errata

[0.0]? Errata Clarifications

The official full campaign game goes until the last game turn (Jan 8th I believe).

The full Dec 28th campaign game goes till the end of the Night GT of Jan 5th.

Players may extend out to Jan 15th, as no new forces were introduced into the battle (although the SS Panzer divisions s/b withdrawn by Jan 8th.

On German Pz replacements (not the Jagdpanzers-or TDs?): starting with the first Pz repl (a MkV? because the number one is odd) received in a scenario or campaign game, alternate the repl type between MkVs? and MkIVs? whenever repls are received. Two Pz repls can be used to replace any type of Tiger Tank. Feel free to track the armor losses by type (Skip Frnklin sez he's gonna do this :eek:) and cull them for repl according to their type.

Barrage Table Errata. Under the 8 point Barrage Value Column, the third die roll range from the top should read "4-5, not 3-5". Points and percentages are synonymous regarding the Ground Assault Table.

re: attaching units and multi-division stuff:

Thee's no reason you shouldn't be able to-look at Peiper attaching a bn of 3FJ to his KG for more than a coupla days (and he used them like cannon fodder). When you attack with more than one div, you are limited by the PR rating of the div with the lower values (so that is a penalty), additionally, you pay extra movement costs to enter hexes containing units from another div-so that is another extra pain.

Units in Man Res and combat reserve still benefit from being in Fieldworks (ETs? and IPs?) and Fortifications.

Q. The maximum number of artillery units that a unit in Exploit Mode may observe for is two for the US and one for the Germans. I suppose if they are within 2 hexes of an enemy unit...?

A. Two or three hexes (if on a vantage point in clear weather).

Q. If a bn of the 5FJ is attached to 1 SS Pz, it is still different divisions for purposes of movement and combat? But that conflicts with this definition I just found in the rules: Attachment (or Attach): units of one formation are temporarily subordinated (for combat, supply and movement) to another formation.

A. Not in this case-subformations attached to a division are treated like units of that division for all intents and purposes. Note that it would not make sense to attach all of a div's subformations to other divs-you'd lose the support capability of that div's engs and artillery (not to mention AT and ersatz units, as well).

For those of you who want more complexity, use the following. 11.1.1b Multi-Divisional Attack Coordination When units from more than one division are designated to assault the same defending hex(es), apply the following:

A. Roll a d10 for each division with units attempting to participate in the assault. If the die-roll equals or exceeds the attack PR of at least one of that division's units (being designated to assault), then those units may not participate in the assault and are marked with a Possible Retreat marker. If all divisions fail this check, the attacking player may attack with units of the division with the highest attack PR, otherwise, only units of divisions that passed may continue with the attack.

1. The d10 is modified by a minus two if all units are in PA mode.
2. The d10 is modified by a minus one if the units of all the divisions are adjacent or stacked in the same hex.
3. the d10 is modified by a minus one if an activated leader is present in one of the attacking stacks (divisional or KG leaders only).

This was a rule I had considered putting in, but frankly, it is more work than the gain you get from implementing it. It has not been playtested, and is only a Super-Optional rule that players should use only if all agree to it. If you feel the Germans are blitzing through too fast (and likewise the Americans) feel free to use this rule. But it is ultra chrome. Q. So when the 1 SS Pz drags the bn of the 5FJ (or the 272 VG) along they can attack together using the highest attack PR available in the stack, not the PR from the lowest PR division.

JY: Yes, originally there was a rule saying you used the lowest PR, period. But this seemed to go against a number of AAR's I read regarding conduct of the battle and combat performance.

Still sounds like I can have the 272 VG follow the 1 SS Pz around like a puppy and feed parts of the 272 into the 1st every morning. And I have not found where it says I can not do the same with the other units of the 272, i.e. the arty, eng, at, etc...

Clarification/Addition: When you detach units from a division, that division's support elements (engineer, AT, and recon/fus) can no longer be used to confer a RIB to those detached units. Likewise, if any support units are detached from a division, they can no longer receive or confer a RIB in combat. Sub-formations (rgts/Bgds/CCs?/KGs?) can still receive or confer RIBs? to other units of the same formation-whether they have been detached to antoher division or not. Note that this rule really only affects the Germans, as US-Allied support elements are not RIB eligible.

