Combat occurs when opposing troops enter the same hex. The amount of fighting which takes place will range from desultory skirmishing to a full scale escalating battle, dependent on a number of factors.
Please note that AF, Targets and Retreat orders are printed in small type on your submittal sheet. Only enter an order if you wish to change that value.
Every ground combat unit must be given an aggression factor between 1 and 10. This factor represents the type of mission the unit is engaged upon and determines its reaction to enemy contact. Aggression factors determine how heavy fighting will be. They default to 5 if never set, and once set remain unless changed. They may only be changed by an order, or go to 1 after a retreat. A unit that could not be resupplied with ammo will automatically be on AF 1.
Aggression factor 1 means that your unit will never initiate combat with hostile unit, your unit would need to contact an enemy unit in tactical mode with aggression of 2 or higher before combat would be joined. In addition units on AF 1 will automaticallly retreat at the end of a combat round.
Aggression factor 7 when used by a static unit sets that unit's pursuit choice to yes. All aggression factors of 4 or less set a unit's pursuit option to no.
AF represent the following specific missions or attitudes.
Moving Troops
Stationary Troops
1
Flee from all contact
Hide
2
Avoid contact
Listening post
3
Recon
Observation post
4
Patrol
Secure area
5
Recon in force
Garrison
6
Probe
Defend position
7
Search and destroy
Blocking force
8
Co-ordinated attack
Resolute defence
9
Full scale assault
Tenacious defence
10
Human wave assault
No surrender
Order Code
Moving units forced to retreat as a result of combat retreat to the last hex they entered before entering the combat hex, regardless of terrain costs.
In addition every ground combat unit must have a retreat direction (1-6) allocated to it. This direction will be the one used for any stationary units. In this case, the unit must be capable of moving into the terrain of the hex in that direction for it to be used.
Retreat directions are the same as movement directions, ie. 1 to 6.
A unit may not retreat to a hex it is not capable of moving to, or in a direction that any enemy entered the hex from that turn. If its normal direction is not permitted then the next closest direction will be used. Units will not retreat directly into enemy occupied hexes.
Units will continue to move in the direction of their retreat until the hex in the direction of the battle is clear of enemy troops (i.e. they outpace any pursuers). Should they encounter impassable terrain they will seek for another direction to retreat to.
Changing retreat locations: Each unit has a retreat location set for it, as indicated on the appropriate unit table of your turn reply. Moving a unit automatically changes its retreat location to the direction that would take it back to the second last hex it entered(ie the one before it is in now).
A new order cannot be used to override automatic changes or if there are hostile troops present in the hex. This restriction is necessary to prevent units bypassing defensive positions by disengaging through them, ie setting a retreat location to take you past the enemy.
Setting Retreat locations at the beginning of a game: All units have an individually, randomly assigned retreat location given to them at the start of the game. Check yours to make sure they are appropriate.
AF have a large effect upon the chances of a unit retreating from battle. Other important factors are casualties and ammunition depletion. Throughout combat both sides will make retreat chance tests. Failure to pass this test results in the failing units retreating in their designated retreat direction. (This can result in units being abandoned to fight the enemy!)
If a unit fails its retreat test, but cannot retreat due to terrain and the presence of enemy units, then it will attempt to retreat in a different direction, losing one strength point for each point of difference in addition to other damage inflicted during the battle.
Units cannot retreat to a hex they cannot enter because of terrain restrictions, nor into a hex which contains enemy units nor in a direction that enemy units entered the combat hex from that phase.
Example: The 1st Volksgrenadiers have a retreat location of 1, ie north. They are forced to retreat after sustaining heavy casualties facing a numerically superior foe. Enemy units have entered the combat hex from the north(1) and the northeast(2) and there are enemy tanks positioned in the hex to the southeast(3). The first allowable retreat direction is therefore directly south (4). The brave Volksgrenadiers therefore retreat south having sustained an additional 30 casualties (4 -1) getting there.
Units which have no allowable retreat direction will either surrender or fight on. The chance of surrender is 90% for recruits, 75% for regulars, 50% for elite, 20% for Security Police and 10% for Presidenial Guard.
It is entirely possible for a unit to retreat without suffering any damage, Training and Experience play a role in this.
Inflicting damage on a unit will increase its chance of retreating. A unit on AF 5 has a 50% base chance of retreating from combat at the end of each combat round. This chance is modified by the number of casualties it receives as a percentage of its total strength at the start of the ROUND. For each 2% casualties received your chance of retreating is increased by 1%. In addition your chance of retreating from combat is increased by 5% for each friendly unit which has already retreated from this battle this turn and reduced by 5% for each friendly unit which joins the battle this turn (excluding those who initiated it). The size of the friendly units does not matter, this is a morale bonus not a physical one - however larger combat units are much less likely to retreat than smaller ones because damage they receive is smaller in percentage terms.
