Armour Battles – Command Orders

This post covers Command Orders.

Command Orders are used to activate or rally units. Double or larger Dice Chains can be used to increase the number of Staff Orders or issue multiple move orders.

Activating a Command Group

Each Command Dice lets you activate one Command Group. Command Groups are based on historic company formations but are not restricted to them. Combat HQ uses a flexible command system that lets you decide which units follow your orders. You activate Command Groups one at a time, completing all actions with one Command Group before activating another. Once you activate another Command Group, you cannot go back to a previous one, so be sure you have performed all actions with a Command Group before activating another.

Creating a Command Group

Nominate any unit on the table as your leader. This unit can activate itself and up to three other units within 6” (measure from the centre of the unit to the closest point on the models you want to activate).

Command Groups are flexible and can be changed each turn.

Activation Restrictions

No unit may be activated more than once per Command Pulse. Therefore, it’s not possible to include a unit in more than one Command Group as that would activate it twice.

A suppressed unit may not be included in a Command Group. It must be activated on its own or first have its suppression removed (this does not count as activation) and then be included in a Command Group.

Forming a Command Group

• Choose one unit to be your Command Unit
• Place Command Dice next to it
• The Command Unit activates itself and up to three other units *
• No unit can be activated more than once per Command Pulse

*Suppressed units may not be included in a Command Group

Command Orders Defined

A Command Group can be given a variety of orders.

Move and Fire

This order is the basic activation used to move and fire with units. Activated units may move and fire, or they fire and then move. They can also be activated to fire, but not move. They may make a normal move without a penalty to firing, but suffer penalties when making multiple moves.

Commit Reserves

This order commits a Command Group held in reserve to enter the table with a triple move. Units already on the table cannot be included in a reserve move.

Reserves are committed by nominating a reserve Command Group and placing the units on the Friendly Table Edge. The Command Group can now make a triple move for only one Command Dice. It is subject to opportunity fire as normal.

Disengage Group

Units may disengage directly backwards. They move their full distance back, not at half speed, and end their move facing the enemy. Disengaging units may halt on entering or moving behind cover. Otherwise, they move back as far as their total rolled move. Disengaging units pay any Fixed Move penalty for crossing obstacles and move at 1/2 speed in broken ground.

Disengaging units may not be fired upon with opportunity fire as they use smoke dispensers to conceal themselves. Disengaging units may make multiple moves with a Dice Chain, but must move directly backwards. They cannot manoeuvre when disengaging.

A disengaging unit cannot fire. Mark it with a Fire Marker.

Rally Group

A Rally Group order allows a Command Group to attempt to rally. Successful rally attempts remove Disruption Points from units (see Morale).

When rallying, form a Command Group as you would for movement. All units within 6” of the nominated leader, as well as the leader, are eligible to be rallied. Suppressed units cannot be rallied. The suppression has to be removed first with a Remove Unit Suppression order. A Command Group that receives a rally order cannot be activated this turn, but it may use opportunity fire.

How to Rally

Each unit in a Command Group is rallied individually. You can attempt to rally units in any order you want. Nominate a unit and roll your Rally Dice.

Your opponent rolls one dice for each Disruption Point your unit has. Your opponent has a 4+ TN. One Disruption Point is removed for each of your successes.

The TN when Rallying is determined by the distance of the unit from the closest enemy unit. Measure the range to the closest enemy unit and look up the Target Number on the Rally Table.

Rally Table

Distance from closest enemy unit

• 0–6” 6+ TN
• 6–12” 5+ TN
• 12–24” 4+ TN
• 24–36” 3+ TN
• 36+” 2+ TN

Opposing Dice: Your opponent has a 4+ TN.

Unit is in or behind Light Cover: +1D

Unit has no LOS to any enemy unit: +1D

Distance: How far your unit is from the nearest enemy unit.

Rally TN: The TN required for a success.

Cover: Units who are in or behind cover are easier to rally and gain +1D Rally Dice.

No LOS to Enemy: If your unit cannot see the enemy, you gain an additional Rally Dice.

Remove Unit Suppression

This order may only be given to a single unit and removes a suppression marker from it. The unit may now be included in a Command Group.

For example, a US M4 platoon is suppressed. Tom uses a Command Dice to remove the suppression marker. He then uses another Command Dice to activate it along with two other units.

Removing Suppression After Activation: A unit that has been suppressed after it has been activated can have its suppression removed with a wild dice or Staff Order. It can then fire.

Command Table

• More 1s than 6s = Command Failure
• 1 = Discard
• 2-5 = Issue Orders
• 6 = Wild Dice
• Double = Double Move Order or Staff Order x1
• Triple = Triple Move Order or Staff Order x2
• Quadruple = Staff Order x3

Next Post

In the next post I explain how Wild Dice are used.