The enemy has pulled back and you are ordered to pursue them.

Time: 1300 hours, 20th September
Location: Near Lezey, Lorraine

US Battle Group Statistics

Units: 14

Command Dice: 5

Staff Orders: 4

Rally Dice: 4

Artillery Response Dice: 4

Army Morale: 12

US Battle Group Units

You have been reinforced with a company of M5 light tanks and two batteries of M7 Howitzer Motor Carriages. Your M7 HMCs provide off-table artillery support. Use Staff Orders to call and adjust artillery missions.

Armour Company

• M4 75mm
• M4 75mm
• M4 76mm

Armour Company

• M4 75mm
• M4 75mm
• M4 76mm

Armour Company

• M4 75mm
• M4 75mm
• M4 76mm

Armour Company

• M5 Light Tank
• M5 Light Tank
• M5 Light Tank

Off-Table Artillery

• M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage (105mm Howitzer)
• M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage (105mm Howitzer)

US Set-Up

Initial Forces: The M5 light tanks are deployed after the Germans have placed their hidden units. The M5s deploy any where along the friendly table edge in the US Deployment Zone. All other units enter as reserves.

Reserves: The remaining armour companies may be committed as reserves from the second turn. Each company is a separate Command Group. They may enter anywhere along the friendly table edge within the US deployment zone.

No reserves may be committed during a turn in which you roll a Command Failure.

First Command Pulse: The US player automatically has the first Command Pulse even if he rolls a Command Failure.

Victory or Defeat: You win if you the reduce the Germans to zero Army Morale Points. You lose if the Germans reduce you to zero Army Morale Points.

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US statistics for Battle 2.

Type: Attack/Defend Time: 1300 hours, 20th September Location: Near Lezey, Lorraine

Reinforced by a company of M5 light tanks, the Americans are ordered to attack the German forward positions near Lezey.

This battle introduces rules for off-table artillery, smoke, hidden units and obstacles.

Map

Deployment Zones: The German Deployment zone is at the top of the map and the American one at the bottom.

Victory or Defeat: The game is won by the player who reduces the other to two or fewer Command Dice.

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The US Briefing for Battle 2.

This post provides a summary of the rules needed to play Battles 2 & 3. It updates the previous rules summary with the rules posted recently.

Game Turn

Both players roll their Command Dice

• Check for Command Failure
• Discard any 1s
• The player who rolled the most 6s has the first Command Pulse
• First Friendly Command Pulse
• Friendly Logistics Phase
• First Enemy Command Pulse
• Enemy Logistics Phase
• Second Friendly Command Pulse
• Second Enemy Command Pulse
• Command Pulses Alternate until all command Dice have been used
• End of Turn – Remove Fire Markers

Command Failure

• More 1s than 6s
• Opponent gets to use the 1s as wild dice
• Player with the Command Failure has the second Command Pulse
• Artillery and smoke missions are cancelled
• If both players roll a Command Failure, the turn ends

Command Group

• Nominate one unit as the commander
• Another three units within 6″ can be included in the Command Group
• Suppressed units cannot be included
• One recon unit can be included in the group without adding to its size

Command and Staff Orders

• Move and Fire
• Commit Reserves
• Disengage Group
• Rally Group
• Remove Unit Suppression

Staff Orders Only

• Call Artillery Mission
• Call Smoke Mission
• Adjust Artillery Mission
• Maintain Artillery Mission
• Maintain Smoke Mission
• Staff Orders can also be used as Wild Dice

Restock Staff Orders

• Double roll = 1 Staff Order
• Triple roll= 2 Staff Orders
• Quadruple roll = 3 Staff Orders

Wild Dice – Rolls of 6s and Staff Orders

• Create Larger Dice Chain
• Add to Combat Roll
• Add to Reaction Roll
• Add to Rally Roll
• Replace a Variable Move Dice
• Double, triple or more 6s can be used to issue instant staff orders

Direct Fire TN = 4+

Roll your unit’s AT Dice. Your opponent rolls his unit’s Reaction Dice

• Suppressed Units Cannot Fire
• Close Range -1 TN
• Effective Range 0 TN
• Long Range +1 TN
• Flank/Rear Attack -1TN
• Ambush Fire +1D
• Double Move -1D
• Triple Move -2D
• Target is uphill -1D

Indirect Fire

• Roll Artillery Dice versus 3D. Both players have a 4+ TN. The battery fires for effect immediately if you roll more successes than your opponent. Otherwise, your battery fires in your next Logistics Phase.
• Roll for deviation. A deviating battery deviates 1D6″.
• Batteries always fire with a 4+ TN.

