WWII Commander: Volume One – Battle of the Bulge
WWII Commander: Volume One – Battle of the Bulge Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
A complete game of WWII Commander: Battle of the Bulge includes:
- 1 Mounted Map
- 2 Sheets of Counters
- 1 Rules Booklet
- 1 German Order of Battle Display
- 1 Allied Order of Battle Display
- 2 Identical Player Aid Cards
- 50 Activation Cubes
- 40 Wooden Control Disks
- 7 Ten-Sided Dice
- 1 Box and Lid Set
2. Game Components
The Game Board
The playing area is divided into spaces bordered by gray lines and blue rivers. Each space represents an area roughly 15 miles across and contains a terrain type: Clear, broken, woods or forest. Each space is named and includes a defender hit reduction value.
- Some spaces also have a town or city with its own defender hit reduction value.
- Rivers act as borders between spaces and affect the movement of pieces. The Meuse River is a special objective for the German player and is depicted more prominently.
- Roads traverse some spaces and cross rivers.
- Some spaces include Victory Point values, awarded to the German Player when controlling the space.
- Some spaces have a German artillery symbol. German attacks in the space gain a +1 bonus.
The board also includes:
- A terrain key,
- A calendar track for marking the game date (from December 16 to December 28 1944). Special German Surprise Turns precede the Dec 16 day,
- A time track for noting passage of time during each day,
- A German Victory Point track,
- Allied and German Hit tracks for recording hits incurred in combat.
Game Pieces
Military units. The forces commanded by the players are called units. Each unit consists of one to three two-sided counters. Each counter face represents the unit at a different strength, ranging from one to six strength points. Only one counter for a unit is in play at any given time, with the side of the counter indicating the unit's current strength face-up.
Each counter shows:
- Unit name: The historical name of the unit, usually denoting a division. All counters for a given unit show the same unit name. Certain Allied units names appear on a red field, indicating the unit is an elite infantry unit, and gains a benefit when defending in combat.
- Unit Type: A symbol indicating one of three unit types – infantry, mechanized infantry or armor.
- Strength: A value indicating the number of dice rolled for the unit when in combat. A unit loses strength as it incurs hits in combat and may gain strength via replacements. A unit's current strength is shown on the face of the counter currently in play for that unit. A change in strength is indicated by flipping the unit's counter or replacing it with a counter for the same unit showing the adjusted strength.
- Bonus die indicator: Units with this symbol roll gain an extra die roll in combat. For example, you would roll five dice for a unit with a strength of four and a bonus die indicator.
- Hit Chance: The base chance that a combat die roll for the unit will achieve a hit against an enemy unit. For example, a unit with a hit chance of 3 will hit an enemy unit on a die result of 1, 2 or 3. Certain armor units have two hit chances, indicating that the unit is an elite armor unit. The higher chance is used when attacking, the lower chance when defending.
- Starting space name. Units with a space name on their full-strength counter face (only) start the game in that map space, with that full strength side of the counter facing up.
- Arrival Day and Location. Units with a day/letter on their full-strength counter face (only) enter play on the date indicated, in the space with that entry letter.
- VP symbol. This symbol appears on the 1-strength counter face of units that start with strength 4 or more to indicate that the elimination of the unit results in a VP award or loss. A unit may have up to six faces such as this one.
Markers. Various markers are placed on the map, on units or on tracks to indicate status: Out of supply, Fuel Shortage, German Control, German VPs, Allied Hits, German Hits, Day, Time.
Activation Cubes. These are placed on units as each is activated, as a reminder that the unit cannot be activated again in the current day. All activation cubes are removed from units at the start of each day.
Play Aids
- German Order of Battle (OB) Display
- Allied Order of Battle Display
- Key Rules Summaries (2 identical)
Dice
The game includes seven 10-sided dice, each for rolling a number from 1 to 10.
3. Setting up for Play
Choose to play the full game or the introductory scenario "Race to the Meuse" (described below). Then follow these steps to prepare for play.
A. Each player chooses a side. Place the board with the east edge near the German Player and the west edge near the Allied Player. Place the OB displays next to the board, facing the owning player.
