Panzer Leader Rules of Play With Errata by Mike Weaver

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The document discusses the wargame Panzer Leader, including its rules, scenarios, and articles published about it in The General magazine.

Panzer Leader is a wargame simulating armored battles between German and Allied forces during World War 2. It was published by Avalon Hill in 1974 and includes scenarios of historical battles.

The General magazine published analyses of Panzer Leader, discussions of rule changes and variants, and historical scenarios for the game across multiple volumes and issues dating back to the 1970s.

Panzer

Leader
RULES AND ERRATA

Images from: FM 30-40, Recognition Pictorial Manual on Armored Vehicles,


U. S. War Department, 3 November 1943

Rev 5b-97w, 13 September 2016


DESIGN CREDITS
Historical Research and Situation Design: Dave Clark and “There have been many people writing to us pleading for
Nick Smith. permission to use PANZER LEADER rules with their
Rules Development and Expansion: Randall C. Reed. PANZERBLITZ games, asking whether this or that PL rule could
Components Design: Randall C. Reed. be applied to PB, whether PL rules supersede, blanket-fashion, PB
Box Art: W. Scott Moores. rules, etc., etc., etc. Sometimes I could quietly scream . . . Once
Production Coordinator: Thomas N. Shaw. and for all, PB and PL are two different games. The games have
Playtesting: Arvin van Zante, Rick Archer, Tom Welsh, their own rules and stand or fall by those rules. What a gamer cares
George Uhl, Neil Topolnicki, and members of Interest to do between the two sets of rules in the privacy of his own home
Group Baltimore. Special thanks to Tom Welsh. is his business. A word of caution: Simply because a rule changed
Printing: Monarch Services, Colonial Composition, in PL does not mean it was wrong in PB. The two games cover two
Baltimore, Md. different conflicts, locales, and adversaries.”
Copyright, 1974, The Avalon Hill Game Company,
Baltimore, Md. — Randall C. Reed,
Updated Counter and Map Design: Imaginative Strategist, The General, Vol. 12, No. 1, p. 16.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

THE GENERAL
Selected articles from The General [v Volume, n Number,

RULES OF PLAY
(A) analysis, (E) errata, (S) situation/s, (V) variant/s]:

v12n1 (S) Battle for Berlin (R. Easton)


v12n1 (A, E, V) Design Analysis (R. C. Reed)
v12n2 (A, V) Design Analysis (R. D. Harmon),
Opportunity fire

I. INTRODUCTION
v12n3 Letters (R. Easton), Corrections to Easton v12n1
v12n4 (V) The Rest of the Battle: Artillery in Panzer
Leader (R. Easton)
v12n6 (V) Weather or Not? (R. Easton and N.
Kluksdahl)
PANZER LEADER is a realistic game simulating tactical
v12n6 Letters (I. L. Straus), Comments on v12n2 level combat on the Western Front during World War Two.
v13n1 (A) Series Replay: Situation 15 The twenty game situations cover the gamut of combat
v13n2 (V) Letters (R. Bostwick), Situation 3 encounters between the Allies and their German adversaries.
v13n4 (V) Increasing Infantry Firepower (N. Beveridge,
Jr.)
Additionally, the open-ended design of the PANZER
v13n5 (S) Battles in Germany, 1948 (R. Easton) LEADER game system allows players to design and compile
v14n1 (S) The Red Ball Express (E. Carlson) their own situations, thus creating unlimited game
v15n2 (V, S) Panzer Leader, 1940 (R. Cruz) possibilities. Like its famous sister-game, PANZERBLITZ
v15n5 Letters (R. Cruz), Corrections to v15n2
v15n6 (A, V) Further Considerations for Panzer Leader,
(Tactical Armored Combat on the Eastern Front, 1941-45),
1940 (R. A. Bell) PANZER LEADER is not only an exciting game experience;
v16n3 (A) Panzer Leader: An Overview (J. P. Jones) it is also a valuable source of comparative information
v17n5 (A) The Evolution of Strategy (D. S. Bieksza) illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing
v20n2 (V, S) Para-Leader (O. Oates)
v20n4 Letters (O. Oates), Corrections to v20n2
German, British and American armies.
v21n3 (S) Dieppe: Canadians under Fire (M. L.
Shannon) IF YOU HAVE NEVERED PLAYED A WARGAME
v22n3 (S) The Paths of Rommel (D. Helmbrecht) BEFORE, don’t be overwhelmed by what may look like a lot
v23n2 (A) The Pieces of Panzer Leader (R. C. Clark)
v23n2 (V) Letters (M. Anchors)
of complicated rules. Sometimes more than a few words are
v23n4 Letters (C. Schwamberger), Comments on Clark required to precisely express a simple and easily understood
v23n2 concept. REMEMBER: These rules are based on common
v23n6 Letters (K. Ramstead), Comments on Clark v23n2 sense applications of real-life events and operations. As such,
v24n2 (A, V) Fighting the Panzer Leader (S. B. Wheeler)
v24n4 Letters (S. B. Wheeler), Corrections to v24n2
their only purpose is to translate real-world occurrences into
v24n4 Letters (D. Bieksza), Corrections to v24n2 the game format. It is not necessary to memorize these rules.
v25n3 (A, V) The King of Battle (C. Schwamberger) Read the rules once, play a practice game or two, and then
v25n3 (A) A Rock and a Hard Place (S. B. Wheeler), re-read any sections that are unclear, bearing in mind the
Situation 12
v28n3 (V) Panzer Hunters (C. Schwamberger)
experience gained in the practice games. Once the basics of
v28n4 (S) The Battle of Arracourt (A. R. Arvold) movement and combat are understood, the finer points of the
v30n3 (A) The Panzer Leader at Arracourt: Part One (S. rules will fall into place as you gain experience.
B. Wheeler)
v30n4 (A) The Panzer Leader at Arracourt: Part Two (S.
B. Wheeler)
A WORD TO VETERAN AVALON HILL GAME PLAYERS:
v31n1 (A) The Panzer Leader at Arracourt: Part Three Although this game is based on the familiar PANZERBLITZ
(S. B. Wheeler) game-system, many subtle refinements and changes have
v31n4 (S) Tournament Scenarios for Panzer Leader (B. been added. Read ALL of the rules before beginning play, as
Scott)
v31n6 (V, S) Operation Rescue (F. P. Eichelberger)
even some of the ‘standard’ rules sections contain significant
changes.

2
II. COMPONENTS Attack Strength: The basic offensive power of a given unit,
A. GAME EQUIPMENT: expressed as a certain number of attack strength points.
1. Mapboard consisting of four sections which can be
Defense Strength: The basic defensive strength of a given
joined together in a variety of ways to form many different
unit, expressed as a certain number of defensive strength
terrain configurations.
points.
2. German die-cut counter sheet (192 pieces).
Range: The maximum effective distance (in hexes) that a
3. Allied die-cut counter sheet (192 pieces).
unit’s attack strength can be used against enemy units.
4. Set of Situation and Player Aid Cards (seven cards). EXAMPLE: a unit with a range of 8 could fire its weapons
(use its attack strength) against an enemy unit’s defensive
5. Rules of Play and Designer’s Notes booklet. strength within that 8-hex range.
6. One die.

B. THE MAPBOARD
III. GENERAL OUTLINE OF PLAY
Each side maneuvers its forces (playing pieces) on the terrain
The four-section mapboard represents a varied sampling of
map seeking to destroy enemy units or gain a specific
typical terrain in France and Germany. Each section is
territorial objective as outlined on the Situation Cards.
identified by a letter (A, B, C, or D) located just above the
Players move their pieces and have combat by taking turns.
fold line. The board is “geomorphic” i.e. capable of being
Each complete turn represents six minutes of real time.
changed by re-arranging the four sections in a variety of
juxtapositions. The long edge of each mapboard section
The forces in a given situation may be unequal and one side
will line up with the long edge of any other section no
may have a better chance of winning than the other, but it is
matter which way they are joined together, except for the
primarily the skill of the individual player which determines
sea edge of board ‘B’. The short edges join with each other
the outcome of the game. The chance element introduced by
in a similar fashion. The scale of the mapboard is 1
the use of the die-roll Combat Results Table is only that
hexagon = 250 meters. Refer to the Terrain Effects Chart
degree of chance consistently present in any real-life combat
for a complete explanation of mapboard symbols and their
event.
effects on movement and combat.

C. THE PLAYING PIECES IV. SEQUENCE OF TURNS


The die-cut, cardboard pieces represent platoon or battery- PANZER LEADER is played in turns. Each turn is divided
sized military units of different types (e.g., infantry into two identical player segments: the Allied player segment
platoons, tank platoons, assault gun platoons, etc.), which and the German player segment.
are the playing pieces used in the game. Hereafter they will
be referred to as “units” or “unit counters”. The numbers To avoid confusion, each player segment is further divided
on the unit counters represent that unit’s capabilities with into four ‘phases’.
respect to movement, attack, defense, and range of
weapons. The other symbols or silhouettes identify what A. ALLIED PLAYER SEGMENT:
type of units the counters represent. 1. Combat Phase: Allied player executes and resolves
ATTACK STRENGTH WEAPONS TYPE RANGE minefield attacks, direct and indirect fire combat, and writes
‘orders’ for the next turn’s indirect fire combat.

2. Air Phase: Allied player moves any aircraft units desired.


SYMBOL TYPE OF UNIT German player executes and resolves antiaircraft attacks.
Allied player resolves fighter bomber attacks.

3. Movement Phase: Allied player moves any units that did


not fire in the combat phase.
DEFENSE STRENGTH MOVEMENT ALLOWANCE
PICS NUMBER 4. Close Assault Phase: Allied player executes and resolves
Notice that all vehicle units are symbolized with an all CAT attacks.
appropriate silhouette and all other (non-vehicular) units
are symbolized with standard military-planning symbols. B. GERMAN PLAYER SEGMENT:
German player follows the same procedure as outlined above
Movement Allowance: The basic maximum number of using his own units.
hexagons (hexes) which a unit may move in one turn,
expressed as a certain number of movement points. In C. The ‘TURN NOW’ counter is moved one box on the
general each unit will expend one movement point from its Situation Card signifying the completion of one game turn.
movement (point) allowance to move a distance of one hex. This procedure is followed for each turn of the game.

