Multiple Battle Groups Per Side
These rules are based on the Multiple Battle Group rules. Options are given for using them with a Dedicated Commanding Officer (who doesn’t control a battle group), a Nominated Commanding Officer (controls one of the Battle Groups), or players can share the Commanding Officer role amongst themselves.
Dedicated Commanding Officer (CO)
In this version, one player is nominated as the overall commanding officer. He controls the Staff Orders for all players on his side, but doesn’t control a battle group.
Before the game starts the CO is given each player’s Initial Staff Orders. So if there are two battle group commanders playing and each one has four initial Staff Orders, the CO is given eight Staff Orders (2×4).
- Command Rolls are made by each player normally.
- Any Wild Dice are given to the CO.
- Players must also inform the CO of any multiple Dice Chains that may be used to store Staff Orders for next turn. It is up to the CO whether he use these Dice Chains to store Staff Orders.
- The CO can store as many Staff Orders as the total number of Command Dice on his side.
- Each player uses his own Command Dice: they are never pooled.
For example, three players are controlling the Germans. Two players are controlling battle groups while the third acts as the CO. On the German Command Pulse, both battle group commanders roll their Command Dice. Any Wild Dice are given to the CO. When using Dice Chains to store Staff Orders, the CO can allocate dice from both battle group commanders, but cannot combine dice from different battle groups to create a Dice Chain.
- The CO can at any time give a battle group commander any number of Wild Dice or Staff Orders.
- He can do so one at a time or in a group: it doesn’t matter.
- The Wild Dice or Staff Orders must be used immediately and cannot be stored by the battle group commander.
- The CO can also directly activate any unit subject to the normal rules for using Wild Dice and Staff Orders.
- The CO can choose to take control of the activated unit himself or allow the owning player to control it.
For example, the German players have rolled their Command Dice. One has rolled doubles, the other hasn’t. The CO takes the doubles and increases his Staff Orders by one. He then uses a Staff Order to call an artillery mission onto a British tank platoon. Later, the CO uses a Staff Order to activate a Command Group of three anti-tank guns and a Panzer III. Normally, the owning player would control the activated Command Group, but the CO decides that he wants to roll the dice himself.
While the other players can always request Staff Orders from the CO, it is up to the CO whether he grants it or not. It’s best not to get caught up in long discussions about how Staff Orders are used. Players should always respect the CO’s decisions.