Actually, to keep it real simple here is another optional rule:

1. 2.3b Limits on Detaching Sub-formations No more than one Rgt/KG/Bgde/CC of a division may ever be detached from the division unless Special Scenario Instructions allow otherwise, or unless enemy activity has made it impossible for those units to trace supply to their Divisional HQ (use common sense here). Additionally, no more than one artillery unit can be detached, and it must be used to support the detached sub-formation. This detachment includes subformations that have been designated as independent.
2. 5.2 9th Armored Division Exemption The 9th Armored Division's CCB and CCR are exempt from 14.2.3b as they were designated as reserve forces for the VIII and V Corps.

In the case of contradictions between the rules examples and the charts and tables, always go with the charts and tables printed on the separate paper sheets. A couple examples were missed in editing after the rules manuscript was edited. Additionally, any special rule in the Scenario Booklet supercedes those in the Basic Rules booklet.

Engineer & ET Clarification. To clarify the difference between one Eng Co constructing an ET and two or more Eng Cos quick constructing an ET: the difference (and advantage) between the one-co construction and the two or more Co Quick Construction is that the ET will be finished before the German player conducts his immediately following player turn. In the case of the one Co construction timetable, the US allied player would have to suffer through one full German player Turn before the ET was finished. The thing that is important here is that in both cases the engineers can move on the second turn, but not before. This is based on : "[16.3.1]? Constructing Entrenchments. An engineer unit of any size may start construction of ETs?, but only in hexes with completed IPs?. During a friendly Construction Phase, an engineer unit begins construction of an ET by placing an ET marker with its Under Construction side on top of the unit. In the following friendly Construction Phase, if the same unit is still present, the entrenchment marker may be flipped over to its completed side. Remove any IP marker in the hex after an ET has been completed. Two or more steps of engineer units may start and complete an ET in the same player-turn if they do not move. At the end of the Movement Phase that immediately follows the Construction Phase, the owning player flips the ET marker over to its completed side. The Ground Assault Table, under Attackers Results, third column, second row, should read "01-06" instead of "02-06."

1) Where do 1,2,3/311/78xx set up or where/when do they enter?

They don't set up anywhere. They were attached to 8th Inf Div to the north. Future variants will use them.

2) When & where do CE & HQ/1xx enter? JY: the HQ comes in on Dec 18 night appearing at Herve on the NE map. The 1st Combat Engineer Bn is broken down with one Eng Co appearing with each Rgt of the 1st as it appears on the map (16th, 18th and 26th Rgts).

3) When/where does Patton enter ? JY: Patton enters Dec 20 night turn on any SE map edge. There is no 3rd Army HQ, btw.

4) When/where does 635/4 cav enter? JY: Dec 22 AM, N edge [H-I]? it's part of 4th Cav Grp.

5) When/where do 2&3/118 rgt enter? You have a listing for 1/118 rgt but not these 2. JY: they don't. They are part of a future variant.

6) When / where does 751 AFA/V set up or enter ? JY: it's in the 78th Div Sector (out of play if you ignore the 78th Div for any scenarios. 5005NE is the hex setup number, though.

7) When/where do 1/8/4xx, 3/8/4xx, 1/22/4xx & 44FA/4xx set up or enter ? These units do not come available in the current scenarios.

When rounding off for losses and strengths and Move Allowances, round down, but never below one.

The die rolls for proficiency checks are read as 1 to 10, a zero being 10. In all other cases in the game, a zero equals "0".

Random Events- to trigger an RE, both players must roll "doubles" on the 2d10 roll for GA. The RE affects the player with the higher value.

Q. During the US Barrage Phase, the US player obtained an Artillery Shift againest one attacking stack, then hit the other stack that was also adjacent to the same unit and obtained another Artillery Shift. Both stacks were PA and were attacking the same US unit. Does this confer 2 column shifts to the left or one?

A. No, there is a maximum of one arty shift per combat per side.

One of the RE explanations disappeared: the named player (in this case US) may move one of his opponent's affected units two hexes in any direction, without regard to movement allowances (but terran restrictions are still in effect). The unit may be moved in such a way it is forced to attack. It must stop moving as soon as it moves adjacent to an enemy unit.

Q. It says in the player aid card that "even-numbered steps" can be taken as Mk. IV replacements and odd-numbered ones can be taken as Mk. Vs. Does the odd-even thing refer to the turn the replacements are available?

A. What that means is the German player takes every armor step that is an odd number (1, 3, 5, etc.) as a MkV? repl, and every even number (2, 4, 6, etc.) as a MkIV? repl. Note when a German player culls destroyed German armor steps for replacements, they're added to any listed as arriving on the GT track. Then apply the odd/even rule as to armor type. Basically, this is supposed to represent an almost even split of armor repl types with a slight edge going to MKV steps.