B. Place 18 German and 12 Allied unit counters marked with a place-name in the corresponding map spaces on the board. Place the counters on their full-strength side (that is, with the side listing the map space place-name face up). Opposing units may set up in the same space.
C. Place all remaining unit counters, including replacement counters for units starting on the map, in the spaces indicated on their respective order of battle display. Stack counters that represent the same unit in the box for their unit on the OB display.
D. Place eight German control markers in Gemund, Stadkyll, Baasam, Prum, Dasburg, Bitburg, Krutchen and Trier.
E. Place the Day marker, VP marker, and Hit markers in the first (leftmost) space of their respective tracks. Place the Time marker in the "1" space of the German Surprise Turns track.
F. Place all the activation cubes in reach of both players.
Each Order of Battle display includes boxes for Initial Forces, Reinforcements (organized by arrival date), Eliminated Units (with a note that eliminated 1-strength units bearing a VP symbol are placed there, awarding or costing VPs to the owning side), and, on the German display, an OKW Reserves box and an Exited German Units box (German units placed here that exit the board may not return to play; the German player gains 1 VP per strength point for units here).
4. Sequence of Play
The Battle of the Bulge is played in game days, beginning on December 16 1944 and ending on December 28 1944, if neither side has achieved victory before then. The first day is preceded by three special German Surprise Turns, described below.
Start of Day Activities
At the start of each day, the players conduct the following activities in order:
- Time reset. Place the Time marker in the 0530 space of the Time track.
- Activation reset. Remove activation cubes and Fuel Shortage markers from all units.
- Supply check. Beginning December 17 for the Allied Player and December 19 for the German Player, both players check the supply status of their units on the map, placing or removing Out of Supply markers as called for. Units remaining out of supply from the previous day may lose strength due to attrition.
- Reinforcements. Both players place their reinforcement units scheduled to enter play this day on the map; initiative player first. Reinforcements may include German units from the OKW Reserve.
- German fuel check. Beginning on December 21, place Fuel Shortage markers on selected German mechanized units.
- Replacements. Beginning December 20, both players assign replacement points available this day to their eligible units; initiative player first.
- German commando operation. Once per game on either December 17 or 18, but not both, the German Player may conduct one Commando Operation. To do so, he places an activation cube on any one Allied unit on the map. That Allied unit may not be activated that day.
After the above are complete, the players alternate taking turns until the day ends.
Turns
Initiative. The players alternate turns, beginning with the player with the initiative. The German player has the initiative from game start through Dec 22. The Allied player has the initiative Dec 23 through Dec 28. Each player may take up to nine turns per day, tracked by the initiative player by moving the time marker along the time track.
Activation. On your turn, select one space and activate all your units there that have not yet been activated this day. Activated units may move and after movement is completed, active units in spaces with enemy units must attack those units. A given unit may be activated only once per day and is considered to be activated when the space it is in is selected whether you move the unit or not.
Place activation cubes. At the end of your turn place an activation cube on every unit you activated in the turn, to show that the unit may not be activated again in the current day.
Passing. On days you have the initiative you may pass your turn if you have no units remaining to be activated or if your opponent passed on his last turn. Otherwise you must activate a space with at least one of your not yet activated units, even if nothing moves. On days your opponent has the initiative you may pass your turn at any time. Passing a turn does not prevent you from activating units on subsequent turns. If both players pass in sequence, the day ends, regardless of the time.
Passage of Time. Each time the player with the initiative completes a turn (by activation or passing) the player advances the time marker one space along the time track. The player without the initiative does not move the Time marker.
End of Day
When the time marker is moved into the "1900 hours" space of the Time track, the player without the initiative receives one more turn, then the day ends, even if units that have not been activated remain on the map. The day also ends when all units of both players have been activated, or if both players pass on successive turns.
Only the initiative player receives an 0530 turn, then he moves the time marker. After the initiative player's 1730 turn, he moves the time marker. Only the non-initiative player receives a 1900 turn.
5. Special Rules for German Surprise Turns and Dec 16
German Surprise Turns: The game begins with three consecutive German Turns before the Start of the Dec 16 day. The German player conducts three turns in a row, with no intervening Allied turns. During these three turns only German infantry units may move, although German armor units in an activated space with enemy units may be activated to attack. Place the Time marker in the first space of the Surprise Turns track and advance the marker one space along the track at the end of each surprise turn. After the three turns are completed, remove all activation cubes, place the Time marker in the 0530 space of the Time Track and begin the Dec 16 day.
