05. Movement

A player may voluntarily change the location of his units on the map by moving them from one hex to another; this is called movement. There are three basic forms of unit movement: Road movement, Tactical movement and Prepared Assault movement. A unit may usually be moved in any direction the owning player wishes, unless terrain or special scenario rules limit that movement. Retreat and Advance after combat are not considered movement (see 11.7.0 & 11.8.0.) How to move units When units are moved, they must go from hex to hex; they may not skip over hexes. The black arrows represent MPs? that must be expended to enter a hex. The outlined arrows represent potential hexside terrain costs that might have to be paid by the moving unit.

PROCEDURE: Units are moved voluntarily only during a friendly movement or exploitation phase. Units are moved individually, tracing their path of movement through the hexagonal grid superimposed on the map. As a unit is moved from hex to hex, Movement Points (MPs?) are expended from its current Movement Allowance (MA), which is the total number of MPs? that a unit can expend for that phase. If a unit's MA has been completely expended, it cannot be moved any further in that phase. The movement costs, in terms of MPs?, depend on the Movement Classification of the unit being moved, the terrain in the hex being entered and/or hexside being crossed, and the presence (if any) of enemy units in adjacent hexes. The Movement and Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) lists the MP cost to enter a hex. Use the single most expensive terrain MP cost (based on the unit's movement class) to enter a hex, unless road movement is being used (5.6.0). Hexside terrain and enemy unit MP costs are cumulative (i.e. they are added to the entry cost of a hex). Units are moved in a particular order depending on the type of movement they are using and the mode they are in. The Sequence of Play details the order units may move in, it is as follows:

• First, units using Strategic Movement,
• Second, units using Road movement,
• Third, units using Tactical movement,
• Fourth, units in PA Mode.

This order of movement must be strictly adhered to.

Order of Movement The diagram shows a hybrid unit (unit E) moving first down the road (must use road movement when in Strat mode). Next, unit D uses road move to move two hexes along the road. Next, unit A uses Tactical (regular) movement to move three hexes. And last, unit B moves one hex in Prepared Assault mode.

Design Note: The order in which units are moved is meant to penalize congestion by limiting movement. This is historical. Traffic management and the avoidance of mixing different types of units and formations in the same hexes is important when managing the movement of your forces. Pay close attention to the sequencing of unit movement, stacking and road movement; it's the only way to move your forces efficiently.

A unit's MA is the total number of Movement Points (MPs?) it may expend during a movement or exploitation phase. The MA of units is:

• 14 for Mech Recon units (includes hybrid units with a Armored Recon symbol, M5 Lt tank, M8 Greyhound, Daimler/Humber or any Mech unit with 'recon' or 'recce' in the unit ID)
• 9 for Heavy German Armor, German Leg AT, Horse-drawn artillery (those with an H on the Out of Battery side), and German Heavy Bridge Columns
• 12 for all other units

Units are not required to use their entire MA when they move, but unused MPs? cannot be saved for use in later phases. Unit Movement Allowances and MA modifiers are summarized on the Movement and Terrain Effects Chart. (See also Artillery unit movement - 5.8.0)

A unit's MA is reduced (round fractions upward) under the following conditions (these are cumulative):

• The unit is Out of Supply, halve its MA.
• The unit bears a Resting marker, halve its MA.
• The unit bears a Fatigue marker, quarter its MA.
• A German unit's mechanized formation is in Low or No Fuel status, see 14.9.2c.
• Ground conditions may reduce a unit's MA, see 18.2.0.

A unit's MA is increased (round fractions upward) under the following conditions (these are cumulative):

• The unit is in Strategic Mode, increase MA 05. Movement%.
• The unit left Maneuver Reserve Mode within the previous two turns, roll on Fuel & Reserve Release Table (6.5.2).
• A formation's Leader is activated, see 22.1.1.
• Frozen Ground increases a unit's non-road Tactical MA by one MP (18.2.0).

A unit cannot move into a hex containing an enemy unit. Stacking rules are not in effect while a unit is moving; a player may overstack temporarily when moving units. However, a unit may not end its movement overstacked. Units using Road movement (5.6.0) have additional movement restrictions. Unless exclusive or scenario rules state otherwise, there is no limit on how many friendly units may move through a single hex or hexside during a GT.

Covering Terrain negates or reduces some of the effects for units that move adjacent to enemy units. Fortifications, Town, City, Woods and Forest are treated as Covering Terrain for movement.

A unit must stop if it moves next to a hex containing at least two enemy strength points (not of artillery or HQ type), and any one of the following conditions apply:

• The hex contains no Covering Terrain and it is within range of an un-depleted enemy artillery unit with a red hexagon that is part of the same formation or command as the adjacent enemy unit.
• The hex contains no Covering Terrain and is adjacent to a German heavy AT or Flak unit with a red hexagon.
• The enemy units are in ETs? or Fortifications (not IPs?).
• The moving unit is in PA Mode.
• The unit attempts to overrun an enemy unit and is unsuccessful.

Design Note: The first three cases take the place of the old Rigid ZOC in the first edition of this game.