Q. Is that per turn, or over the whole game?

A. Per turn.

Concerning the German Armor Repl rule, go by the rules in the scenario booklet. You use a die-roll to determine what type of armor repl you actually get, MkIV? or MkV?. The more strict players can track the type of armor losses they have incurred and replace steps on that basis, but you are better off using the rules from the scenario booklet. Ignore the rule printed on the Special Repl Chart

Clarification: Engineers, and any kind of infantry (FJ, Recon infantry, etc.) are all considered leg infantry steps when lost, even if they were armored/mechanized, for the purposes of infantry replacements.

Armored Cav/Armored Ger Recon are not counted toward special replacements (for culling) when lost. They may be replaced, but an armored repl step must be used to do so. (Germans may use MkV? or MkIV? to replace those units). That's due more because of their special nature and training rather than equipment.

All other AFVs? are simply considered armor steps when lost. Of course, as mentioned above, you may record the actual type of loss, though it will be harder to get back a certain type of armor step using this method.

The 653rd Panzerjaeger was being saved for a variant rule in the upcoming Player's Guide. For now, on the Dec 16PM GT roll a d10. If the result is 0-2, you get the unit during the German movement phase, entering in any of 6th Pz Army's entrance hexes on the east map edge.

The 217th Sturmpanzer should arrive in either the 5th PzArmy?'s or 6th Pz Army's entrance hexes on the east map edge during the Dec 16 Night GT. As to where it goes in later scenarios, treat the unit as eliminated due to mechanical breakdowns and losses.

Q. The generic company counters do not have any proficiency ratings on them, what values do we use?

A. See para 17.3.1 Proficiency Ratings. It gives the ratings for breakdown companies.

Q. 10.3.1a Why should a pure armor units care if its Ground Assault Strength is halved while Defending in certain terrain? Defending units use their defense strength... correct? Is the defense strength halved?

A. Ground Assault Strength refers to both Attack and Defence Factors.

Q. 11.6.1 Does this mean that 1 step units cannot normally take a step loss since any loss would be more than 1/2 of their steps?

A. Combat Magnitude refers to Battalions onl (see 11.6.0.

Q.We are still confused regarding the "attachment rules." Aside from the super optional rule of allowing just one unit and an arty to be attached at any one time, how many units from one division may be detached, and how many units may be attached to another division? Also, what is the status of those units with their new division as to movement, RIB, etc., and specifically, do you have to use the lowest proficiency rating in combat?

A. A division may never be able to attach or detach more than six units at a time. Additionally, it must always have at least one of its original subformations (rgts, bgde, combat command, KG) under its own command at all times. The six unit attachment limit includes corps and army assets. Once a unit or subformation is attached to another division, those units are treated as though they were organic to the divisionto which they are attached. You don't have to use the lowest proficiency value in a combat in that case.

Q. The exploit move is a little confusing during the night turn because the German night mode change phase occurs after the German has had a chance to exploit during the American night turn. The rule seems to indicate a player moves his entire exploit move in either the Allied turn or the German turn, but not both as is normally allowed at half-speed in day turns. However, since the German could have had units in exploit mode during the proceeding PM turn, those units could move in the night turn right after the Allied night movement phase, and then in their mode phase change their mode and move again in another mode and/or have units enter exploit mode during the night turn. So, can a unit move in exploit mode at night and then move in another mode during the same night? Also if any unit moves in one exploit phase during a night turn are all other units prevented from moving in the other exploit phase of the night turn?

A. Under the rules yes you can do that. There should be a definite advantage for the German Player for night moves, and the ability to move in exploit in the Allied player turn (full move), then switch mode in the German mode determination phase, and then move again, works well. Remember, if you move off road at night you add one to the cost of entering each hex.

Q. Has their been a ruling on the Am -1 on the barrage table for a special type of shell?

A. The US player should get POZIT fuse DRMs? starting with the Dec 27AM turn. There were some available before that, but not in general enough use for game purposes.

Q. How are RIB bonuses generated, via the rules or the combat chart?

A. Use the rules; the chart is wrong.

Q. Does the German LIIIK start with the 7th army or enter on Dec 21st? Also, what formations are attached to it? LIIIK does not start with 7A.

A. It enters per the rein chart-Dec 21. You may attach anyone you want to it, up to the supply limit (see rules).

Q. Where does the 28xxArmC set up?

A. In Wiltz on the SE map.

Q. Where/when do the leaders enter?

A. Leaders arrive with their HQs?, except for Patton. He shows up on the Dec 21 PM turn.

Q. I can find no units of the CCR / 5Axx in the counter sheets. There are some CCA. I have no unit 96 FA / 5Axx. Where are these units of the 5th armored division? There is only the CCA of 5th Arm-all references should be to that command-there are no other units of the division in the game.

