|
In addition to all the problems of supply and movement, units also occasionally had to engage in combat.
The core general sequence leading to combat is
1) Get adjacent to enemy units
2) Declare Combat
3) Enemy gets to respond, if possible
4) Then you go forward with the attack, for better or for worse. Once you declared an attack, you have to follow through and roll them dice.
Factors that can affect combat are air support, naval support, Attack Supply expenditure, artillery support,
Orders, terrain, weather, fortifications, engineers, Combined Arms, Divisional Integrity, and supply issues.
The Combat Results table is a standard odds based table. Odds go from 1-4 to 10-1. Odds less than 1-4 are treated
as automatic attacker eliminated (although you can't declare a combat if the initial odds are less than 1-4), and odds greater
than 10-1 are treated as 10-1. There is a 3-2 column and a 3-4 column, which sometimes requires some mental
mathematical dexterity. The results on the table range from no effect, to retreats, to step losses, and to complete annihilation, otherwise known
as the dreaded 'e' result.
Attacking Is Voluntary, however if you wish to attack, then things get a little
"sticky". Any enemy unit that exerts a ZOC into a hex of an attacking unit MUST also be attacked.
Attacking is Voluntary, but Sticky! - Example
|
|
|
|
If the German unit wants to attack the Soviet cavalry unit...
|
|
then the circled Soviet division will also need to be attacked, since it exerts a ZOC on the hex
the German unit is attacking from. The German unit could attack both Soviet units, or the German
player must bring up another unit to attack the circled division. Note that the Soviet armored
unit across the Major River would not need to be
attacked, since ZOCs do not extend across Major Rivers, even if there is a bridge.
|
|
|
|
The phasing player must designate all his attacks before the start of the Combat phase. All designated attacks
must have initial odds of at least 1-4. The rules state that a Declared Attack marker must be put on the
defender hex being attacked. I prefer to put them on the attacking units, with the arrow of the marker pointing
towards the defender hex, that way its easier for me to remember who exactly is attacking what. But you
can do it either way. By only putting the marker on the defender hex, you can sometimes cause some doubt to
your enemy as to who exactly is attacking, or how strong an attack to expect. At the moment of combat, the
attacker can change who is attacking which defender hex, but still - each marked defender hex must be attacked,
even if the final odds turn out to be less than 1-4.
| Hexes Eligible to be Attacked |
|
In order for your units to attack enemy units, either:
a) The hex the enemy units are in can be normally entered by your units (according to the current weather conditions).
AND / OR
b) The enemy units exert a ZOC into the hex the attackers are attacking from. However, advance after combat cannot occur into terrain units are prohibited from entering.
Multiple-hex defender hexes can be attacked as a single attack, but all attacking units must be adjacent to
all defending units. Typically, multiple defender hex combats consist of an attacker in one hex attacking two defender hexes.
Reaction Movement provides a mechanism where a defender can move additional troops to a hex under attack, possibly
upsetting the odds calculation, or possibly denying the enemy a CAB bonus. It is similar to the concept
of "reserves", except only motorized units can move.
In the Reaction Movement phase the defender may move any motorized units that are within three hexes of a
Declared Attack hex, up to half of their movement allowance.
Reaction Movement Qualifications
|
Only non-orange ma motorized units may move in the Reaction Movement phase.
Must be within 3 hexes of the Declared Attack hex.
Cannot start in ZOC of an enemy unit, or be in a Defender Hex.
For Soviets, must also be within Command Range of an operating Headquarters unit with at least 1 non-interdicted Command Point,
and also NOT be in range of a Non-Op Headquaters.
Must not be OOS, or have a Overrun marker on it.
|
|
|
Motorized units that qualify to move in the Reaction Phase need not move towards the Declared Attack. It can move in
any direction, up to half its movement allowance. It can do One Hex Movement if the unit is not OOS and its not Mud weather. It cannot enter an enemy ZOC
unless there is a friendly unit(s)
in the hex. If it moves into a hex that is in enemy ZOC (and has a friendly unit(s) in it), it must stop. It also
does not pay the normal +1 cost for entering ZOC if entering a Defender Hex. Once a motorized unit enters a defender hex, it adds its
combat strength to the defense, plus any other benefits it may add, such as denying the enemy the use of CAB.
The Soviet player may be obligated to make one or more Mandated Attacks during a turn. Typically these are
received as a "special event" on the Soviet Replacements Table, which is rolled on each turn. A Mandated Attack
represents a direct order from Stavka to go on the offensive. Soviet generals that refused these orders often
suffered immediate consequences. In EFS, when a Mandated Attack is required, the Soviet player must make an
attack at a minimum (initial) odds of at least 3-2 as soon as possible, preferably in the turn it is received.
