control across all of China, with Stalin probably the big winner later on.
Japanese Marginal Victory	The Japanese army has proven itself the best fighting force in Asia. Japan will eventually lose the war to the Allies, but a large chunk of eastern Asia still remains under its control, and a three or four-cornered struggle for China may go on for years.

5.0 The Turn Sequence

5.1 General Rule

Every Game Turn is divided into two Player Turns. Both player turns are further divided into a series of strictly sequenced steps (phases). Every action taken by each side must be carried out in the appropriate phase of its own player turn. Once finished with a particular phase or action within a phase, a player may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless the opponent graciously permits it.

5.2 The Sequence of Play

The sequence is given below. An expanded sequence is included with the Charts and Tables.

A. Grand Alliance Player Turn

New Units Phase
Strategic Movement Phase
Operational Movement & Infiltration Phase
Prepared Assault Phase

B. Imperial Player Turn

New Units Phase
Strategic Movement Phase
Operational Movement and Infiltration Phase
Prepared Assault Phase

5.3 Turn 1 Restrictions

A. Skip the Grand Alliance player turn of Turn 1; it has already taken place. Begin Turn 1 with the Japanese New Units Phase.

B. The Japanese may not conduct any activity east of the Weather Line during Turn 1.

5.4 Turn 2 Restrictions

A. On Turn 2, the Grand Alliance may not perform any activities east of the Weather Line, but has a full turn west of the line.

B. The Japanese may perform activities on both sides of the Weather Line on Turn 2.

C. Beginning with Turn 3, the full turn sequence is followed for both players on both sides of the Weather Line.

6.0 The Weather Line

6.1 General Rule

The Weather Line is the red line running down the middle of the map. Throughout these rules the China side of the line is referred to as east, and the Burma/India side as west.

6.2 The Monsoon

A. The Monsoon occurs during Turns 3 through 7, inclusive.

B. It affects play only on the west side of the Weather Line. The effects are:

The Japanese western air unit may not operate.
All normal hex and hexside operational movement costs are doubled, including road movement (2MP/hex) and for the MM and Chindit units (2MP/hex). However, even in Monsoon, an IA costs 4 MPs plus any hexside costs.
All infiltration assaults incur a +1 DRM on the Infiltration Odds Shift Table.

6.3 Year Round Effects

A. The Weather Line has other effects that last all through the game and can influence play on both sides of it.

B. Those are:

US 14th Air Force units may only fly ground support on the east side of the line.
Only the single Japanese air unit marked W in its upper left corner may fly ground support west of the line; the others only operate to the east of it.
Anglo-Allied ground units, Japanese Puppet units, and Japanese tank units may never move or attack across the Weather Line in either direction.
Japanese units starting the game east of the Weather Line may not cross the line; Japanese units starting west of the Weather Line may cross it.
Only Chinese units with a W in their upper right corner may operate west of the Weather Line. Such W Chinese units may move and attack to the east of it, and they may also move and attack into India, Burma and Indochina.
No unit may use Strategic Movement while crossing the Weather Line.
Anglo-Allied or Japanese supply lines may not be traced across the Weather Line, but Chinese may do so.

6.4 Tropical Disease

A. Each side must check for step losses from tropical diseases during its New Units Phase of Monsoon game turns.

B. Roll one die and halve the result, rounding down any remainder, but a 1 remains a 1.

C. The result is the number of steps to eliminate from among units west of the weather line that turn.

D. These losses may be apportioned among units as the player sees fit, but all Japanese losses must be from Japanese units, and at least one of the Grand Alliance losses must come from a British or West African unit.

E. Imperial Loss Precedence (13.23) extends here, thus when there are no Japanese units to take losses, then puppet unit losses are taken to fulfill the disease result.

7.0 Supply

7.1 General Rule

A. Units require supply to operate with their full, printed, movement and combat factors. Units are always in one of two supply states: Supplied, or Out of Supply (OOS).

B. Supplied units have their full attack, defense, and movement allowances available for use. Exception: 7.7.

C. OOS units have their attack, defense, and movement factors halved.

D. Units may exist indefinitely while OOS. Players may deliberately move units into hexes where they will be OOS.

7.2 When to Check Supply

A. Check the supply state of each unit when it begins strategic and/or operational movement.

B. Check the supply state of both sides' involved units as part of every battle's resolution process.

C. The supply state pertaining at the instant of each supply check determines the involved units' exact supply state for that movement or combat.

7.3 Halving

A. When halving any factor, always round up any remainders. Example: A halved attack factor of 5 would be 3.

B. When halving more than one attack or defense factor, add together all to be halved in the same battle on the same side and make just one division.

7.4 How Units Are Supplied

Units are supplied when they are able to trace a supply line (a path of hexes) from their location to a supply source appropriate for their side and nationality. Tracing is done just in the mind's eye of the involved player.

7.5 Tracing a Supply Line

A. Supply line tracing is done from the unit or stack to the supply source.

B. Supply lines may not go across all-sea or all-lake hexsides, nor may they pass through hexes containing enemy ground units.

C. They may pass into and through hexes controlled by the enemy, as long as such hexes are not actually occupied by any enemy ground units at the time of tracing.

D. A supply line may trace only one hex into mountain terrain. It may not continue any further unless able to use a road at that point.

Design Note: This gives a purpose to the Chinese unit in hex 4208.

7.6 Capacity

There are no limits to the number of appropriate units that may trace supply to a given supply source.

7.7 Chinese Supply

7.7.1 Chinese Supply Sources

A. The Chinese supply sources are the three immobile supply units in Kunming (3019), Chengdu (3308) and Chungking (3710).

B. Chinese units able to trace a supply line up to five hexes from any of those hexes are fully supplied.

C. Chinese units tracing a supply line longer than five hexes to any of the immobile supply units have Attenuated Supply. Their defense and movement factors are full, but their attack factors are halved.

D. Chinese units unable to trace a supply line of any length to any immobile supply unit are OOS.

7.7.2 Chinese W Supply

A. Chinese W units stacked with and/or adjacent to the US MM unit may trace supply as if they were Anglo-Allied units (any length to the western board edge in India).

B. Other W Chinese units west of the Weather Line but not operating in tandem with MM may only trace to Kunming (3019).

7.7.3 Chinese Supply Unit Characteristics

A. The three Chinese supply units are permanently immobile, have no stacking, step, or combat values of their own, and are permanently eliminated the instant the Japanese gain control of their hexes.

B. For purposes of blocking Japanese supply line tracing, Chinese supply units do count as ground units, and thus no Japanese supply line can be traced through their hexes until the Japanese gain control of those hexes.