Units usually pay extra MP costs when they move adjacent to enemy units. The Movement and Terrain Effects Chart lists the additional MP cost for doing so. Units moving into Covering Terrain subtract one (-1) from the cost to move adjacent to enemy units in Fieldworks.

There are several cases where moving adjacent to an enemy unit does not cost additional MPs?. They are as follows:

• The moving unit is in Exploit Mode.
• When the enemy unit is a Mech unit and the hex entered is a woods or forest hex that is not connected to the enemy unit's hex by some form of road.

Design Note: Rule 5.3.2 roughly takes the place of the old Fluid ZOC in the first edition of this game. Also, note that Leg units become very valuable when trying to slow up enemy units moving through Woods or Forest terrain.

Mechanized class units can cross river hexsides only if there is a ford or undestroyed bridge crossing the river at that hexside. The Mech unit pays the terrain cost of the hex on the other side and three additional MPs?. German Medium Armor units (Bridge Class M) may collapse a bridge where a trail crosses a river (15.5.0). German Heavy Armor units (Bridge Class H) are prohibited from using a bridge where a trail crosses a river. (See the Unit Type Chart for classes).

See also rule 15.1.1d; Engineer Constructed Bridges and German Armor Weight.

Mechanized Units and Rivers:

Unit A can use the road & bridge to move 3 hexes. The Outline Arrow shows a River Loop treated as one river hexside (see 2.1.1). Unit B is crossing the ford (at a +3 MP cost) and must pay for the terrain on the other side of the river.

Leg units may cross minor river hexsides as long as they can pay the MP cost. They may also use bridges and fords to reduce the cost of crossing rivers. When crossing over fords and bridges, they ignore the river and pay only the cost of entering the hex on the other side. Leg units can use engineer units to lessen the cost of crossing a minor river (15.3.0).

The only major river in the game is the Meuse River. Leg units may cross an un-bridged or un-forded major river if a friendly engineer unit is present in one of the two hexes involved in the crossing (15.2.0). This consumes the unit's entire movement for that phase.

Units in Prepared Assault (PA) Mode move without using MPs?. Instead, Leg units can move one hex only, while Mech units can move up to two hexes. A unit cannot enter or cross any terrain that it would be prohibited from entering during tactical movement. A Mech unit in PA Mode cannot enter more than one Forest, Woods, or Constricted terrain hex per phase unless it does so through road hexsides. If it enters such a hex through a non-road hexside, it must immediately stop moving. A Unit in PA Mode must stop when it moves adjacent to an enemy unit.

Prepared Assault Movement: Two German units in Prepared Assault mode move to attack units 1 & 2. Unit B is a leg unit and therefore may only move one hex. Unit A is a mech unit capable of up to two hexes of movement. Unit A can move to hex E even though D & E are both woods, because a road connects D to E. (Mech units may only move through one woods, forest or constricted terrain hex without following a road.) Unit A would not be able to reach hex B because PA Mode units must stop when they move adjacent to an enemy unit.

On page 11 para 5.5, reads: " A Mech unit in PA mode cannot enter more than one Forest, Woods or Constricted terrain hex per phase unless it does so through a road hex. If it enters such a hex through a non-road hex it must immediately stop." The example below the paragraph shows a mech unit entering a woods hex via non road hex, then entering woods hex via road hex. I assume that the rule is correct and the example wrong?

The rule is correct. You actually cannot even do the reverse (move along the road and then off road into the forest) because road movement cannot be combined with tactical movement.

Note that a mech unit using tactical movement to enter the forest would not have to stop just because of the forested terrain. so the example and errata above only applies to Prepared Assault movement. A mech unit in PA mode stops in the first woods, forested or constricted terrain hex it enters unless it enters thru a road hexside. Yes, even though it is not using road movement, the presence of the road in that hexside allows the mech unit in PA mode to move up to its full MA of two hexes (while in PA mode). If there were no road, the mech unit entering a hex with such terrain would have to stop immediately.

Only Mech class units and Leg class units that have been mechanized may use Road Movement and only if they begin a Movement or Exploitation phase in a hex containing a road. Units starting their move in an overstacked hex may not use Road Movement. A unit cannot mix Road movement with Tactical or PA movement.

Road movement must be entirely along a contiguous road that connects two adjacent hexes by traversing a common hexside. A Trail is a form of road (the worst kind, but hey.)

A unit can only switch movement from one road to another (in the same phase) in hexes where the two roads intersect, (even if both roads exist in the same hex.) In addition, if a unit using Road movement switches from one type of road to another, all remaining fractional MPs? are lost.

Design Note: Unlike many other games, in this one, you cannot jump onto another road if there is no road connection between the two. You may find yourself having to go one hex further and then backtracking just to get on a road you wish to use.

A Mech unit may use road movement to enter a hex containing another Mech unit, but this costs two extra MPs? and the unit must end its movement. (Exception: Strat Mode-see 5.3.4) Mech units can not Road move into, or out of, a hex already containing two Mech units.

Design Note: The situation could arise where two Mech units enter a hex with prohibited terrain using road movement. In this case, the only way the units could leave or retreat from the hex would be along a road. A third Mech unit could never enter such a hex, since Road movement is not allowed into hexes already containing two such units.