The following special rules apply throughout German Surprise Turns and all turns of Dec 16:
- German Attack Bonus. The hit chance of all German combat die rolls when attacking is increased by one in addition to any other bonuses.
- Allied Infantry Movement Restrictions. Allied Infantry units may not move. Infantry units in activated spaces may attack. They may retreat if they have the option to do so.
- German Movement Restrictions. German units may not conduct Strategic Movement or breakthroughs.
6. Space Control
Every space on the board is controlled by either the German or Allied player. A space occupied solely by units of one side is controlled by that side. An empty space is controlled by the last side to have units in that space. At the start of play, spaces marked with a German control marker are controlled by the German side. The Allied side initially controls all other spaces, including spaces that start with both German and Allied units in them.
When an Allied space becomes German controlled, place a German control marker there. When a German space becomes Allied controlled, remove the German control marker.
A space containing opposing units is referred to as contested but remains controlled by the last player to have control of the space, until all of that player's units are eliminated or move out of the space, at which time the other player gains control of the space.
In the example below, Trois Points is an empty Allied space, Malmedy is an Allied-occupied Allied space, Stadtkyll is an empty German space, Losheim is a German-occupied German space, and Vielsalm is an Allied-controlled contested space.
7. Movement
You may move active units one at a time. Each unit moves a number of spaces per activation, depending on their type:
- Infantry: may move one space
- Armor and Mechanized Infantry: may move one space, or two spaces if both spaces are entered by road.
- Units with an out of supply or fuel shortage marker may not move at all.
Movement Example: 116Pz and 560VG are in Bleialf. The 560VG can move 1 space, and can reach St. Vith, Schonberg, Prum, or Dasburg. Note, that Losheim, Baasem, and Clervaux are not adjacent to Bleialf. 116Pz can move 2 spaces, and can reach Baasem, Prum, Dasburg, Schonberg, Losheim, St. Vith, Clervaux or Vielsalm. 116Pz cannot move from Bleialf to Stadtkyll, Kruchen or Bitburg in one move as there is not a proper road network to allow such a move.
Strategic Movement
All Allied units and German armor and mechanized infantry units may conduct a strategic move of three spaces if the following conditions are met:
- The unit enters all three spaces by road.
- The unit does not start in, pass through or end in a contested or enemy-controlled space.
German Strategic Movement. German armor and mechanized infantry units may conduct strategic movement from December 17 through December 22. German infantry units may not use strategic movement at all.
Strategic Movement Example: The 116th Pz is in Bleialf, the 12ss Pz and US 1st ID are in Schonberg, and the US 2nd ID is in Malmedy. The 116th Pz can Strategic Move to Houffalize. The 116th Pz cannot Strategic Move to Trois Ponts, because there is not a proper road network to allow this strategic movement. The 116th Pz cannot Strategic Move to Malmedy, as it is enemy occupied. The 116th Pz cannot Strategic move to Ellsenborn because Losheim is enemy controlled. The 12th SSPz cannot strategic move because it starts its move in a contested area.
Space Control and Movement
A unit must stop moving upon entering a contested or enemy-occupied space. A unit beginning its move in a contested space may move out of that space. However, it may not move directly to another contested space or to an enemy controlled space (it may move from a contested space to a friendly space, and then to a contested space if able to move two spaces). A unit is not required to stop when entering an enemy controlled space that is not enemy-occupied. Entering an empty enemy-controlled space makes the space friendly-controlled, even if moving through.
Space Control and Movement Example: Neaufchateau is Allied controlled and contested. The German units there cannot move directly to Sibret, Martelange, Florenville or Recogne because all four spaces are Allied controlled. FuhrerGrn could move to Sibret by first moving to German controlled Bastogne, as Bastogne is uncontested by the Allied player. FuhrerBeg could move to Arlon without stopping in Allied controlled Martelange, because Martelange is not occupied with an Allied unit. Control of unoccupied Martelange and Arlon would convert to German control immediately upon entry by FuhrerBeg.