C. Chinese supply units are not consumed (removed from the map) by providing supply.

D. They remain intact and in place until a Japanese unit gains control of their hex. Once that happens, that hex is permanently lost as a Chinese supply source, even if retaken by Chinese units.

7.7.4 Myitkyina

A. When a turn begins with Myitkyina (2218) under Grand Alliance control and a path of contiguous road hexes free of Imperial units can be traced from there to the western board edge in India, the Grand Alliance may place one of the two ATC base counters in that hex.

B. While the base is in Myitkyina, all Chinese units able to trace a supply line of any length to one of the three Chinese supply units is fully supplied (100% attack factors).

C. Myitkyina may change sides any number of times during play. For purposes of opening the ATC base, however, check its control status only at the beginning of each game turn. The instant the Japanese side regains control, take away the ATC base marker.

Design Note: The Chinese supply units are located in the center of the Nationalist Chinese' three receiving-airfield complexes. The opening of an ATC base in Myitkyina allows aerial resupply to China to be flown on a more direct and less hazardous route (far lower mountains to get over). Historically, the tonnage delivered doubled when that occurred, effectively ending major Chinese supply problems even before the Burma Road was reopened.

7.8 Anglo-Allied Supply

7.8.1 Anglo-Allied Supply Sources

A. A-A ground units able to trace a supply line of any length to the western board edge in India (1014 to 1022, inclusive) are supplied.

B. A-A units unable to trace any supply line to the western board edge are OOS.

C. A western board edge hex loses its supply providing capacity while occupied by any Imperial ground units, but regains it the instant those units are gone, a process that can occur and reoccur any number of times during play.

7.8.2 Anglo-Allied Coastal Supply

A-A units in coastal hexes in India and Burma are automatically in supply in those hexes, but units outside coastal hexes may not trace supply to them.

7.8.3 Anglo-Allied Special Forces Units

The CHN and MM units are always supplied and never need trace a supply line. This automatic supply capacity does not transfer to any other Grand Alliance units stacked with the two SF units.

7.8.4 Anglo-Allied Tactical Aerial Supply

A. During all turns after the first, before moving any units, the Grand Alliance may provide aerial supply for up to three hexes of A-A and/or W Chinese units located within ten hexes of any A-A controlled ATC base.

B. No supply line is necessary. A hex can receive aerial supply if in range, even if all intervening hexes are occupied by Japanese units, and even if the supply-providing ATC base hex itself has no ground supply line to the west map edge.

C. However, if Dimapur is Japanese controlled, the ATC bases east of there cannot be used to provide aerial resupply (4.2).

D. Each aerial supply marker provides supply for all units in its hex throughout that game turn.

E. Imperial attacking units can never gain the Concentric Assault odds shift bonus (13.30) against such A-A defenders, no matter from how many hexes they attack.

F. When launching Infiltration Assaults against such A-A defenders, Japanese units can never gain any rightward odds shifts against them. Continue to make the die roll check for odds shifts. Any leftward shifts would still be applied.

G. A-A units receiving aerial supply may not move out of that hex. They may attack, but may not advance after combat.

H. Remove every deployed aerial supply marker at the end of the turn. Each is available for commitment once per turn.

7.8.5 Effect of Aerial Supply in China

A. There are only so many transport planes in the theater; aerial supply can only be used by diverting sorties from the China supply mission. Any time the Grand Alliance puts any Aerial Supply markers on the map, place the East of Weather Line Odds Shift in Effect marker in the box of the next turn on the Turn Record Chart. (That counter is labeled East Attacks: 1L/1R.)

B. The effect of that marker is to shift the odds of all Japanese attacks (PA and IA) made east of the Weather Line one column right, and shift all Chinese attacks east of the Weather Line one column left.

C. The shifts take place throughout the game turn after the aerial supply was used. Example: If the Grand Alliance committed any aerial supply markers on Turn 2, then during Turn 3 all Japanese attacks east of the Weather Line earn an automatic 1R odds shift, and all Chinese attacks there earn a 1L.

D. These shifts are in addition to any other applicable modifiers.

E. It does not matter how many aerial supply markers are committed during any given turn; one, two, or three markers generates the same next-turn effect.

F. Ignore this rule when aerial resupply is used when the Myitkyina ATC base is up and running (7.7.4).

7.9 Imperial Supply

7.9.1 Imperial Western Supply Sources

A. All Imperial units west of the Weather Line trace their supply to any of the five non-jungle south map edge hexes (1727, 1828, 1927, 3527, and 3628).

B. Western area Imperial units unable to trace a supply line to any of those hexes are OOS.

C. A southern board edge supply source hex loses its supply providing capacity while occupied by Grand Alliance ground units, but regains it the instant those units are gone, a process that can occur and reoccur any number of times during play.

7.9.2 Imperial Western Supply Deterioration

From the start of Turn 3 to the end of the game, all Imperial attacks (PA and IA) launched into or from hexes west of the Weather Line suffer a 1L odds shift (in addition to all other applicable combat modifiers).

7.9.3 Japanese Eastern Supply Sources

A. All Japanese units east of the Weather Line trace their supply to north board edge hexes from Kaifeng (4800) to the coast (5700), inclusive.

B. A northern board edge supply source hex loses its supply providing capacity while occupied by Chinese ground units, but regains it the instant those units are gone, a process that can occur and reoccur any number of times during play.

C. Imperial units in coastal towns and cities from Haiphong (3726) to Shanghai (6005), inclusive, are always supplied in those hexes, but units outside them may not trace supply to them. These port hexes permanently lose their supply capacity once occupied by a Grand Alliance ground unit.

7.9.4 Japanese Eastern PA Limits

A. Japan may make only nine Prepared Assaults east of the Weather Line on Turn 2, and four PAs each subsequent turn. (There is no activity east of the line on Turn 1, 5.3).

B. Each PA conducted east of the Weather Line counts as an assault regardless of the number of units involved or whether they are in supply.

C. IAs do not count and are unlimited.

D. PAs may not be accumulated for use in a later turn. Any not used are forfeited.

E. Use the Japanese Prepared Assaults East of Weather Line marker to keep track of the PAs made, resetting it at the end of every turn.

7.9.5 Japanese Tank Fuel Limits

A. Japan starts the game with six turns' worth of tank fuel.

B. If any of the three tank units moves during a turn, lower the fuel total by one unit.

C. One unit of tank fuel expended provides movement ability for one, two, or three tank units during a given Japanese player turn.

D. At the end of the Japanese player turn during which the Tank Fuel marker moves into the zero box, permanently remove all Japanese tank units still on the map. This does not satisfy the withdrawal requirements of rule 9.3.