3
V. MOVEMENT C. TRANSPORTING UNITS
1. The “C” class vehicular units have the capability of
During the movement phase of a player’s segment, he may transporting non-vehicular units (guns and infantry). Each
move as many uninverted units as he wishes. Each unit “C” unit has the capacity to transport one non-vehicular unit.
may be moved as many hexes as desired within the limits The non-vehicular unit being transported is indicated as such
of its movement allowance and terrain restrictions (see the by being placed UNDER the “C” unit. Never place non-
Terrain Effects Chart). vehicular units under vehicular units unless they are being
A. TERRAIN FEATURES transported by those units.
1. The hexagonal grid superimposed upon the mapboard is 2. In any one turn a “C” unit may either “Load”,
used to regulate movement and combat. A hex is “Transport”, or “Unload”, or it may perform combinations of
considered to be a given type of terrain if all or any part of these operations depending on the type of unit being
it contains that terrain feature. The only exception to this is transported.
town hexes where slight overlap into non-town hexes is
a. Artillery units of 88mm or larger (88mm, 90mm, 105mm,
ignored. Terrain effects movement and defense as outlined
107mm, 120mm, 150mm, 155mm, 170mm, and 8”), require
in the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC).
the “C” unit to expend its entire movement allowance to load
2. The ‘heavy hex side’ symbols (different colored bars or unload. That is, the “C” unit and the artillery unit must be
superimposed upon some hex sides) are explained in the in the same hex at the beginning and end of the movement
OBSTACLE AND ELEVATIONS section of the rules. phase.
3. Sea hexes may be entered only by units presumed to be
b. Artillery units of less than 88mm, (20mm, 37mm, 40mm,
in landing craft or amphibious vehicles.
57mm, 75mm, 76mm, 81mm, 17 pdr), the Nebelwerfer, 25
4. The half-hexes on the outer edges of the board are pdr, and all infantry type units, require the “C” unit to expend
considered playable and may be utilized as if they were half of its movement allowance for that phase (fractions
complete hexagons. round UP) to load or unload. The “C” unit may move up to
B. HOW TO MOVE UNITS half its movement allowance before performing the load or
unload operations, or it may perform either of them and
1. Movement is calculated in terms of hexes. Basically, move up to half its movement allowance afterwards. The
each unit expends one movement point (MP) of its total passenger unit may NOT move in the player segment in
movement (point) allowance for each hex it enters. To which it is loaded or unloaded.
enter some types of hexes requires the expenditure of more
than one MP for each hex entered. A complete list of these c. Passenger or carrier units which use their attack strength
‘entry costs’ is found on the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC). in the current player segment, or are dispersed, may NOT
load in that player segment.
2. In any one turn a play may move as many or as few of
his units as he desires. Movement is voluntary, never d. A carrier’s movement allowance may never be split
required. before and after a load or unload operation in the same
movement phase. It may only load or unload in a single
3. Units which have fired (used their attack strength) in a movement phase, NEVER BOTH.
combat phase of a player’s segment may not move in that
movement phase. ‘Dispersed’ units may not move (see e. Carrier units may not load or unload in a hex if such
How to Have Combat and the Combat Results Table). procedures violate stacking limits (see below).
4. Each unit is moved individually, tracing the path of 3. A truck or wagon unit and the unit it is transporting have
movement through each hex in turn. Once a unit has a combined defense strength of ‘1’.
completed its movement, it may not be changed, reposi- 4. When using halftracks as transport, the defense strength
tioned, or realigned. (A unit’s movement is considered of the halftrack unit is used when attacked. Halftrack units
completed when the player begins moving another unit). may fire while loaded.
5. Units with a movement allowance of ‘1’ may move one 5. Passenger and carrier are treated as one unit for stacking
hex per turn regardless of terrain. and combat purposes (see Stacking Limitations). If combat
6. Units may move through hexes containing other results call for elimination, both are eliminated. If dispersed,
friendly units. Units may not, however, enter or move both are dispersed.
through hexes containing the maximum allowable number 6. ONLY GERMAN armored vehicle units (tanks, assault
of units (see Stacking, below). guns, etc.), may transport infantry-type units in a fashion
7. Units may not enter or pass through hexes containing similar to “C” units. Each armored unit may transport one
enemy units (EXCEPTION: see OVERRUN RULE). passenger unit. EXCEPTION: German SPA units may never
transport other units.
8. No enemy movement is allowed during a friendly
movement phase. a. If a German armored unit is destroyed while transporting,
both passenger and carrier are destroyed. Units being
9. No combat, enemy or friendly, takes place during the transported on armored units may be attacked exclusive of
movement phase (EXCEPTION: See OVERRUN RULE the armored unit, in which case the passenger has a nominal
and OPPORTUNUTY FIRE RULE). defense strength of ‘1’. The armored unit is unaffected if

4
only its passenger unit is attacked. In this case, the E. Stacking limits apply at ALL TIMES. (EXCEPTION:
passenger unit is immediately unloaded if dispersed, unless units may overrun enemy units stacked four-high). Units may
such unloading violates the stacking limits. In which case not enter or move through hexes containing four units
BOTH the armored unit and its passenger are dispersed. (friendly units, blocks, wrecks, fortification counters, or
combinations thereof).
b. German armored units may fire when loading or
unloading passengers. All other transport rules however F. See Unit Function Table for exact stacking restrictions of
apply. all units.
7. See Unit Function Table for the exact capabilities of all
units. VII. COMBAT
D. ROAD MOVEMENT A. HOW TO HAVE COMBAT
Units traveling along roads do so at the road movement rate Basically, to have combat, the attacking unit compares its
regardless of the other terrain in the road hexes. Units may attack strength to the defending unit’s defense strength. The
travel all roads on the mapboard through hexes containing comparison is stated as a ratio, attacker to defender, which is
types of terrain in which they might otherwise be then rounded down (in the defender’s favor) to conform to
prohibited. Roads do not alter the defensive effects of other the ‘combat odds’ column printed on the Combat Results
terrain in the hex. Table (CRT). EXAMPLE: 11 to 3 rounds down to 3 to 1. Roll
1. All units move along roads at a cost of ½ movement the die and apply the results, as indicated by the CRT, to the
point per road hex. Entering a road hex through a non-road defending units involved in that specific combat situation.
hex side is done at the cost of the other terrain in the road
hex being entered. B. DIRECT FIRE ATTACKS
2. Units may freely combine road and non-road movement 1. Direct fire attacks are executed in the combat phase of a
in the same turn. player segment. Only the player whose combat phase it is
3. A unit may move into a road hex from an adjacent road may attack; the other player is considered the “defender.”
hex of the same road at the road movement rate ONLY if 2. A player may make as many or as few attacks per turn as
the hex contains no more than TWO other units. he desires (within the restrictions of the rules of combat). A
4. If the hex contains more than two other units, the road player is never forced to attack. Attacks are voluntary, never
movement rate may not be used. required.
5. If entry into a particular hex is prohibited for a unit 3. Only enemy units within range of an attacking unit may
except by road movement, a unit may not enter that hex if be fired upon by that unit. Infantry units with an asterisk (‘*’)
there are MORE than two units on that hex. after their range may fire to twice their printed range at the
EXAMPLE: A vehicular unit may cross a green hex side reduced effectiveness of one half normal attack strength.
and enter a hex containing two other units via a road at the 4. A single unit may not attack more than one enemy-
road movement rate. If there were three or more units in occupied hex per combat phase. Attack and defense strengths
that hex, it could not cross that green hex side. are not transferable from one unit to another. Each unit is
6. Units may not enter hexes containing blocks, fortifica- treated as an indivisible attack strength and defense strength.
tions, or minefield counters at the road movement rate
5. More than one attacking unit may fire at one target unit.
regardless of the number of units in the hex. Vehicular
All attacking units firing on the same defending unit must
units may not cross adjacent green hex sides when moving
total their attack strengths into one combined attack strength
into a road hex containing an enemy fortification, a block,
before computing the combat odds. Units may fire only once
or minefield counter.
per player segment.
7. Remember: a vehicle with passengers is considered as
one unit and may therefore travel at the road movement 6. Units which fire (attack) in the combat phase of a player
rate without affecting other units abnormally. segment may NOT move in the movement phase of the same
player segment.

VI. STACKING 7. All attacking units executing direct fire attacks must be
able to trace a ‘direct line of fire’ to the target hex. A ‘direct
A. Both sides may stack a maximum of four units in one line of fire’, as explained under the ‘Obstacles and Elevation’
hex. section, is a straight line traced from the attacking unit’s hex
B. When a unit is being transported by another unit, the dot to the target hex dot which is free of blocking terrain.
passenger and the carrier are considered as one unit for
stacking purposes. 8. The attacker may choose any combination of units in the
defending hex as his target. Any units within that hex that are
C. Minefield counters do not count towards stacking not fired upon are not affected by the combat results.
limits.
9. Direct fire attacks are resolved on the Combat Results
D. Block, fortification (limited: see rules), and wreck Table using the procedure outlined in ‘A’ above.
counters do count towards stacking limits.

5
C. INDIRECT FIRE die roll 1
6 2 NORTH
1. Indirect fire attacks, like direct fire attacks, are executed
in the combat phase of a player segment.
5 3
2. ONLY Class ‘M’, and those class ‘H’ units indicated by
parentheses, ‘(H)’, may employ indirect fire. 4
SCATTER DIRECTION DIAGRAM
3. Unlike direct fire attacks, the target hex must be
designated at the beginning of the combat phase of the 9. Indirect fire attacks must be directed towards all of the
previous turn by secretly writing down the target hex units in a target hex.
coordinates and the firing units. (NOTE: Artillery units that 10. Indirect fire attacks are resolved differently than other
are dispersed may NOT be targeted for indirect fire.) Such types of attack. For each indirect fire attack follow this
designated targets MUST be fired upon (i.e., the gun procedure:
cannot change targets if the target hex turns out to be
empty or if something better turns up) if the unit is to a. Calculate the number of strength points firing and
execute any attacks in that combat phase. The unit is not DIVIDE this total by the number of enemy UNIT
required to attack, but if it does, it must attack only the COUNTERS in the target hex. Passenger-carrier and fortifi-
designated target hex using the indirect fire method. cations (plus the units in them) count as one.
4. As the name implies, indirect fire differs from direct b. This reduced attack strength is then applied to each
fire in that the firing unit itself is not required to trace a individual target unit to create combat odds for (and an
‘direct line of fire’ to the target (i.e., it doesn’t have to ‘see’ individual attack on) each unit. The die is rolled once for
the target hex). In order for certain artillery units to attack a each target unit and the results applied accordingly.
target by the indirect fire method, it is only necessary that c. EXAMPLE: 80 strength points fire indirectly at a target
another friendly unit be able to ‘see’ (‘have a direct line of hex containing three German units: an engineer (DS = 10),
sight to’) the target hex. In regards to woods and town an infantry (DS = 8), and an 81mm mortar (DS = 3). This
hexes, a friendly unit must be adjacent to those hexes, or an computes as 80 ÷ 3 (the number of defending units) = 26 (the
enemy unit must have fired from those hexes, for indirect reduced attack strength). Applied to each defending unit, this
fire attacks to be designated against them (see section L. generates combat odds of 26 to 10 (2-1), 26 to 8 (3-1), and
SPOTTING). 26 to 3 (4-1). The die is rolled three times, once under the
5. Any combat unit, except trucks and wagons, that could 2-1, 3-1, and 4-1 columns, and the results applied to each of
theoretically use direct fire against a hex (i.e., ‘see’ it) may the respective defending units.
be used to fulfill the indirect fire sighting requirements. 11. Indirect fire may NOT be combined with direct fire
6. Indirect fire attacks are directed against specific hexes, against the same target hex in the same combat phase.
not necessarily specific enemy units. In some cases a target 12. NOTE: (H)-type weapons may only use indirect fire
hex could even be empty at the time the attack is against targets which are more than ¼ of their printed
designated in anticipation of enemy units moving into it. range away (rounded down). EXAMPLE: A British 25 pdr
7. Units that are loaded or dispersed may not be (range = 35) could not fire indirectly at targets that are
designated for indirect fire. Units designated for indirect within 8 hexes of its location.
fire may not move between the time the fire is designated D. OVERRUN ATTACK
and the time the fire is executed.
1. Armored vehicle units may only overrun those enemy
8. If all of the units sighting (or spotting) a particular units located in clear terrain hexes (including clear terrain
target hex are destroyed, dispersed, or move away between road hexes and clear hilltop hexes).
the time the indirect fire is designated and when it is 2. Unlike other methods of attack, overruns are executed and
executed, the fire may become scattered. To determine if immediately resolved as they occur in the movement phase.
the fire scatters in this event, roll the die once and consult (Stacking limits are ignored in this case: see below.) All units
the Scatter Chart, below: intending to overrun the same target are moved before the
attack is resolved.
DIE ROLL EFFECT
1 or 2 Indirect fire hits target normally. 3. To overrun a unit or stack of units, move the attacking
3, 4, or 5 Indirect fire hits one of the six adjacent armored vehicle unit(s) straight through the enemy occupied
hexes, roll die once and consult Scatter hex, exiting into the hex DIRECTLY opposite the hex of
Diagram to determine which hex hit. entry. Overrunning units must stop in the ‘exit hex’ and may
6 Indirect fire widely dispersed. No units move no further that movement phase. If the exit hex is
in target hex are attacked. occupied by enemy units, the overrun attack may not be
made. Overrunning units may not move at the road rate, but
If the fire is scattered, the full effect of the indirect fire is they may use roads to negate the effects of terrain.
applied to one of the adjacent hexes according to the die Overrunning units must have sufficient movement points
roll. Units in that hex (enemy or friendly) receive the full remaining to reach the exit hex. The exit hex does not have to
effect of the attack. be a clear terrain hex, nor does the entry hex; only the target
hex must be clear terrain.

