WW2 Era Skirmish Rules By Tom Hinshelwood

Transcription

1 WW2 Era Skirmish Rules By Tom Hinshelwood 1.0 Introduction This game uses the rules mechanics of 5.56mm, a modern era skirmish game written by myself, though with modifications and additions for the WW2 era follows the ethos of its parent game in providing and easy to use system able to handle a wide range of realistic combat situations. Last month WargamesJournal.com released another WW2 skirmish game by the name of FUBAR. Like 1945, FUBAR uses a 5.56mm s rules with some modifications to suit the WW2 era. As you might expect with both games being heavily based upon 5.56mm they share many similarities as a result. WargamesJournal.com has released both sets of rules to give you two different takes on modifying my 5.56mm rules for gaming in the WW2 era is designed with 28mm miniatures in mind, though it is able to accommodate miniatures of smaller or larger scales. Though the game has been designed with realism as an important consideration, simplicity and ease of use have taken precedence over absolute realism to allow for that most important of factors, fun. 2.0 Game Mechanics 1945 uses a few core rules to handle all aspects of play. The term, character, is used throughout this manual to describe all combatants taking part on either side. 2.3 Turns This game is intended for two opposing sides controlled by two players or multiple players on the same side and a referee controlling the opposition. To determine in what order characters can act a turn deck is used. Before the game can begin each character on either side needs to be assigned a card from a pack of standard playing cards. This information is then recorded on the Squad Sheet for easy reference and to save any arguments. For simplicities sake use all black cards for one side and all red cards for the opposition. Then those cards that have been assigned to the characters are shuffled together to form the turn deck and each player alternates in drawing a card from the deck. The card draw will then correspond to a particular character and the appropriate player is then allowed to control that character. When the character has used up their action allowance or the player decides, the character s go is ended and another card is drawn until all cards have been used and every character has been controlled. The turn is then ended. All cards are then reshuffled ready for the next turn. Cards for characters who have been killed should not be reshuffled into the deck. If a card is 1 drawn for a character who has been killed before their go that turn, remove the card from the deck and draw another card. Infantry characters usually only have one card assigned to them, but it is possible that a character may be assigned two cards. This is the case if the character possesses the Veteran special skill. Therefore that character is able to be used twice during the turn by the player. In this instance when a character s second card has been drawn the character may go again, taking only a single action instead of the usual allowance of two (see 2.2 Actions) In this way the character gets two actions in his first go and then a third action when another card assigned to him is drawn. Characters who are Veterans may not use a special action when their second card is drawn. It is possible to have special events take place in a scenario by drawing one or more Jokers from the turn deck. This won t be the case in every scenario but if so there will be special rules to cover such events in the scenario. The scenario in question will state whether it is necessary for the inclusion of a Joker in the turn deck. Otherwise it can be left out. When a Joker is drawn refer to the scenario to establish what happens then continue drawing cards as normal. In any deck their will possibly be a number of Leadership Cards for either side. This is based upon how adept at command the squad leader is. When a Leadership Card is drawn any character within the squad leaders Command Range, including the squad leader himself, is able to take an additional single action. Alternately the player may hold back this card for use at a later point during the game. The above rules still apply and the card must be played after another characters card has been drawn and before the next card is drawn. It cannot be played during a character s go. If a squad leader is entitled to multiple Leadership Cards then the player is allowed to hold back as many cards as he likes and then play them one after the other. This represents a particularly skilful commander waiting to use his troops at the right moment for the best possible result. Should the squad leader be killed then all Leadership Cards should be ignored when drawn and removed from the deck at the end of the turn. 2.2 Actions When a character s card is drawn that character is allowed to perform one or two of the actions described in the Action section (3.0). He can perform two different actions, such as Move and Fire, Fire and Move, Move and Stealth, or any combination the player decides. The character may also take two of the same action; two Fire actions, two Move actions etc. A character who takes two actions must take both actions independently from one another, such as taking a Move action then a Fire action once the Move has been completed. He can t perform part of the Move action, pause to Fire, and finish the Move action. Alternately a character can take a special action (see section 4.0) in place of two normal actions. These special actions include amongst others, Auto-Fire, Treat Injured, and Hide. Should the player wish, a character is allowed to take just one action or even no actions when his card is drawn, though this isn t recommended if the player has any intention of keeping him alive. The player cannot hold his card back in reserve like he can with the Leadership Card. 2.3 Target Number With the exceptions of the Move action and the Sprint special action, the success or failure of all actions in the game are determined by whether or not a character can equal or beat the