E. Tank units must still trace a normal supply line; thus OOS tank units cannot receive their fuel allotment and therefore cannot move at all.

F. Tank fuel has nothing to do with those units' ability to attack and defend, which is also reckoned by normal supply line tracing.

7.9.6 Japanese Aviation Fuel Limits

A. Japan starts the game with six game turns' worth of aviation fuel.

B. If any of its air units flies ground support (offensive or defensive), lower its fuel total by one.

C. Expending one unit of aviation fuel provides ground support ability to any number of available Japanese air units on both sides of the Weather Line throughout the turn of expenditure.

D. At the end of the Japanese player turn during which the Aviation Fuel marker moves into the zero box, permanently remove from play all Japanese aircraft units. If the removal takes place before Turn 7, ignore the aircraft withdrawal mandated by 9.3.

8.0 Stacking

8.1 General Rule

A. Stacking describes the piling of more than one unit into a single hex. The number of units that may be stacked is governed by their organizational size.

B. Step strength has no bearing on stacking in this game.

8.2 Limits

A. The general rule is both players may stack up to four units in a hex at a time.

B. Brigades (X) and regiments (III) count as half units for stacking purposes.

C. Count brigades and regiments as half units for strategic movement and aerial transport purposes, too (10.0).

Design Note: The stacking limit may seem low for such large hexes, but keep in mind both sides had relatively limited forces to cover this huge theater, mandating extremely large unit frontages. Also, both sides' command personnel tended to be men relegated there due precisely to their lack of ability to command large concentrations of troops. Too many forces in one area would exceed their command abilities. The Chinese also had the problem in that if any of their generals got too many men in one location, Chiang Kai-Shek would assume a coup was about to be launched and ruthlessly set about a preemptive purge. By 1944, all Nationalist commanders had learned the wisdom of not massing too many units in one location.

8.3 When to Check

A. Stacking limits are in force only during the New Units Phase, at the end of every Strategic and Operational Movement Phase, and at the end of every Advance-After-Combat.

B. If a hex is found to be overstacked at any of those times, the owning player must eliminate the minimum number of units necessary to bring the overstacked hex into limits.

C. Within the restrictions above, there are no limits on the number of units that may enter or pass through any given hex during the course of any player or game turn.

8.4 Free Stacking Units

Aircraft, A-A aerial supply, and Chinese supply units have no stacking value and may be added freely to any appropriate stack according to the specific rules for their use (14.0, 7.8.4, 7.7.3).

8.5 Multinational Stacking Limits

A. Chinese and Commonwealth units may never stack together.

B. The US MM Special Forces unit may stack with Chinese or Commonwealth units.

C. There are no multinational limits on the Imperial side.

8.6 Fog of War

A. Neither side may lift the top units of enemy stacks to examine those beneath unless declaring an attack (PA or IA) against it.

B. That examination is not made until the battle resolution process has begun. Once initiated, the attack may not be called off.

9.0 Replacements, Reinforcements, and Withdrawals

A. New units come in two forms: replacements and reinforcements.

B. Reinforcements are new units that enter play after the game has begun.

C. Replacements are step strength increments used to rebuild partially depleted units still on the map, and are not represented by counters of their own.

9.1 Replacements

A. With two exceptions, a completely eliminated unit may not be recreated and brought back into play. Only weakened units still on the map may receive replacements.

B. The first exception is the US MM unit, which may be both replenished on the map and reclaimed from the dead pile any number of times.

C. The second exception is untried Chinese units (9.2.1).

9.1.1 Receiving Replacements

A. A weakened unit must be in supply at the start of its side's New Units Phase to be eligible to receive replacements that turn.

B. If that qualification is met, flip the receiving unit over to its higher step-strength side. Replace it with the higher, stronger counter if a division is being replenished from one or two steps level to three or four steps.

C. Each replacement step replenishes one step of unit strength, and a given unit may absorb any number of available steps in a turn.

D. No unit may be increased to a strength greater than the strongest one printed on its counter(s).

E. Units suffer no movement or combat penalties for having received replacements.

9.1.2 General Replacement Limits

A. Once used, a replacement step is committed. It may not be recalled or transferred to any other unit.

B. Replacements each nationality receives are listed on the Turn Record Chart. They may not be transferred to any other nationality.

C. Only Chinese replacement steps may be saved from turn to turn. All other nationalities forfeit steps not used during the turn received.

D. Japanese replacement steps may be used to replenish only Japanese infantry units. They may not be used to replenish tank, cavalry, or puppet units.

9.1.3 Chinese Limits

A. Eight Chinese replacement steps become available during Turn 2, but only US-Trained Chinese units may use them. No more are received after those eight steps.

B. To be replenished, US-Trained Chinese units must be in supply to the west map edge in India and stacked with or adjacent to the US MM unit.

9.2 Reinforcements

A. In general, reinforcements are set out at the start of the New Units Phase.

B. Reinforcements always enter play at full strength and in supply, and have all their movement and combat capabilities available for immediate use.

C. Stacking limits must be observed when reinforcements enter play.

D. As part of their respective side's normal limits for that kind of movement, A-A and Japanese reinforcements may enter the map using strategic movement (10.9).

E. Reinforcements may not be delayed. If they do not enter during the mandated turn, they are lost and counted as eliminated.

F. Units entering along board edges must pay normal movement costs to get on the map.

9.2.1 Chinese Reinforcements

A. The only Chinese reinforcements are received from the pool of untried units setup at the start of play (3.3).

B. When an untried Chinese unit is eliminated it goes back into the pool.

C. Flip it over so that its question mark side is showing, and keep remixing the pool to prevent the Grand Alliance player's favorite untried units from reappearing every game turn.

D. Starting at the beginning of the Grand Alliance turn on Turn 3, roll one die, adding that number to the number of Chinese cities attacked by the Japanese the turn before. Record that number using the marker counter provided for the Record Point Track. The figure cannot exceed 9 no matter how many cities were actually attacked.

E. The total represents the number of untried Chinese units the Grand Alliance may draw from that pool during its new units phase.

F. Chinese reinforcements of untried divisions are limited by the force pool of Chinese untried units. If there are no units in the Chinese untried force pool, then no more reinforcements can arrive until there are some. Any units unable to be taken that turn are lost, but that should almost never happen.

9.2.2 Chinese Reinforcement Entry

A. Chinese untried units may appear in any Grand Alliance controlled Chinese city where a path of hexes empty of Japanese units can be traced to Kunming (3019), Chengdu (3308), or Chungking (3710).

B. The city traced to must also be in Grand Alliance control at that moment.

9.2.3 Commonwealth Reinforcements

These units enter play through any western map edge hex not occupied by Imperial units at that instant.

