Deployment takes place at the start of the game. Each mission lists the percentage of units to be deployed on the table, and the percentage of units that enter as Reserves.

Deployment Zones

There are four deployment zones: Friendly Deployment Zone, Enemy Deployment Zone, and two Flank Zones.

Friendly and Enemy Deployment Zones: These run along the Friendly and Enemy Table Edges up to the Flank Zones. The depth of the Friendly and Enemy Flank Zones depends on the mission being played. In a meeting engagement both extend 12” into the table. In an Attack/Defend Mission the Defender’s Deployment Zone extends 24” into the table.

Flank Zones: Flank Zones extend along the shorter edges of the table to a depth of 12”. No units may be deployed into a Flank Zone unless specifically allowed to by a mission briefing.

Deploying Your Forces

Units may be deployed anywhere in your Deployment Zone. They may be deployed as Blinds. Any Hidden Units in or behind terrain should be marked on a sketch map.

Reserves

Reserves enter as Command Groups along your table edge. Place the units or a Blind on the table edge at the point they enter the table. The units and Blinds may make a triple move for only one Command Dice. In missions where Reserves are allowed to enter along a Flank Zone, before any units are deployed the player writes down which Flank Zone he intends to enter from. He shows this note to his opponent when he first enters his Reserves into a Flank Zone.

Trenches and Defences

Some missions allow the Defender to place trenches and defences in his deployment zone. The location of the trenches and defences are marked on a sketch map (the same as Hidden Units).

Defending infantry, machine guns, mortars, and anti-tank guns may be dug in (Medium Cover). Defending vehicles may be placed in revetments (Medium Cover).

All units in trenches and defences are hidden until they fire, move, or are spotted. Once units are revealed their trenches and defences are placed on the table.

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What forces are available

The Combat HQ missions use the following format:

Mission Title

The name of the mission.

Description: A brief description of the mission.

Mission Briefings

A situation report for each player.

Initial Units: The percentage number of units available for deployment at the start of the game.

Deployment: The mission’s deployment rules.

Reserves: The number of units held in Reserve, and when they can enter the table.

Artillery Missions: Any special artillery missions are noted here.

Initial Barrage Rounds: The number of Initial Barrage Rounds available to the Attacker.

Defences and Fortifications: Any defences and fortifications available to the Defender are noted here.

Starting the Battle: Which side goes first.

Ending the Battle: What is required for a battle to end.

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Rules for Deployment

These are the Victory and Defeat rules from Combat HQ. They are fully compatible with Armour Battles.

Morale Points

Morale Points represent a battle group’s will to fight. You can keep track of Morale Points on paper, with counters, or poker chips placed in a cup. The initial number of Morale Points is listed for each Battle Group .

Unit Dispersal

Each time a unit is Dispersed roll a D3 and deduct the result from the Morale Points.

Morale Collapse

When a battle group is reduced to zero Morale Points, it will lose the game at the end of the current turn when it suffers a Morale Collapse. If a battle group is reduced below zero Morale Points, the excess points are given to the opponent to add to his Morale Points.

A battle group reduced to zero Morale Points continues to roll for unit dispersal, but the resulting number is added to the opponent’s Morale Points.

For example, Max has two Morale Points and Tom has one. Tom Disperses one of Max’s Panthers causing a loss of three Morale Points. This reduces the Germans to –1 Morale Points. As Max cannot have less than zero Morale Points, he gives the excess point to Tom. Tom now has two Morale Points. Max will lose the game at the end of the current turn unless he can reduce the British to zero Morale Points.

Tom fires again and succeeds in Dispersing another Panther. Max rolls his D3 and loses another two Morale Points which he gives to Tom. Tom now has four Morale Points.

Recovering From Zero Morale Points

A battle group can recover from zero Morale Points if it can reduce the enemy to zero Morale Points and regain Morale Points from Dispersed enemy units.

For example, Max fires on Tom’s Cromwell Mk IVs. He Disperses one and Tom rolls a 3; the British lose three Morale Points reducing Tom to one Morale Point. Max fires again and Disperses another Cromwell. Feeling less confident, Tom rolls his D3 and gets a 3 reducing him to –2 Morale Points. He gives the two Morale Points to Max. Max now has two Morale Points and will win the game unless Tom can again reduce the Germans to zero Morale Points.

Major, Minor Victories and Draws

A game ends with one of three results:

Major Victory: The winner achieves a Major Victory if he has never been reduced to zero Morale Points and the enemy suffers a Morale Collapse at the end of a turn.

Minor Victory: The winner achieves a Minor Victory if he was reduced to zero Morale Points, but has regained one or more Morale Points and the enemy suffers a Morale Collapse at the end of a turn.

Draw: The game ends in a draw if both players have zero Morale Points at the end of a turn.

Playing for an Agreed Time

Games can also be played to finish at an agreed time. When the set time is reached, the player with the highest remaining Morale Points wins a Minor Victory. If both players have the same number of Morale Points, the players roll their Command Dice with the player who rolls the most 6s being awarded a Minor Victory. Think of this final roll of the dice as the commanders desperately trying to seize victory at the last moment.

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Mission formats explained.

Over the next few weeks I’m posting extracts from the Combat HQ rules (to be published at the end of February). These extracts can be used with the Armour Battles Battle Groups posted on wargamesdesign.com. You can view the list on the Armour Battles Additional Rules page.

Forward Into Battle

The Forward Into Battle section of the rulebook presents seven missions usable in a wide range of war theatres. It explains how to choose, set up and play each mission. The missions will be posted later as part of the Combat HQ rules extracts.

Choosing a Mission

You can choose any mission you like, or roll 2D and add the results together. You can also play them using one of the two campaigns presented in the Combat HQ rulebook.

Roll 2D

• 2 Rescue
• 3 Counter-Attack
• 4 Flank Attack
• 5 Hold the Line
• 6 Attack/Defend
• 7 Meeting Engagement
• 8 Attack/Defend
• 9 Take and Hold
• 10 Flank Attack
• 11 Counter-Attack
• 12 Rescue

Choosing the Attacker and the Defender

Decide who the Attacker and Defender is in each mission or toss a coin and let the winner decide.

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Rules for Victory and Defeat.

I’ve posted a series of new rules and Army Rosters that can be used with Armour Battles. You can find a list of the posts here.

If you don’t have a copy of Armour Battles you can get one here.