Reaction Checks

• Target unit is not suppressed 4+TN
• Target unit is suppressed 5+ TN
• Target unit is in or behind light cover +1D
• Open-topped versus indirect fire -1D
• Target unit breaks off +2D
• Target unit shoots and scoots +2D

Fire Results

Disruption Points: Target takes one Disruption Point for each success by the firing unit.

Dispersal: Remove a unit when it has three Disruption Points, then deduct D3 Amy Morale Points.

Suppression: Caused when the firing unit rolls more 6s than the target. A unit hit by indirect fire must roll more 6s than the firing unit or become suppressed.

Forced Back: If a unit is suppressed and takes one or two disruption points.

• A unit is forced back 6″ +1D6″ per unmatched 6.

Rallying

You roll Rally Dice. Your opponent rolls one dice for each Disruption Point on your unit with a 4+ TN. Your TN depends on the distance to the closest enemy unit. Remove one Disruption Point per success. Suppressed units cannot be rallied.

• 0-6″ 6+ TN
• 6-12″ 5+ TN
• 12-24″ 4+ TN
• 24-26″ 3+ TN
• 36″+ 2+ TN
• Light Cover +1D
• No LOS to enemy +1D

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Battle 2 Overview.

Special rules for units include:

• Reconnaissance Units
• Break-Off
• Shoot and Scoot
• Open-Topped

Reconnaissance Units

One reconnaissance unit may be added to a Command Group without affecting the Command Group limit of four. This allows a Command Group to contain five units. Only one reconnaissance unit gains this benefit, so if two reconnaissance units are included, the second unit counts against the Command Group limit.

Combat HQ includes additional rules for reconnaissance units that make them more efficient at spotting enemy units.

Break-Off

M5 light tanks are fast and can break off when fired at.

Units with the break off ability may immediately break off when fired at and move backwards a normal move (6+1Dx2”). When breaking off a vehicle gains +2D to its Reaction Dice.

The firing unit’s range is measured from the target vehicle’s original position, not its final one. No fire is allowed by the breaking off unit, but it may use opportunity fire in a subsequent enemy Command Pulse.

A unit that breaks off cannot be activated again this turn. However, it may break off multiple times even if it has been already been activated, or has already broken off.

Shoot and Scoot

Vehicles with this ability can fire and immediately move backwards. Roll the Variable Move and add its Fixed Move and move the vehicle directly back. This scoot move is not halved.

A vehicle that shoots and scoots can be either activated to fire or it may use opportunity fire. When activated it may shoot and scoot, but it cannot move before it shoots and scoots. When using opportunity fire a vehicle that has been previously activated may still shoot and scoot, providing it doesn’t have a fire maker.

Enemy units may fire at a vehicle as it scoots. The target vehicle gains a +2D bonus to its Reaction when shooting and scooting. See the rules for break-off earlier for how to calculate enemy fire against it.

M10 Tank Destroyers can shoot and scoot but are also open-topped.

Breaking-Off: A vehicle that has already fired may break-off.

Open-Topped

Vehicles with open turrets are more vulnerable to enemy artillery. When fired at by artillery an open-topped vehicle’s Reaction Dice is reduced by –1D.

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The complete rules summary for Armour Battles.

Combat HQ contains detailed rules for moving hidden units and for spotting enemy units. Presented here is a simple system for Armour Battles.

Hidden units are marked on the player’s map before the game begins. They cannot move or fire without being spotted and placed on the table.

Hidden units are also placed on the table when an enemy unit ends its move within 18″ of them.

US M5s spot Stug IIIs hidden behind a hedge.

Ambush Fire

Hidden units may use ambush fire when they are activated or as opportunity fire. When using ambush fire a unit gains +1D bonus to its AT Dice. The vehicle is placed on the table when it uses ambush fire.

The Stug IIIs use opportunity fire to ambush the M5s.

Hidden units that are activated to use ambush fire can be fired at with opportunity fire. This opportunity fire always occurs after the hidden units have fired – it’s not simultaneous.

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Special rules for units are described.