9.2.4 US Reinforcements

A. There are no US reinforcements, but the US MM unit may go in and out of the dead pile via the replacement process any number of times.

B. When reclaimed from the dead pile, the MM re-enters through the western map edge.

9.2.5 Japanese Reinforcements

A. All Japanese reinforcement units except two have either the letter W or E in their upper-left corners along with their turn of entry.

B. W units may only enter play via non-jungle hexes on the south map edge unoccupied by a Grand Alliance unit at that instant.

C. E units may only enter play via hexes 4800-5700 on the north map edge unoccupied by a Chinese unit at that instant.

D. The Japanese 47th and 49th Infantry Divisions enter play on Turn 7 through either of those areas (Japan's choice). It is not necessary for both to enter through the same edge.

Design Note: There are no reinforcements or replacements for the Imperial puppet forces. There are no east-west restrictions on the commitment of Japanese replacements.

Historical Note: Most of the Japanese reinforcements came from areas adjacent to either the Burma or China sub-theaters, and so were already part of one of those two area commands. The 47th and 49th came in from Korea and the home islands, and so could be sent to either front.

9.3 Withdrawals

A. Only Japan is required to make withdrawals during the game, during Turns 5, 6 and 7. These withdrawals are all made at the end of the Japanese New Units Phase each time.

B. To be eligible for withdrawal, a division must be in supply.

C. Remove the selected unit(s) permanently from play. This does not use up strategic movement capacity.

D. The Turn 5 withdrawal must come from the Japanese infantry divisions west of the Weather Line at that moment.

E. The Turn 6 withdrawal must come from the Japanese infantry divisions east of the Weather Line at that moment.

F. The infantry units may be of any step strength(s).

G. On Turn 7 set aside two air units from the eastern aircraft pool.

H. Failure to make any of these withdrawals results in Japanese forfeiture of the game.

Historical Note: In July, the 55th Infantry Division was taken out of northern Burma and sent south to replenish itself and guard the south Burmese coast. In August, the 62nd and 63rd Infantry Divisions were withdrawn from China for combat duty against the Americans. The aircraft withdrawn were sent to Japan to take part in the defense against the growing US strategic bombing campaign.

10.0 Strategic Movement

10.1 General Rule

A. Strategic Movement represents long-distance movement, making use of road convoys, coastal and river transport, and railroads that units can exploit within friendly areas.

B. Within the limits given below, it is permitted for a unit to use both strategic and operational movement during the same player turn, and such units could also attack that same turn.

C. Units with zero movement factors may not use Strategic Movement.

D. Within the limits given below, strategic movement is potentially infinite; however, units using it must still move from hex to hex and follow the same general prohibitions as in their operational movement.

Example: In tracing its strategic movement a tank unit could not enter mountain hexes except along roads.

10.2 Chinese Strategic Movement

A. Starting Turn 3, the Grand Alliance may move up to three Chinese units by strategic movement every turn.

B. To use strategic movement, a Chinese unit must start the phase in full or attenuated supply east of the Weather Line in a city hex in China.

C. It may be moved to any other Grand-Alliance controlled and in-supply (full or attenuated) Chinese city.

D. The path taken may be of any length, but must be free of Japanese units and all on the east side of the Weather Line.

E. Chinese units may strategically move off the east map section from a north map edge hex from 2509 to 4700 (this includes inland China) and reenter on a similar hex not occupied by an enemy unit.

F. It is not necessary for the Chinese units using strategic movement during the same player turn to all begin or end in the same cities.

10.3 Anglo-Allied Strategic Movement

A. Starting Turn 2, the Grand Alliance may move up to three A-A units by strategic movement every turn.

B. To use strategic movement, an A-A unit must start the phase in a town or city hex in India or Burma in supply to the western board edge, or be an entering reinforcement or recreated MM unit.

C. Such units may then be moved, tracing a movement path of any length, but free of Imperial units and all on the west side of the Weather Line, to any other Grand Alliance controlled and overland-supplied Indian or Burmese town or city.

D. A-A units may strategically move off the west map section from a west map edge hex (1014 to 1022) and reenter on a similar hex not occupied by an enemy unit.

E. It is not necessary for the A-A units using strategic movement during the same turn to all begin or end in the same towns or cities.

10.4 US-Trained Chinese

A. US-Trained Chinese units beginning the Grand Alliance Strategic Movement Phase in supply in a Burma or India town or city hex, and stacked with or adjacent to the US MM unit, may be considered an A-A unit for purposes of strategic movement.

B. Such units do count toward the three unit limit on strategic movement.

10.5 Air Transport of A-A Combat Units

A. Starting with Turn 2, the Grand Alliance may move up to three A-A units per turn by aerial transport during the Strategic Movement Phase.

B. Such units must begin the Strategic Movement Phase already in an ATC base hex. Any base may be used and supply state is irrelevant.

C. Move the chosen units from their starting base to any other Grand Alliance controlled ATC base.

D. Units moved in this way may not use regular strategic movement during the same game turn, but they may use operational movement and may attack.

E. Air-moved units do not count toward the three unit limit on strategic movement.

10.6 Air Transport of Chinese W Units

A. Starting with Turn 3, the Grand Alliance may move up to three Chinese W units per turn by aerial transport during the Strategic Movement Phase.

B. Such units must begin the phase already in an ATC base hex. Any base may be used and the supply state is irrelevant.

C. Move the chosen units from their starting base to Kunming (only), which must be controlled by the Grand Alliance at that instant.

D. Units moved in this way may not use regular strategic movement during the same game turn, but they may use operational movement and may also attack.

E. Air-moved Chinese units do count toward the A-A aerial movement allotment of three units per turn, but not toward the A-A strategic ground movement allotment.

F. This kind of move only goes one way, from an ATC base to Kunming.

10.7 Effects of Air Transport on China

A. Every unit (A-A or Chinese W) moved by aerial transport consumes one A-A emergency air supply counter for that turn (7.8.4), and has the same odds shift effect in China during the following turn (7.8.5).

B. This penalty may be ignored if there is an ATC base in Myitkyina (7.7.4).

10.8 Japanese Western Strategic Movement

A. Starting Turn 2, up to three Imperial units west of the Weather Line may be moved by strategic movement every turn.

B. To use western strategic movement, an Imperial unit must start that phase in a town or city hex in Indochina or Burma and be in supply to the southern board edge (or be an entering reinforcement). The unit(s) may be moved to any other Imperial controlled and supplied town or city in Burma or Indochina.