2 Target Number (TN) of task attempted. To do this the player controlling the character rolls a D6 and adds one of four Ability Scores (section 9.0), depending on which action the character is performing. If the total of this roll is equal to or higher than the TN of the action it is a success, if not the action fails. This game mechanic is used to determine such things as whether a Hiding enemy is spotted, whether a shot hits its target and the effects of the wound, etc. For example: A British Paratrooper, Sgt. Jeffreys, takes a Fire action at a German SS Officer. The TN of the Officer is 6 (5 because of the range, and +1 because he is in partial concealment). Jeffreys rolls a 4, but scores a hit because his Weapons ability modifier of +2 means the TN of 6 is equalled. In certain instances the same dice roll to reach the Target Number can be used to determine a degree of success or degree of failure, whether it may be a narrow scrape, glorious triumph or tragic error. For example: Jeffreys, having wounded his enemy, uses his second action to Move of and, away from the advancing German armour. To do so he has to go through a ruined building, which counts as difficult ground. The TN for this is only 2, a simple roll, but the more the Sgt. Jeffreys can beat the number by, the quicker he can cross the building. His player rolls a D6 adding his Movement modifier of +1 for a total of 5. This result of 3 more than required means he can move across the building at full speed, heading to safety as fast as possible. 3.0 Actions (Single) 3.1 Move All characters move a standard distance of 4 across even ground when performing this action. Even ground counts as grassland, fields, light woodland, streets etc. Other types of terrain count of difficult ground and require different TN s to cross successfully (see Battlefield Environments section 8.0). A character who takes two Move actions during their turn runs a total of 8. Alternatively a character may take a Sprint special action instead (see section 4.1) with the chance of moving further, but also the chance of moving less. Unless otherwise stated all characters on both sides are considered to be carrying a normal amount of encumbrance, that is equipment, supplies and ammunition. In the game this is referred to as a combat load. In some instances a character will be considered to have more or less encumbrance than this standard amount. A character who as a light load is considered to only be carrying the bare essentials, ie his weapon, ammunition and not a lot else, in this way he is able to move faster than normal. A character who has a heavy load is weighed down by the weight of his kit and therefore is penalised in his movement. The table below (3.11) shows how far characters with different amounts of encumbrance are able to travel by taking a Move action Encumbrance Move Distance Light Load 5 Combat Load 4 Heavy Load 3 It is possible for a character too jump during his movement to cross a gap or stream for example. To do so is not without risk however. Measure the distance of the gap, with the number of inches becoming the TN for a Movement roll. Round any fractions down. This TN is subject to the penalties shown in the below table (3.12). Roll a D6 and add the character s Movement 2 modifier and use the second below table (3.13) to determine how successful the character s leap is. The third below table (3.14) lists positive modifiers that aid a character s Movement roll Modifiers to the TN +1 Character has a Heavy Load +1 Character makes a standing jump Movement Result -2 The character fails to make the distance by some way. Work out any damage as per the falling rules. -1 The character just fails to make it, but manages to grab hold. If he has another action this turn he may attempt to pull himself up (Strength test TN 3). Otherwise he must wait until his following turn to make the attempt. If he fails the attempt he cannot hold on and falls. If another character is adjacent to the hanging character he may pull him up automatically during his turn. Doing so counts as an action. +0 The character makes it, just, but can do nothing else this turn. +1 or more The jump is successful. The character may continue his turn as normal. The distance jumped counts towards his total movement allowance Modifiers to Movement Roll 3.2 Fire +1 The character is using the Sprint special action +1 The character has more than 2 run up before the jump To shoot at an enemy a character first needs to be able to see him, and to do this there must be a line of sight between the character and the target. If there isn t then it is impossible for the character to score a hit by shooting at him. All characters have a 180-degree field of view with which to shoot at the enemy. If the line of sight is partially obscured the character is still able to shoot as long as he is able to see 50% of more of the target. If the character s line of sight on the target is less than 50% there is a chance that he may be able to see the target and therefore will not be able to Fire at him. To determine whether the character can see the enemy roll a D6 and add his Morale ability modifier. The TN of the enemy is dependant on far away he is from the character and shown on the below table (3.21). On the second below table (3.22) is a list of factors that affect the TN Distance Target Number 1 to to 4 2

3 4 to to to Modifiers to the TN +1 Target is using Take Cover action +1 Spotter can see less than 25% of target +2 Target is using Hide special action 3.23 Modifiers to the Morale Roll +1 Firer is using the Aim action +2 Target has used Fire action or Auto-Fire special action previously in the current turn. +1 Target has used Fire action or Auto-Fire special action in the previous turn but not Moved since. To successfully shoot a target the character must equal or beat the enemy s TN by rolling a D6 and adding the character s Weapons ability modifier. The TN of the enemy is determined by working out the distance between him and the character and comparing this number to the range categories of the Firing character s weapon. When the range category of the target has been found, refer to the below table (3.23) for the TN. This is the base TN needed to score a hit, but the number can be modifier by many different factors, described in the second below table (3.24) Range Category TN Close 2 Short 3 Medium 4 Long 5 Extreme 6 For example: Sgt. Jeffreys tactical withdraw runs into trouble. He is spotted by German infantry and he uses a Fire action to shoot at the closest one. The distance between them is worked out to be 22. The player refers to the range categories for SLR Jeffrey s is using. 