6
4. Overrunning units attack with an increased combat 6. Allied MG units may only close assault if they are
effect. The odds ratio of the attack is computed using the stacked in the same hex with at least one (non-MG) infantry-
normal procedure. The combat odds, however, are then type unit (infantry, engineer, or scout) which is close
INCREASED by one column in favor of the attacker (e.g., assaulting the SAME defender.
an odds ratio of 3 to 1 increases to 4 to 1). Additionally, ‘2’
7. Close assault is the only way in which “I” units may
is subtracted from the die roll results (e.g., a die roll of ‘3’
attack armored vehicle units.
is treated as if it were a roll of ‘1’).
8. Any type of defending unit may be attacked using close
5. A defending stack is treated as one combined defense
assault tactics. CAT may be executed from any type of
strength when being overrun. More than one armored unit
terrain except stream hexes.
may overrun an enemy stack and the overrunning units do
not have to enter and exit through the same hexes. They 9. SPECIAL: CAT attacks may not be executed against
must, however, execute their overrun attacks as one targets in sea hexes.
combined attack strength. In other words, a defending unit
or stack may not suffer more than one overrun attack per F. WEAPON-TO-TARGET RELATIONSHIPS
movement phase.
1. The class-key letter symbols determine what type of
6. In determining overrun odds use only the strengths weapons a unit is armed with:
printed on the units (for attacker and defender). Do not
halve or double the attack strengths as shown on the ‘I’ − Light (infantry-type) weapons (rifles and
Weapons Effectiveness Chart. Use only the overrun machine-guns).
“bonus” as outlined in ‘4’ above. ‘A’ − Armor piercing weapons (high velocity tank and
anti-tank guns).
7. Overrunning units may not execute direct fire attacks
‘H’ − High explosive shells (low velocity howitzers, etc.).
during the combat phase of the segment in which the
‘(H)’ − High explosive shells with indirect fire capabilities.
overrun is made.
‘M’ − Mortars (similar to ‘(H)’).
8. Units on block, wreck, minefield, or fortification
counters may not be overrun. 2. WEAPONS EFFECTIVENESS CHART (WEC)
9. The German SPA units (Maultier, Wespe, and Hummel) a. The effectiveness of these weapons changes in relation to
may NOT make overrun attacks. Halftracks may not the target type and range from target. This is reflected in the
overrun armored vehicles (including halftracks). See the WEC by doubling and halving a unit’s attack strength
Unit Function Table for an exact listing of overrun accordingly. NOTE: Half range is always rounded DOWN to
limitations for all types of units. the nearest whole hex; the attacking unit loses fractions.
(EXAMPLE: half of 9 is 4.) Half attack strength is never
E. CLOSE ASSAULT TACTICS (CAT) rounded off; retain fractions (EXAMPLE: half of 13 is 6 ½).
All types of German and Allied infantry and engineer units
have the option of using close assault tactics (CAT) instead b. When making a direct fire attack against units in a mixed
of making a normal attack. Close assault attacks are stack, determine what type of unit counter (armored or non-
executed in the close assault phase of a player segment. armored) predominates in the stack and treat the entire stack
as if all the units in it were that type of target. If the target
1. Close assaulting units must be adjacent to the defending stack is divided evenly between armored and non-armored
unit or stack they are attacking. unit counters, treat the whole stack as if it were that type of
2. Units utilizing CAT may NOT make normal attacks in target least favorable to the particular attacking unit(s). Units
the same player segment. being transported are ignored; only the carrier units are
considered when determining predominance. Units inside
3. Units that have been transported by vehicular units in fortifications are ignored for determining predominance;
the same player segment may not use CAT attacks. Units rather, the fortification is counted as ONE armored unit.
may, however, move and CAT attack in the same player
segment (NOTE: Overrun and CAT attacks are the only c. Units in town hexes are considered as armored targets
exceptions to the general rule which forbids movement and whether or not such units actually are armored. Units stacked
combat by the same unit in the same turn.) together in town hexes MUST be attacked as one combined
defense strength when using direct fire.
4. Close assaulting units have their effectiveness increased
by subtracting ‘2’ from their die-roll result. (e.g., a die roll d. Fortifications are considered armored targets.
of ‘2’ becomes a die-roll of ‘0’). The defending stack must e. WEC is not used in determining overrun odds.
be treated as one combined defense strength and may suffer
only one close assault per player segment. f. H and M class weapons are always halved (do NOT
round off; retain fractions) against armored vehicles unless
5. If infantry and engineer units are stacked together in the the H is used for direct fire against armor at a range of 6
same hex when close assaulting the same defender, the hexes or less.
effectiveness of that close assault is further increased by
raising the odds in their favor to the next highest ratio (as in g. Infantry units with an asterisk after their range
the overrun rule). At least one engineer unit must be (EXAMPLE: 2*) may fire to double their printed range with
stacked with at least one infantry unit. an attack strength of one-half their normal strength.

7
G. OBSTACLES AND ELEVATIONS 4. In all situations other than those described above, an
attacking unit (regardless of elevation) is halved when firing
1. The mapboard is a two-dimensional representation of a
at units defending on slopes or hilltops.
three-dimensional space. The various terrain features, aside
from affecting movement and combat may also affect the
I. HOW TO DETERMINE THE LINE-OF-SIGHT/
ability of attacking units to fire at given defending units by
LINE-OF-FIRE (LOS/LOF)
obstructing the Line-of-Site. Since the weapons used in this
game are primarily direct-fire weapons, an attacking direct For all practical purposes, the Line-of-Sight is equivalent to
fire unit may not fire at any target which it cannot ‘see’ the Line-of-Fire. Essentially, the Line-of-Sight is a perfectly
(i.e., trace an unobstructed line from the firing unit’s hex to straight line measured from the center of the firing unit’s hex
the target hex). to the center of the target unit’s hex. The dot in the center of
each hex represents the midpoint of that hex. The LOS is
The terrain symbols on the map show the location of
traced by placing a straightedge on the mapboard so that it
potential obstructions and the hex side symbols show in
runs through the midpoint dots of the firing unit’s hex and
which direction fire is obstructed. These “heavy” hex side
the target unit’s hex. The line is exactly equivalent to the
symbols are color-coded according to the type of
Line-of-Fire from the firing unit to the target unit. Using the
obstruction they represent.
TET and LOS/LOF OBSTRUCTIONS sections, determine
2. There are three general types of obstacle/hex sides whether or not any town hexes or other hex side symbols
which block the Line-of-Sight and therefore prevent fire: encountered in tracing the Line-of-Sight actually obstruct the
Line-of-Sight.
a. Low Obstacles: Ground level green (woods) hex sides
and ground level town hexes. (10 to 20 meters.)
J. LOS/LOF OBSTRUCTIONS
b. Medium Obstacles: Dark brown (slope) hex sides (60 to
70 meters.) 1. Only those hex side symbols (brown, green, or orange) or
town hexes intersected by the straightedge line between the
c. High Obstacles: Orange (hilltop) and cliff hex sides. firing unit and the target unit block the Line-of-Sight (and
(100 to 140 meters.) Line-of-Fire).
3. Whether or not a firing unit can ‘see over’ these a. If the straightedge bisects a hex side symbol through its
obstacles depends upon the elevation at which the firing LENGTH, that symbol blocks the LOS/LOF. SPECIAL: It
unit and its potential target are. Units themselves are not would NOT block the LOS/LOF if it were a brown hex side
considered as obstacles, and players may fire over or connected to an orange hex side.
through all units, enemy or friendly.
b. The defender is given the benefit of the doubt if the
a. There are three elevations at which a unit may be:
straightedge cuts exactly through the ‘corner’ of a hex where
1) Ground Level: 0 meters. a symbol side and a non-symbol side meet. Note that the
2) Slope Level: 50 to 60 meters. heavy symbols do not always extend to the very ends of the
hex sides. The LOS/LOF is blocked, however, through the
3) Hilltop Level: 100 to 140 meters. entire hex side even if it is traced through that part not
b. A unit’s elevation is determined by the terrain it is on. covered by the heavy symbol color.
The Target Elevation Table shows what hex side symbols 2. When firing FROM a slope or hilltop TO a ground-level
obstruct the Line-of-Fire in different cases. target, the Line-of-Sight is obstructed if the target unit is
H. HILL AND SLOPE DEFENSE EXCEPTIONS directly behind a town hex or a green hex side. ‘Directly
behind’ means the intended target is either adjacent to a town
As indicated on the TEC (Terrain Effects Chart) a unit
hex such that part of the town hex blocks the Line-of-Sight,
using direct fire against an enemy unit defending on a slope
or that a green hex side forms part of the target unit’s hex
or hilltop, attacks at one half attack strength. There are
such that it blocks the LOS.
some exceptional cases, however, in which the attacker is
NOT halved. They are: 3. When firing FROM ground level TO a target on a hilltop
1. When the defending unit is on a hilltop, an attacking or a slope, the Line-of-Sight is obstructed if the FIRING
unit is NOT halved if it is also on a hilltop hex. UNIT is directly behind a town hex or green hex side.

2. When a defender is on a slope, the attacking unit is 4. When firing FROM a hilltop TO a ground level target, the
NOT halved if the attacker is directly adjacent to the Line-of-Sight is obstructed by intervening brown hex side
defender (regardless of elevation). symbols if such a symbol is closer to the TARGET hex than
to the firing unit or if the symbol is exactly midway between
EXCEPTION: If there is a brown hex side symbol the two. To determine the relative position of the brown
BETWEEN an adjacent attacker and defender, the symbol, count the number of hex SIDES through which the
attacking unit’s attack strength IS halved. Units on slopes Line-of-Sight is traced (including the side of the firing hex
can conceivably be attacked by units which are halved and and the side of the target hex).
units which are not halved as part of the same attack.
5. When firing FROM ground level TO a target on a hilltop,
3. Units using indirect fire are never halved because of
the Line-of-Sight is obstructed by intervening brown hex side
elevation differences.