If the Soviet player does not (or cannot) meet this requirement, the order for the Mandated Attack(s) still remain in effect.
Additionally, these penalties occur:
If during the Game Turn Interphase there are unmet Mandated Attacks, the Axis Player receives +2 VPs for
each outstanding Mandated Attack, if the Axis player took and held a vp location that turn.
The Soviets get a +1 drm for each unmet Mandated Attack when rolling on the Replacements Table.
There is a marker titled "Mandated Attack Not Yet Made" that goes on the Soviet Loss/Replacement Track
that can keep track of the current Mandated Attack *debt*.
Soviets suffer from * results on the Combat Results table for Mandated Attacks, regardless of Attack Supply. Note
that * results are cumulative. A Soviet Mandated Attack that is not Attack Supplied suffers the equivalent of two * results
if a * result is rolled.
As the Soviet player, you will probably suffer needless losses due to these Mandated Attacks. Its something that is
unavoidable. Just be prepared to be capable of making an attack every turn, because you don't know when the Mandated
Attack order will come down the pipe. Keep Attack Supply near the front so that you don't have to suffer double
* losses when making a Mandated Attack.
The Combined Arms bonus (CAB) gives a DRM of -1 benefit to the attacker. There are several requirements
that must be met before the attacker can qualify for CAB: the attacker must have a qualifying
armored unit (identified by the red attack factor), and also have a recon, motorized infantry, motorcycle, or engineer unit
attacking with it. The units being attacked cannot have any armor, AT or AA units. CAB cannot not occur if the
defending units are behind any kind of river, in swamp hexes, in fortifications or behind fortified lines, or in City or
Major City hexes. CAB can only occur during Dry or Frost turns. Once again ...
| CAB can only occur during Dry or Frost turns |
German panzer and motorized divisions can qualify for a Divisional Integrity bonus drm of -1. For a German
panzer division to qualify for the bonus, it must have its panzer regiment attacking, and at least two
of its other units (motorized infantry regiments or the recon unit) attacking the same defender. The attacking
units can be stacked together or in different hexes. These
Divisional Integrity bonuses are cumulative. For a German motorized
division it would need all three of its regiments involved in the same attack to qualify, PLUS for each
German motorized division getting a Divisional Integrity bonus, it must be *matched* by a qualifying
German panzer division that is participating in the same attack. German motorized divisions, alone,
do not qualify for the Divisional Integrity bonus. If the attack is not supplied with Attack Supply, then
if any of the units counted for the Divisional Integrity are OOS, the Divisional Integrity is denied for that
division.
Exceptions: Any SS motorized division need only have 3 of its four component units present to qualify for
Divisional Integrity. The SS LAH brigade qualifies with its two units.
Unlike the finicky Combined Arms bonus, the Divisional Integrity bonus is available in all weather conditions,
against any enemy units in any terrain. The only thing that might mess it up is the required units being OOS while
attacking without Attack Supply.
Note that under the right conditions, German panzer divisions will often get both a Divisional Integrity bonus AND a Combined Arms bonus.
This makes them the most effective fighting force in the game.
Since German motorized divisions only get the Divisional Integrity bonus when attacking in concert with
German panzer divisions, its obvious that you should keep them together or near each other.
Engineer effects can be declared when the attacking force contains at least one engineer unit and the defender
is receiving a DRM for city, major city, fortified line, strongpoint, or River (not Major River) terrain. Engineer
effects can also be declared when attacking a town in Mud (as the defender gets a DRM in that situation). The
engineer effect gives the attacker a -1 DRM. Note that by declaring Engineer Effects, the engineer may take
a step loss due to a asterisk result (see below for details). Engineer effects are only for attacking, defending
engineers give no special benefit to the defense.
Artillery units need able to reach, by LOS, the Attack Supply being used to supply an attack in order for it to support
that attack. If not, they can use additional Attack Supply that they can reach. Non-OOS Artillery units do not
use Attack Supply when supporting a defense. OOS Artillery cannot provide defensive support.
Artillery support values are halved in Mud, or in Lingering Mud in the affected hexes (Woods). Artillery is halved
when firing into swamp.
The Axis player can add up to 4 artillery units to the attack or defense. An exception is Axis super-heavy
artillery, which do not count in the 4 unit max. Additionally, in the defense, Axis super-heavy artillery can only add their support strength in
defense of their hex - as long as there is at least one other ground combat unit with it.
Axis super-heavy artillery can only provide its
support strength to attacks against City, Major City, Fortified Line, or Strongpoint terrain.
The Soviet player is usually limited to using 1 maximum artillery unit for an attack or defense. However, artillery
units stacked with Headquarters can sometimes allow the Soviet player to use more than 1. See the chart regarding
artillery support.