A. The reference to 96 FA/5Axx should read 95 AFA/5Axx. The setup info is wrong, the counter info is right.

Q. In rule 11.4.2 (Combat Result Procedure), the first item in the list ("If the attacker did not retreat, he may advance") is identical (in substance, if not quite in wording) to the last item. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me as the first step in the combat result procedure and looks like a typo. Is that where the missing explanation of the effect of a Proficiency Check result belongs?

A. You are correct. Step A should be: "Each side in the combat must make any Proficiency Checks called for by the Combat Restuls".

BTW, I have amended two things:

1. Proficiency Checks: units now pass their PR checks only if they roll less than (no longer less than or equal to) the rating being used. For example, an attacking unit with a attack prof rating of 7 would fail on a roll of 7, 8 or 9. Note that clears up the clumsiness of using two die rolls for units that have ratings of 9.
2. Mech units that have no fuel may never advance more than one hex, whether or not they are in Prep Mode.
3. Pz Lehr is allowed to use the hvy bridge in 5th FJ xx's sector and move within five hexes of it without suffering the penalties for moving out of its army sector (5th Pz Army). This is for the Dec 16th Scenarios. Clarification: the existence of German heavy bridge columns does not preclude the construction and use of normal bridges by the German player-he may still construct such bridges (using engineers-div, or not) but they are subject to collapse if used by medium panzers.

Q. I didn't find any explicit explanation of the procedure or its effects, though. Suggest: A) Each side's lead unit must make a Proficiency Check if required by the combat result. Failure results in one additional discretionary step loss.

A. I'd go with that as just fine.

Q. A Recon breakdown company has a 2 armor value while the parent battalion has a 1. Is that correct or should it be 1?

A. Always two.

Q. In the December 16th per-dawn turn are the Germans restricted to one artillery unit per arrange since all barrages in that turn are considered "unobserved"?

A. No, the special rules state the German player may use up to three units per barrage in that pre-dawn turn.

Q. Does the night drm also apply for the pre-dawn turn?

A. No-it does not. This is a little fudging done by me. There is actually a little false dawn light present.

Q. How are the German "Res" panzer units used?

A. Some divisions start with them and some do not. Do not use them; they are for a variant to be mentioned in the Player's Guide coming soon.

Q. How are the panzer battalion counters on the back of the "Res" Panzer counters used? I assume it comes in to play if you breakdown three hybrid units and then reform them into a pure panzer battalion and a panzer grenadier battalion. Is that correct?

A. You Are correct. Some players expressed the desire to have those units available in case they wanted them.

Q. In the December 16 Master Setup Manifest, page 18 of the scenario book, you describe what a number in brackets means: "They indicate the friendly unit must not be any closer than the number of hexes indicated inside the brackets." I'm confused about what exactly the unit(s) cannot be closer to. I assume it means to an enemy unit, is that correct?

A. Yes, you are correct.

Q. If players decide to use the US 78th Inf. Div. and the 272 VG Div. in the December 16 scenario, must the Germans go into PA mode in the pre-dawn turn since they start next to the Americans?

A. No. That became a static and quiet front. With perfect intel, the Americans would naturally try to drive in that flank, and the Germans might ahistorically try to break through here.

Here is the tricky part concerning the surprise turn: all German attack-capable units on the front line (the Our/Sauer River, and those units forming the frontline trace north of that river) may be put into PA mode, though it is not required. That allows them to move one hex if they are leg, and two if they are Mech. You may ignore the minor river on that turn for movement purposes but not combat. Additionally, any German infantry type unit that could end its PA move adjacent to an enemy unit may also move. (That means some of the German units one hex off the frontline near a US unit.) Also, units that do move in that fashion don't necessarily have to end next to an enemy unit; they can simply move their allowable number of hexes. When, however, all movement is finished, and after all barrages, those units in PA mode will have to assault if they are adjacent to enemy units.

Because this seemed not to be clear enough in the rules and players at Origins: armor (not AT) on defense. If a defending stack has armor (AFV silhouette) and the attacker has none, the defender may be eligible for one armor bonus (no more) on the defense. Here's how it works: after terrain considerations (subtract for everything except fieldworks or fortifications in the defender's hex), if the defender has a higher armor value than any AT value of any attacking unit (not adjusted for terrain), the defending armor bonus is awarded. The defender is not forced to take his first loss from the armor unit if other units are present (unless he used that unit's PR rating). If the attacker has a unit with a greater AT rating, no bonus is awarded, but the attacker does not get one either.

