Colonel Mustard has posted an excellent review of Combat HQ on his blog.
As well as being an avid gamer, Colonel Mustard is also an excellent painter and modeller who specialises in 20 mm. After you’ve read his review, take a look at the rest of his site – you won’t be disappointed.
Entering Battle Groups onto the TableAll of a battle group’s reserve command groups can be entered onto the table at the same time, or they can be entered individually.
An entire battle group can be entered onto the table for the cost of one Staff Order. The battle group can enter on Blinds, on Reserve moves, or use a mix of the two. The battle group rolls its Active Dice Pool in subsequent turns. It does not have access to its Active Dice Pool on the turn it enters.
Individual Reserve Command Groups are entered onto the table by either using the CO’s Staff Orders or by using a Command Dice from the battle group’s Active Dice Pool. Reserve Command Groups enter using the rules in Combat HQ.
A command unit may be placed on the table to represent the battle group’s commander. This should be a command vehicle such as a kübelwagen and radio truck for the Germans, a jeep and radio truck for the Allies. Forthcoming rules allow Battle Group Commanders to have special abilities – until these are published, use the Battle Group Commander to indicate that the battle group is present on the table.
Every time the dispersion of a unit results in the loss of 3 Morale Points it may result in the number of Command Dice becoming reduced. When 3 Morale Points are lost an Army Morale Check is made.
The owning CO rolls his Army Morale Dice against three dice rolled by the opposing CO. All dice have a 4+ TN. If the owning CO rolls more successes than his opponent, he passes the test. If he rolls the same or fewer successes, he fails the test. On a failed test, one Command Dice is lost permanently from the battle group’s Active Dice Pool.
Before making an Army Morale Check the owning CO may use one Staff Order to increase his Army Morale Dice by +1D.
Each Command Dice lost reduces the maximum number of Staff Orders that can be held by -1.
For example, a Soviet force consisting of an Infantry Battle Group with 5 Command Dice and an Armour Battle Group with 4 Command Dice can hold a maximum of nine Staff Orders. If one of its battle groups loses a Command Dice, the maximum would be reduced to eight. If another Command Dice is lost, the maximum would be reduced to seven.
A battle group that is reduced to one Command Dice following an Army Morale Check suffers a Command Collapse – all of its units are immediately removed from the table and its artillery is no longer available for use.
Game Set-Up for Multiple Battle Groups – Rule ChangeA battle group does not have access to all of its Command Dice until it has entered all of its Reserves onto the table.
The CO may decide which units to have on the table and which ones to hold in Reserve. He may have Command Groups from any or all of battle groups present on the table, or may decide to just have Command Groups from a single battle group on on the table.
Reserve units are grouped into Command Groups that match the battle group’s companies and support groups. Each Reserve Command Group is allocated one Command Dice.
For example, Max’s German infantry battle group consist of 24 units with eight Command Dice. It has three rifle companies, a weapons company, plus three support groups, for a total of seven command groups. Its artillery is held in reserve until one command group enters the table.
After Command Dice have been allocated to Reserve Command Groups, any remaining Command Dice are used to form the battle group’s Active Dice Pool.
All of a battle group’s initial Staff Orders, irrespective of the number of Command Groups on the table at the start of the game, are available to the CO.
For example, if all of Max’s infantry battle group units were used as Reserves, only one of its eight Command Dice would form its Active Dice Pool. All six of its Staff Orders would be usable by the CO.
If at the start of the game, Max deploys three rifle companies and his weapons company, he would have five Command Dice in his Active Dice Pool. Three Command Dice would be allocated to his three reserve battle groups.
When a Reserve Command Group enters the table, its Command Dice is added to the battle group’s Active Dice Pool and is available for use on subsequent turns.
If one or more command groups are deployed on the table at the start of a game, the battle group rolls its Active Dice Pool each turn. If all of its units (excluding artillery) are held in Reserve, it doesn’t roll any Command Dice. When it enters a Command Group onto the table, it gains its Active Dice Pool (plus that unit’s Command Dice) for use in subsequent turns.
Artillery and Battle GroupsIf none of a battle group’s Command Groups are deployed in the table, it’s artillery is kept in reserve. The artillery may not be given smoke or fire missions until one of its Command Groups is present on the table.
Units from the artillery’s battle group may spot for it normally. A unit from another battle group can act as spotter if an additional Staff Order is paid when the mission is called. A Single Fire Mission would cost two Staff Orders; a Continuous Fire Mission would cost three Staff Orders.
When adjusting artillery fire, it costs two Staff Orders, instead of one, if the unit acting as Forward Observer is from another battle group.
Starting a Multiple Battle Group GameThe side which rolls the most 6s etc has the first Command Pulse, and its Logistics Phase occurs. The CO may then use a Dice Chain from any battle group. After using the Dice Chain, it is the other side’s first Command Pulse, and their Logistics Phase takes place.
Command Pulses continue to alternate until all Command Dice have been used on both sides. The Turn then ends.
A player may use Dice Chains from any battle group, but must use the dice on the selected battle group. After using a Dice Chain, the enemy CO may use a Dice Chain from any of his battle groups. On the player’s next Command Pulse, he can select a Dice Chain from any of his battle groups.
For example, a player could choose to use all of the Dice Chains from one battle group before using any Dice Chains from another battle group. Or, he could choose to use a Dice Chain from one battle group, then a Dice Chain from another battle group on his next Command Pulse.
A Command Pulse may be skipped by using a Command Dice from any Command Group.