Artillery values cannot be split for use in more than one combat.
Artillery must be able to reach the Defender Hex with their range value in order to add support to an attack or
defense. Note that artillery that have a range of one will need to be adjacent to the defender hex to participate.
Artillery support values cannot exceed the ground combat strength of the friendly units involved in a defense or attack.
| No Retreat and Additional Retreat orders |
|
|
|
|
|
The attacker or defender in a battle may place No Retreat or Additional Retreat orders on units in a battle. An order applies
to all the friendly units in that battle, even if it is a multiple-hex combat. The Axis player may always freely
issue these orders, but the Soviet player needs to have a Headquarters within Command Range of the units with a
non-interdicted Command point to use for issuing the order. An exception for the Soviets are NKVD units. A defender
hex in a Town, City, or Major City and with a NKVD unit in it automatically places the hex under the No Retreat order
(this is not optional, you are forced), except when within range of a non-op HQ's (see Headquarters page).
Orders are placed face down and not revealed until the moment of the combat die roll.
The attacker places the orders down first. Except for the case of NKVD units, orders are optional.
Effects of the No Retreat order
|
For the Defender under No Retreat order, +1 DRM to the combat die roll. Attacker with No Retreat does not get a DRM.
Units under a No Retreat order change a "R" result to a step loss. Then apply any numerical step loss result. (R turns to a "1", R1 turns to effectively a "2", etc).
In addition, any non-German units suffer an additional step loss unless they are in a city, major city,
hill, mountain, alpine, woods, or non-destroyed fortification hex.
|
|
|
Effects of the Additional Retreat order
|
Units that get a R result and are under an Additional Retreat order retreat 3 hexes instead of 2. Units can only retreat on a "R" or "Rn" result.
Retreat path is determined by non-owner. Units must be retreated through a path that does not result in
step loss, if possible.
Units retreating under Additional Retreat cannot retreat through even one uncontested enemy ZOC. If forced to they are eliminated.
If there is a numerical step loss in addition to the R result, the units suffer one less step loss.
|
|
|
Usually the defender will be the one using orders most often. The No Retreat order stops units from
retreating, but can cost you more step losses. Unless you've got more than
two steps in a defender hex, it may be reckless to place a No Retreat order on units.
It may be tempting to cause a +1 DRM to the enemy, but you might be handing the enemy a great victory.
Additional Retreat orders are quite useful when you actually do want to retreat, and want to cut down
on step losses.
A numerical result on the combat results table is the number of step losses that occurred to an attacker and/or
defender. The step loss is applied to the total lot of attackers or defenders, not to every individual unit.
A unit has from 1 to 4 steps. A combat unit with its highest combat strength of 8 or more have four steps.
5-7 combat strength has three steps. Units with 2 steps have a weaker side on the reverse side of the counter.
A unit with only one step has a blank reverse side (or its mobile side in case of super-heavy artillery).
Units with 3 or 4 steps require the use of a Step Loss counter to indicate intermediate levels of strength
that are not printed on the counter.
Units that are eliminated in combat due to step losses, and were not completely surrounded or blocked by impassable terrain,
go into the Cadre box for possible rebuilding during the replacement phase, otherwise they go to the eliminated box.
Units that were destroyed by an "e" result go into the eliminated box. Units in the elimated box cannot be rebuilt. Exception -
killed off Soviet MG/UR units always go back into the MG/UR pool, typically a opaque cup. Specific scenario
rules may overrule the Cadre rule or modify it.
When a armor or non-Guard artillery unit step is lost (not unit, step) move the marker on the step loss track.
When the marker reaches the end of the track, chalk up one VP for the enemy and return the marker to the start
of the step loss track. Each Guards step lost gives one VP directly to the enemy.
Step losses may be modified by Asterisk (*) results, No Retreat orders, and Additional Retreat orders.
The combat results table is peppered with results marked with a asterisk symbol
*, called "Asterisk Result" (sometimes called an easier to pronounce "Star Result"). This symbol can have the following effects:
It can mean an "additional loss" to an attacker (ADDITIONAL LOSS).
It can determine that the first loss distributed MUST be to an engineer or an armor unit. (ENGINEER ATTRITION or ARMOR ATTRITION)
And, sometimes, both can come into effect.
| ADDITIONAL LOSS due to Asterisk ( |
|
* |
|
) Results are activated when any of these conditions apply: |
|
If the attack was made without Attack Supply.
If the attack was a Soviet Mandated Attack.