Up to three Leg units of any size in each US Infantry Division may move using Road Movement during the movement phase as if they were Mech units as long as (1) they follow all Road Movement restrictions (5.6.0) while doing so and (2) they do not move adjacent to enemy units. Once such a unit has completed its movement, it is once again considered a Leg unit, even for other units that move during the same phase, including those employing Road Movement. The same three units do not have to be chosen to move in this manner in a subsequent movement phase. Note that this type of movement does not require the use of truck points. More than three Leg units of the same US division may be mechanized, but these additional units would require the use of army level truck points (see 5.7.2 above). Note also that any three US Leg units of a division may enter Strat Mode without the use of army level truck points.

Design Note: Even though US leg units fought on foot, they usually only marched short distances when making administrative moves. There was plenty of truck transport at the Division/Corps level to move these units by road when necessary. What is happening is that the leg unit is shuttled by motor assets to a location, where they debark and are still leg units. While they are being moved, though, they must follow mechanized road restrictions.

Example: a US Leg unit is "picked up" by one of a division's three intrinsic truck points. It moves along a primary road for a distance of 3 MP (6 hexes). While doing so, it moves like a Mech unit. It would have to pay 2 extra MPs? to enter a hex with another Mech unit and halt its movement.

All units belong to one of two movement classifications: Mechanized (Mech) and Leg. The Unit Type Chart displays the movement class each type of unit belongs to. The movement class determines which MP costs column on the Movement and Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) is used when moving a unit. Use the MP costs under the column that corresponds to a unit's movement class. A unit usually belongs to one movement class only, however certain units may at times change class (see 5.7.1 thru 5.7.5 below). Note that the TEC charts supersede those printed on the map.

Design Note: A third possible movement classification, Wheeled Units, has been abstracted into the Mechanized movement class to simplify play.

Mech Infantry or Engineer units can dismount and become Leg units by breaking down into Leg companies of the same unit type. These units may be mechanized again by reconstituting with the parent unit, or by tracing a path (not adjacent to enemy units), no longer than 12 Mech MPs?, back to the parent unit or divisional HQ during a friendly mode determination phase. If the path is established, replace the Leg breakdown units with Mech breakdown units.

Design Note: Players may find that in bad terrain, they may have to dismount some of their Armored Infantry or Panzergrenadiers to regain a degree of mobility or maintain a line of defense.

Each TP on an Army's Record Track allows that army to place one Motor Unit marker on any eligible unit attached to a subordinated formation. When this is done, reduce the total number of TPs? available to that army by one (this is recorded using the Army Trucks marker). When the Motor Unit marker is no longer being used, increase that army's available TPs? by one.

The scenario rules will state how many TPs? each US Army starts with, and how many are gained or lost during the course of the game. The number of German Army TPs? is dependant upon TP assignments (see German Transport Table - 14.9.0).

Play Note: German corps and army artillery units may not move without the allocation of a TP (see 5.8.4).

US AT and Leg engineer units can move using either Mech or Leg movement (but not both in the same phase). If mechanized movement is used all mechanized movement and stacking restrictions apply. Once such a unit has completed its movement, it is once again considered a Leg unit, even for other units that move during the same phase, including those employing Road Movement (exception: Strat Mode). These units may be placed in Strat Mode without the use of TPs?.

Design Note: US engineer and AT units all had their own motor assets, mostly trucks or half-tracks.

German Nebelwerfer units of 150mm Caliber are considered self-propelled when mechanized through the use of army level truck points. They may also fire at half-strength when mechanized and on their Out of Battery sides.

Design Note: These units saw great utility due to their mobility (lightness) and ability to mass fires in a fairly easy manner.

German Corps and Army-level artillery units, that are not horse drawn, may only be moved if allocated a Truck Point (TP). See TP allocation - 5.7.2 & 5.7.2a.

Exception: German Army heavy artillery (those with 18 range factor) may never be moved throughout the game.

Overruns are a form of combined movement and combat that represents an attempt by exploiting forces to rapidly displace or destroy small enemy blocking forces. It was created to prevent a player from placing an insignificant force in a hex critical for movement, allowing him to deny that hex to the opposing player's exploiting units with complete certainty.

Overrun is allowed only during the exploitation phase by Mech units in Exploit Mode. Artillery, HQ and mechanized Leg units may not conduct an overrun. A unit that expends the required amount of MPs? may overrun enemy-occupied hexes they are adjacent to. The overrunning unit must expend one MP and pay the MP cost to enter the hex being overrun. All normal terrain and movement costs apply. An overrunning unit using Road movement may use road MP costs. Units may overrun enemy units that started the phase adjacent to them.

Only one unit at a time may overrun a defending hex. Units that are Out of Supply may not overrun. All enemy units in the overrun hex (up to the combat stacking limits) defend against the overrun. A specific defending hex may be overrun only once per exploitation phase. Units cannot overrun from a hex without covering terrain that is adjacent to more than one enemy-occupied hex.

Design Note: this is a very important condition that is easily overlooked. Also note that since night converts all terrain into covering terrain, adjacent enemy units do not affect overrun ability at night.