C. The path may be of any length, but must be free of Grand Alliance units and all on the west side of the Weather Line.

D. Japanese units may strategically move off the west map section from a south map edge non-jungle hex (1727, 1827, 1927, 3527, or 3628) and reenter on a similar hex not occupied by an enemy unit.

E. It is not necessary for all Imperial units using western strategic movement during the same turn to begin or end in the same towns or cities. The 3-unit western limit is exclusive of the eastern strategic movement limit.

F. The Imperial side loses all strategic movement capability west of the Weather Line during Turns 9 and 10 (due to US B-29 raids on rail centers there).

10.9 Japanese Eastern Strategic Movement

A. During every turn that begins with Kaifeng (4300), Zhumaichan (4303), Xinyang (4305) and Hankow/Wuhan (4907) all Japanese controlled and in supply to the north board edge, Japan may move up to three Japanese units by strategic movement.

B. To use eastern strategic movement, a unit must start that phase in a Japanese controlled and supplied city hex in China (or be an entering reinforcement).

C. The unit may be moved to any other Japanese controlled and supplied city in China.

D. The path taken may be of any length, but must be free of Chinese units and all on the east side of the Weather Line.

E. Japanese units may strategically move off the east map section from a north map edge hex from 4800 to 5700 and reenter on a similar hex not occupied by an enemy unit.

F. It is not necessary for the Japanese units using eastern strategic movement during the same turn to all begin or end in the same cities.

G. The 3-unit eastern limit is exclusive of the western limit.

Design Note: At the game's start, Zhumaichan is Chinese controlled; thus there can be no eastern Japanese strategic movement until Turn 3, assuming Japan captures Zhumaichan during Turn 2.

11.0 Operational Movement

11.1 General Rule

A. Every ground unit has a Movement Factor printed in its bottom right corner. That movement factor is the number of movement points (MPs or MFs) available to the unit to use in moving across the map during its side's Operational Movement Phase.

B. Units move from hex to adjacent hex, no skipping of hexes is allowed, paying variable costs to do so, depending on the terrain in and around the hex being entered.

C. The operational movement of each side's units takes place only during that side's Operational Movement Phases. No enemy movement takes place during one's own Operational Movement Phases.

11.2 Limits

A. MPs may not be accumulated from turn to turn, nor may they be loaned from one unit to another.

B. A side may move all, some, or none of its units in an Operational Movement Phase. Exceptions: 5.3, 5.4.

C. Units that move are not required to expend all their MPs before stopping.

D. The movement of each individual unit or stack must be completed before that of another is begun.

E. A side may adjust the position of an already-moved unit or stack only if its opponent allows it.

11.3 Minimum Movement Ability

A. All units with a printed movement factor greater than zero have the ability to move at least one hex during their side's Operational Movement Phase by expending all their available MPs.

B. This ability does not allow units to enter hexes that are otherwise impassable to them.

C. This ability also does not guarantee units the ability to launch IAs.

11.4 Stack Movement

A. To move together as a stack, units must begin the Operational Movement Phase stacked together.

B. Units are not required to move as a stack simply because they started the Operational Movement Phase in the same hex.

11.5 Splitting Stacks

A. A moving stack may be halted temporarily to allow a unit or sub-stack to split off and move away on a separate course.

B. The units left behind in the original stack may then resume movement, even splitting off more sub-stacks and lone units if so desired.

C. Once an entirely different stack's movement begins, a previously moved stack may not be moved farther without the opponent's permission.

11.6 Different MFs in a Stack

A. If units with different movement factors are traveling together in a stack, the stack must use the movement factor of the slowest unit.

B. As the slower units exhaust their MPs, they may be left behind while the faster units continue moving.

11.7 Enemy Units

A. Moving units may not enter hexes occupied by enemy ground units.

B. Chinese untried units may not move into a Japanese controlled city (a city last occupied by a Japanese unit but currently unoccupied) unless accompanied by a Chinese veteran or US trained division (13.11).

C. Exception: Chinese untried units may move into a Japanese controlled but currently unoccupied city without a Chinese veteran or US trained division if the city started the game under Chinese control. See Infiltration Assault (12.0) for an exception to this rule.

11.8 Terrain Effects on Movement

A. There are two broad classifications of terrain on the map: Natural, and Artificial. Each classification is divided into several different types.

B. There is never more than one type of natural terrain in any one hex, but more than one type of artificial terrain may exist in one hex along with natural.

C. The effects these various terrain types have on the movement of ground units are described below, and are summarized on the Terrain Effects Chart.

D. There are six types of natural terrain: Clear, Rough, Jungle, Mountains, Rivers, Major Rivers, and Lakes/Seas. To give the map a more natural appearance, the artist has overlapped rough and mountain terrain in the same hexes. Treat a hex containing both mountain and rough as mountain for game purposes.

E. The two hexes of jungle in China (4215, 4315) should be thought of as Dense Forest. The effects are the same.

F. Artificial Terrain exists in four types: Cities, Towns, Airfields, and Roads.

11.9 Rivers

A. Rivers (and major rivers) run between hexes, along the hexsides, rather than in-hex like the other terrain types described above.

B. The MP cost (+1 or +2) to cross a river is incurred in addition to the MP cost for the terrain type in the hex the unit is crossing into.

11.10 Roads

A. Roads can be used by all ground units to negate some terrain effects on movement. Road movement can only be used when units travel from road hex to road hex across hexsides traversed by the road they are traveling along.

Example: If a unit in hex 2220 moved directly from there to 2221, it could do so only by paying regular terrain movement costs for entering a jungle hex. If the moving player wanted the unit in 2220 use road movement, it would have to follow the course of the road by going first to 2120, then on to 2221.

B. Units continue to pay the normal additive costs for crossing major river and river hexsides even when they do so on roads.

C. Tank units may only move into and through jungle and mountain hexes along roads.

D. Units launching IAs may not use road movement to enter the defender's hex.

11.11 Prohibited Movement

A. Ground units may not cross all-Lake/Sea hexsides.

B. No unit may move off the map once in play, except within the provisions of rules 7.9.5, 7.9.6, and 9.11; and during Strategic Movement: 10.2, 10.3, 10.8, and 10.9.

12.0 Infiltration Combat

12.1 General Rule

Supplied A-A and Japanese units (2.12) can perform an attack-while-moving called an Infiltration Assault (IA).

12.2 Procedure

A. IAs are a form of combat occurring during the Operational Movement Phase.

B. To conduct an IA, a moving and supplied unit or stack (during the first hex of its move (only)) enters an enemy-occupied hex, paying any involved hexside crossing costs plus 4 MPs for entering the hex (regardless of the terrain) to do so.