22 falls in the Long range (20 to 29 ). As shown in the table above (3.23), an enemy at Long range has a TN of 5. As demonstrated above the TN for the action is determined by the range, but can be modified by one or more factors as show in the table below (3.24). These represent negative situations that make an enemy more difficult to hit. However, there are also favourable situations that aid a character s Fire action, as shown in the second below table (3.25) Modifiers to Target Number +1 Target in partial concealment (25% obscured) +2 Target in full concealment (50% obscured) +1 Target is using Sprint special action +1 Firer is on moving vehicle +2 Firer is on vehicle moving at Full Speed +2 Firer is using a specialist weapon without the appropriate special skill +1 Target is using Take Cover action +1 Firer is using Auto-Fire special action at a second target +1 Firer is using Auto-Fire special action with a machinegun at a target more than 2 from the first target +1 Firer is taken a second Auto-Fire shot with a machinegun +1 Target is not the closest enemy to the character to which he has the best line of sight +1 Target is a vehicle moving at Full Speed +1 Firer is using Cover Fire action +1/+2 Firer is cooking a grenade +1 Throwing a grenade through a narrow space, such as a doorway or window 3.26 Modifiers to Fire Action +1 Target is incapacitated +1 Target does not have a line of sight to the character +1 Firer is using Aim action +1 Target is using Carry special action +2 Target is a vehicle If the fire action equals or beats the TN of the enemy a hit is scored and any wound can be determined (see Injury section, 5.0). It is possible that an enemy may have a TN that the character cannot equal, and in this case the shot is impossible for the character s skills and it would be wise for him to do something else. It is possible for a character to take two Fire actions as part of his turn but if he does so he can only shoot at the same target twice, not a different target with the second shot. To shoot at two separate targets requires the use of a special action: Auto- Fire. Grenades If a character wants to throw a grenade instead of shooting a slightly different process is used to determine success. First of all the player chooses where he wants to throw the grenade to and measures the distance as per a normal Fire action, except that the player does not have to select an enemy character, he can select a point on the ground. He then rolls a D6 and adds the character s Strength modifier to try and reach the TN, worked out from the range like a firearm. If he equals or beats the TN the grenade lands and explodes in the exact place aimed for. If the result is less than the TN consult the table below (3.28) and then the second table below (3.29) for what happens Strength Result Effect -1 The grenade travels D3 inches as described on table The grenade travels D6 inches as described on table

4 -3 or less The grenade travels D6+1 inches as described on table D6 Result Effect 1 The grenade lands 90-degrees to the left of the target 2 The grenade lands 45-degrees to the left of the target 3 The grenade lands directly short of the target 4 The grenade lands directly long of the target 5 The grenade lands 45-degrees to the right of the target 6 The grenade lands 90-degrees to the right of the target If a grenade lands within ½ of a character he may attempt to pick it up and throw it away. To pick up the grenade and throw it away before it explodes requires the character to make a Morale test against TN 4. If he fails this then he is not quick enough and the grenade explodes in his hand. Should the roll be successful he may then take a Fire action with the grenade as normal, though he may only select a target in Medium range or less. If he does not equal the TN for the throw he is too slow getting rid of it and the grenade explodes in his hand. No grenade can be thrown back more than once. To prevent a thrown grenade being thrown away like this the character using the Fire action to throw it in the first place may hold onto the grenade for as long as possible to make sure no one is able to get rid of it before it explodes. To do this the TN of the action is subject to a +1 penalty. This is called cooking the grenade. A technique used during the Second World War was cooking the grenade for as long as possible so that when it was thrown it exploded in the air over the target before it landed. In this way the more shrapnel is able to travel further increasing the kill radius of the grenade. If a character wants to do this the blast radius of the grenade is increased by 1, but because of the difficulty in getting the timing just right the TN is increased by an additional +1 to that of cooking normally and is therefore +2 TN in total. Mortars When a mortar is fired, like when a grenade is thrown, a point is selected on the ground instead of a target chosen. The character then must equal or beat the TN for the range category for that distance. This TN is not subject to the usual rules for line of sight and cover, in fact the TN is unmodified by any of the usual factors. The degree by which the TN is beaten indicates how accurate the mortar has been. Consult the below table (3.210) for the result. If the TN is not equalled then the firing is considered so inaccurate that it does not strike anywhere on the board Fire Result Effect +0 The mortar travels 2d6+6 inches as described in the below table (3.211) +1 The mortar travels 1d6+6 inches as described in the below table (3.211) +2 The mortar travels 1d6 inches as described in the below table (3.211) +3 or more Perfect. The mortar round lands exactly where it was supposed to D6 Result Effect 1 The mortar round lands 90-degrees to the left of the target 2 The mortar round lands 45-degrees to the left of the target 3 The mortar round lands directly short of the target 6 The mortar round lands directly long of the target 7 The mortar round lands 45-degrees to the right of the target 6 The mortar round lands 90-degrees to the right of the target 3.3 Take Cover A character can take a Take Cover action to make himself more difficult to hit by dividing for cover, crawling or just keeping his head down. Doing so means that the character has the equivalent of partial concealment and any enemy Firing at him must do so at a +1 modifier to the character s target number. A character who takes this action can receive both the modifier for being in concealment as well as the modifier for performing the action. This modifier applies until the character s card is drawn next turn, regardless of what other action he takes. 