8
symbols if such a symbol is closer to the FIRING UNIT K. STREAMS
than to the target, or exactly midway between the two.
Northern European streams and small rivers are characterized
6. Notice that ‘3’ is converse of ‘2’, and ‘5’ is the by steep-sided meanders and silted bottoms. Further, they
converse of ‘4’. form depressions and support heavy vegetation offering
excellent concealment. While not exceptionally swift, the
7. The ONLY case in which a unit may trace an
depth of the slow moving water and the ‘mushy’ consistency
unobstructed Line-of-Sight through MORE than ONE
of the streambeds made streams unfordable for vehicles:
orange (hilltop) hex side symbol is when both the target
and the firing unit are on hilltops. In all other situations, the 1. Vehicular units (including wagons) may never enter
LOS is obstructed if it must be traced though MORE than stream hexes except in (undestroyed) bridge hexes.
ONE orange hex side.
2. Non-vehicular units may enter stream hexes, but only
8. No matter what the obstacle or the terrain, a unit may after rolling a die once for each unit attempting to enter. A
ALWAYS fire at a target to which it is directly adjacent die roll of 1, 2, or 3 permits entry. If unsuccessful, a unit may
(regardless of elevation). not move during that movement phase. NOTE: The die must
be rolled for each separate stream hex a unit attempts to
9. In some cases, there are towns and woods on top of
enter.
hilltops. The green hex side symbols and town hexes in
these cases obstruct ALL fire, when they are intervening 3. Units in stream hexes may not attack in any manner.
obstacles, no matter what the elevation of the target and
4. Units in stream hexes may not be attacked by units in
firing unit (except when directly adjacent to each other as
ground-level hexes unless such units are adjacent.
per ‘8’).
5. Units in stream hexes may be attacked by units in hilltop
10. When both the target and the attacker are on ground-
or slope hexes if they can trace an unobstructed LOS/LOF
level, ALL hex side symbols (green, brown, and orange)
into that stream hex. Treat the unit in the stream hex as if it
and town hexes obstruct the Line-of-Sight (except as per
were at ground level for TET purposes.
‘8’).
6. Permanent and temporary bridges are equivalent to clear
11. MAPBOARD NOTES:
terrain for all purposes (except, of course in the case of
a. In some cases, slope hexes do not have brown hex side temporary bridges built in woods-stream hexes, etc.). The
symbols. This is because the brown symbols actually hex in which a bridge crosses a stream is considered clear
represent the way in which the slopes curve and form terrain even if the road carried by the bridge becomes
‘corners’ to obstruct the LOS. Consequently, whenever a unusable for road rate movement purposes (due to wrecks,
slope is relatively straight, it does not obstruct the LOS blocks, other units, etc.). If the bridge is destroyed, however,
along it. the hex would be treated as a regular stream hex.
b. In some instances, two or more slope hexes meet
L. SPOTTING
without a hilltop being formed between them. This
represents a ridge or ‘razorback’ hillock. The brown hex 1. When a defending enemy unit is in a woods or town hex,
side symbols represent the ‘spine’ of these edges. NOTE: it may not be fired upon by friendly units which are not
When firing from a hilltop hex to one of these ridge hexes directly adjacent unless it has been ‘spotted’ by at least one
or vice-versa, the brown hex side spine DOES NOT friendly unit. Defending units are spotted if:
obstruct the LOS/LOF.
a. There is a friendly, undispersed, unit adjacent to the
c. Some hexes contain both woods AND slopes. Terrain defending enemy unit.
effects in these hexes are the combined effects for both
types of terrain. NOTE: Green hex sides block the b. The defending unit has fired (used its attack strength in a
LOS/LOF in slope/hilltop woods hexes in exactly the same non-CAT attack) while in the LOS of a friendly undispersed
manner as they would for ground level woods hexes. unit during the previous player segment and that friendly unit
can still trace an unobstructed LOS to the target. Place a
d. Mapboard section ‘B’ contains unusual terrain configu- ‘Spotted’ marker on those enemy units that fire while in the
rations consisting of hilltop and slope hexes. To simplify LOS of friendly undispersed units as such firing occurs.
LOS/LOF determination, only the slope-most row of (NOTE: friendly units that are dispersed by such fire cannot
hilltop hexes are orange hex sides. When determining the be used to fulfill the requirement). The markers remain until
LOS (especially on the ‘interior’ hexes of the mapboard), the enemy units are no longer in friendly LOS or ALL
assume the elevation to be ground level to ground level, friendly spotting units are subsequently dispersed, or the
unless it intersects one orange hex side and a slope or cliff firing unit moves out of its initial firing hex into an unspotted
symbol. Sighting down a row of orange hex sides (as in town or woods hex.
hilltop to hilltop) would still be treated as ground level to
ground level. 2. Spotting units must be undispersed at the time that they
e. Additionally, note that the cliff-plateau on board ‘B’ ‘direct’ fire. In regards to ‘b’ above, the spotting unit cannot
has lower terrain on all sides (cliff to sea-ward, slope to have been dispersed since the target unit fired.
land-ward) thus forming a coastal bluff, except for the one 3. Truck and wagon units may not spot for any type of fire.
row of orange hexes which is treated in the same manner as
the orange hex rows described above.

9
VIII. WRECKAGE hex. Upon entering the block, hex, the unit must stop and
may move no further that turn. In its NEXT movement phase,
Whenever an ARMORED unit or a fortification counter is it may move off the block at the normal movement rate.
destroyed in combat, it is removed from the board and 3. Blocks do not obstruct the Line-of-Sight and have no
replaced with a wreck counter, to a maximum limit of three effect on combat.
wrecks per hex:
4. Blocks count as one unit for stacking purposes.
A. Wrecks may not be moved or removed.
5. Blocks are never ‘used up’. They may only be removed
B. Each wreck counts as one unit for stacking purposes. by engineer units.
C. The presence of wrecks has no effect on combat. 6. A block counter on a road negates the road in that hex.
D. NOTE: There is a limit to the total number of wrecks VEHICULAR UNITS may not cross adjacent green hex
that may accumulate in any one particular hex. No more sides when moving into a block-road hex.
than THREE wreck counters are ever placed in any single C. FORTIFICATIONS
hex. If an armored unit is destroyed in a hex containing
three wrecks, no additional wreck markers are placed in (Bunkers, redoubts, ‘pill-boxes’, etc.)
that hex; the armored unit is simply removed from the 1. Fortifications may be placed anywhere within a player’s
mapboard. set-up area, (except swamp, sea, beach, or stream hexes) as
directed by the situation card. Once placed, they may not be
IX. POSITIONAL DEFENSES moved.
2. Fortifications, and the units in them, count as one unit for
A. MINES stacking purposes.
1. The player with the minefield counters may position 3. Units in fortifications defend using the defense strength of
them anywhere within his set-up area unless otherwise the fortifications only. Their own defense strengths are
directed by the situation card. Each mine counter represents ignored. Fortifications are treated as ARMORED targets.
a minefield constructed in that hex. Terrain and Weapons Effectiveness are taken into account
when a fortification is defending. Any type of unit(s) may
a. Only one mine counter may be placed in each hex.
occupy a fortification within normal stacking limitations (see
Minefield counters may not be placed on sea, town, bridge,
below).
or swamp hexes.
4. Units attack from fortifications using their normal attack
b. Once positioned, mines may not be moved. strength.
c. Mines have no friends − they affect both sides. 5. If a fortification is destroyed, any units in it are also
2. As soon as a unit moves onto a mine it must stop. destroyed. A destroyed fortification counter is replaced with
a single wreck counter, regardless of the number or types of
3. The opposing player, during the combat portion of his units inside it.
turn, rolls the die for the attacking minefield. The minefield 6. A fortification counter itself has no attack strength and
attacks ALL units at 2 to 1 odds no matter what the terrain. may only defend.
Each unit on a minefield counter is ‘attacked’ separately.
Surviving units may move off in their next turn. 7. If abandoned or unoccupied, fortifications may be
‘captured’ and used by the opposing player. To capture a
4. Units dispersed by minefields may not move off them, fortification, simply move a unit into the unoccupied
and must again suffer a minefield attack in the following fortification counter.
turn.
8. Unwanted fortifications may only be destroyed by
5. A minefield is never ‘used up’. It remains active until attacking them with one’s own fire weapons.
removed by an engineer unit. 9. The fortification unit is not an obstacle to fire.
6. Minefields do not affect stacking limitations. 10. Units are indicated as being IN a fortification by placing
them UNDER the fortification counter. Friendly units ON
7. Minefield attacks take place in the combat phase
TOP of a fortification (i.e., ‘outside’ the fortification) and the
BEFORE normal attacks and do not preclude direct of
fortification counter on which they are sitting, may be
indirect attacks against that unit in the SAME combat
attacked individually or in combination like normal targets.
phase.
a. Enemy units may move on top of a fortification counter
B. BLOCKS while friendly units are inside of it, but must stop and end all
BLOCK counters represent tank traps, road blocks, barbed further movement. (They may move off the fortification hex
wire, felled trees and anything else that may impede normally in the next turn.). Such enemy units may still be
movement. attacked. Note, however, that in cases where the enemy unit
cannot be attacked individually (DF into town hexes or CAT)
1. Blocks may be placed anywhere within a player’s set- two attacks using normal AS for each are required; one
up area, (except sea hexes) no more than one block per hex. against the enemy unit’s DS and one against the fort’s DS.
2. A unit may only enter a hex containing a block counter For IF attacks, merely treat the fort as another unit in the
if it begins its movement phase directly adjacent to that stack.

10
b. Enemy units may not enter a fortification hex if there B. DEMOLITION AND OBSTACLES: Other tasks re-
are friendly units ON TOP of the fortification. quire engineers to use explosives and specialized equipment
which is usually carried in their vehicles. Before the game,
c. When enemy units are on top of a fortification, friendly
designate one truck, halftrack, or other carrier for each
units inside the fortification may not leave nor may other
engineer platoon to carry its equipment. This vehicular unit
friendly units enter that hex. The friendly units inside may
may no longer transport anything but its designated engineer
still attack any enemy units within range, including the
unit. In addition, it must be in either the same hex or adjacent
units sitting on the fortification. When attacking the units
to the hex in which the engineers are performing any of the
sitting on the fortification, the units inside attack as if they
following:
were adjacent to the enemy. Similarly, the enemy units
may attack the fortification as if they were adjacent to it. 1. Bridge demolition: To destroy a bridge, an engineer unit
The units inside, in this case, may NOT use close assault must remain on the bridge hex for three turns. (It must begin
tactics. and end three friendly movement phases in a row without
moving out of the hex.) On the fourth, or any subsequent
11. Fortifications do not count against the stacking limits of
turn, it must move to an adjacent hex. As soon as it makes
units inside them. They DO, however, count as one unit for
this move, the die is rolled for the bridge demolition. A die
stacking purposes for units outside of them. Thus, it is
roll of 1-5 means that the bridge is successfully destroyed
conceivable that a hex containing a fortification counter
and a BLOCK counter is placed on that hex. It is then treated
may hold four units INSIDE the fortification and an
as an ordinary stream hex for the remainder of the game. A
additional three units OUTSIDE.
die roll of 6 means that the attempt has failed. In this case,
12. Fortifications may suffer ‘dispersal’ in which case the the engineer unit must move back into the bridge hex if
units occupying them are dispersed also. another demolition attempt is desired. It executes the same
procedure as before, but may opt to remain stationary on the
13. No more than one fortification may be placed in a given bridge hex for fewer turns: 1 turn on the bridge – die roll of 1
hex.
or 2 for successful demolition; 2 turns on the bridge – die roll
14. Armored vehicles may NOT make overrun attacks of 1-4 for success; 3 turns or more on the bridge – die roll of
against fortifications. 1-5 for success. If the attempt fails again, the sequence must
be restarted from the beginning. An engineer unit may not be
15. Fortifications may NOT be placed on top of mines or dispersed during any of the stationary turns, or the sequence
blocks (or vice-versa). is interrupted until the unit becomes undispersed again.
16. Un-occupied fortification counters (or those containing 2. Creating blocks: Within the time period of any given
only trucks or wagons) may never spot for other units. situation, an engineer unit may only create one block on one
road hex. The procedure is the same as bridge demolition
X. ENGINEERS procedure, but when successful the engineer unit places a
Engineers may also be used to clear minefields, create and block counter on the road hex. The number of stationary
remove blocks, demolish bridges and increase the turns required to initially create a block is two turns for a
effectiveness of CAT attacks. woods-road hex and four turns for any other type of road hex.
Only one turn is required to try again if the first attempt fails.
A. CLEARING MINEFIELDS: Minefields are cleared in A die roll of 1 through 5 on the second or subsequent attempt
a four-turn process, as follows: successfully creates the block.
1. Turn 1: Engineer unit moves adjacent to minefield.
3. Removing blocks: The procedure for removing a block is
2. Turn 2: Minefield counter is inverted at the beginning exactly the same as that used in clearing minefields.
of the movement phase.
C. SPECIAL ENGINEER VEHICLES: The British
3. Turn 3: Engineer unit moves onto minefield. developed a number of specialized armored vehicle types
which were given to the 79th Armored Division for the
4. Turn 4: Minefield is removed at the beginning of the
Normandy invasion. Three of these types are used in the
movement phase.
game:
5. If the engineer unit is dispersed at any time during this
1. Sherman Flail: This unit performs like a normal tank unit,
sequence, the clearing process is temporarily halted. When
except that it may clear minefields. Procedure for doing this
that engineer unit is undispersed, the sequence is restarted
is: a) Flail unit moves into the minefield hex and ends all
at the step in which the dispersal took place. Once the
movement. b) In the following movement phase, the flail unit
minefield is inverted, other units entering that hex are still
expends half of its total movement allowance leaving the
liable to the normal minefield attack until such time as the
minefield hex. c) As the flail leaves the hex, the minefield is
engineer unit removes the mine counter.
removed from the board. Flail tanks cannot be harmed by
6. If an engineer unit is eliminated during this sequence, minefields.
any new engineer unit must begin all over again.
2. Churchill Flamethrower: This was a Churchill tank with
7. An engineer unit may only clear one minefield counter
its main armament replaced by a flamethrower for close
at a time. When engaged in minefield clearing, the engineer
range work.
unit may not attack in any manner or load into a carrier
vehicle.