Q. When you have multiple units in the same hex and some are in PA mode and others in Tac mode what is the situation when it is your combat phase?

A. Let's have an example. Suppose you have two units in the same hex, and only one of them is in PA mode, the other in Tac Mode. First, the best way to signify this is to place the unit in tac mode on top of the PA mode marker that is covering the unit in PA mode. (u might want to skew the top unit so that u can still see the PA marker underneath).

Now after movement is finished, and at the start of the combat phase, you could do one of two things: 1. You could still place a tac attack marker (spades) on top of the unit in Tac mode to signify that it is eligible to attack in the upcoming GA segment. 2. You could opt not to place such a marker on top of the unit in Tac mode, in which case it will not be allowed to attack in the upcoming GA segment. However, if there is covering terrain (for combat purposes) in the hex, any unit without an attack marker of any kind will be able to remain in the hex regardless of the results any upcoming ground assault-there will be no need to mark these units with a Possible Retreat marker after barrage.

During the immediately occurring Barrage Segment, both units in the hex are subject to any barrage directed against the hex, and the presence of any kind of attack marker nullifies the effect on terrain against the barrage. This last point is a simplification so that players don't have to worry about multiple target conditions in the same hex. You can choose (if you want) to play it more complicated and allow for target status based on each unit's status in a hex-but I wouldn't do that, it really slows the game down.

After all barrages have been executed, If the same two units are in the hex, the following happens: The unit in tac mode is marked with a Possible Retreat marker if it does not have a tac attack marker on it (the Ace of Spades in this case) AND the terrain it is in is Open. This means that if enemy unit is still adj at the end of the Ground Assault segment, the unit under the Possible Retreat marker will have to retreat until it is no longer adj to an enemy unit (cover does not matter). If the terrain is Covering, the unit remains in the hex regardless of the results of attacks against adj enemy units.

If the unit in Tac Mode does have a Tac attack marker, it must attack at least one adj enemy occupied hex-unless any previous attacks in the same Ground Assault segment have already retreated all adj enemy units. (since the attacker chooses sthe order, this could be useful in clearing out strong enemy units first). Note that the unit in PA mode may not be used in combination with the unit in Tac Mode to attack the same hex. If the unit with the tac attack marker cannot attack any of the adj enemy units (because of multi hex attack prohibitions-and Units in PA mode must attack-first if you will), then replace that marker with a Possible Retreat marker.

Now as a simple fast way around this, feel free to play with a rule that does not allow units in Tac Mode to stack with units in PA mode when their movement is finished, and vice versa.This gets rid of alot of headaches but does take some of the granularity out of the combat system and the ability to hold ground that attacks are launched from-regardless of the outcome of the attack.

Examples:

1. Any mech unit in a hex containing three units (fully stacked) of any type (leg or mech) may not utilise road movement in that movement phase. Because Road movement occurs before tac and prep assault movement, there is no way to reduce stacking to allow the mech unit to road move in that phase.
2. A mech unit may never move through a hex containing another mech unit. HQs? and artillery units in battery are treated as Leg units for this purpose.
3. A mech unit may enter a hex that already contains no more than one other mech unit, but it must then stop and the MP cost to do so is 2 extra MPs? above the normal cost of entering the hex.
4. Leg units may move tactically and treat any kind of a road hexside as a clear terrain hex, but they are not actually using road movement. (e.g., a Leg unit could use tac movement along any kind of a road and pay only 2 MPs? for each such hex entered-the cost of clear terrain).
5. German VG divisional artillery that is Horsedrawn (a MA of 9H) has nine MPs? for its basic MA and moves like a mech unit.
6. Units in Strat mode may only move using roads. And they move before other units using Road Movement.

Here's an example of how Regimental Integrity Bonuses work.

1. Let's assume that two units from KG Peiper (the #1 and #2 Panther teams) and two units from the 12th VG are attacking a US occupied hex. The two sets of units are in PA mode and attacking from different hexes (if any units from different divisions were in the same hex, no RIBs? could be given to, or generated from, that hex). Since the two Peiper units are from the same KG attacking the same hex (subformation) and they also both have an infantry type symbol (PzGren? in this case), they qualify for RIB bonuses. The German player would receive two such bonuses (one for each unit) for a total of 10% pts from just that hex.