3.4 Aim A character taking this action ignores everything else going on around him and concentrates on hitting his target. If a character selects this as his first action he receives a +1 modifier to his subsequent Fire action as well as Morale roll to spot a target. He may not take it as his second action and have the +1 modifier carry over to his next turn. 3.5 First Aid A character who elects to use this action can temporarily reduce the negative affects an injury has on a wounded character. The character performing the action must be adjacent to the wounded character. The player rolls a D6 and adds the character s Morale ability to equal or beat the TN of the injury (table 3.51). If the test is successful the character s wound improves one level, a Serious becoming a Minor etc. However, this is only short term and after D3+1 turns the wound reverts to its original state, but can be subject to another First Aid action. In this way a character with a Mortal Wound (see Injury section 5.0) is able to be kept from dying but only by a constant effort. A character may perform First Aid on himself, but doing so is difficult and as a result the character suffers a +1 modifier to the TN of the injury. A 4

5 character with a Mortal wound cannot perform this action on himself Injury Target Number Minor 2 Serious 4 Critical 5 Mortal Covering Fire A character who uses this action does nothing else during his turn but watches an area intently, ready to fire if the enemy reveals themselves. The character may take a single Fire action at any target he has a line of sight on during an opposing character s turn, at any point, even during an action. The target must be within a 90-degree field of view in front of the character. The character cannot receive the benefits of an Aim action whilst using Covering Fire. 3.7 Engage As well as using the Fire action to shoot at targets a character can attack an enemy in hand-to-hand combat by using the Engage action. If the character is either already within 1 of the enemy or can reach within 1 through use of the Move action hand-to-hand combat begins between the two combatants. The attacking character rolls a D6 and adds his Strength modifier (plus any other appropriate modifiers and those for weapons) against a TN determined by the defending character doing exactly the same. A list of factors affecting hand-to-hand combat is listed in the tables below (3.71 and 3.72). If the attacker equals or beats the TN then he has hit the defender and a wound may be caused. See Injury section (5.0). Should the defender survive the attack and hand-to-hand combat is continued either in a subsequent action or in the next turn any modifiers from the table below (3.71) that the attacker had are no longer applicable except that gained for additional attackers. The defender retains his modifiers 3.71 Modifier to Attackers Roll +1 Character is Engaging +2 Defender does not have a line of sight to the character (ie from behind) +1 Character is attacking from higher ground +1 For each additional attacker 3.72 Modifier to Defenders Roll +1 Defender is behind an obstacle +1 Defender is on higher ground 5 +1 For each additional defender The best way to take on an enemy in hand-to-hand combat is with some help. To receive the modifier for having an additional attacker that attacker must already be in hand-to-hand combat with the defendant. The defending character receives the modifier for having an additional defendant only if that defendant is within 1 of the attacking character. If a character wishes to Engage an enemy in hand-tohand combat but the enemy is further than 4 away he may do so either by taking two Move actions, or by using the Sprint special action. In this case a character has used up his turn to get close to the character but cannot make an attack roll. However, both characters involved then count as being in hand-to-hand combat. It is possible that a character who has either Engaged an enemy or who has been Engaged himself may want to withdraw for any number of reasons. If the opposing player agrees (though this is unlikely) then the character can use the Move action or the Sprint special action to disengage. If the opposing player does not agree then the character either has to continue to fight or try and escape. To do the latter the character rolls a D6 adding his Movement modifier against a TN determined by the opposing character rolling a D6 and adding his Strength modifier. In such instances no additional modifiers for weapons may be used. If the character equals or beats the TN he has managed to withdraw from the melee and can take two actions or a special action as normal. If he fails to do this the table below (3.73) shows what effects his failure has Movement Result Effect -3 or less The character fails to escape and the enemy character automatically scores a hit on him whilst doing so. Roll for damage as normal. -2 The character manages to escape but the enemy character automatically scores a hit on whilst doing so. Roll for damage as normal. Any action the escaping character makes is at a +2 TN penalty for the rest of this turn -1 The character manages to escape, but any action he makes is at a +1 TN penalty for the rest of this turn 4.0 Actions (Special) 4.1 Sprint Instead of taking two Move actions to move a total distance of 8 a character can attempt to Sprint instead, representing a sudden dash by which the character may be able to move further, but not without risk. The character rolls a D6 and adds his Movement modifier and consults the below table (4.11) to determine how far that character is allowed to move in addition to the distance he is able to move by taking two Move actions. For example: Sgt Jeffreys is in real trouble. To have any chance of evading the rapidly closing German forces he must reach the safety of the woodlands, 10 away. He can only Move 4 so two Move actions will leave him 2 short. He must therefore Sprint. He rolls a D6 adding no modifier for his Movement ability getting a 5. With this additional 2 he just makes it into the cover of the trees.

