An initial barrage attacks enemy Blinds. It occurs before the first turn of the game after Planned Fire Missions have been allocated.

Cost to Call

An initial barrage does not cost any Staff Orders.

Batteries in an Initial Barrage

All direct support artillery batteries are used in the initial barrage regardless of whether they have been allocated to Planned Missions.

Initial Barrage Rounds

An Initial Barrage Round is one round of fire by a battery or group of batteries. The table below shows the number of rounds available to the attacker and defender for each mission type.

Each battery fires in each Initial Barrage Round. Initial barrages may use the battery’s Fire Dice in one or more rounds then fire smoke in the last round. Smoke remains on the table until the start of the next Friendly Logistics Phase.

Fire Dice

The Fire Dice of direct support batteries may be used individually or may be combined to increase their effectiveness. Any number of batteries may be combined into one initial barrage. Each battery after the first adds half (round up) its Combat Dice to the total.

Tom is firing an initial barrage at the German positions. He includes three batteries in the initial barrage all with 4D. The first uses its full 4D, the second and third add 2D each (rounded up) for a massive 8D.

Allocating Targets

Each Initial Barrage Round targets a Blind. You can concentrate all Initial Barrage Rounds against one Blind or choose to target different Blinds.

Sheaf Type: Regular or Smoke

No Deviation

Initial barrages do not deviate.

Arrival

Initial barrages fire for effect immediately.

Initial Barrages Against Blinds

Use the rules for Artillery Fire Against Blinds.

Ammunition Supply

Initial barrages are not subject to artillery supply rules.

Available to: Attacker Only

A rolling barrage is a special form of barrage that moves its Fire Template by a set amount each Friendly Logistics Phase.

Before the game starts a player makes a note of when the rolling barrage is scheduled to start, it’s direction and the amount it moves each Friendly Logistics Phase. The Fire Template must move at least 4” per turn. Any unit or Blind under the Fire Template is hit.

Sheaf Type: Regular, Converged

Cost to Call

It costs two Staff Orders to order a Rolling Barrage to begin.

Arrival

A rolling barrage starts automatically on the turn it was scheduled for. If a Command Failure occurs, the barrage is delayed until next turn.

A rolling barrage automatically ends when it passes over a table edge.

No Deviation

A rolling barrage does not deviate when shifting to a new target.

No Fire Adjustment

A battery firing a rolling barrage cannot be adjusted.

Available to: Attacker and Defender

A battery may be allocated several target locations along with how long it will fire at each location. Once it has fired for the required number of turns, the battery shifts its fire to its next target.

The player makes a note at the start of the game of the following:

• The turn the battery starts firing
• The type of sheaves fired
• The target locations
• How many turns the battery will spend firing at each location

Tom, the Commonwealth player, decides to fire a regular sheaf at a farm house for two turns. He then shifts his target to a crossroads where he orders a regular sheaf for four turns.

Sheaf Type: Regular, Converged

Cost to Call

It costs two Staff Orders to order a battery with Designated Targets to start firing.

Arrival

Fire against a designated target starts automatically on the planned turn. If a Command Failure occurs on this turn, its fire is delayed until the following turn.

No Deviation

A battery with designated targets does not deviate when shifting to a new target.

No Fire Adjustment

A battery with designated targets cannot be adjusted.

Available to: Attacker and Defender

Before the first turn of the game players may specify two locations as pre-registered targets for each of their direct support batteries. These can be marked on a sketch map or be a recognizable location on the table such as “the crossroads in the village on the left”, or “six inches in front of my central trench-line”.

Calling a Pre-Registered Barrage

A pre-registered barrage may be called during any friendly Command Pulse providing the battery is available to fire. A battery that has already fired this turn cannot be used.

Cost to Call

It costs two Staff Orders to call a pre-registered barrage. Place a Fire Template at the pre-registered target point. A Forward Observer is not required.

Sheaf Type: Regular, Converged

Arrival

To see when the battery responds, make a Comms Check with a +1D bonus.

Pre-Registered Barrage Response: +1D to Comms Dice

Max, the German player, requests a pre-registered barrage. The Germans have four Comms Dice, so he rolls a total of 5D when calling a pre-registered barrage.

Success: The battery fires with immediate effect.

Failure: The battery is delayed. It fires in the next Friendly Logistics Phase.

No Deviation

The battery does not deviate.

Fire Adjustment

A continuous, pre-registered barrage may be adjusted in subsequent Friendly Logistics Phases.

In the Logistics Phases smoke screens are removed, delayed or continuing artillery may be cancelled or adjusted before firing for effect, and artillery supply is checked.

Both players have a Logistics Phase which occurs at the start of their first Command Pulse. A player’s Logistics Phase is referred to as the Friendly Logistics Phase. His opponent’s Logistics Phase is referred to as the Enemy Logistics Phase.

Each Friendly Logistics Phase follows this sequence:

• Remove Smoke Screens
• Attempt to Cancel a Fire Mission
• Adjust Fire Mission
• Fire for Effect
• Check Artillery Supply

Remove Smoke Screens

All smoke screens fired in the previous turn by Direct Support or Close Support units are removed.

Attempt to Cancel a Fire Mission

A Comms Check can be made to cancel Fire Missions including missions delayed from the previous turn. If the roll succeeds the battery may be assigned a new fire mission this turn.

Adjust Fire Mission

Fire missions delayed from last turn may be adjusted along with ongoing Continuous Fire Missions.

Fire for Effect

Delayed fire missions and ongoing Continuous Fire Missions now fire for effect.

Single Fire Mission Templates are removed after the battery fires for effect.

Check Artillery Supply

Artillery Supply Checks are now made. A battery that fails the check has its Fire Template Removed.