Multiple Units in a Space
No more than three friendly units may occupy a given space; thus, a total of six opposing units could occupy a contested space. Units may move through a space with three friendly units already in it but may not end their movement there.
Rivers and Bridges
A unit may move across a river boundary into an adjacent space. A unit moving along a road may cross a river and continue moving. However, only one unit may cross a given river boundary into an enemy-occupied space per turn, even if a road crosses the river. If an area is adjacent to two or more enemy-occupied areas bordered by rivers, the crossing to each individual area is considered a different river boundary.
Roads crossing a river into a space occupied only by enemy units are considered not to exist at the moment of the move – the road is cut at the river. Therefore, a unit moving a second space cannot cross a bridged river boundary to enter a space occupied solely by enemy units.
Rivers and Bridges Example: The German Player activates three units in Herve. First he moves 18 VG across the river border into Ouffet. Doing so makes Ouffet contested. He wants to move another unit into Ouffet but only one unit can cross the Herve/Ouffet river border. So instead he moves 9SS Pz into Stoumont and then into Ouffet, crossing a different river border. Note that if he had not first moved 18VG into Ouffet this move would not be allowed because Ouffet would be solely occupied by Allied units, causing the bridge across the Stoumont/Ouffet river border to be cut. 12SS Pz cannot move to Ouffet across either river boundary since only one unit can cross a given river boundary into a contested area. Instead the German Player moves 12SS to Werbomont.
British Movement Restrictions
British units may not cross the Meuse River until either of the following occurs:
- The date is December 26 or after.
- A German unit enters a space adjacent to the Meuse River. Once a German unit has moved adjacent to the Meuse, all British units (including future reinforcements) may cross. This applies even if the German unit is out of supply or leaves the space.
8. Combat
After all movement in a turn is complete, combat occurs, between active units and all enemy units in the same spaces as those active units. Combat is mandatory in each such space. If more than one space has both active and enemy units, the active player decides in which order to resolve the combats. The active player is considered the Attacker in the combat and the non-active player the Defender.
In a given combat, all enemy units in the space are attacked, regardless of activation status. All active units participate in the attack, as well as other friendly units in the space that have not yet been activated. Such units are considered activated upon participating in the attack – place an activation cube on those units. Units activated previously in the day do not attack.
Combat Die Rolls
To conduct a combat, each player rolls a number of dice (d10) equal to the strength of each of his units in the combat. Each unit is rolled for separately. For example, if a 4-strength armor unit and a 3-strength infantry unit are attacking, the active player rolls four dice for the armor unit, then rolls three dice for the infantry unit. Although each unit attacks in sequence, their results are considered simultaneous for all units on both sides.
Bonus Die. A unit with a bonus die symbol on its counter rolls dice equal to its strength plus one. For example, a unit with a strength of 2 and a bonus die symbol rolls three dice in combat.
Hit Chances
Each die rolled by an attacking or defending unit has a chance to inflict a hit on the enemy. The base chance for each unit to hit is shown on the unit.
An out of supply unit of any type has a base hit chance of 2 when defending, and may not attack.
The base hit chance for each die roll is increased or decreased by any modifiers that apply to the combat situation. Modify each unit's base hit chance before rolling dice for that unit.
Attacker Hit Chance Modifiers
- Attack bonus for all German attacks during surprise turns and December 16: +1
- Artillery bonus for German attacks in spaces containing a German artillery symbol: +1
- Airpower bonus for all Allied attacks on December 23 and all days thereafter: +1
- Defender includes armor or elite infantry: -1 (does not apply if any defenders are out of supply or fuel)
- Defender in clear terrain: +1
- All defenders are out of supply or short on fuel: +2
Defender Hit Chance Modifiers
- Attacker includes armor: -1
- Attacker in clear terrain: +1
- All attacking units entered the space this turn by moving across a river: +1
Hit Chance Modifier Example: It is 16 December and play has proceeded to regular turns. The German player activates Dasburg and moves 2Pz to Vianden and 5FJ to Clervaux.