6 4.11 Movement Result Distance Moved 1 or less Taking a Sprint action to attempt to move further than normal is not without its risk. A character who uses this action must roll a D6 and add his Strength ability modifier against TN 3. This roll is to determine whether the character has expended his stamina by the effort in using a Sprint. If the Strength test is less than the TN the character has to have a quick breather before he can continue. In the characters next turn he is only able to take a single action instead of the normal two as he spends the first action recovering from the exertion. If the player wishes, the character doesn t bother to rest and has his normal action allowance. If so all TN s for that turn are at a +1 penalty and he travels 1 less taking a Move action. The character then needs to spend an action in the next round resting to recover from this extra exertion, but because he is even more exhausted he must make a Strength test (TN 4) or the +1 penalty endures until the end of the turn. If the player is desperate enough the character can negate resting and continue as normal, but doing so in such an exhausted state means all TN s are at a +2 penalty and he moves 2 less taking a Move action. The nex t turn, however, the character collapses and can do nothing during the whole turn except lie on the ground gasping for air. 4.2 Hide If a character takes the Hide action he does everything possible to avoid being detected by the enemy, staying absolutely still if necessary. Doing so means that any rolls to spot the character do so with a +2 modifier to the TN. To determine how far the character is able to move, if at all, roll a D6 and add his Movement ability modifier against the TN of the terrain, as determined by the below table (4.21). How fast the character manages to move across the terrain is determined by with what degree of success he beats the TN by, as shown in the second below table (4.22). If the character fails to equal the TN he still counts as being Hidden, but if he wishes to remain so he cannot move from his position Target Number Terrain 3 Even ground 4 Light undergrowth, brush 5 Light rubble, dense undergrowth 6 Dense rubble, obstacles 4.23 Result Distance Moved or more 4 If an enemy has a completely unobstructed line of sight to the character or is less than 1 away the character cannot claim the 6 full benefits of this special action, but does instead receives the benefits of the Stealth action. However, if the line of sight between the enemy and the character is obstructed, if only slight, then the enemy cannot take any action against the character without first making a successful Morale roll to spot him. The enemy character rolls a D6 and adds his Morale ability to reach a Target Number based on the distance between them, see table below (4.24), with the addition of possible modifiers depending on whether the character is in concealment (table 4.25). In this way it is like the check made to see if a character can Fire on an enemy, but if the enemy is using the Hide action the chances of detecting him are significantly less. If the enemy character fails to equal or beat the TN he is unable to Fire upon the character and may elect to perform another action instead. If the roll is successful and the character is spotted he may be Fired upon, but he still receives a +1 modifier to his TN for Hiding in addition to a +1 or +2 modifier for being in concealment Distance Target Number 1 to to to to to Concealment Modifier to TN Partial +1 Full Auto-Fire Some WW2 firearms available to characters are capable of autofiring. This represents using a weapon s ability to fire on fully automatic mode. Any character with any gun can take two Fire actions in their turn if they so wish, but only at the same target. If they wish to shoot at different targets then they must take the Auto-Fire special action. Characters armed with sub machinegun s, assault rifles or clip-fed light machineguns, make a normal roll to hit as per the Fire action. In addition to this they may make a second to hit roll for using this special action. This must be at the same target or another within 2 of the first target. The second target is, however, more difficult to hit and as such has its TN subject to a +1 penalty, accounting for the inaccuracy of firing on automatic. If the character is armed with a belt-fed light machinegun, medium machinegun or heavy machinegun he is able to take more than one additional shot, usually two for a total of three shots in the character s turn. Like a sub machinegun or assault rifle a machinegun can fire at targets within 2 of the first, but because machinegun s are more effective when firing on automatic, the TN of the second target is not subject to the +1 modifier that other weapons receive. In addition to this a machine gunner may select targets up to 4 away from the first, but targets over 2 away are subject to a +1 modifier to their TN. In this way machineguns can be devastating weapons if deployed correctly. 4.4 Suppressing Fire Unlike the Covering Fire action where a character waits until a target appears before shooting at it, Suppressing Fire represents a character firing continuously at a particular area, regardless of whether there are actually any visible targets, with the aim of

7 keeping an enemy pinned in one place or stopping them moving to another location. Machineguns are naturally considerably better at Suppressing Fire as their high rate-of-fire means they are able to fill an area with hot lead. To use this special action the character must first select a point to concentrate his fire. The area of affect is 3 in radius from this point. Using a template is particularly useful here. Any character who either enters the 6 diameter area has a chance of being hit by the Suppressing Fire. In addition a character who passes between the character using this Special Action and the point of Suppressing Fire is also at risk of being shot, though this risk is not as high. In either case the character must make a Morale roll against a TN determined by what kind of weapon is using this Special action. This shown in the below table (4.41) and the modifiers to the TN in the second below table (4.42) Weapon TN Handgun/SLR 1 SMG/Assault Rifle/LMG (CF) 2 LMG (BF)/MMG 3 HMG Modifiers to TN +1 Target is at Short range +2 Target is at Close range If the character is not inside the 6 area, but the fire lane between it and the character firing, he