12.3 IA Restrictions

A. No unit may make more than one IA per Operational Movement Phase.

B. IAs may never be launched into City hexes.

C. The minimum movement ability (11.3) does not guarantee units the ability to launch an IA. The assaulting unit/stack must have sufficient MPs available to pay for an IA, plus be eligible according to 12.1 and 12.2, or it cannot make the assault.

D. Chinese and Imperial Puppet units may not launch IAs.

E. Japanese Tank and Cavalry units may not participate in an IA unless there is at least one infantry unit (of any size) attacking with them.

F. Units with a printed movement factor of zero may not participate in an IA.

12.4 Attacker Stacking Limits

A. Stacking limits must be met in the hex from which the IA is launched (the hex left by attacker units just before entering the defender's hex) at the instant the move is made.

B. The stacking limits for the units of the two opposing sides in the IA are mutually exclusive and do not affect each other in any way.

12.5 Stacks

A. To conduct an IA together, eligible units must begin the phase already stacked together.

B. This rule does not require all units starting an Operational Movement Phase stacked together to move and IA together; some could be left behind or go off on separate courses.

12.6 Operational Limitations

Because IAs are only conducted by one moving unit or stack at a time, multi-hex IAs never occur, and the concentric column shift for PAs is likewise unobtainable.

12.7 Air Support of IAs

A. Combat Air Support may be used to support IAs, both on the attack and the defense.

B. The aerial commitment for both sides is determined before the IA Odds Shift Chart is consulted (14.0, 12.10).

12.8 IA Supply State

The supply state of both sides in an IA is determined at the instant of the battle. (Supply lines may be traced into, but not through, enemy occupied hexes, 7.5.)

12.9 Resolution of IAs

A. Within the limits given above, IAs are resolved in the same way as regular Prepared Assault combat.

B. Normal supply, terrain, and any other applicable column shifts and modifiers apply.

12.10 Infiltration Odds Shift Table

A. As a last step before determining an IA's final combat odds and rolling the resolution die, consult this table.

B. Roll one die and apply all applicable modifiers listed there.

C. Incorporate the mandated odds shift (if any) to get the IA's final odds.

D. All applicable modifiers listed below the chart are cumulative.

12.11 Further Movement

A. If all defenders in a hex receiving an IA are eliminated, the units conducting the IA may continue moving as long as they have sufficient MPs available to do so.

B. They may not launch another IA that turn, but may launch a PA in the following combat phase.

12.12 No Multi-Round IAs

A. If an IA does not succeed in clearing the assaulted hex of defenders, the assaulting unit/stack must return to the hex it left to enter the defender's hex, ending its movement there.

B. Although the units may not move any farther that turn, they may launch a PA from that hex later, during that same player turn's PA phase.

12.13 Sequential Defense

Unlike the Prepared Assault combat resolved during that combat phase, defenders in IAs may be assaulted more than once per movement phase as long as each IA is launched by a different force of attacking units.

13.0 Prepared Assault Combat

13.1 General Rule

A. During the Prepared Assault Phase, a side may attack all enemy units adjacent to its units across playable hexsides.

B. The attacker is the side whose phase it is, and the other player is the defender, regardless of the overall situation.

C. Attacking is always voluntary.

13.2 Attack Limits

A. There is no artificial limit on the number of attacks each side may set up during its PA phase. Exceptions: 5.3, 5.4, and 7.9.4.

B. The attacker need not declare all attacks beforehand, and may resolve them in any order desired, as long as the resolution of one is completed before that of the next is begun.

13.3 Combat Procedure

Resolve each combat, one at a time in any sequence desired by the attacker, in the following steps:

Determine which units will be involved in the combat (13.4-13.11).
Calculate the odds (13.12).
Modify the odds (13.13, 13.14) for terrain (13.15-13.20), and concentric assault (13.21) to determine the final odds.
Find the odds column of the Combat Results Table (CRT) corresponding to the final odds ratio.
Roll one die. Cross-index the result with the odds column to determine the combat results. Example: 4:1 odds with a roll of 5 results in 1/2.
Apply the combat results, defender first (13.22-13.25).
There is no modification of odds for air units, rather the enemy ground units suffer additional loss points (up to L2) for each unnegated air unit committed; unless the attack was at 7:1 odds, then (defensive) air units have no effect (14.6).
Conduct advance after combat, if any (13.26.)

13.4 Multiple Defenders

If there is more than one enemy unit in a hex being attacked, the hex must be attacked as if it were one large, combined, defending unit.

13.5 Multi-Hex Attacks

A. An enemy occupied hex may be attacked in one Prepared Assault (PA) by as many units as can be brought to bear from the surrounding hexes.

B. Attacking units in one hex may attack units in any number of adjacent hexes.

C. A single PA may potentially involve any number of attacking and defending units in different hexes, but to be resolved as a single battle, all attacking units must be adjacent to all defending units.

13.6 Indivisibility of Units

A. No unit may have its combat factor divided and applied to more than one battle as the attacker or as the defender.

B. No unit may attack more than once per PA Phase.

C. No unit may be attacked more than once per PA Phase.

13.7 Stacks on the Attack

A. It is not necessary for all the units stacked in a given hex to participate in the same attack. Some of the units could attack into one defender hex, while others attack into some other(s), or do not attack at all.

B. No defending unit can refuse combat.

13.8 Zero Attack Factor Units

A. Some units have printed attack factors of zero. Such units may never participate in attacks, nor may they accompany other attacking units having positive attack factors in order to be given up as step losses.

B. Units that do have printed attack factors greater than zero cannot have those attack factors reduced to less than one for any reason.

13.9 Intra-Alliance Attacks

A. In general, attacks involving more than one nationality or group from the Grand Alliance side are not permitted. However, combined US/Commonwealth and US/W Chinese attack cooperation is permitted.

B. There are no nationality restrictions on the Imperial side.

13.10 Chinese Untried Units

A. When an Untried Chinese unit enters combat for the first time, flip it over to reveal its combat factors (once combat is declared).

B. A unit revealed to have attack and defense factors of zero at that time is immediately removed. Its removal does not satisfy any losses.

C. If the combat is a Chinese attack and the removal of the zero-strength unit(s) leaves no other attacking units, the attack is simply called off. The Grand Alliance side may add units from adjacent hexes that were not previously declared part of that attack.

D. If the combat is a Chinese defense, and the removal of the zero-strength unit(s) leaves the defending hex empty of all Grand Alliance units, the attacking Japanese units may immediately advance into the hex without making a die roll.

The result is considered an automatic 0/E.
Those attackers are considered to have participated in combat and may not PA again that turn.