When working out retreats from a battle, the computer sorts the players involved by the amount of damage they have received. Each player is then checked in this order. The retreat chance is basically 110-10*AF per unit. This is modified by the percentage of casualties received and the training level of the unit. AF 1 will always retreat if checked.
After all the units of each player have been checked to see if they retreat, the computer will check to see if there are still any non-allied units in the hex. If not, then the process stops (the battle is over). Otherwise the next player is checked to see if his units will retreat.
If a unit retreats, it will be pursued by any opposing units which fired at it and have their pursuit option set to yes.
Retreat chances are checked on a unit by unit basis. Each unit fights, or pursues or retreats as an independent entity. Retreats are checked in the order of the highest number of damage points received in the current round for each player. It is entirely possible for various units of both sides to retreat during the course of a battle. It is also entirely possible that a battle will be lost due to units retreating, instead of being wiped out to the last man.
Retreating units retreat 1 hex. If enemy units on pursuit orders enter this hex they immediately retreat a further hex. Both sides thereafter return to normal movement procedures.
If all the combat units retreat, leaving a leader alone in the hex, then the leader will also retreat.
The relative size of the two opposing forces does not directly affect the likelihood of one side retreating. Any advantage a large force has comes from the amount of casualties it inflicts, there is no morale advantage for being more numerous in modern war.
Units may be disengaged from combat by use of the Disengage order (**). This order is actioned during the retreat section of the combat round. This means that at least one round of combat will still take place, with a possibility that units may retreat before they are able to disengage.
Disengaging units retain their Aggression Factors and all equipment, they do not lose any surplus equipment they were carrying.
Hostile units may give pursuit. In such circumstances the same procedures are followed as are with retreating units.
After each round of combat those units which are required to retreat must retreat one hex( or 2 if pursued).
If left in sole control of the battlefield the victor will receive 50% of the discarded equipment. Discarded equipment equals all equipment used by those troops who are now casualties (from both sides) plus any surplus equipment the retreating side was carrying. This equipment can only be captured in whole units.
This equipment is automatically added to one of the units present. There is no need to search the hex to capture it. If more than one player is left on the battlefield (allies) then the equipment will be dropped into an ammo dump for the first player to grab it.
Casualties are dependent on target selection, each unit fires at a specific enemy unit each round. Indirect and Harassment fire shoot at a hex and select enemy targets randomly (can be a leader). Your own or your allies units will never be attacked by these methods.
There are 4 progressive stages:
(1) Selective: the player assigns priority targets for each unit.
Infantry (including infantry component of combined units)
Armour.
Artillery (towed or self-propelled)
Anti-Aircraft (towed or self-propelled)
Mechanised (APCs, A/C)
Naval
Surplus Equipment.
(2) Type: if their target priority is not present then units will engage opponents of similar type on a one for one basis, eg Infantry vs Infantry. Exception: Infantry with an Anti-Tank weapon - Priority is APCs, then Armour, then other Infantry.
(3) Random: remaining units are assigned targets randomly.
(4) Leaders: If no other target is available, a unit will shoot at an enemy Leader. (Any hit of 60 points will kill a Leader so it is important that they should never be in battle by themselves.)
Harassment Fire does not follow the above target priority, it is purely random in its selection including enemy leaders if present.
Please note that the combat section reports only hits that are inflicted. Units will fire every turn but may not hit.
An ambush occurs when moving troops run into a stationary defensive position on Ambush orders. The advantage usually lies with the ambusher in that his victim is forced to attack a force of unknown size. He may capitalise on this by preparing a defensive position.
Using the ambush order a player may make his AF dependent on the type of enemy unit encountered.
Each successful ambushing unit is also allowed one free shot before any combat begins.
An ambush is the best way to attack a unit using Administrative movement. The ambushing unit must occupy a road/rail/river hex to do this. The success chance is increased and the combat ability of the enemy is reduced. Units admin moving that are ambushed will stop in the hex, ending the turn there. They will suffer a combat penalty for one the entire turn then fight normally.
Ambushing units may also intercept delivery of equipment if situated upon the route the equipment must use, such as a major river.
Mines may be moved and laid by any ground combat unit using a Mine order. There is no limit to the number of mine units which may be carried (as it is surplus equipment). One unit of mines is enough to lay a pattern field in one hex or cover one hex with random mining.