For the Battle in Vianden: The German player will roll 5 dice. 2Pz is at 4 Strength with a bonus die indicator. The base to hit for each die roll is 5, as the German player is attacking. To hit modifiers applicable are: Attack bonus for all German attacks during surprise turns and December 16: +1; Artillery bonus for German attacks in spaces containing a German artillery symbol: +1. For a net +2 to hit modifier, or a 7 or less being a hit. The other potential modifiers, Defender in clear terrain, Allied air power on or after 23 December, defender includes armor or elite infantry, and all defenders are out of supply do not apply to this attack.
Similarly, the Allied player will roll 1 die with a base to hit of 3. Applicable to hit modifiers are: Attacker includes Armor: -1; All attacking units entered the space this turn by moving across the river: +1. For a net 0 hit modifier, or a 3 or less being a hit.
For the attack on Clervaux attacker modifiers are: Attack bonus for all German attacks during surprise turns and December 16: +1; Artillery bonus for German attacks in spaces containing a German artillery symbol: +1. For a net +2 to hit modifier, or a 5 or less being a hit for all 8 attack rolls. No defender hit chance modifiers apply to this situation. Key to remember in the Clervaux situation is that the presence of 26 VG in Clervaux at the start of the turn negated the +1 defender modifier for the river. Further, there is no penalty to the attacker for crossing a river, so there is no differentiation in the to hit modifiers for 26 VG and 5FJ.
Hit Resolution
As a player rolls dice for his units in the combat, the opposing player keeps track of hits scored against his units by moving his Hit marker along his Hit track. After all combat die rolls are completed, the defending player, then the attacking player, applies all hits against his side by removing strength points from his units, or retreating if defending.
Defender Hit Reductions for Terrain
Every space shows a defender hit reduction value, based on the terrain in the space. In a combat, reduce the total hits incurred by the defender by the value in the space, before applying hits and retreats. For example, if three hits are incurred by units defending in Loshiem (a woods space), the number of hits would be reduced by one, from three to two. Spaces with towns or cities show two values. Reduce defender hits by the first value if the defender controls the space (thus occupying the town/city). Reduce defender hits by the second value if the attacker controls the space. Terrain does not reduce hits incurred by the attacker.
Defender hit reduction limit: The number of defender hit reductions for terrain may not exceed the total strength of the defending units. For example, a defending force with a total strength of 1 receives no more than one hit reduction for terrain.
Applying Hits
To apply a hit, the player removes one strength point from one of his units involved in the combat. If the player has more than one unit in the combat, assign losses to units as evenly as possible. No unit should receive a second hit until all friendly units in the combat have received a first hit, regardless of size or type.
To remove a unit strength point, flip the unit counter or replace it with a counter of matching unit name showing one less strength point.
A unit on the attacking side not participating in the combat (for example, because it was activated in a turn earlier in the day or because it is out of supply), is not assigned hits from combat.
Defender Retreats
When applying hits, the defender (only) may choose to retreat all his units in a combat, by moving them from the combat space to an eligible adjacent space. If he chooses to do so, the total number of hits incurred by his units in the combat are reduced by one. A unit that retreats uses up its activation for the day, if not already activated; place an activation cube on the unit. A defending force with any units out of supply or out of fuel may not retreat.
A space is eligible as a retreat destination if it is friendly-controlled, uncontested, adjacent to the combat being retreated from and the retreat would not result in more than three friendly units in the space. If there is no eligible space for the defender to retreat to, defending units may not retreat. If there is more than one eligible retreat space the retreating player may retreat his units to different eligible spaces. All units in the defending force must retreat if any retreat.
Comprehensive Combat Example
It is the Dec 19 turn and the situation is as follows: Spa has two Allied units both on their last step - B/9 Armor and 4 Inf, and one not yet activated German unit, 2 Pz, also on its last step. Spa is German controlled. Verviers is Allied controlled and occupied by a full strength 1 Inf and 30 Inf. 3 German units in Eupen are activated, 1SS Pz to move and attack Spa, and 12SS Pz and Pz Lehr to move and attack Verviers, all 3 starting at full strength. The attack into Spa also activates the 2 Pz already there. All involved units are currently in supply.