receives a +1 modifier to his Morale roll. If a the character fails to equal or beat the TN he has been hit by the weapon in question and must check for wounding. See Injury Section (5.0). There is no limit to the amount of characters that a single weapon may hit in this way. It is possible for multiple characters to use this Special Action on a single area. If so any character entering it must make a Morale roll for every weapon used in this way. The Suppressing Fire is continuously in place until the character s go in the following turn. At the start of the next turn the character must make an Ammo roll for the weapon used for Suppressing Fire. If it fails then the weapon is considered to be Ammo-Low status for the rest of the game. 4.5 Treat Injury Any character can use the First Aid action to temporarily help another injured character, but only a character with the Medic special skill (see section 7.0) can use the Treat Injury special action. Dead characters cannot be helped, obviously, but ones with any other injuries can be treated. To successfully treat the injury the Medic rolls a D6 and adds his Morale ability to reach the TN of the injury, as described on the table below (4.51) Should the attempt be successful the injured character s wound is be reduced to the next one down, a Critical becoming a Serious etc, (see Injury section (5.0)). A character who has a Minor wound treated counts as having no wounds at all and is considered to be on full health. Like the First Aid action, Mortally wounded characters cannot treat themselves, but a character with another injury may attempt this special action on himself, but with a +1 modifier to the TN. A Medic is not able to use this special action to cure an injury of a character whom he has already healed the same injury Injury Target Number 4.6 Carry Minor 2 Serious 4 Critical 5 Mortal 6 Carrying is a special action that can be taken by a character to aid a wounded character s movement, whether by picking up a Mortally wounded character of just helping a Critically wounded character to move to safety, such as a nearby medic or the extraction point. To perform this special action both character s must be adjacent to one another and neither can perform any other action. The character performing the Carry special action rolls a D6 and adds his Strength ability to reach a TN dependant on the injury of the character he is helping. See below table (4.61). How fast the character s manage to move is determined by with what degree of success he beats the TN by, as shown in the second below table (4.62). If the Carrying character fails to reach the TN then he struggles with the wounded character and is unable to make any distance. If two characters perform this action on a wounded companion then they automatically move Character s Injury Target Number Critical 2 Mortal Result Distance Moved or more Use Radio During a scenario it is possible that a Patrol Radio can be used to create a number of different events, as determined by the scenario played. To perform this Special Action the character in possession of the Patrol Radio rolls a D6 adding his Morale modifier to determine if the TN of the task is reached. Alternatively, if the leader of the squad is within 2 of the character with the Patrol Radio, his Morale modifier can be used instead as he shouts commands at the signals operator. 5.0 Injury When a character has been hit by an attack there is a chance he has been wounded. The attacking player rolls a D6 and adds the Damage modifier of the weapon to form the TN that the player must reach to avoid an injury. The player controlling the character hit rolls a D6 adding the character s Strength modifier to try and equal or beat this TN. If the defending character s result is equal or higher than the TN then no wound is caused. If it is less then consult the below table (5.01) for the result Strength Result Effect -1 Minor wound No effect, but treat 7

8 a second Minor Wound as a Serious Wound -2 Serious Wound Character suffers a +1 modifier to the TN of all actions and goes 1 less when taking a Move action -3 Critical Wound Character suffers a +2 modifier to the TN of all actions and can only perform one action per turn, so cannot perform special actions. When taking the Move action he goes 2 less -4 Mortal Wound Character is incapacitated; unable to take any action. He will die in D6+1 rounds unless treated. -5 Dead The character has been Killed in Action. -6 or less Horrific Death The character is dead but has been killed in a particularly gruesome way. See Morale, (section 9.4) For ease of play this game doesn t use hit locations but should a character be particularly skilful or lucky and beat the requisite TN by 2 or more with a firearm, the DMG of the weapon is increased, representing the bullet hitting a vital location, such as the chest or head. See the below table (5.02) for details of this TN Result DMG +0 to to and higher +2 In hand-to-hand combat the attacking player s TN for damage receives a +1 modifier for each number he d beaten the defending player s TN by when rolling to hit: For example: Having expelled both the ammunition from his SLR and Handgun Sgt Jeffreys has no choice but to attack his enemy in hand-to-hand combat. The TN for the German soldier is 3 (D6 roll of 2, plus rifle butt +1). Sgt Jeffreys rolls a D6 adding his Strength modifier of +1, and the +2 modifier of his trusty knife, Gutter, for a total of 7 (D6 roll of 4, plus Strength +1 and knife +2). In a complete frenzied attack Jeffreys beats his foe by a total of 4. When rolling for damage Jeffreys gets 10 in total (D6 roll of 5, plus Strength +1 and hit +4). The German soldier only gets to roll a D6 to try and beat the TN 10. He rolls a 4 and the difference of 6 means he is butchered by Jeffreys, who wipes his blade on his downed foe and leaves, not forgetting to take his rifle. Remember, TN penalties due to injury are stackable, meaning that a character who is injured twice suffers a TN penalty equal to the total of both TN penalties, but the wounds remain separate and don t combine to form a more severe wound. For example: Whilst escaping through the trees Sgt Jeffreys is shot in the thigh (Serious Wound, +1 TN). He doesn t let this deter him and battle on but is shot by a German sniper. The TN for the new hit is 8 (D6 roll of 4, +3 DMG for the sniper rifle and, +1 for the Serious Wound). With a Strength of 1 he can only get an 7 in total, but rolls a 5 