Only one player may have a minefield in a hex at any one time. If another player (even if allied) attempts to mine the same hex, then the previous minefield will be cleared.
Mines may be searched for by any ground combat unit using the Search order. This halves the movement rate of the unit (moves every second point) for that turn. Except for a unit specifically searching a hex, any unit which enters the mined hex will be attacked. Units given search orders perform their mission in the hex specified. Once found using
such an order the mines are destroyed. Normal units cannot search a hex to remove mines while in combat. Elite Engineer units do this automatically. Players and their allies will not be attacked by their own minefields.
Units admin moving over a minefield will be attacked by them but will continue movement, although they will lose at least one movement phase in doing so. The mines remain in the hex until cleared.
Types
The type of mine laid will determine what type of unit it will attack. Anti-Tank (AT) mines will only attack armoured units, which includes mechanised infantry and self-propelled artillery and AD units. Anti-personnel (AP) mines will attack infantry, towed AD and artillery units.
Both types of mines may be layed in the same hex at the same time (by the same player).
Effect
A minefield has 2 primary effects. It causes damage to the unit encountering them when they enter the hex and also causes units moving in the odd numbered phases to be pinned until the end of the next even numbered phase (i.e. they are pinned until the end of the next battle round). If no enemy units continue to pin them in the same hex, then they are free to continue their move on the next phase.
Units on Admin Move orders will be attacked and delayed for at least one combat round.
Units pinned in a minefield by the presence of enemy troops will be attacked by the mines each combat round, unless accompanied by an engineer unit (who has a 30% chance of clearing the mindfield permanently each combat round).
Minefields have an adverse effect on the economy and your reputation amongst civilians.
For each mine laid (even if it is cleared later) a player will have his income reduced permanently by 0.1%. (i.e. An income of 50 AP will lose 0.05 AP from a single minefield laid at anytime during the game).
Ground units which do not move may prepare for themselves defensive positions of increasing permanency and strength. These positions must be obtained progressively and are destroyed if the unit moves out of the hex (except for Fortifications, any unit remaining in the fortification will retain the fortification). These positions are prepared using the DigIn order (13).
A unit which remains stationary during a turn may elect to dig-in, in order to improve its defensive position. Barbed wire is laid, foxholes dug and sandbagged emplacements established. Artillery pits may be dug and the perimeter strengthened.
In a battle continuing over more than one turn, it is possible to dig in. The action however is not effective till the end of the turn the order is given.
Entrenched
Units which are already dug-in may, in subsequent turns by repeating the 13 order, elect to become entrenched. Bunkers and trenches are dug, defensive measures generally extended. You may not entrench while in combat. If attacked during the turn, the order will fail.
Repeating the DigIn order (13) a third time causes a semi-permanent fortification to be built. Each time a ground unit repeats the Digin order(13) after they are entrenched the fortifications size is increased by 1, starting at 2. There can only be one fortification per player in each hex, its size multiplied by 100 is the number of men which may occupy it, with 1 vehicle or gun counting as 10 men. If several units were entrenching at the same time, they will all add to the size of the fortification.
Your own units entering the hex are protected by fortifications up to the number of men it can hold. However, a unit is either in or out of a fortification. If the entire unit doesn't fit then nobody is protected. Forts are destroyed only when all your ground units are removed from the fort. The size of the fort is not reduced by removing units. Entrenchments and fortifications are adjusted at the end of each turn. You may not perform this whilst an enemy unit is present in the hex.
Artillery is most effective in the indirect mode. It can be used in support of friendly ground forces, or to restrict enemy access to designated hexes.
Indirect Artillery Fire
Ground units may call in artillery support from batteries assigned this mission and not themselves involved in direct combat. Each artillery battery has a range of between 2 and 5 hexes dependent on equipment. Artillery batteries are assigned this mission by the support order (31). Artillery may fire into but not through a mountain hex and cannot fire through an impassable hexside.
Artillery may alternatively be given a Harassment order to fire into a specified hex, irrespective of the presence of enemy units. This fire falls immediately before each round of combat and will attack units in that hex randomly except your own and your allies.
Harrassment fire uses twice as much ammunition as normal, ie 2 units are automatically consumed each turn.
Artillery is most effective when engaging targets in the open. Its destructive potential is severely restricted if the target has access to ample cover, such as that afforded by town/city hexes etc.
There are a large number of armoured vehicles available, divisible into four basic types: armoured personnel carriers (APCs), light tanks, medium tanks and main battle tanks. The primary role for MBTs is battlefield dominance, light tanks is reconnaissance and APCs to move infantry.