The other hex contains the I/48th VG Bn from the 12th VG div and the Pionere Bn from the same division. Once again, they are attacking the US occupied hex in question and they both have an infantry type symbol or (in the case of the German side only) a pionere (eng) or Fusilier or recon type symbol or designation. German divisional assets such as the three just mentioned types can be used to award or receive RIBs? in conjunction with any other infantry subformation of the division (read regts). The US side cannot do this with divisional assets. So from the hex containing the 12th VG units, the German player, in theory, can get two more RIBs? for those two units. However, there is a maximum of 3 RIBs? that can be awarded to each Ground Assault per side. So in this case, the German player gets the maximum of three RIBs?.

1. The US player has two bns from the 394th Inf Rgt of the 99th Inf Div in the defending hex. Additionally, another bn from the same Rgt is in an adj hex. The US player therefore receives two RIBs? (one for each unit) for the units in the defending hex, and one RIB for the bn that is in the adj hex. (the defender may get RIBs? for any qualifying units in or adj to the defending hex. If the German player had retreated the adj bn in an earlier combat so that it was no longer adj, then the US player would only have received two RIBs?. For the purposes of this combat, both players have 3 RIBs? each, so they cancel each other out.

How To: Movement Costs for Moving Adjacent to Enemy Units: even though you may not necessarily have to halt a unit's movement when it moves next to an enemy unit, you almost always have to pay extra MP to enter the hex adjacent to an enemy unit. The only time you don't have to pay the extra MP is when the moving unit is in prepared assault or exploitation modes. The basic cost to move next to an enemy unit is two MP. Add one MP if the enemy unit is in an IP, add two if it is in an entrenchment or fortification hex. So breaks it down like this: two, three, four. If the hex contains cover, you can subtract one MP from the cost to move adjacent, so it becomes one, two, three MP. Additionally, remember all terrain is covering terrain during night GT. So if, for instance, a leg unit moves into a clear terrain hex (two MP) and then a forest hex that's adjacent to an enemy unit in an entrenchment, the cost of the second hex becomes 2 (clear) + 2(forest) +3 (moving adjacent to an entrenched enemy unit) - 1 (the hex has covering terrain in the form of forest, so that cost is subtracted from the three MP ordinarily required to move next to an entrenched enemy unit. The total cost of the movement is then eight MP. How to: things easy to miss during combat Watch out for these...

1. Vantage Points-remember, they award the defender one column shift on the GA Table, and if the spotter for a barrage occupies such a hex, they allow the player to use one additional artillery bn beyond his normal limits. (for example, the Germans may ordinarily use only one artillery battalion if the spotter is in tactical mode during their player turn. This allows the German to barrage with an additional arty bn).
2. Constricted Terrain: Stacking is reduced to 2 units (max of one bn). Also, when attacking such a hex, this stacking limit applies to the number of units which may attack that hex from EACH of the surrounding hexes.
3. Mech units cannot retreat or advance more than one hex into these types of terrain unless through a road hexside: Forest, Woods, Marsh/Soft Ground, Constricted Terrain. Note that retreating or advancing through an access hexside (the hexside that the constricted terrain contour touches) does not nullify this rule. If the unit cannot fully satisfy its combat results with retreats, it will either have to take additional step losses, or convert overkills into a Fatigue status (see Combat magnitude-which I'll explain in a how to later tonite).
4. If you are in tactical mode, you can never adv more than one hex.
5. Mech units can deviate from the path of retreat (after the first hex) if they follow some type of road (trail, 2nd Rd, Primary Rd). Recon units can do this and add one additional hex of advance if they follow some type of road.
6. If the attacker takes any retreats, the defender's results (start with mandatory losses first, then discretionary) are reduced by the number of hexes the attacker retreated.
7. Even though you must still pay MPs? for moving adj to enemy units on the other side of a Minor River (yeah, weird I know, but I didn't want to many exceptions to the movement rules), enemy units separated by nullify this rule.
8. a mech unit may Minor (and Major) River hexsides are never forced to attack each other, regardless of the terrain in their hexes. An intact bridge or ford does not use armor effects through a bridge or ford hexside-but remember, attack strengths are halved.

How to: Conduct Retreats The owning player always conducts the retreat of his own units. The maximum retreat distance for defenders is 2 hexes for Leg and 3 hexes for Mech units. It is one less for attacking units.

