Optional Rules v1.0

I. Engineers

I.I Vehicles

The engineers were for the most part mounted in vehicles.  Often they were trucks or half-tracks, but sometimes they were in specialized vehicles.

 

As long as they are within 6 inches of their vehicle, engineers can use their tools to work on defenses as dictated later on and in the Trench Warfare rules.  Otherwise, they carry just their main weapon and demolitions.

 

Engineer vehicles can carry bridges.  Some bridge-layer vehicles were half-tracks with short bridges, like the German pioniere SdKfz 251/7; others are converted tanks, like the Soviet IT-28.  The bridges can be laid instead of moving and shooting in the action phase.  It needs to be in contact with the terrain.  The bridge can cover only an area that is the length of the bridge.  The bridge can be used in the following turns.  It can be picked up by the vehicle.  The rules for laying are the same for retrieving.  The bridge can cover rivers, impassible rivers, trenches, and antitank ditches.

I.II Defenses

A squad of at least five pioneers or engineers can do the following actions.  The squad cannot shoot, move or fight while working.

Destroy	Time in turns
7x2-inch minefield	3 turns
7-inch barrier or wall	2 turns
7-inch barbed wire section	2 turns
Beach obstacle	2 turns

 

 

Make	Time in turns
7-inch barrier or wall	3 turns
7-inch trench	4 turns

 

I.III HTH

In combat, the pioneers and engineers are excellent.  They carry power tools, big wire clippers, shovels, and other tools along with rifles and bayonets.  To represent this, they get a +1 to their combat rolls.  If they are within 6 inches of their vehicle, they also get +1 strength.

I.IV Shock troops

Certain engineer units can fight as shock troops.  They can move up to 8 inches per turn.  The squad cannot contain any heavy weapons or machine guns.  Up to two can use grenades instead of one.  If they choose to be shock troops, they cannot get the HTH bonuses for pioneer tools, and they cannot destroy or make defenses.

II. Cavalry

II.I Priority

If a player has a cavalry squadron that is at least 51% strong, then the player gets a +1 to the priority roll. This represents the fact that he has a high-speed force that can achieve goals more quickly if used properly.

II.II Movement

Cavalry are fast troops.  They move 10 inches per turn (12 inches on road), but in difficult terrain, they move 4 inches.  Cavalry must remain in 2 inch cohesion while moving.  Cavalry can charge 12 inches into combat.  Cavalry can dismount during a game.  This requires a full move, and they cannot shoot.  After doing this, remove the horses.  They move and shoot like infantry, but they cannot remount.

II.III Shooting

Cavalry shoot like other troops.  The horse and rider count as 1 unit.  Cavalry cannot move and shoot unless they have a carbine, sub-machine gun or pistol.  Range is halved while mounted.  Cavalry must dismount to fire light support weapons.

Cavalry are very vulnerable to high-explosive weapons.  If the squadron is hit by an h-class weapon, lay down double the number of templates normally used.  The templates must always be touching.  Instead of being pinned or suppressed, the cavalry squadron must test their courage.  Cavalry cannot choose to dig in no matter the circumstance.  If they fail, they must retreat 3d6 inches.

II.IV Hand-to-hand combat

Cavalry, when mounted, are excellent shock troops.  They get doubled attacks.

Some cavalry carry long poles called lances.  These allow the mounted soldier to support another soldier from behind in combat.  Up to 2 ranks of cavalrymen can fight as long as they are in base contact and follow the rules for cavalry.  However, a lance-armed cavalryman gets a maximum of 1 attack.  If armed with a saber and a lance, the cavalryman must choose which weapon to use each turn.

Cavalry, when charging, can choose to disrupt a formation instead of fighting.  They must follow all the rules for HTH.  They charge as normal, but after colliding with the enemy, the cavalry can move an additional 1d6 inches.  They enemy infantry are to be laid on their sides to represent the confusion.  The next turn they can stand up, but they cannot fight.

II.V Horse caissons

They work like regular transports and vehicles, but they cannot move if their cargo is not mounted up.

Caissons have two different defense values.  The shooter must nominate which is the target.  The first is the horse.  It is lower, but there is a -1 penalty to hit the horses.  The second is the wagon.  If a wound is inflicted, the whole team is destroyed.

III. Templates

Some gamers may wish to use Games Workshop templates.  Here is the conversion to use their templates:

Size	GW template
2x2	Small
3x3	Large
4x4	Large
2x4	2 small or 1 large*
2x2 flame	Flame**

*Place the two small adjacent to each other.

**For flame weapons of range 8 inches or less, place the small end of the template in contact with the base edge of the operator.  For weapons of range 9 inches or more, place the template up to the range of the flamethrower.

IV. Trench Warfare

IV.I Trenches

Movement: Troops take a whole turn to cross over trench.  Heavy support weapons cannot move across trenches, but they can enter trenches and set up in trenches at the beginning of the game.  Troops and gun teams can move without penalty through the trench.  Vehicles can be in a trench only if the trench only has one wall.  If a vehicle moves over a trench, roll 1d6: 1-2 the vehicle tips over and is stuck.  It needs a recovery vehicle to pull it out and can only shoot pintle machine guns while waiting.  Attacking troops will stop 3 inches away from the trench if they do not enter combat.

Shooting: Defenders can shoot without penalty.  Attackers can shoot at entrenched soldiers when they are within 6 inches of the trenches.  Only mortars, off-board weapons and air strikes can hit at a longer range.