E. In situations where an Untried Chinese unit survives combat, it is not flipped to its question mark side afterward. It remains with its combat factors revealed until such time as it is eliminated and goes back into the pool of untried units for possible later reappearance (9.6).

13.11 Untried Units in Cities

No untried Chinese unit, revealed or not, may attack into a Japanese-occupied city unless at least one Chinese veteran or US-Trained unit also participates in that attack.

Design Note: City fighting is the most intense kind of combat; and though they are too small to be represented by counters in the game, the Japanese army contained enough constabulary, logistical, and administrative units to prevent the kind of low-grade forces represented by the untried Chinese units from engaging in it without being bolstered by other, more dependable, outfits.

13.12 Calculating the Odds

A. Sum the attack factors of all attacking units involved in a battle.

B. Sum the defense factors of all defending units in the battle.

C. Consider each side's supply state when calculating factors (7.1).

D. Divide the attacker total by the defender total and express the result as a ratio, rounding down to the next closest odds column on the CRT.

Example 1: 26 attack factors vs. 7 defense factors yields an odds ratio of 3.71:1 (26 ÷ 7 = 3.71), which rounds down to 3:1.

Example 2: 5 attack factors vs. 11 defense factors yields odds of 1:2.2 (5 ÷ 11 = 0.45 or 1:2.2), which rounds down to 1:3.

13.13 Shifting the Odds Ratio

A. The ratio may be shifted by several factors.

B. All applicable shifts are cumulative in their effects.

13.14 Odds Limits

A. The column headings on the CRT range from 1:3 to 7:1. If, after all applicable odds shifting is done, the final combat ratio obtained for a given battle is beyond either of those two extremes, no die roll is made.

B. If final odds are worse than 1:3, the combat result is automatically E/0.

C. If final odds are higher than 7:1, the combat result is automatically 0/E.

D. See 13.24 and 13.25 for explanations of these combat results.

13.15 Terrain Effects on Combat

A. Terrain affects combat by shifting the odds in favor of the defender. The effects are listed on the Terrain Effects Chart.

Example: The combat effect for Rough terrain is 1L. That means if the defending unit in a battle is in a rough hex, after the preliminary odds are calculated, shift the odds one column leftward on the CRT. If the preliminary odds were 3:1, rough terrain in the defender's hex would shift them to 2:1 before the die is rolled.

B. Only the terrain in the defender's hex(es) and along the hexsides between the attacker and defender affect combat. Terrain in the attacker's hex(es) has no bearing on odds calculations. Exceptions: 13.17.

C. Only one type of in-hex natural terrain and one type of artificial terrain apply to any single combat. However, any shift due to all the attackers coming through water barrier hexsides (rivers and major rivers) is added to the shifts awarded for in-hex terrain.

13.16 Terrain and Multi-Hex Defenders

A. In cases where the defenders are located on more than one hex, apply the largest column shift from among those of all the in-hex natural terrain types involved.

B. If the defender occupies more than one hex with artificial terrain, apply the largest column shift for the artificial terrain involved.

13.17 Tanks on Roads

A. Roads allow tanks to attack into jungle and mountain hexes, but do not negate any of the column shifts.

B. Tanks attack into such terrain with a combat factor of 1, regardless of their printed attack strength.

13.18 Rivers

A. To receive the benefit of a river, all attacking units in a given battle must attack across a river. If even one is not, the river bonus is lost.

B. If some attackers are coming through river hexsides and others are coming through major river hexsides, the shift is 2L.

13.19 Prohibited Terrain

Units may not attack across all-lake or all-sea hexsides.

13.20 City Combat

A. In addition to the 2L shift, attacks against cities double the losses of both sides. Zero results become ones.

B. See also 13.10.

13.21 Concentric Assault

A. Whenever a single hex is attacked by units in opposite hexes (Figure A), or by units in three hexes with one hex between each one and the next (Figure B), or by units in more than three hexes (Figure C), shift those odds one column rightward (1R).

B. The presence of other units of the same side as those in the hex being concentrically assaulted in hexes next to that assaulted hex in no way serves to negate this shift. In the diagrams below, the defending unit is being concentrically assaulted.

C. The concentric assault bonus is not available in any attack against a hex containing one or more Special Forces units (MM and/or CHN).

[Figures A, B, and C are diagrams in the source.]

13.22 Explanation of Combat Results

A. Results to the left of the slash apply to the attacker; those to the right apply to the defender.

B. All results are given in terms of step losses (also called Loss Points or LPs) to the forces involved. That is, each whole-number increment of the combat result means one step from one unit of the affected side must be eliminated. Flipping a multi-step unit to its reverse side satisfies one step loss; eliminating a one-step unit or an already-reduced multi-step unit also satisfies one step loss.

C. Combat results are applied by each side to its own units as desired. Exception: 13.23.

D. The defender applies its result first in every battle, followed by the attacker.

E. If there are more step losses called for than a side has units, ignore the excess.

13.23 Imperial Loss Precedence

A. There are two situations in which the Imperial side is not free to distribute step losses as it might like.

If an Imperial force, attacking or defending, contains both Japanese and Imperial Puppet units, all the Japanese units must be eliminated completely before any Puppet units may absorb any LPs.
If a Japanese force, whether attacking or defending, contains both tank and other types of units, all the non-tank units must be eliminated completely before any tank units may absorb any LPs.

B. Since tank and puppet units never cross the Weather Line (6.3) there will never be a situation in which those two kinds of units are part of the same combat force.

13.24 E (Eliminated) Results

An E result (eliminated) means all the involved units of the affected side are completely destroyed, no matter what their step count. Remove them from the map and place them in the dead pile.

13.25 0 (Zero) Results

A 0 result means no effect. None of the units of the side receiving that result is reduced or eliminated. Exception: City Fighting, 13.20.

13.26 Advance After Combat

A. When all defenders in a PA are eliminated, the attacker may use some or all of the units involved to occupy the newly vacated hex.

B. Normal stacking limits apply.

C. This special kind of movement does not require the expenditure of MPs. It is a free bonus given to winning attackers.

D. Victorious defenders never get to advance after combat. They simply hold their positions.

E. Advances are not mandatory, but the decision to do so must be made immediately after the battle is resolved, before beginning another combat (or the next phase if no more combat will occur).

F. Units with a printed movement factor of zero that have attack factors greater than zero may PA normally, but may never advance after combat in a PA, though other, mobile, units attacking with them could.

14.0 Airpower

14.1 ATC Bases

These hexes are, for purposes of Grand Alliance use, indestructible in the game. If Imperial forces gain control of a base and it is later retaken by the Grand Alliance, it comes back on line for that side for all purposes.