1. Retreat Priorities are always toward supply, down a road, into hexes not adj to enemy units, and into vacant hexes. Overstacking is allowed but must be corrected at the earliest possible opportunity. Units may not split up when retreating.
2. So if a mech and a leg unit were defending in the same hex together, and the result was a 3(2)-I know, unlikely but let's just got with this result for now-first, each unit would have to take one step loss. After that Combat Mag would kick in. But let's just say the two losses are taken. Now the units have to retreat. They cannot split up. They go back two hexes satisfying two of the three discretionary hits that were remaining after the two mandatory step losses. at this point, the Leg unit could not retreat further. The US player could do one of two things:

a. Take an additional step loss if available from the leg unit. This would mean that the mech and leg unit could stop retreating after two hexes of retreat.

b. use the Combat Mag rule to avoid the additional step loss-the Leg unit would be marked with a Fatigue marker.

1. The Mech unit from the above example could keep retreating the one additional hex, which would then totally satisfy the full combat result (for itself). No fatigue marker would be required on the mech unit.
2. Of course, if you wanted both units stopping after two hexes of retreat, the smart thing would be to just take a step loss from the infantry unit (as in 2a above).

Basically, each combat is full of such decisions that will affect how well you can either hold or attack in the turns following that combat. Choose wisely, grasshoppers.

1. Regarding retreat and enemy units. If a group of units retreats into a hex adj to enemy units and there is no covering terrain (in this case Forest, Woods, Town or City only), then one step loss must be inflicted on the retreating group. Retreating player's choice, Combat Magnitude does not count for this rule. You do this for each such hex retreated into. It does not matter that this would have been a hex that you could have kept moving through during regular movement.

How to: Combat Magnitude When resolving combats, it is important to understand how the combat magnitude rule works. This rule prevents excessive historical losses when the number of units involved is small, yet still inflicts the right amount (and kind) of punishment on a player's units.

Basically, a unit can never really lose more than one step per barrage or Ground Assault in a single Barrage segment or Ground Assault Segment unless the unit is unable to retreat and certain other conditions apply. Or, unless a player is willing to take the extra losses and passes a proficiency check to do so (optional).

The first thing to remember (which is related to how units take step losses) is that no unit can take a second step loss until all the units that were involved (either target of the barrage or participating in the same GA) have taken at least one step loss.

Next, if the number of step losses inflicted by a combat result would require a unit to lose more than one step, the unit must retreat instead. If the unit can't retreat, the hits are taken as step losses instead. If the unit can retreat, it must retreat a number of hexes equal to the number of hits that were converted into overkills. If a unit has reached its maximum allowable retreat distance and overkills still remain, the unit is marked with a Fatigue Marker and must use the recovery process (13.1.2) to remove the Fatigue Marker. In the case of discretionary hits and overkills, retreats first satisfy discretionary hits, and then overkills.

The max allowable retreat distances are 2 for defending Leg and 3 for defending Mech units, and one less for attacking units.

If a player successfully passes his proficiency check, the affected unit may ignore Combat Magnitude and take additional losses, thus avoiding the overkill results and placement of Fatigue Markers.

Any losses due to retreating adjacent to enemy units must be taken and are not nullified by the Combat Magnitude rule.

As a super optional, if a unit couldn't retreat and took the extra step losses, mark it with a fatigue marker if it does not pass its PR check. For multiple units in a hex, make only one PR die roll for all the units.

Example:

A battalion of the 424th Rgt/106th Div (with three steps) is ground assaulted and the result is 1(2). Two mandatory hits are called for but the Combat Mag rule stipulates that only one step may ordinarily be taken. There is also one discretionary hit-which may usually be taken as a hit or retreat, but because of the Combat Mag rule, it has to be taken as a hex of retreat. This means the unit must ordinarily take one hit and retreat two hexes. If the result had been a 2(2), the unit would have been marked with a Fatigue Marker (because the unit could only have retreated a max of two hexes-leaving one overkill). Now, the US player could have decided to try and take one additional hit to avoid the overkill situation. He would make a Proficiency check using his defensive Prof rating. If he passed, he could take the hit and then only retreat two hexes. Attacking units use their attack proficiency rating.

As a super optional rule, if a unit has no path of retreat, it must take the step losses (overkills) and be marked with a Fatigue Marker if it does not pass its PR check.

The easy explanation is that a small force that can't absorb lots of punishment is going to run-unless they have really good leadership and morale. If they can't run far enough (the combat was just too devastating) they are gonna suffer lingering adverse effects. I found that using the fatigue mechanism (which was already in place) for this purpose worked just fine. Deciding when to take losses or when to allow your units to cut and run is a critical aspect of the combat system.