11
3. Valentine Bridgelayer: This was a Valentine chassis B. ALLIED INITIAL SEA HEX PLACEMENT:
converted to carrying a tank bridge for rapid deployment.
1. No ‘landing craft’ units are provided on the counter
Bridges are laid in the following manner:
sheets. Instead, Allied units are inverted and placed on the
a) Valentine enters stream hex and ends all movement. b) first sea hex adjacent to the beach hex on which they intend
In the following movement phase, the Valentine expends to land.
three movement points leaving the stream hex. c) As the
2. Only ONE Allied unit may be placed on each sea hex.
Valentine leaves, the tank bridge is placed on that stream
hex, which can be used like a permanent bridge in the same 3. Units with a movement allowance of ‘0’ must be ‘paired’
movement phase. Once emplaced, the tank bridge may not with carrier-type units. DO NOT place the carrier units with
be relocated. NOTE: the Valentine bridge layer is the only the passenger units on the sea hexes. Place only the
exception to the rule forbidding vehicular units to enter passenger unit on the sea hexes. Carrier units are positioned
stream hexes. on top of their passenger units when such units move onto
the beach hexes in the following movement phase. (They are
4. Destroying Temporary Bridges:
presumed to be already loaded.)
a. Engineers: Engineer units may destroy temporary
bridges in the same manner as permanent bridges except C. BEACH LANDING
that the engineers are required to remain on the bridge for 1. All Allied units on land hexes are moved before units on
only TWO consecutive turns. In the third turn, the sea hexes are moved onto beach hexes.
engineers move to an adjacent hex and the temporary
bridge is automatically destroyed. NOTE: No block counter 2. In the turn following the initial placement, all units on sea
is placed in the hex. hexes must move onto beach hexes. Units that cannot move
onto beach hexes because of stacking limitations are
b. Artillery: Combat units may destroy temporary bridges
eliminated instead.
by gunfire by using direct or indirect fire. ‘I’-type weapons
may not be used to destroy bridges. 3. Units previously dispersed by German fire may land on
1. Temporary bridges must be ignored for combat the adjacent beach hex, but may move no further in that
purposes if any other units in the hex are being attacked. movement phase.
2. When attacked by themselves, using the special 4. Undispersed units are turned face up and may move onto
defensive strengths printed on the bridge counters, beach hexes and continue normal movement to the limits of
temporary bridges are destroyed if an ‘X’ outcome is rolled their movement allowances.
on the Combat Results Table. Any other result means ‘no 5. If a unit moves from a sea hex to a beach hex already
effect’. occupied by a friendly unit, all units in that hex are dispersed.
3. If a temporary bridge is attacked by indirect fire, other No additional penalties accrue against units previously
units in the hex are ignored, but the attack strength of the dispersed.
indirectly firing units is HALVED automatically. (Bridges
are very difficult targets to hit and destroy.) D. GERMAN FIRE
4. If the temporary bridge is destroyed by direct or indirect 1. When firing at Allied units on sea hexes, the German
fire, any vehicular units (and their passengers) in that hex player must allocate all firing units that are attacking a
are destroyed. Non-vehicular units are unaffected. Do NOT particular target before that target unit is turned face up and
place wreck counters in this situation. the combat resolved.
5. Permanent bridges may not be attacked or destroyed by 2. Allied units that are dispersed while on sea hexes are not
artillery fire. inverted. Instead, to avoid confusion, indicate dispersed units
by temporarily placing a spare ‘Spotted’ marker on top of
XI. AMPHIBIOUS LANDINGS them. When dispersed units are moved to beach hexes, the
‘Spotted’ marker is removed and the units remain inverted.
The following rules are used in those situations depicting
3. All Allied units (except DD tanks) on sea hexes are
Allied landings in Normandy:
assigned a provisional defensive strength of ‘8’, representing
A. SET-UP PROCEDURE: the defensive strength of the landing craft carrying them, and
are treated as ARMORED targets for WEC purposes.
1. German player places all of his allotted fortification,
block, and minefield counters on the mapboard as des- 4. DD (amphibious) tanks retain their normal defensive
ignated by the situation card. strength wile on sea hexes. SPECIAL: When attacking DD
tanks on sea hexes, the German player must add “2” to the
2. Allied player secretly records the turn of landing and die roll, reflecting the difficulty in hitting such targets in the
the coordinate of the initial placement hex for each of his water. Each DD tank must roll one die for survival as per the
units. (When using the optional naval support fire, the instructions in the individual situations. This is done in the
Allied player writes any indirect fire orders for the first turn AFTER placement on the sea hexes BEFORE any other
TWO game turns at this point.) units are moved onto beach hexes.
3. German player then places his remaining units on the 5. After landing on beach hexes, Allied units revert to their
mapboard. normal defensive capabilities.

12
XII. AIRPOWER a. All WEC effects apply to aircraft in the same manner as
ground units; ‘A’ weapons are normal for armored targets
Two types of tactical aircraft are represented in the game: and halved against non-armored targets, ‘H’ weapons are
fighter-bombers (P-47 Thunderbolts and Typhoons), and normal against non-armored targets and halved against
light observation aircraft (the L-5). Because of the space- armored targets, and ‘I’ weapons are normal against non-
time scale of the game, the aircraft units perform in a rather armored targets and ineffective against armored targets.
abstract manner. Each aircraft counter is equivalent to one b. Bomb and rocket attacks may be made against single
airplane. units in a stack or combinations of units as in regular direct
A. MOVEMENT fire.
1. Aircraft units move, undergo AA attacks, and resolve c. An FB unit may not attack with machine guns in the same
combat during the air phase of a player segment. air phase in which it conducts a bomb or rocket attack.
2. Aircraft have unlimited movement capabilities; they d. Machine gun strength points may be combined with bomb
may move anywhere on the mapboard in one turn. Terrain and rocket attacks so long as an aircraft unit involved in the
has no effect on aircraft movement. attack does not do both.
3. Aircraft units enter and exit the mapboard as indicated 4. Each FB unit may conduct bomb or rocket attacks only
in the individual situation rules. Aircraft may leave before once per game. It may fire its machine guns only four times
the end of the game, but once exited, they may never per game. A side record must be maintained to verify FB
return. employment.

B. OBSERVATION AIRCRAFT (L-5) 5. FB units may sight targets in the same manner as the L-5
aircraft. They may not, however, sight (or spot) targets for
1. L-5 observation aircraft are used to sight enemy units to ground units, but only for other FB units. Thus, FB units
fulfill indirect fire sighting requirements. cannot be used to sight targets for indirect fire, but if one FB
2. L-5 units may sight enemy units in clear terrain to a unit sights a target, all FB units presently on the board may
range of thirty (30) hexes. Enemy units in woods and town attack it.
hexes that fire may be sighted if the L-5 is within ten (10) D. ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSE (AA)
hexes of the firing unit.
1. Anti-aircraft fire is a type of direct fire attack initiated in
3. Rules governing blocking terrain do not apply for LOS the Allied player’s air phase, before FB units execute their
from aircraft to ground units, or vice versa. attacks. AA fire is resolved in a similar manner to regular
direct fire, except the AA Table and Procedures are used
4. As with ground units sighting for indirect fire, the L-5
instead of the normal CRT.
must be within range of the target unit from the time the
indirect fire order is written until it is executed in the 2. Only German 20mm, 20(4)mm, 37mm, and Wirbelwind
following turn. units may initiate direct fire AA attacks against aircraft.
C. FIGHTER-BOMBERS 3. AA attacks are executed in the same manner as regular
attacks with these exceptions:
1. Fighter-bombers (FBs) have three different types of
direct fire weapons systems: machine guns, air-to-ground a. The LOS requirements are modified as in XII.B.3 above.
rockets, and bombs. Fighter-bomber attacks are executed in b. All aircraft are considered non-armored targets.
the air phase of the player segment.
c. The attack strengths of AA guns are doubled if attacking
2. Fighter-bomber attacks are executed by moving the FB half range or less.
unit to a hex adjacent to the target hex, undergoing AA
4. Place a blank counter on those AA units that fire to
attack, if any, and resolving combat. All aircraft attacks are
indicate that they may not attack or move in the German
executed as direct fire attacks.
player’s segment.
a. A particular target hex may be attacked only once per
5. See AA Table for further clarifications.
air phase.
b. All aircraft units attacking a single target hex must total
their attack strengths and resolve the attack with a single XIII. SUMMARY OF TURN SEQUENCE
roll of the die. A. ALLIED PLAYER SEGMENT
3. Weapons Characteristics: The following chart illustrates 1. COMBAT PHASE:
the armament each FB unit could possibly carry (the exact
armament is given in the individual situations): a. Allied player writes indirect fire orders for next turn.

TYPE OF WEAPON ATTACK STRENGTH b. Allied player resolves any minefield attacks against
Typhoon P-47 German units.
Machine guns 2(A) 3(I) c. Allied player resolves all indirect fire attacks. All units
Bombs (x2 1000 lb) 30(H) 30(H) that fire are inverted to signify that they may not move or
Rockets (x8-10 15”) 20(A) 20(A) load in the current player segment.

13
d. Allied player resolves all direct fire attacks. All units 5. Special Rules: Rules applicable ONLY to the situation in
that fire are inverted to signify that they may not move or question are outlined in this section.
load in the current player segment.
6. Victory Conditions: Provide the criterion for assessing
2. AIR PHASE: victory. The terms ‘marginal’, ‘tactical’, and ‘decisive’ are
qualitative expressions provided to judge the degree of
a. Allied player moves all aircraft units.
victory or defeat. Players may eventually discover that one
b. German player executes AA attacks. Blank counters are side or the other possesses such strong advantages that a
placed on firing units to signify that they may not fire, marginal victory by the opposing side becomes a significant
move, or load in the German’s next player segment. achievement. These qualitative expressions are useful in
determining individual levels of victory. Players will find
c. Allied player resolves all aircraft attacks.
that experience will shift the qualitative aspects of victory
3. MOVEMENT PHASE: from the criterion stated in the situation such that a ‘draw’
result, for example, will represent a superior effort by an
a. Allied player moves as many face-up VEHICULAR underdog player.
units as he desires, executing any overrun attacks as he
does so. 7. Turn Record Track: Use this track to record the passage
of turns by advancing the ‘Turn Now’ counter at the end of
b. Allied player moves any face-up NON-VEHICULAR every complete turn.
units.
4. CLOSE ASSAULT PHASE: Allied player executes B. GENERAL RULES FOR THE SITUATIONS
close assault attacks using any face-up infantry-type units 1. The half-hexes around the exterior mapboard edge are
that did not unload in the current player segment. playable for all purposes.
5. All inverted Allied units are turned face-up. 2. For SET-UP and VICTORY CONDITION purposes,
B. GERMAN PLAYER SEGMENT: however, half-hexes are not playable. That is, if one side is
required to set-up on an entire board section, it may not
1. German player repeats ‘1’ through ‘5’ (except he has no set-up on half-hexes of that board which would be, by
air phase) using his own units. extension, part of the adjacent board. Likewise, victory
2. Indicate the passage of one complete game turn on the conditions requiring units to be on a certain board section are
Turn Record Track. Players repeat ‘A’ and ‘B’ for each not fulfilled if such units are on the half-hexes of that
turn for as many turns as the situation card indicates or mapboard section which also extend into the adjacent
until one player concedes defeat. section.
3. Units must enter, or be placed on, the mapboard when
XIV. USING THE SITUATION CARDS indicated. Units may not exit the mapboard unless
specifically indicated. Units in violation of this rule are
Each of the twenty situations is a complete game. Each considered eliminated for victory purposes.
game depicts a facet of an actual battle that occurred in
Europe between D-Day and V-E Day. The situations are 4. The side that sets-up last (usually the ‘offensive’ player)
organized in chronological order. It is suggested that must initially place units such that they are out of the
players begin with those situations using fewer units: LOS/LOF of, or unspotted by, enemy units unless otherwise
specifically indicated.
A. GENERAL ORGANIZATION
Each situation is organized in the following format: 5. Only NAVAL indirect fire may be pre-recorded before
the beginning of a game (specifically in situations No. 2 and
1. Historical Description: Gives the name of the battle, No. 3) for the first two turns of the game. Otherwise, NO
background, and the units involved. indirect fire targets may be selected until the beginning of the
2. Mapboard Orientation Diagram: Illustrates the correct combat phase of the first game turn.
placement of the geomorphic mapboards. Use the
6. In those situations utilizing Allied airpower, the Allied
‘NORTH’ marker to orient placement of units, etc.
play must indicate the type of armament (bombs or rockets)
3. Available Forces: Illustrates the units to be used for his FB units will carry. This selection is announced prior to
each side. Whenever a number preceded by a the setting-up of any units unless the armament is dictated by
multiplication sign appears below a unit’s picture (e.g. the situation’s special rules.
“x6”), the side in question receives the stated quantity of
that particular unit type. 7. In many of the situations, the victory conditions
require one side or the other to ‘control’ specific geographic
4. Set-up: States the order in which each side sets up and locations. DEFINITION: Control of Town or Bridge
restrictions on unit placement (if any). Hexes:

14
a. A side controls a TOWN HEX if at least one friendly B. OPPORTUNITY FIRE
unit occupies, or is the last to enter or pass through, that
1. Any enemy unit that expends ¼ (rounded DOWN) or
town hex.
more of its movement allowance continuously in LOS of a
b. A side controls a BRIDGE HEX if at least one friendly friendly unit may be attacked by that unit using direct fire
unit occupies, or is the last to enter or pass through, that attack techniques.
bridge hex AND at least one hex on each side of the stream
2. Each firing unit may attack only once per enemy
that is also ADJACENT to that bridge hex.
movement phase.
c. Control of a TOWN requires that ALL town hexes in
3. Units that fire in the enemy movement phase are not
that town be controlled.
inverted. Instead, place “Opportunity Fire” counters on top of
d. Dispersal does not affect a unit’s ability to control a these units signifying that they may not fire or move in the
hex. next friendly player segment. The counters are removed at
the end of the next player segment.
8. Trucks, wagons, empty fortifications, and temporary
bridge counters may NOT control hexes. Also, these unit 4. As an enemy unit moves through the LOS of a friendly
types do not count in any way for victory determination unit, it may be fired upon by that unit as it enters that hex
either for units destroyed, or units occupying certain which constitutes ¼ of its movement allowance expended in
mapboard sections. the friendly LOS (or any hex thereafter which is also in the
LOS of the friendly unit). At that point, the non-moving
9. GRANCELLES, the largest town on board section A,
player announces an opportunity fire attack. The enemy
consists of all town hexes on both sides of the stream for
unit’s movement is halted and the attack is immediately
victory condition purposes.
resolved. If the unit is dispersed, it is inverted and ends all
C. THE MAPBOARD LOCATION SYSTEM movement. If the attack has no effect, the unit may resume its
normal movement.
The letters running down the length of each of the four
mapboard sections identify each particular ROW of hexes 5. Movement points expended by the enemy unit moving
running across the short width of that section. The into forest and town hexes that are in the firing unit’s LOS do
individual hexes in that row are identified by counting the NOT count unless the target is SPOTTED by a friendly unit
number of hexes (starting with and including the hex with as it does so.
the row-letter in it). To identify a given hex on the map
6. An enemy unit may be attacked more than once during
(regardless of configuration) give the section letter first,
each enemy movement phase if that unit expends ¼ of its
row-letter second, and the hex number last. Thus, ‘A-Q-10’
movement allowance in the LOS of EACH attacking unit.
is the hexagon on the ‘A’ board section containing the town
of KUHN, the board section letter ‘A’ is in hex ‘A-R-6’. In 7. Passenger units that are unloaded in a target hex may also
some mapboard configurations, the row-letters of two be attacked using opportunity fire. In this case, the moving
boards will be in the same hex (two half-hexes joined player must first state whether or not the passenger unit is
together); those hexes may be identified as belonging to being unloaded in that hex BEFORE the firing player
either section. announces an opportunity fire attack in that hex.
8. Units being transported on German armored units may be
XV. OPTIONAL RULES attacked exclusive of the carrier units.
Players may employ as many or as few of the Optional 9. Enemy units that do not move may NOT be attacked by
Rules as desired. opportunity fire even if they are in the LOS of friendly units.
A. INFANTRY QUICK-TIME SPEED 10. Enemy units conducting overrun attacks may not be fired
Any infantry-type unit (non-MG or mortar) may increase upon while in the hex occupied by the friendly unit being
its speed to two hexes for one movement phase with the overrun.
following limitations: 11. Opportunity fire attacks against units moving into hexes
1. The unit may not enter slope, woods, stream, or town (including town hexes) containing other units may NOT be
hexes (moving out of is permitted). Moving along a road directed against those other units in the hex. In this special
negates the above restrictions. case, those other units are ignored.

2. Units using quick-time speed may not also use the road 12. Units designated for indirect fire attacks in the next
movement rate (i.e., they may not move four hexes). friendly combat phase may not use opportunity fire.

3. If fired on by opportunity fire (see below) while 13. Units dispersed by opportunity fire remain dispersed until
moving, the unit defends at half defense strength. the end of their CURRENT player segment.

4. At the end of its movement (and AFTER opportunity C. NAVAL SUPPORT FIRE
fire attacks) the unit must roll one die. A 4, 5, or 6 means it Some situations provide naval support fire for the Allied
is dispersed until the end of the current player segment. player. This will be in the form of a specified number of
Units already dispersed accrue no additional penalty if naval attack strength points per turn.
dispersed again.

15
1. Naval fire may be used in two ways: As direct fire 1. Non-mortar artillery types with a movement allowance of
against targets in the open that can be seen directly from ‘0’ may only fire at targets that are within their ‘field-of-fire’.
any sea hex or as indirect fire with a ground unit sighting
2. A unit’s field-of-fire consists of those hexes within an
(or spotting). Naval indirect fire attacks must be written
area radiating from the ‘front’ three hex sides towards which
TWO turns in advance.
the unit is facing. Facing is determined by the position of the
2. Direct naval and ground fire may be combined into one weapon-symbol on the unit counter:
attack strength during the combat phase. Indirect naval fire
may be combined with indirect ground fire.
front
3. All naval fire is (H) class and must be used in groups of
front front
20 attack strength points, minimum.
4. Naval fire has unlimited range, but is always presumed
to be firing at ranges greater than six hexes.
blocked
D. PANZERBLITZ ASSAULT
3. Artillery unit counters must be faced towards one specific
German infantry units on armored vehicles may “jump off”
hex side. Ambiguously positioned counters may be adjusted
in the hex immediately in front of a unit about to be
to a specific hex side by the opposing player!
overrun by those armored vehicles. The infantry may then
close assault the units which were just overrun by the 4. Facing Changes: Artillery units may adjust their facing to
vehicles during the CAT phase. any other hex side during the movement phase of their player
segment.

XVI. EXPERIMENTAL RULES a. Units that fire in the combat phase of their player segment
may NOT change their facing.
The following optional rules are termed ‘experimental’ b. An artillery unit of 88mm or larger (EXCEPT 25 pdr)
because their application to game situations could unpre- may only change facing if there is a carrier-type unit in the
dictably alter game balance and ‘flow’. Nevertheless, they same hex at the beginning of the movement phase. (There
do add interesting dimensions to play and enliven sit- must be one carrier unit for each separate artillery unit).
uations that, with repeated play, could become stereotyped:
c. An artillery unit of less than 88mm (including 25 pdr)
A. FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY FOR TURRETED AFVS: does not need a carrier-type unit in the same hex to change
To further differentiate the mechanical and operational facing.
advantages of the turreted tank versus assault guns and 5. See the Unit Function Table for a precise listing of which
other self-propelled weapons, employ the following rules: unit types must abide by these field-of-fire rules.
1. Allied and German turreted armored vehicles may use C. SMOKE SHELL CONCENTRATIONS (SSC)
their attack strength in the combat phase and move up to 1. Those artillery weapons with indirect fire capabilities
half of their movement allowance (rounded DOWN) in the (EXCEPT Maultier and Nebelwerfer) may fire ‘smoke’ shell
movement phase of the same player segment. concentrations (SSCs) in order to obstruct the LOS/LOF
a. Units that fire are inverted as usual, but during the traced through certain target hexes.
movement phase those units that move are turned face-up a. SSCs are executed in the same manner as any other type
and execute half of their movement allowance. of direct or indirect attack, but a minimum of 25 attack
strength points must be fired into the hex to obstruct the
b. German tank units that fire in the combat phase may
LOS/LOF.
either move half of their movement allowance or
load/unload. They may NOT do both, however. b. SSCs may not be fired into hexes occupied by friendly
units.
2. Tank units that fire and move in the same player
segment may not make overrun or ‘panzer assault’ attacks c. SSCs may not be fired into sea, stream (including those
during that same movement phase. crossed by bridges), or swamp hexes.
d. SSCs have no effect on enemy units that may be in the
3. Tanks using opportunity fire in the previous enemy target hex.
movement phase are considered to have fired in their own
combat phase for purposes of this rule. e. SSCs may not be fired as part of an opportunity fire
attack.
4. See the Unit Function Table for a precise listing of
f. SSCs may not be fired into a hex that undergoes a regular
which unit types may exercise this rule.
direct or indirect fire attack in the same combat phase. (Note,
B. ARTILLERY FIELD-OF-FIRE LIMITATIONS however, that regular fire could be directed at a hex
containing an SSC in subsequent turns.)
Artillery pieces are not very mobile once they are emplaced
for firing. Therefore the following rule section restricts the 2. Duration: An SSC lasts for two consecutive turns after
direction in which artillery units can fire: which it is dissipated.
a. Indicate those hexes receiving SSCs by placing a
HEADS-UP coin in each one of as they are fired upon.

16
b. At the beginning of the first friendly combat phase after obstructed if the straight line traced from hex-dot to hex-dot
firing, all HEADS-UP coins presently on the mapboard are intersects any part of the SSC target hex.
flipped over.
c. The LOS/LOF is not blocked for units firing into or
c. At the beginning of the second friendly combat phase out of hexes containing SSCs, but such hexes must be
after firing, all TAILS-UP coins are removed, signaling the spotted to be fired upon. (In effect, for LOS/LOF
dissipation of the smoke shell concentration. purposes, SSC hexes function like ‘unusually tall’ town
hexes.)
d. If both sides are using smoke shells, it is suggested that
two different denominations of coins be used. 4. Firing SSCs is the same as a regular direct or indirect fire
attack and places the same types of restrictions on these
3. Effects:
firing units as any other type of attack.
a. SSCs obstruct the LOS/LOF through the target hex at
5. Smoke shell concentrations have no effect upon
ALL elevations. By way of example, picture a solid
movement.
column of dense smoke 250 meters wide extending
vertically from the target hex to an altitude of several 6. SSCs may be fired into a hex as often as desired to, in
hundred meters. This obstruction also includes air-to- effect, create a continuous LOS/LOF obstruction.
ground sightings if airpower is employed.
7. Even though only weapons with indirect fire capabilities
b. The LOS/LOF from a firing unit’s hex to a target hex is may fire SSCs, they may be fired directly, or indirectly.

XVII. EXAMPLES OF PLAY

DIRECT FIRE
1. HETZER fires at M4/75: range = 4, AS doubled (half range),
odds are 24 to 9, 2-1.
2. SG-III fires at M4/75: range = 7, AS normal (greater than half
range), odds are 12 to 9, or 1-1.
3. QUAD 20mm fires at M4/75: range = 6, AS normal (range 6 or
2
less); 20mm fires at same target: range = 7, AS halved (range
greater than 6); combined odds are 16 to 9, or 1-1.

INDIRECT FIRE
Two 120mm mortars fire indirectly at three Allied infantry platoons 3
with a German infantry unit spotting. Green hex sides block direct
fire; therefore, indirect fire was ordered in the previous combat
phase. Attack computes as 30 (combined AS)  3 (number of units
in target hex) = 10, which is the attack strength applied against
each defending unit. Odds are: 10 to 6, 10 to 6, 10 to 6 (three
separate 1-1 attacks).

C CLOSE ASSAULT TACTICS

B D Allied units use CAT against German infantry platoon. Attack


computes as 8 to 8, or 1-1. Allied engineer unit raises odds to 2-1
and 2 is subtracted from die roll. NOTE:
1. MG unit at ‘A’ cannot attack, because it is not in the same hex
as an infantry-type unit.
2. MG unit at ‘B’ can attack, because it is with an infantry unit.
A 3. Engineer unit at ‘C’ raises odds one column. Note that if the
engineer unit was at ‘D’ instead, it would NOT raise the odds,
because it would not be with an attacking infantry unit.

