This post covers how unit morale works.
Reaction Dice
Reaction Dice are used to determine how units react in combat. Reaction Checks are made every time a unit takes one or more hits. Unsuppressed units have a 4+ TN. Suppressed units have a 5+ TN.
Disruption
Disruption represents the psychological impact of combat on a unit. As casualties build up and combat fatigue sets in troops become less willing to fight. Each hit that’s not cancelled by a Reaction Check results in the unit taking a Disruption Point.
Removing Disruption Points
Disruption Points can be removed by rallying units using Command Dice (covered later when Command Orders are discussed).
Dispersion
A unit is dispersed as soon as it has 3 Disruption Points. The unit is removed from the table and D3 Army Morale Points are lost.
Suppressed Stug III with two Disruption Points
Suppression
Enemy fire can suppress a unit. When suppressed a unit’s officers may have been hit, or part of the platoon may have panicked. A suppressed unit keeps its head down and is reluctant to engage the enemy.
Causes of Suppression
Suppression may occur each time a unit takes fire.
Any time you roll one or more 6s when firing at an enemy unit, you may suppress it. Unless your opponent rolls as many 6s with his Reaction Dice as you rolled with your dice, his unit is suppressed. It doesn’t matter if his units didn’t take any hits. Unless he matches or exceeds your number of 6s, his unit is suppressed.
Effects of Suppression
Suppressed units cannot fire. This occurs as soon as the unit is suppressed. A unit that has just been activated, which is suppressed by enemy fire, cannot fire.
A suppressed unit cannot be activated as part of a Command Group. A suppressed unit can be activated on its own, but no other unit can be included in this activation. The unit remains suppressed after being activated.
Suppressed units cannot be rallied.
A Suppressed unit loses its Fixed Move as its troops are reluctant to advance quickly. It only uses its Variable Move.
Removing Suppression
Suppression is removed with a Remove Unit Suppression order. Each Command Dice used removes suppression from one unit.
Forced Back
A unit may be forced back. A unit is forced back when it becomes suppressed and takes at least one Disruption Point from the fire.
Forced back units move directly back 6” plus an additional 1D” for each unmatched 6. A unit with one unmatched 6 is forced back 6+1D”. If it has two unmatched 6s, it is forced back 6+2D”. Units are forced back facing the enemy.
Units may move into or behind cover as part of their forced back move. They halt on moving behind or into the cover.
If they are forced back into friendly units, they are moved through the friendly unit. If a forced back move would move a unit so that it ends the move on top of a friendly unit, it is moved through the unit and placed behind it. If a unit is Forced Back into an enemy unit, the Forced Back unit is Dispersed.
If a unit is Forced Back so that it would move off the table, it halts at the table edge.
Next Post
In the next post I cover Command Orders.