You will come to appreciate units like the 82nd AB and 101st AB Divs when compared to the 106th Inf Div or some of those lousy German VG divisions.

How to: Breakdown units. Breaking down units costs one-half of their current Movement allowance. Since you are allowed to temporarily overstack when moving, it is permissible to break down a unit and temporarily be overstacked until all those bkdwn companies have moved.

Generally, when you breakdown, you cannot do so in such a way that you would gain combat strength when all of the bkdwn companies and parent unit's strengths on the map are added up.

One exception to this rule are the US Armored Cavalry Squadrons (those battalion sized armored cavalry units that are generally rated 7-7-1 or 6-6-1). These squadrons are all supposed to each have one M5 Stuart Lt Tk (they enter the map with one M5 Lt Tk bkdwn co each). When these units breakdown or split off a ArmC? recon Trp (Bkdwn CO), remove the Lt Tnk company (it is considered to be split up somewhere amongst the bkdwn companies and parent unit it belonged to.) If the ArmCav? Sqdn is reformed back to three steps, the Lt Tank Co is placed back on the board with the parent unit. For the Arm Cav Sqdns already on the map, the Lt Tnk Company has been accounted for in the setup.

To simplify this, you may optionally treat all Arm Cav Sqdns as having an Armor value of 2, but eliminate the Lt Tank companies if you do.

How to: Set up by division When looking at the setup lists, realize that the scenario usually identifies a grouping to use first, and then, within that grouping, it sorts out by Corps/Army level assets and the divisions or independent brigades. In some cases, a division's units will be split among different scenarios (which will result in multiple group listings for the same division).

For example, let's say we are gonna setup scenario four (32.5.0) for the Dec 16th Group of scenarios. The scenario length is given in 32.5.1. The initial deployment tells you to locate the scenario boundaries on the scenario situation maps provided for Dec 16th (p20 & p21). You'll see the big black boundary with Dec 16th Scenario 4 labeled on one side. The playing area will be that which is to the south of this line. Additionally, on the sit map, you'll see Formation ID's that generally locate where each of these formations sets up. I like to just pile all units of that formation in this area before I go searching for the actual setup numbers for the units of each of these divisions. Note that Corps setup areas are also included for the Germans, since they start with so much of this stuff on Dec 16.

Now the Initial deployment states that all Group Four units for both sides are in play. So, for the Germans, I see that Group Four setups are first listed on p22 (starting with the 7th Army).

1. I would take all 7th Army assets and pile them around Bitburg so that I could pick them out as I need them. Separate all of the VAK/VW into little piles according to their designations (406VAK, 408VAK 18VW, 8VW). Note that each VAK and VW brig is associated with a particular Korps.
2. Next, I would see that LXXX Korps is the first Korps to be setup, with the Korps attachments and assests from 7th Army listed directly under the Korps HQ. set those little buggers up. Then you'll see the setup by divisions, for the two divisions under this Korps, 212VG and 276VG divisions. This is the divisional setup for those divisons.
3. After setting up the LXXX Korps, the next set of units are those belonging to LXXXV Korps. Note that it follows the same outline as that above for LXXX Korps: Korps HQ, followed by assets, followed by 5th FJ Div and then 352nd VG Div. The 14th FJ Rgt and 1 pio bkdwn Co are also ID'd as part of Group 3 setups (because they are used for that scenario as well). That should be it for the Germans.

For the US player, I go down the list looking for Group 4 units. For scenario four, I see that the 299 and 159 CE bns are the first units that need to be pulled out, and they should be found with the other 1st Army assets. There is no other way to ID these units as they are not divisional or Corps level units. Next, there is a group four set of units under the VIII US Corps heading-the 81FA and 174FA Bns on p23.

Now we come to the 28th Inf Div. On page 23 in the rightmost column near the bottome, we see the listing "Groups 2, 3, &4-this means that this division will contribute units to each of these scenario groupings. The units of the 28th Div that setup for scenario four are on page 24 under the group four listing-starting with the M4 Co in 3615SE, down to the last bkdwn Inf Co in 4825SE that is Entrenched.

Lastly, all the units under Group Four on page 24 starting with CCA/9th Arm Div and followed by the Group Four 4th US Inf Div units.

Notice that withing Groupings, setups are, for the most part, by divisions. This was the best way (short of enumerable setup charts) to list the setups for all of these divisions. I'll note that OCS generally lists setups using lists like this, and that has always worked for me in the past (along with a whole bunch of others how play that system). But if you need specific help with a scenario, email me and I'll guide you through it.