The Battle in Spa: The German Player chooses to resolve the combat in Spa first. Roll seven dice for 1SS Pz (six for unit strength plus one bonus die): The unit's hit chance is 5 for elite armor, minus one for defending armor, for a modified hit chance of 4. The German player rolls 1,2,2,3,5,6 and 7, for four hits. Roll two dice for 2 Pz (one for unit strength plus bonus die): The unit's modified hit chance is 4. Rolls are 2 and 6, for one hit. Record hits: The Allied player records a total of five hits against his defending units on the Allied hit track. He then reduces the hits by one, down to four, for the defender modifier for woods terrain in Spa. The Allied defenders do not benefit from the town because the Germans control the space.
Roll one die for B/9 Arm: The unit's hit chance is 4, minus one for attacking armor, for a modified hit chance of 3. The Allied player rolls a 1 for one hit. Roll one die for 4 Inf: The unit's hit chance is 3, minus one for attacking armor, for a modified hit chance of 2. The Allied player rolls a 2 (lucky!) for one hit. Record hits: The German player records a total of two hits against his attacking units on the German hit track. Terrain modifiers do not aid the attacker.
Apply hits: The Allied player must satisfy four hits but his defending units have a combined strength of only two. Both units are eliminated, satisfying two hits and the excess hits are ignored. The German Player earns a VP for the elimination of 4 Inf. The German player must satisfy two hits, which he does by eliminating the 1-strength 2 Pz (and losing the VP just gained) and reducing 1SS Pz to strength 5.
Breakthrough: Having entirely eliminated the Allied defenders, the German player can conduct a breakthrough with 1SS Pz, moving it to Verviers, Stoumont or Trois Pont; but not to Malmedy since that is a forest space without a connecting road. He moves 1SS Pz to Stoumont.
Battle in Verviers (Clear terrain): Next, the German Player resolves the combat in Verviers. Roll seven dice for 12SS Pz (six for unit strength plus one bonus die): The unit's hit chance is 4, minus one for defending elite infantry, and plus 1 for an attack in clear terrain, for a modified hit chance of 4. The German player rolls 3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9, for two hits. Roll five dice for Pz Lehr (four for unit strength plus bonus die): The unit's modified hit chance is 4. Rolls are 3,4,5,7 and 9, for two hits. Record hits: The Allied player records a total of four hits against his defending units on the Allied hit track. He then reduces the hits by two, down to two, for the defender modifier for the city of Verviers controlled by the Allies.
Roll four dice for 1 Inf: The unit's hit chance is 3, minus one for attacking armor, and plus one for clear terrain, for a modified hit chance of 3. The Allied player rolls 2,5,7 and 8 for one hit. Roll four dice for 30 Inf: The unit's modified hit chance is 3. The Allied player rolls 3,5,6 and 9 for one hit. Record hits: The German player records a total of two hits against his attacking units on the German hit track. Terrain modifiers do not aid the attacker.
Applying hits: The Allied player must satisfy two hits. He does not want to retreat the defending units from Verviers so he chooses to reduce the strength of each unit from a 4 to a 3. He cannot remove both strength points from a single unit because strength loss must be distributed evenly among participating units. The German player must satisfy two hits, which he does by reducing 12SS Pz to strength 4 and Pz Lehr to strength 3. Finally, the German player places activation cubes on all four attacking German units. Activation cubes are not placed on the Allied units, because none of them retreated.
Armor Breakthrough Bonus Move
If an attack eliminates all defending units, surviving attacking armor units may move into any adjacent space, regardless of control. If multiple armor units are eligible for breakthrough they can advance into different spaces.
Breakthrough Limits
- Only one unit may breakthrough across a given river border, even if bridged
- Breakthrough into a forest space is only allowed along a road
- Breakthrough into an enemy occupied space is allowed, and does not trigger combat.
- Breakthroughs are not allowed during the German Surprise turns or on December 16th
9. Supply
A unit must be in supply to operate at full effectiveness. Determine the supply state of all units at the start of each day, for the Allies beginning December 17 and for the German beginning December 19. A unit is in supply if it occupies a space from which a path of connected friendly-controlled spaces can be traced to a friendly-controlled space on a friendly map edge.