Fighting: Defenders get +1 to combat rolls if attackers are outside of the trench.  Attackers will fall back 1 inch if they do not kill the enemy.  Defenders do not fall back.  If the defender is killed, the attacker can enter the trench.

IV.II Minefields

Movement: For each 3 inches a soldier moves on a field, roll 1d6: 1-3 the soldier is hit with strength 6h hit.  Vehicles are hit on a 1-2, hitting flank armor.

Shooting: If the field is hit by a weapon with a minimum strength of 8h, it will be wounded on a roll of 6.  Once wounded, the field will detonate and be destroyed.  All vehicles and soldiers on the field receive a strength 5h hit.  Vehicles are hit on their flanks.

IV.III Bridges

Movement: They are carried by 2-4 infantrymen.  If two are carrying a bridge, they get a half move penalty.

Bridges are used to cross over terrain.  When the lead carriers are in contact with the terrain, the bridge is thrown over.  Troops then can cross over without penalty.

Shooting/fighting: Carriers cannot fight or shoot if they are carrying a bridge.  If they are killed or charged, they are considered to have dropped the ladder.  If a soldier joins a bridge team, he must join after the team moves.

Terrain it can be used over: barbed wire, trenches, anti-tank ditches, gaps, or swampland.

 

IV.IV Pillboxes

They can hold an infantry or light support squad but no heavy support units or vehicles.

Shooting: Soldiers in the pillbox can shoot at enemy soldiers normally as long as they are touching the wall and have a shooting hole.  They can be targeted if the shooter is within 6 inches of the pillbox.  The soldiers inside will receive a 4+ save if hit.  The pillbox has defense 10/10A.

Grenades, flamethrowers and demolitions need to be in base contact with a shoot hole to use.  Soldiers hit by those weapons do not receive the save.  All soldiers inside the pillbox are hit.

If the pillbox is damaged, roll a 4+ for all soldiers in it to escape.  They exit out of hatches in either the back or the top (wherever the gamer models them).

Fighting: Soldiers inside pillboxes cannot charge or be charged.

 

IV.V Bunkers

A bunker can hold a heavy support section along with an infantry or light support squad.  It has a defense of 14/14AA.  See the rules for the pillbox.

V. Special Unit setup

V.I Hidden units

Some units can set up on a battlefield hidden from sight, as determined by a scenario.  Place numbered markers where units could possibly be hidden, but use twice as many markers as needed.  Units must be hidden in localities that would make it hard to be seen, like woods or ruins.  Vehicles can be hidden only if they are partially or completely behind a terrain feature like buildings.

A hidden unit is not placed on the field.  The owning player will choose which numbers will have what units.  Each marker will represent a single squad or vehicle platoon.  The unit’s marker can be removed either when enemy troops are within three inches of the marker or if the hidden troops shoot.  The hidden troops cannot be targeted when hidden, but if a template accidentally scatters over it, then the player with the hidden troops will roll to wound, etc. without letting the other player know what kind of troops were accidentally killed.  Hidden models must have some sort of camouflage modeled on them.

Note that there will be left-over markers.  Leave them in place.  The owner can choose to make them hidden minefields.  They will have to be purchased like other minefields, with the point cost equaling ten times the cost of a regular soldier from the army.

V.II Infiltrators

Infiltrators are elite units who can travel hidden.  They can make a free move after all the forces are placed on the table.  These units will be determined by the scenario.

V.III Scouts/Reconnaissance

Some units are specifically trained and equipped to find hidden units.  This is marked on a unit’s profile as “Recon.”  A Recon unit can make a free move after all the units are set up on the table.  A Recon unit can also reveal a hidden unit when within 6 inches from the marker.

In shooting, Recon units can avoid enemy fire.  After an enemy platoon declares it is firing on the Recon unit, the enemy may fire one shot and then the Recon unit may make a free move if it has not already moved.  Once the move is made, the Recon unit counts as having been activated and the enemy may resume firing at the Recon units.

V.IV Parachute units

A unit may, scenario permitting, make a parachute landing in a game.  Such a unit must specifically be a paratrooper unit.  After all other unites are placed on the table, place one model from a paratrooper unit on the table.  Then roll 2d6 and a scatter dice for each remaining paratroopers.  After all the troops are placed on the table, the defending enemy may make a free round of shooting at the paratroopers only, using only their s and a-class weapons.

VI. Independent Soldiers

Independent soldiers do not need to test courage, except for removing suppressions.  They cannot be pinned.  Independent soldiers count as regular units for other purposes.  Independent soldiers cannot be charged in HTH.

Snipers are special types of independent soldiers.  They will ignore cover when they fire at enemy targets.  Soldiers and officers, when wounded, will not get any special saves.  Soldiers will multiple wounds will be automatically killed.

A sniper can set up on the board hidden for free.  The sniper can fire when hidden without being revealed.  The sniper can go back to be hidden after being revealed.  Snipers can also choose to fire in their opponent’s action phase.

VII. Amphibious Warfare

Passengers and crew of amphibious vehicles cannot exit into water unless they are less than six inches away from the shoreline.  If an amphibious vehicle or landing craft is destroyed, all passengers and crew are automatically killed unless the vehicle is less than six inches from the shore, where the passengers and crew get a 5+ save.  Vehicles cannot fire weapons while in water; once they reach the shore, they can fire weapons.  Landing craft cannot leave the water.  Otherwise, amphibious vehicles and landing craft operate the same as transport vehicles.