for a total of 6. The difference is 2 means he suffers a second Serious Wound. He can still take two actions per turn, as the two Serious Wounds do not count as a Critical Wound, but any action he does take will be at a TN penalty of +2, and when he takes a Move action he only moves 2. Jeffreys chances of escape aren t good but he would rather die than face capture. With the same German sniper preparing for his second shot, Jeffreys might just get his wish 5.1 Mortally Wounded Characters The more characters who survive the game the more chance of the player s side securing a victory. For this reason it is important to have a Medic who can save as many characters from death as possible, though even with a Medic it is possible that one or more characters might end the game with a Mortal Wound. Simply making it until the end of the game does not mean that the character survives, but it does mean that they have a good chance of making it. If it can be assumed that the character can receive medical attention either immediately post battle, or be hospitalised a short time later the character receives a Treat Injury attempt, as per the special action. Make the roll using either a Morale of +3 or a surviving Medic s Morale if it is higher. If the attempt is successful the character receives emergency treatment and survives, just. 6.0 Battlefield Environments 6.1 Difficult Terrain As mentioned earlier all characters can move a basic 4 across level terrain by taking a Move action. Should the character want to cross difficult ground they are required to make a Movement roll against the TN of the ground in question. If the character is moving over an obstacle as opposed to crossing rough terrain, measure the vertical height of the object, such as a wall and use this number for the distance needed to be crossed. Make the Movement roll as normal. The table below (6.11) shows various types of terrain and the TN required to cross them. The second table (6.12) shows the degree of success gained from the result. For example: Emerging from his hiding place in the undergrowth rushes a Royal Marine, sprinting to aid Sgt Jeffreys in his hour of need. Jeffreys is still in the trees so the Royal Marine takes a Sprint action, moving 10 in total. However, he is moving through dense woodland that counts as difficult terrain and is TN 2. In itself the Royal Marine automatically makes the roll by having a Movement modifier of +1, but the more he can beat the TN by the more of his 10 Sprint he ll be able to move. He makes the D6 roll, getting a 3, which becomes 4 in total with his Movement modifier. This result is 2 more than needed so he is able to use his full 10. He subsequently makes his Strength roll to recover from the Sprint and is ready to lay down a hail of fire to cover Sgt Jeffreys retreat Target Number Terrain 1 Dense undergrowth, sand dunes, light rubble. 2 Shallow water, dense woodland, mud, snow, climbing a rope. 3 Dense rubble, obstacle (1 height), bog, thick mud, heavy snow. 4 Deep water, obstacle (1-2 height), barbed wire, steep incline. 5 Obstacle (2-3 height) 8

9 6.02 Result Effect +0 ¼ movement +1 ½ movement +2 Full movement Please note that what is difficult ground and what type of difficult ground it is, is subjective owing to the vast amounts of different types of scenery available. As such players are likely to have different ideas about the scenery used and it is therefore helpful to quickly discuss what scenery being used counts as what kind of difficult terrain before a game begins. If any disagreements occur they can be settled by that most respected of judges, the humble D Night Fighting These rules assume the battle is being fought during the daytime and as such there is plenty of light. Battles fought under less light conditions provide significant advantages and disadvantages for those involved. Unless otherwise stated by a scenario the battle is fought during the daytime, but alternatively should both players consent a roll on the below table (6.21) can determine what level of light is available D6 Roll Light Level 1-2 No Light 3-4 Low Light 5-6 Full Light No Light If the battle is being fought under these conditions there is virtually no ambient light save that of the stars or perhaps moon. Any action or special action a character performs in No Light is done so with a +2 penalty to the TN. In addition a character cannot attack an enemy, even one they have an unobstructed line of sight on unless the character first makes a Morale roll to spot them as though the enemy were using the Hide special action. If the enemy is using the Hide special action the character must roll to spot him twice. Both rolls are subject to the +2 TN penalty. Low Light This condition assumes a battlefield where there is some light, but not as much as during the day. Typical Low Light settings include dawn or dusk, or a village at night. Any action or special action a character performs in Low Light does so with a +1 penalty to the TN. In addition a character cannot attack an enemy, even one he has an unobstructed line of sight on unless the character first makes a Morale roll to spot them. This uses the table in the Fire action section (3.23), not as per the Hide special action like under No Light conditions. This roll is subject to the +1 TN penalty for Low Light. Full Light Such environments would include daytime exteriors or a well-lit city street at night. Characters suffer no modifiers for fighting in such conditions. 6.3 WEATHER CONDITIONS The Second World War was fought in a variety of different climates from the blistering heat of the Sahara to the bitter cold of the Alps. Certain weather conditions proved decisive. During the invasion of Russia, German troops found the extreme cold a fierce adversary. They discovered their weapons had very poor reliability in the Russian winter as they were precision crafted 9 and had no give in the parts to account for freezing like the Russian weapons did. Unless stated in a scenario it can be assumed that the weather during the game is mild and has no bearing on the combatants on either side. Should it be required though the below conditions can be used to present additional problems for the forces taking part. Wind Even light winds have an affect on bullets, but for simplicities sake this is ignored in the rules. However, the below table (6.31) demonstrates the penalties to 6.31 Wind Effect Strong Gale Force +1 TN when shooting at Long Range, +2 TN when