Supply Trace Example: It is 19 December, and the German player must begin to trace supply for his units. For purposes of our example, the German player only controls Malmedy, Losheim and Stadtkyll. Both German units shown are in supply. 3FJ in Malmedy is in a German controlled area and can trace supply through German controlled areas back to its friendly (east) board edge.
However, the 1st SS Pz in Spa is also in supply! This shows several key points regarding supply trace. First, the area a unit occupies for supply does not need to be controlled, but all other areas along the supply line must be under friendly control. Second, the presence of an enemy unit in a friendly controlled area, in this case the US 7th Arm in Malmedy, does not block a supply line. Third, supply lines do not need to be traced along roads. The river along the border between Spa and Malmedy has no impact on a player's ability to trace a supply line.
The eastern map edge is German-friendly. All map edge spaces not on the east map edge are Allied-friendly. A unit in a space on a friendly map edge is always in supply.
If a unit is not in supply during the day's Supply Check, it is Out of Supply (OOS) for the entire day, place an Out of Supply marker on the unit's counter, covering the hit chance symbol. If a unit with an OOS marker is found to be in supply at the start of the day, remove the marker.
Out of Supply Effects. You may not activate an out of supply unit; it may not move, attack or retreat or receive replacements. An OOS unit defends if attacked, using the lower hit chance indicated on the OOS marker.
Out of supply attrition. A unit that was out of supply on the previous day, and is still out of supply during the current day's supply check, and has an enemy unit in its space, loses a strength point (and may in this way be eliminated). Flip or replace the unit's counter to show the strength loss.
Allied Air Supply. On December 23 and every day thereafter, Allied units that are Out of Supply do not suffer attrition.
German Fuel Shortage
On December 21 and every turn thereafter, in Step 5 of the Start of the Day activities, the Allied player places fuel-shortage markers on three German mechanized units of his choice. The German player then immediately removes the markers from two of those units. The unit on which a fuel-shortage marker remains is out of fuel for the day. The effects of fuel shortage are identical to being out of supply and last for one day.
Fuel Shortage Worsens. Starting on December 26, the German player removes a fuel-shortage marker from just one unit, leaving two units short of fuel for the day.
Fuel-shortage markers placed on the previous day are removed from units during Step 2 of the Start of Day activities.
Fuel Shortage Marker Example: It is the 23 December turn, the German fuel shortage is in effect. During Step 3 of the Start of Day Activities, 116 Pz was determined to be Out of Supply. For purposes of our example, the German player controls all map spaces east of Bastogne and Houffalize, and all units not shown are at Full Strength. During Step 5 of the Start of Day Activities, German fuel shortage is determined. The Allied player places one fuel shortage marker on Pz Lehr, 10 SS Pz, and 2 Pz. Note that placing the fuel shortage marker on the 116 Pz would serve no purpose as that unit is already out of supply. Since the date is between 21 and 25 December, the German player immediately removes two of the fuel shortage markers and selects 10 SS Pz and 2 Pz. The fuel shortage marker on Pz Lehr has the same effect as being OOS for the turn.
10. Reinforcements
At the start of each day, both players place their reinforcement units scheduled to enter play that day on the map in a space with a reinforcement letter code matching that on the unit. For example, at the start of December 18, the German Player places a unit with the code 18A in either of the two spaces marked with the "A" reinforcement code (his choice).
Delayed Reinforcements
A reinforcement unit is delayed one day (only) if all spaces with the unit's entry code letter are enemy controlled, or all those spaces already contains three friendly units. If the space is friendly-controlled but contested, the reinforcement unit may be placed there.
A delayed unit arrives on the next calendar day, in any space marked with any letter code on a friendly map edge. However, a delayed US unit scheduled to enter in a space on the north edge may not enter on the south edge and if scheduled to enter on the south map edge may not enter on the north map edge. A delayed British unit may only enter in a space with its designated letter code.
German OKW Reserves
Three German reinforcement units belong to the OKW (Western Command) reserve, as indicated on the German Order of Battle display. If, during the Start of Day activities of any day, a German unit is in a space adjacent to or across the Meuse River and in supply, the German Player may place one OKW reinforcement unit of his choice on the map. The German Player receives one OKW unit per day for up to three days as long as the criteria are met.