Armours great strengths are mobility and fire power. Conditions which restrict these reduce the effectiveness of armoured units. Close terrain severely restricts mobility and renders unsupported armour vulnerable to infantry attacks.
Infantry with Rifles only, will have next to no chance of hitting any armour (including APCs). The addition of ANY additional weaponry will give them a small chance. The use of real Anti-Tank weapons is strongly recommended.
Likewise no ground units (other than AD units) may hit a plane, you must give them an AD weapon, AD units, units who's MAIN weapon is an AD weapon can be very handy, as too are Stinger type AD weapons.
Mechanised Infantry
A mech coy is comprised of an infantry coy and an APC sqn, operating as one unit. Once formed these units operate as one and can engage in combat in one of two ways. The first doctrine involves the use of the APCs to carry the infantry to battle and then dismount them, in effect the two units fight separately and take casualties independently.
The second doctrine requires the infantry to remain on board the vehicles and fight mounted. In this case all incoming fire is directed at the APCs, who offer the infantry some protection from small arms fire. However, casualties suffered by the APCs are suffered by their passengers as well.
Mech coys operate using the first doctrine unless ordered to fight mounted.
The Combine order is used to form a mech company, and the Split order breaks it up into its component parts. When being formed the APC unit must be equal or greater in strength than the infantry unit or the order will fail.
Battle reports are combined into a table for all of the units involved in a battle in a particular hex. In the main BATTLE REPORTS AND OTHER MESSAGES section, messages are placed advising that a battle took place in a particular Movement Phase, but the details of Ground to Ground and Air to Ground combat will be placed in the combined section under the heading BATTLE REPORTS.
Battles which take place in urban centres or at installations are identified by the name of the urban centre or installation. For example; Battle of Viennesse Boulevard, Battle of Red Star Power Station, Battle of Orinoco etc.
Other battles are identified by the hex they occur in. Eg. Battle at hex 1303.
Any results of Air to Air combat, Ground to Air combat and Minefield attacks will be reported in the first section.
In a battle report table, each unit involved in the battle will be listed, including any Air units or Naval units in the hex and any Artillery units indirectly firing into the hex.
Some codes placed after the unit name indicate the status of the unit.
(D) - The unit is Dug In (1 week).
(E) - The unit is Entrenched (2 weeks)
(F#) - Fortified, # = number of weeks.
(FM) - The unit is the infantry part of a Mech unit that Fights Mounted.
In the Box for each Combat phase there are 2 lines of information. The first line has the current strength of the unit and the player/unit number of the target unit it shot at. The second line has the result of that shot. Either a number indicating the number of damage points done or the word Missed. If the box just contains two asterisks (**), then the unit was not in combat in that hex in that phase.
The column labelled 'Ambush Phase' reports the results of any fire from units on ambush orders. Only units that successfully ambushed will have an entry in this column. All others will be blank. See the Other Messages section to determine what phase the ambush actually occurred in. (Note damage from ambushes is not applied until the end of the combat phase).
The column labelled 'Retreats' reports the status of units that retreat or are killed in the battle. Entries of the form 'to hex 5913 after phase 8' indicate that this unit retreated from combat at the end of phase 8 and went to hex 5913. Entries may also appear as 'Died after phase 8', 'Boarded 234 after phase 8' (means unit retreated back onto a boat or helicopter, which will then have an entry like) 'flew to base after phase 8'.
Units in a Battle report are sorted: Your own units are always reported first in unit number order, including any artillery units in other hexes. The name and unit number of your artillery units are listed and the words 'indirect from another hex' appear below the unit name.
Next any indirect artillery units from other players are listed (irrespective of owner or unit number). All these are given the generic name of 'Artillery Fire'.
Finally all other players units are list sorted by player number and unit number within that player.
Units using admin movement on the road or rail network are at a severe disadvantage in combat. Units are assumed to be strung out one after the other over a long distance. They are totally unprepared for combat. To reflect this the following penalties apply.
Hostile units firing at the Admin units receive a significant bonus.
Admin units returning fire receive a penalty to their fire effectiveness.
The number of admin units which may return fire is restricted to 1 initially, increasing by 1 for each subsequent round of combat - this is a per hex distinction and units which may fire are determined randomly and permanently for the turn.
Admin units never pursue.
Combat does not affect a units movement allowance, but if fighting continues over 2 or more combat rounds then no movement takes place during the intervening movement phases and units will therefore be prevented from moving their maximum distance.