shooting at Extreme Range. +1 TN when shooting at Medium Range, +2 TN at Long Range and +3 TN when shooting at Extreme Range. Precipitation Getting wet is a sure fire way of annoying anybody, but when there s a real downpour it can be a liability. The table below (6.32) demonstrates the penalties applied to spotting rolls for heavy rain. Use the same table for the effects of snowfall Rain Effect Heavy Storm +1 TN to all spotting checks over TN to all spotting checks over 16, +2 TN to all spotting checks over 32 Temperature Heat and cold generally does not affect short combats as the combatants have far more important things to worry about. However, if the characters have been in a particularly hostile environment, such as the desert or the Russian tundra for a prolonged period of time it has an affect on their level of fitness. This is shown in the table below (6.33) 6.33 Temperatur e Effect Severe +1 TN when determining exhaustion from using Sprint Extreme +2 TN when determining exhaustion from using Sprint 7.0 Weapons Characters can be equipped with a variety of armaments, but all fall under the following groupings: Melee Weapons, Handguns, Shotguns, Sub-Machineguns, Assault Rifles, Machineguns, Heavy Weapons and Grenades, some of which have special rules which only apply to them. Often a character will have a number of different weapons such as a knife, handgun, assault rifle and grenades. No character can carry more than 4 weapons at any one time, machineguns and heavy weapons count as 2 weapons not 1. All weapons have eight characteristics, five for range categories (Close, Short, Medium, Long and Extreme) showing at what distance a target falls under each category and a

10 Max imum Range (MR). The number indicated under each category is the distance at which that category takes effect. So, an MP5 has a Medium range of 12, meaning that any target 12 or further away is at Medium range until the distance for Long range is reached. Enemies who are so close to a character that they are below the number given for Close range are too near to effectively shoot at and the character must increase the distance between them in order to take his shot. Weapons that have a Close range of 0 are able to Fire at targets even if they are adjacent to them, as long as neither character has Engaged. Damage (DMG) indicates how powerful the weapon is and is the number added to a D6 roll when a character is hit and any injuries are being determined. Lastly Ammo represents a weapon s reliability and is used to determine whether or not a weapon runs out of ammunition. Depending on the scenario or a particular weapon, it may be that one or more characters in the squad become Ammo- Low either for all or some of their weapons. If any character with Ammo-Low status rolls a 6 while Firing, he still makes his shot as normal, but roll an additional D6. If the new number is less than the Ammo characteristic of the weapon the character has expelled his last round and the weapon is useless. If the rolls equals the Ammo number the character has managed to resist letting rip and has some rounds left, but every time he Fires he must follow the roll with another Ammo roll to check to see if that was his last round. If the roll was above the Ammo characteristic then the character has been practicing good ammunition management and only needs to make another test should he roll another 6 to hit. 7.1 Melee Weapons Characters armed with melee weapons may attack or defend when Engaged or Engaging in hand-to-hand combat. They cannot be used for any other action. Unarmed Every character is capable of fighting unarmed in hand-to-hand combat and does so by rolling a D6 and adding his Strength ability modifier. Knife Most characters carry knives as tools, but used in hand-to-hand combat, giving the character a +2 modifier to his Strength roll. If the knife is used to attack a target who does not have a line of sight to the attack, ie from behind, the modifier to the Strength roll is +3 instead. It is also possible to throw a knife as a way of silently killing a foe. Once thrown the character has lost the knife unless he either moves adjacent to the target or has another in his inventory. The knife is thrown using the character s Weapons modifier, but the damage of the thrown knife is also subject to the character s Strength modifier. Knife: C 1 S 3 M 5 L 7 E 9 M 11 DMG 2 AMMO na Rifle Butt Garrotte A garrotte can be nothing more than a length of piano wire or it can be a sophisticated weapon. Either way its only use is when attacking an enemy from behind. In this instance the attacking character receives a +4 modifier to his Strength roll. In any other situation the garrotte give no bonuses. 7.2 Handguns Handguns are primarily carried as backup weapons, as there combat effectiveness is limited to only short distances. The fact that they are small and light means that they benefit from very fast target acquisition and as such it is easier to hit targets at lower ranges with a handgun than it is with most other weapons. Handguns cannot Auto-Fire. Handgun: C 0 S 9 M 11 L 13 E 15 MR 17 DMG 2 AMMO Shotguns Though outclassed by more sophisticated weaponry, shotguns are common weapons amongst civilians and can be devastating in close combat situations. Shotguns cannot Auto-Fire. Shotguns differ slightly from other weapons in that the damage caused by them is affected by range, as shown in the below table (7.31) 7.31 Range Damage Close +2 Short +1 Medium +0 Long -1 Extreme -2 Shotguns are generally double-barrelled weapons that are capable of firing both barrels at the same time. If a character opts to do this then the TN of the Fire action is subject to a +1 penalty, but if he hits his target he may make two rolls for injury and the target must make a Strength test to resist both. Because the shotgun is then empty the character must spend an action reloading it. Shotgun: C ½ S 4 M 12 L 14 E 18 MR 24 DMG 3 AMMO Sub Machineguns Sub machineguns fill the gap between the range and stopping power of SLR s and the target acquisition of the handgun. Sub machineguns tend to be quite accurate at lower range categories, but suffer when shooting at targets at greater distances. Sub machineguns can Auto-Fire once at a target within 2 of the first, but do so with a +1 penalty to the TN. If a character is armed with a rifle or SMG he can use it as a melee weapon, giving the character a +1 modifier to his Strength roll in hand-to-hand combat. 10