17
OBSTACLES, ELEVATION, AND LINE-OF-SIGHT
In the following diagram, the LOS/LOF from one unit to another is
written as A-B, where A is firing at B. Where the LOS/LOF is
blocked, it is written as A/B. Arrows indicate blocking hex sides:

LOS/LOF REASON
A/B target directly behind green hex side
A-C only if C is spotted, or fired while in LOS, because it is
in woods hex
A-D no blocking terrain
A-F unit in stream hex treated as ground level when firing
from higher elevation
A/G brown hex side closer to target than to firing unit
OVERRUN ATTACK A-X target on ridge hex; brown hex side does not block
German SG-III and halftrack overrun two Allied infantry units, LOS/LOF
stopping in their respective exit hexes. Attack computes as (12+2) A/Y target directly behind town hex
= 14 to 12, or 1-1, which is raised one column to 2-1. Also, 2 is A/Z slope/woods hex side treated same as ground-level
subtracted from the die roll. green hex side
C-B units adjacent, green hex side ignored
C/F target in stream hex, firing unit at ground level
Z/E LOS passes through more than one orange hex side

1 A
1 G
1
X D C
3
B F
3

3
E
Y
½
Z
½

1 TRANSPORT
Truck, with a 75mm AT unit as a passenger, expends half of its
movement allowance in movement, and then expends the other half
unloading the passenger. (It could have moved and loaded instead.)
1 If it had expended more than half its movement allowance, it could
not have unloaded the AT unit.

2+6
MOVEMENT
Numbers in the hexes refer to movement point costs incurred when
moving into each particular hex. Note that movement at road-rate is 2 2
allowed when moving through a hex containing one wreck, but not
allowed when moving into a hex containing three wrecks.

18
EXPANDED SEQUENCE OF PLAY (WITH AIRPOWER)
Stacking Limits per Hex: 4 units at all times; includes Wrecks, Blocks, and Fortifications
Player Segment (Per player per Turn; Turn is 6 min of real time; each hex is 250 m)
1. Attacking player writes Indirect Fire orders for next turn.
2. Attacking player resolves any Minefield attacks against defending units.
3. Attacking player resolves all Indirect Fire Attacks, rolling the die once for each attack ordered in the previous
turn, inverting units as they are fired, to signify that they may not move or load.
4. Attacking player resolves all Direct Fire Attacks, rolling the die once for each attack, inverting units as they are
fired, to signify that they may not move or load.
5. Attacking Allied player moves all aircraft units.
6. Defending German player resolves all Anti-Aircraft Attacks, inverting units as they are fired, to signify that they
may not fire, move, or load in next German player turn.
7. Attacking Allied player resolves all Air Attacks.
8. Attacking player moves any face-up VEHICULAR units, making Overrun Attacks (with Armored units and
Halftracks, no SPA units) while doing so.
9. Attacking player moves any face-up NON-VEHICULAR units, making Close Assaults (with Infantry and Engineer
units, no Halftracks) after doing so.
10. Attacking player turns ALL units FACE-UP, including those dispersed in the previous turn.
11. After second Player Segment, indicate passage of Turn on the Turn Record.
Indirect Fire Attack (Artillery (H) units at > ¼ range and M units; no Direct Fire against same hex)
1. Use Range for each attacker to confirm target hex is within firing range
2. Determine if scattered fire applies, and follow remaining steps in accord with outcome
3. Use WEC and Range to determine effects on AS for each attacker, using predominant defender type; if evenly
divided, then use defender type least favorable for each attacker
4. Use TEC to determine defender terrain effects on AS for each attacker and die roll modifier
5. Determine combined AS firing at target hex, and divide by number of defenders
6. Use this averaged AS to determine AS-to-DS ratio for each defender
7. Use CRT and modified die roll to determine result for each defender
Direct Fire Attack
1. Attacker chooses any combination of defenders in target hex, using combined DS
2. Use Range for each attacker to confirm target hex is within firing range
3. Use TET to confirm LOS to target hex for each attacker
4. Use WEC and Range to determine effects on AS for each attacker, using predominant defender type; if evenly
divided, then use defender type least favorable for each attacker
5. Use TEC to determine defender terrain effects on AS for each attacker and die roll modifier
6. Determine combined AS-to-DS ratio
7. Use CRT and modified die roll to determine result
Anti-Aircraft Attack (German 20mm, 20(4)mm, 37mm, and Wirbelwind units)
1. Use Range for each attacker to confirm target is within firing range
2. Use Range for each attacker, with AS doubled for  half range, to determine combined AS
3. Use AA Table and die roll to determine result
Air Attack (Allied FB units)
1. Executed as Direct Fire Attack, skipping steps 2 and 3, and ignoring any Range and elevation effects
2. Each FB unit may conduct bomb OR rocket attack once per game
3. Each FB unit may conduct machine gun attack four times per game
Overrun Attack (Armored units; Halftracks against Non-Armored units; no German SPA units)
1. Use MA and TEC for each attacker to confirm defender is within movement range (may not use road rate;
defender must be in unobstructed clear or clear-road terrain)
2. Determine combined AS-to-DS ratio (WEC not used)
3. Increase AS-to-DS ratio by 1
4. Use CRT and die roll modified by −2 to determine result
Close Assault (Infantry & Engineer units; Allied MG units stacked with Infantry; no Halftracks)
1. Use MA and TEC for each attacker to confirm defender is within movement range (may use road rate)
2. Use TEC to determine defender terrain effects on die roll modifier (no terrain effects on AS)
3. Determine combined AS-to-DS ratio (WEC not used)
4. If an Engineer unit is stacked with an Infantry unit, increase AS-to-DS ratio by 1
5. Use CRT and die roll modified by −2, and any terrain modifier, to determine result

19
UNIT FUNCTION TABLE ALLIED
CLASSIFICATION DATA COMBAT MOVEMENT OPT EXP
ATTACK MODES

CARRIER
WEAPON

STACK

TUR AFV
TARGET
NAME AND

PASS

QUICK

SSC
ARTY
TIME

FOF
CAT SYMBOL # COMPOSITION
CODE GROUP DF IF OR CAT AA

57mm
(0211-3)
3 Four 57mm anti-tank guns, 39 men A ● NA ●½4 ●
76mm
(0221-2)
2 Four 3-inch M5 anti-tank guns, 47 men A ● NA ●½ ●

90mm Four 90mm M2 anti-aircraft guns, 96


(0231-2)
2 men
A ● NA ● ● C

17 pdr Four 17-pounder (76mm) anti-tank guns,


(0240)
1 51 men
A ● NA ●½ ●

40mm Six 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns, 42


(0331-2)
2 men
H ● ● NA ●½ ●
TOWED GUNS

25 pdr HOW Six 25-pounder (86.4mm) gun-howitzers,


(0431-3)
3 39 men
(H) ● ● NA ●½ ● ●
(0000s)

105 mm HOW
(0441-6)
6 Six 105mm M2A2 howitzers, 117 men (H) ● ● NA ● ● C ●

155mm HOW
(0461-2)
2 Six 155mm M1 howitzers, 152 men (H) ● ● NA ● ● C ●

8 inch HOW
(0480)
1 Six 8-inch guns, 136 men (H) ● ● NA ● ● C ●

76mm
(0511-2)
2 Four 76mm mortars, 29 men M ● ● NA ●½ ● ●

81mm
(0521-3
3 Six 81 mm mortars, 59 men M ● ● NA ●½ ● ●

107mm
(0530)
1 Four 4.2-inch (107mm) mortars, 52 men M ● ● NA ● ● ●

Engineer (US) Forty-nine men, two MGs, mine clearing,


(1111-6)
6 demolition, and construction equipment
I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●
Sixty-five men, three Bren guns, mine
Engineer (UK)
(1121-4)
4 clearing, demolition, and construction I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●
equipment
Scout Twenty-four men, four automatic rifles,
3 I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●
INFANTRY

(1201-3) two MGs


(1000s)

Machine Gun Forty men, six cal. .50 MGs, three rocket
(1401-3)
3 launchers
I ● ●2 NA ●½ ●

Rifle Thirty-six men, six automatic rifles, four


(1511-9/1521-9)
18 MGs, one 60mm mortar
I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●

Armored Infantry Forty-five men, six automatic rifles, five


(1531-9)
9 MGs, 12 SMGs, one 60mm mortar
I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●

Truck
(2201-6)
6 Five 2½-ton trucks, five drivers NA ● ●
Scout Car M3 One Daimler scout car, four M3 scout
TRANSPORT

(2221-3)
3 cars, five MGs, 12 men
I ● A ●3 ●
(2000s)

Bren Carrier
(2301-9)
9 Six Bren carriers, six Bren guns, 12 men I ● ●na1 A ● ●

Halftrack M3
(2401-9/2411-9)
18 Five M3 halftracks, five MGs, ten men I ● ●na A ● ●

M20
3 Six M20 armored cars, six MGs, 24 men I ● ●na A ●
ARMORED CARS

(3201-3)
(3000s)

M8 Six M8 armored cars (37mm M6), 12


(3301-3)
3 MGs, 24 men
A ● ● A ●

Daimler Six Daimler armored cars (37mm), six


(3401-5)
5 MGs, 24 men
A ● ● A ●
Counters from Imaginative Strategist: http://www.imaginative-strategist.layfigures.com/IMSTRAT%20PL%20Counter.html

20
UNIT FUNCTION TABLE ALLIED (CONTINUED)
CLASSIFICATION DATA COMBAT MOVEMENT OPT EXP
ATTACK MODES

CARRIER
WEAPON

STACK

TUR AFV
TARGET
NAME AND

PASS

QUICK

SSC
ARTY
TIME

FOF
CAT SYMBOL # COMPOSITION
CODE GROUP DF IF OR CAT AA

Sexton Six Sexton self-propelled howitzers (25-


(4101-3)
3 pdr), six MGs, 51 men
(H) ● ● A ● ●
SP ARTILLERY
(4000s)

M7 Six M7 Priest self-propelled howitzers


(4201-3)
3 (105mm M2A1), six MGs, 45 men
(H) ● ● A ● ●

Recon HQ Troop One Daimler scout car, six White scout


(4600)
1 cars, one 3-inch mortar, 39 men
H ● A ●

M16 Six M3 halftracks, six quad-mounted cal.