Replacements Example: Continuing with the same situation portrayed in the Fuel Shortage Example above, the players proceed to Step 6 of the Start of Day Activities. The German player, with initiative, places his replacements first, and the time track indicates receiving one Armor and one Infantry replacement step on 21 December.
116 Pz is out of supply, and is ineligible to receive a replacement step. Similarly, Pz Lehr in Manhay is under fuel shortage, which has the same effect as being out of supply. The 10 SS Pz is currently at 4 strength, so it is ineligible to receive a replacement step. The 2 Pz in Bastogne is eligible to receive a replacement step, its current strength is 3 or less and the unit is in supply. Note that being in a contested or enemy controlled area has no bearing on a unit's ability to receive replacements. The German player replaces the 2 strength 2 Pz unit with the counter showing the unit at 3 strength. All German infantry units are at full strength, so the infantry replacement point is forfeit. Replacements cannot be saved for future turns. Also note, that although the 2 Pz unit will be eligible to receive replacements in future turns, armor cannot use infantry replacement points and vice versa.
The US player receives 1 infantry and 1 armor replacement point. He increases 30 Inf up to strength 4. The armor replacement point is forfeit.
11. Replacements
Beginning December 20, both sides receive infantry and armor replacement strength points at the start of the day to build up units that have lost strength points. The number of points received each day varies as listed on the calendar. The player with the initiative assigns his replacement points first, followed by the player without the initiative.
Replacement points may be assigned to a supplied friendly unit that has lost strength and currently with a strength of 3 or less. Armor units are replenished by armor replacement points, infantry and mechanized infantry units by infantry replacement points. Replacement point may not be assigned to units with strength of 4 or more. To assign a replacement point, flip the unit's counter or replace it with a counter of the matching unit designation, showing a one-strength increase.
A unit may not be assigned more than one replacement point per day. Replacement points may be used only on the day in which they are received. They cannot be saved for use on a later day and any that are not assigned are lost.
12. Victory
In the full game, the German Player (only) gains and loses victory points (VPs). The current German VP total is noted by moving the VP marker along the VP track as VPs are gained or lost.
Victory Points. The German Player gains and loses VPs for the following:
- Space with a printed VP value switches from Allied control to German control: +VP value.
- Space with a printed VP value switches from German control to Allied control: -VP value.
- Allied unit with a starting strength of 4 or more eliminated (loses its last strength point): +1 VP
- German unit with a starting strength of 4 or more eliminated: -1 VP.
- 3 VP the first time in the game a German unit is in supply in a German-controlled space north/west of the Meuse River, determined immediately after the day's supply check (start-of-day, step 3). Once earned, these VPs cannot be lost.
- X VP where X equals the current strength of a German unit, immediately upon that unit exiting the map from any of the five spaces marked with an exit arrow. To exit the map, a German unit must be activated in a German-controlled and uncontested German exit space and must exit the map from that space by movement (not breakthrough or retreat). Once earned, these VPs cannot be lost.
To aid tracking of VPs earned for eliminated and exited units, place each such unit in the appropriate box on the players' order of battle displays – Eliminated German VP units on the Allied display, and eliminated Allied VP units and exited German units on the German display. Note that units worth a VP when eliminated have a VP symbol on their 1-strength counter face.
Victory Determination. At the end of Dec 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 days, compare the current German VP total to the German and Allied VP thresholds listed in the calendar space for that day. If the VP total is sufficiently high or low the game ends in a German or Allied victory. If the VP total falls between the thresholds, the game continues. For example, at the end of December 20, the German Player wins if he has 12 or more VPs, the Allied Player wins if the Germans have 4 or fewer VPs, and the game continues if the Germans have 5-11 VPs.
13. Race to the Meuse
Duration: Three days (Dec 16-18)
Set up and game start: As in the full game. Place reinforcement units on the OB displays for Dec 17 and 18 only.
Determine victory at the end of Dec 18: The German Player wins if at least one German unit occupies a space adjacent to the Meuse River and is able to trace supply (the space need not be German-controlled). Failing that, the game is a draw if Bastogne is German-controlled. The Allied Player wins if neither objective is achieved.