14.2 Akyab and Myitkyina

A. The rules governing the Grand Alliance establishment of an ATC base in Myitkyina are covered elsewhere (7.7.4). The Grand Alliance may also establish a new ATC base in Akyab (1326) if it gains control of that hex.

B. The procedures are the same, but the Akyab base lacks the special significance of Myitkyina in terms of the China supply mission.

C. Opening an Akyab ATC base extends A-A tactical aerial supply and air transport of ground units further into the southern portion of the map (7.8.4, 10.5).

14.3 Ground Combat Support

The eight US P-40 air units and the six Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighters are used to give combat support to the ground units.

14.3.1 Range

When counting air craft range for both sides, all available aircraft can trace their range from one base hex if that is the only base within range of the target hex.

14.3.1.1 US Units

A. The US P-40s may be used to support any battles, offensive or defensive, PA or IA, that occur within eight hexes of one or more of the 14th Air Force bases printed on the map.

B. Do not count the airbase hex, but do count the hex of the unit being supported.

C. Supported battles must be on the east side of the Weather Line.

14.3.1.2 Japanese Units

A. The lone Japanese Zero with a W in its upper right corner may be used to support any battle, offensive or defensive, PA or IA, occurring within eight hexes of a Japanese controlled town or city in Burma, India, or Indochina.

B. The supported battle must be on the west side of the Weather Line.

C. The other Japanese Zeros may be used to support any battles, offensive or defensive, PA or IA, occurring within eight hexes of a Japanese controlled city in China.

D. The supported battles must be on the east side of the Weather Line.

E. The two Japanese aircraft reinforcement units that arrive during Turn 4 are available for commitment from the very start of that turn. They become part of the eastern air force and remain so.

F. The two Japanese aircraft withdrawals mandated for Turn 7 must come from the eastern air force.

14.3.2 Ground Support Aircraft Characteristics

A. Ground support aircraft have no stacking, combat, or step values of their own.

B. They may not be used to satisfy step losses in ground combat, nor may they be used by themselves to gain or reestablish control of any hex on the map.

C. Each aircraft unit may support one ground battle per game turn.

D. All aircraft units in play are available for a new mission at the start of every turn.

14.3.3 Combat Support Procedures

A. Before rolling the die to resolve a battle, either or both players may declare they want to include combat air support.

B. For IAs, make these declarations just before rolling on the Odds Shifter Chart.

C. The attacker always declares first.

D. If only one side declares air support, it commits the desired number of units and adds their effect as uncanceled aircraft below.

E. If both sides declare combat air support, go through the following procedure.

From their respective pools of uncommitted aircraft for that turn, each side secretly selects the number of aircraft units to use in support the battle being resolved. Conceal them in one hand, then simultaneously reveal them to other side.
Each aircraft unit in hand cancels one aircraft unit in the opponent's hand (and is likewise canceled itself).
Set aside mutually canceled aircraft. That will leave no uncanceled air units for that battle on either side, or one side will have one or more air units left while the other has none.

F. Each uncanceled aircraft unit increases the opponent's LP combat result in that battle by one (+1). However, no combat result may be raised more than two LP by the presence of ground support planes.

G. The LP effect of planes is not doubled in city fights.

H. At final odds greater than 7:1, the planes have no effect.

Design Note: Canceled air units are not eliminated from the game, just from supporting that particular battle that turn. All in-play air units are potentially available for use once each game turn (but see below and 7.9.6).

14.3.4 Loss of 14th Air Force Bases

A. The first time Japanese ground forces gain control of each 14th Air Force base, the Grand Alliance must permanently remove one ground support aircraft unit from play. Remove a plane which has not yet been used that turn, if possible.

B. Grand Alliance recapture of a 14th Air Force base hex does not restore the removed aircraft unit. Thus, if all eight 14th Air Forces bases come under Japanese control, even just temporarily and even not all at the same time, that is the end of Grand Alliance combat air support for the game.

Design Note: The capture and recapture of ATC bases is in no way related to this rule. Also note there is no kind of counter-attrition the Grand Alliance player can work against the Japanese air forces (though just flying will eventually ground them, 7.9.6).

14.4 Operation Matterhorn

A. The US B-29 unit arriving as a reinforcement during Game Turn 10 represents the climax of Operation Matterhorn. To use it, the Grand Alliance side flips it over at the very start of the turn so its flaming rubble side shows and places it on any Japanese controlled city hex in China.

B. The effect is twofold:

That hex is no longer considered a City hex. Its characteristics are determined only by the natural terrain in it; and
During that last game turn all Japanese units launching PAs and IAs from locations within ten hexes of the counter do so as if they were OOS. The OOS effect is just for attacks, not for defense or movement.

C. Historically, Hankow (4907) was chosen as the target.

15.0 Designer's Notes

When Tigers Fight was an incredibly fun game to design and playtest. The infiltration assault rules were particularly enjoyable to come up with. They turned out to be intense "riverboat gambles," and can send off the early campaigning in Burma and India in several directions. The untried Chinese units also added a nice element, since they tend to make most players use those forces timidly, fearing every unit will be revealed a 0-0-6.

Since this is primarily an infantry game, I chose to inflate the combat factors of the units to allow me to show even the slightest variations in quality. The difference between 8-10-8 and a 9-11-8 is really not that much, but because of the fog of war rules there will be times when it sure seems it is. (Likewise, who'd want to play the game if all the units looked virtually identical from the get-go?) The CRT is a bit bloodier than most WWII games at extreme odds because infantry units always take some losses.

I also found the many different unit strengths generated particular player psychologies. The high Japanese factors work to make that player want to attack; the lower Grand Alliance numbers tend to make that player cautious (even though concentrating its units will give it the advantage). The historic supreme commanders led their forces as if they were influenced by just such outlooks.

Another interesting thing I found was that Grand Alliance players who followed Stilwell's historical desire to use Chinese forces more aggressively often achieved success. I did not set out to prove anything here – I filled that army, for the most part, with pathetically weak units, but then found they could still take on the Japanese in localized, high-loss offensives. (Still, against a really good Japanese player there is a lot to be said for adopting Chiang Kai-Shek's strategy of trading space for time.) The CRT supports this kind of fighting, since even at 1:3 some losses will be inflicted.

Players looking for the Communist Chinese might not be aware that because they'd signed a temporary truce with the Japanese they were totally inactive during these campaigns.

I believe I've gotten all the important historical facets into the game, which makes it play very much like "actual history." Either side could've obtained significant results in this theater – that neither did is testimony to both the lack of strategic vision of their top commanders and the fierce determination with which the soldiers in the opposing armies tore at each other.