(5101-2)
2 H ● ●na ● A ●
ASSAULT GUNS

.50 MGs, 39 men


(5000s)

M4/105 Three M4A3/105 Sherman assault guns


(5401-2)
2 (105mm T8), three MGs,15 men
H ● ● A ● ●
Four Churchill Mk III tanks with main
Churchill Crocodile
(5500)
1 armament replaced with flamethrowing H ● ● A ● ●
equipment, four MGs, 20 men
Achilles Four Achilles tank destroyers (17-pdr),
(6301-2)
2 four MGs, 20 men
A ● ● A ● ●
TANK DESTROYERS

M10 Four M10 tank destroyers (3-inch M7),


(6401-3)
3 five MGs, 20 men
A ● ● A ● ●
(6000s)

M18 Four M18 tank destroyers (3-inch M1A1),


(6500)
1 five MGs, 20 men
A ● ● A ● ●

M36 Four M36 tank destroyers (90mm M3),


(6600)
1 five MGs, 20 men
A ● ● A ● ●

M5 Five M5 Stuart light tanks (37mm M6),


(7201-3)
3 ten MGs, 20 men
A ● ● A ● ●
M24 Five M24 light tanks (75mm M6), ten
(7300)
1 MGs, 20 men
A ● ● A ● ●

Cromwell Four Cromwell tanks (75mm), eight MGs,


(7401-4)
4 20 men
A ● ● A ● ●
(7000s)
TANKS

Three M4/75 Sherman tanks, one M4A4


Sherman (UK)
(7511-8)
8 Sherman Firefly tank (17-pdr), eight A ● ● A ● ●
MGs, 20 men
M4/75 Five M4A3/75 Sherman tanks (75mm
(7521-9)
9 M3), ten MGs, 25 men
A ● ● A ● ●

M4/76 Five M4A3E8/76 Sherman tanks (76mm


(7531-3)
3 M3), ten MGs, 25 men
A ● ● A ● ●

Valentine Bridgelayer Four modified Valentine tanks with main


(8100)
1 armament removed, equipped with small I ● ●na A ●6 ●
box girder bridges
ENGINEER AFVs

Sherman Crab Four M4A4/75 Sherman tanks (75mm


(8201-2)
2 M3) with Crab mine-clearing flails
A ● ● A ● ●
(8000s)

Tank Bridge 1 NA ●7

Truck Bridge 1 NA ●

One L-5 Sentinel observation aircraft,


L-5 1 NA
AIRCRAFT

one pilot, one observer


(9000s)

One Typhoon or P-47 Thunderbolt


Fighter-Bomber 5 fighter-bomber, armament specified by A/H5 ● NA
situation, one pilot
Counters from Imaginative Strategist: http://www.imaginative-strategist.layfigures.com/IMSTRAT%20PL%20Counter.html

21
UNIT FUNCTION TABLE GERMAN
CLASSIFICATION DATA COMBAT MOVEMENT OPT EXP
ATTACK MODES

CARRIER
WEAPON

STACK

TUR AFV
TARGET
NAME AND

PASS

QUICK

SSC
ARTY
TIME

FOF
CAT SYMBOL # COMPOSITION
CODE GROUP DF IF OR CAT AA

75mm
(0221-3)
3 Four 75mm anti-tank guns, 45 men A ● NA ●½ ●
88mm
(0231-4)
4 Four 88mm anti-tank guns, 111 men A ● NA ● ● C

20mm
(0311-4)
4 Six 20mm anti-aircraft guns, 40 men H ● ● NA ●½ ●

20mm Quad Three quad-mounted 20mm anti-aircraft


(0321-2)
2 guns, 45 men
H ● ● NA ●½ ●

37mm
(0330)
1 Six 37mm anti-aircraft guns, 42 men H ● ● NA ●½ ●

75mm IG
(0411-4)
4 Two 75mm infantry guns, 36 men H ● NA ●½ ●
TOWED GUNS

75mm HOW
(0421-3)
3 Six 75mm leFK 18 howitzers, 67 men (H) ● ● NA ●½ ● ●
(0000s)

105mm HOW
(0441-2)
2 Six 105mm leFH 18 howitzers, 112 men (H) ● ● NA ● ● C ●

150mm IG
(0431-2)
2 Two 150mm infantry guns, 39 men H ● NA ● ● C

150mm HOW
(0451-3)
3 Six 150mm sFH 36 howitzers, 120 men (H) ● ● NA ● ● C ●

170mm
(0471-2)
2 Six 170mm K 18 guns, 139 men (H) ● ● NA ● ● C ●

81mm
(0521-3)
3 Six 81mm mortars, 66 men M ● ● NA ●½ ● ●

120mm
(0541-3)
3 Four 120mm mortars, 47 men M ● ● NA ● ● ●

Nebelwerfer Six 150mm Nebelwerfer rocket launches,


(0001-2)
2 86 men
(H) ● ● NA ●½ ● C

Engineer Sixty-three men, ten SMGs, nine MGs,


(1121-3)
3 eight flamethrowers, demolition and mine I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●
clearing equipment
Security
1 Forty-six men, 12 SMGs, four MGs I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●
INFANTRY

(1300)
(1000s)

Rifle
(1511-9/1521-9)
18 Fifty-nine men, 11 SMGs, six MGs I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●

Submachine Gun
(1541-9)
9 Fifty-two men, 30 SMGs, four MGs I ● ● NA ●½ ● ●

Wagon
(2101-6)
6 Four horse-drawn vehicles, six men NA ● ●
TRANSPORT
(2000s)

Truck
(2201-6)
6 Five 3-ton trucks, five drivers NA ● ●

Halftrack SdKfz 251


(2401-9/2411)
10 Five SdKfz halftracks, five MGs, ten men I ● ●na A ● ●

SdKfz 234/1 Seven 234/1 armored cars (20mm), 38


3 H ● ● A ●i8 ●
ARMORED CARS

(3501-3) men
(3000s)

SdKfz 234/2 Puma Seven 234/2 armored cars (50mm), 38


(3200)
1 men
A ● ● A ●i ●

SdKfz 234/4 Seven 234/4 armored cars (75mm), 38


(3600)
1 men
A ● ● A ●i ●
Counters from Imaginative Strategist: http://www.imaginative-strategist.layfigures.com/IMSTRAT%20PL%20Counter.html

22
UNIT FUNCTION TABLE GERMAN (CONTINUED)
CLASSIFICATION DATA COMBAT MOVEMENT OPT EXP
ATTACK MODES

CARRIER
WEAPON

STACK

TUR AFV
TARGET
NAME AND

PASS

QUICK

SSC
ARTY
TIME

FOF
CAT SYMBOL # COMPOSITION
CODE GROUP DF IF OR CAT AA

Wespe Six PzFH 18 (Wespe) self-propelled


(4201-2)
2 howitzers (105mm), 125 men
(H) ● ● A ● ●
SP ARTILLERY
(4000s)

Maultier Six Maultier self-propelled rocket


(4300)
1 launchers (150mm), 126 men
(H) ● ● A ●

Hummel Six PzFH 18M (Hummel) self-propelled


(4400)
1 howitzers (150mm), 131 men
(H) ● ● A ● ●

Gw 38(M) Two SIG 33/1 self-propelled guns


(5201-3)
3 (150mm), 26 men
H ● ● A ●i ●
(5000s)
AGs

Wirbelwind Three FlakPanzer IV tanks (quad-


(5300)
1 mounted 20mm), 40 men
H ● ● ● A ●i ● ●

Hetzer
(6101-2)
2 Six Jgpz 38 guns (75mm), 31 men A ● ● A ●i ●
(6000s)
TDs

StuG-III Six StG III self-propelled guns (75mm),


(6200)
1 31 men
A ● ● A ●i ●

Lynx
(7100)
1 Five PzKw II (L) tanks (20mm), 25 men A ● ● A ●i ● ●
PzKw-III
(7301-2)
2 Four PzKw III (J) tanks (50mm), 20 men A ● ● A ●i ● ●

PzKw-IV (Wehrmacht)
(7711-2)
2 Four PzKw IV (H) tanks (75mm), 20 men A ● ● A ●i ● ●

PzKw-IV (SS)
(7721-6)
6 Five PzKw IV (H) tanks (75mm), 25 men A ● ● A ●i ● ●
(7000s)
TANKS

PzKw-V (Wehrmacht) Four PzKw V (Panther) tanks (75mm),


(7811-6)
6 20 men
A ● ● A ●i ● ●

PzKw-V (SS) Five PzKw V (Panther) tanks (75mm), 25


(7821-6)
6 men
A ● ● A ●i ● ●

PzKw-VIa Five PzKw VIa (Tiger) tanks (88mm), 25


(7911-3)
3 men
A ● ● A ●i ● ●

PzKw-VIb Five PzKw VIb (King Tiger) tanks


(7921-3)
3 (88mm), 25 men
A ● ● A ●i ● ●

Fortifications 6 A ●
POSITIONAL DEFENSES

Mines 6 9 ●10

Blocks 10 ●

Wrecks 20 ●11

The Unit Function Table lists all of the unit types contained in the game and presents their game-relevant characteristics in a tabular format:
KEY
CAT—category of units by functions and type. SYMBOL—unit counter representing that particular unit. NAME AND CODE GROUP—name of unit and its PICS number.
COMPOSITION—types and numbers of manpower and weaponry found in a full strength unit of a particular type. WEAPON—unit’s weapon type (I, A, H, (H), M). ATTACK
MODE—dot under any of the following types of attack means the unit in question may execute those types of attacks: DF—direct fire; IF—indirect fire; OR—over-run attack;
CAT—close assault tactics; AA—anti-aircraft attack. TARGET—type of target (regardless of weapon type): A—armored target; NA—non-armored target. CARRIER—dot
indicates unit may transport other units. PASS—dot indicates unit may be transported. STACK—dot indicates unit counts for stacking purposes. QUICK TIME—dot indicates unit
may use optional Quick-Time rule. EXP—experimental rules: TUR AFV—dot indicates unit may use turreted AFV rule. ARTY FOF—‘C’ indicates unit must have carrier in same
hex to change field-of-fire. SSC—dot indicates unit may fire smoke shell concentrations.
NOTES: 1) Dot followed by ‘na’ means unit may overrun non-armored target types. 2) MG units may only close assault in conjunction with rifle, engineer, and scout units. 3)
Scout Car moves with same MA costs as a truck. 4) Dot followed by ‘½’ means carrier expends only half MA in loading/unloading. 5) FB units may be either A or H units
depending on armament. 6) Valentine Bridgelayer may only carry Tank Bridge. 7) Tank Bridge may be carried by Valentine Bridgelayer only. 8) Dot followed by ‘i’ means unit may
only transport infantry-type units. 9) Mines attack all types of targets in same fashion. 10) All mine attacks are 2-1, regardless of terrain, etc. 11) No more than three wrecks are
ever placed in a hex; each wreck counts one for stacking purposes.

Counters from Imaginative Strategist: http://www.imaginative-strategist.layfigures.com/IMSTRAT%20PL%20Counter.html

23
ERRATA
PUBLISHED CORRECTIONS: UNPUBLISHED CORRECTIONS:
Avalon Hill issued several corrections through game- Even after issuing game-printing updates, a few obvious
printing updates and in: Randall C. Reed, “Design typographical and composition errors remained in the game
Analysis,” The General, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 16-17. materials. This document corrects those errors in the Rules
of Play booklet. The following remain uncorrected in the
AVAILABLE FORCES:
published Player Aid Cards.
Situation 5: x12 Allied Rifle, instead of Armored Infantry
TARGET ELEVATION TABLE:
Situation 13: One German 37mm, instead of x2
Under Ground-to-Slope firing, the correct reference for ‘*’ is
Situation 14: One German 37mm, instead of x2 to rules section VII.J.3.
Situation 15: 1. One German 37mm, instead of x2 Under Hilltop-to-Ground firing, the missing reference for
2. 276 VG – Change x4 trucks and one ‘**’ is to rules section VII.J.4.
wagon to one truck and x4 wagons
Situation 18: x6 German trucks, instead of x7 GENERALLY ACCEPTED CORRECTIONS:
Situation 20: x2 German halftracks, instead of x3 While unpublished by Avalon Hill, PANZER LEADER game
lore generally recognizes additional corrections.
A later game printing made the changes.
UNIT FACTORS:
EXAMPLES OF PLAY:
The movement allowance for the Allied Cromwell unit
In the Direct Fire illustration, the doubled attack strength of should be 12, not 7.
the German Hetzer is not consistent with the range to the
Allied M4/75 target. This document implements the change in the Allied Unit
Function Table.
This document implements the change.
AVAILABLE FORCES:
DIRECT FIRE:
Situation 7: x9 Allied Armored Infantry, instead of Rifle
In rule IX.C.10.a, replace the third sentence:
In this case, friendly units may fire on that hex;
but the die must be rolled twice, once for the
attack on the enemy units and then for the effect
on friendly units in the fortification.
with this correction:
Such enemy units may still be attacked. Note,
however, that in cases where the enemy unit
cannot be attacked individually (DF into town
hexes or CAT) two attacks using normal AS for
each are required; one against the enemy unit’s
DS and one against the fort’s DS. For IF attacks,
merely treat the fort as another unit in the stack.
This document implements the change.
TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART:
The Hilltop Hex entry, under Combat, should read:
One half attack strength for direct fire attacks except
when on another hilltop hex.
A later game printing made the change.
UNIT FUNCTION TABLE:
For the German Nebelwerfer unit, under ARTY FOF,
replace the ● with ‘C’.
This document implements the change.

24
NOTES

Let them be together one more time, our Hectors, our Achilles,
while they still can shake their spears, and run their watches
backward round the walls of Troy. — Ward McBurney

25
Images from: FM 30-40, Recognition Pictorial Manual on Armored Vehicles,
US War Department, 3 November 1943

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