If the attack was against units protected by a non-destroyed Fortification (fortified line, or strongpoint). In the case of attacking across a Fortified Line, all attacking
units must have attacked across a fortified line to have ADDITIONAL LOSS occur.
|
|
|
These asterisk conditions are cumulative for ADDITIONAL LOSS. You could have two * results, or even three * if you hit the trifecta - your attacking
force is (1) attacking without Attack Supply, doing so as a (2) Mandated Attacked, and into (3) fortifications.
The extra step loss(es) caused by ADDITIONAL LOSS can be applied to any attacking units of your choosing.
ENGINEER ATTRITION and ARMOR ATTRITION
If an asterisk is on the combat results, and there are attacking engineers or armor, then check the following cases to see if they apply:
| ENGINEER ATTRITION |
| Asterisk ( |
|
* |
|
) Results and Engineers |
If an asterisk was on the combat result, then:
if Engineering Effects had been declared by the attacker to get a -1 DRM, then:
combat result of * means - one engineer step lost.
combat result of 1* means - one engineer step lost (satisfies the numerical loss of 1).
|
|
|
| ARMOR ATTRITION |
| Asterisk ( |
|
* |
|
) Results and Armor |
 |
|
"Armor", as meant here, are units
with an attack value in red. |
If an asterisk was on the combat result with a numeric loss number, then:
If all of the following are true:
| If the attacking force contains at least one Armor unit. |
| The other force has at least one step of any of these: Armor, anti-tank, or AA units. |
| Engineering effects were not declared. |
| The combat result contains a asterisk AND a number. |
Then -
combat result of 1* means - one armor step lost (satisfies the numerical loss of 1).
ARMOR ATTRITION can occur to attacking, and defending, armor.
other notes:
A combat result of only a * does not cause ARMOR ATTRITION.
If an armored step is lost due to ARMOR ATTRITION, then in the defending force - if they are losing 1 or more steps also - the first
step they lose must be one of either armor, anti-tank, or AA.
|
|
|
ADDITIONAL LOSS can occur at the same time with ENGINEER ATTRITION or ARMOR ATTRITION, if the qualifying conditions exist.
ENGINEER ATTRITION has precedence over ARMOR ATTRITION. If ENGINEER ATTRITION occured - do not do ARMOR ATTRITION.
Attacking units under an Additional Retreat order must still accept * results, when they apply. The benefit
of Additional Retreat only subtracts 1 from any numerical step loss that is indicated in the result.
In most situations, the owning player retreats the units. If the units retreating had an "Additional Retreat" order on them, then the non-owning player retreats them.
The retreat has to be away from the original Defender Hex.
The owning player cannot purposely retreat the units through enemy ZOC to destroy them if there
are safer retreat paths available.
If units are forced to end their retreat in a hex that is over stacked, they can retreat one more
hex. If unable to do so, they are eliminated.
Some units can never retreat - they are super-heavy artillery on their fire sides, dumps, bridge units,
zero MA units. Dumps are destroyed, and bridge units can return in the owning player's Movement Phase.
Units cannot retreat into hexes they are not allowed to move.
Units cannot retreat through two consecutive empty hexes with enemy ZOCs unless friendly units are in them. If forced
to do so they are eliminated.
Units may pass through a empty hex with an enemy ZOC in it, but the unit (or stack) loses one step and
must roll on the retreat table.
Soviet Headquarters that are forced to retreat through a non-friendly occupied hex in enemy ZOC
gets flipped to its Non-Op side.
Artillery units may be willfully destroyed before rolling on the retreat table (in order to avoid
DRM penalties for having artillery units trying to get through).
Units cannot retreat across a unbridged Major River, except in Snow/Arctic weather when non-artillery units may retreat across.
When a defender hex is vacated due a retreat or elimination, any surviving attacking units may advance into that
hex (ignoring any enemy ZOCs), with some limitations.
The decision to advance must be made before moving onto a different combat.
All, some, or none of the attacking units may advance, it is up to the attacking player.
Artillery units cannot advance after combat.
Attacker cannot violate stacking rules in an advance.
In case of a multiple defender hex combat, the attacker can choose from any defender hex to advance into.
Attacking units with a Additional Retreat order cannot advance.
Attacking units cannot advance into terrain it is not allowed to move into.
Advancing can be used to cut off possible retreats of defenders in other combats in that phase. In fact, better
players always have this in mind when setting up attacks.
The maximum DRMs that can be applied to a combat are +3 or -3. Additional DRMs are discarded.
Combat odds are rounded off in favor of the defender.
If the odds turn out to be less than 1-4, the attacker is eliminated. Odds greater than 10-1 are resolved on the
10-1 column.
The attacker cannot arbitrarily reduce the odds, other than the ability to choose which units are attacking.
Armor is halved when attacking into City or Major City hexes.
Defender in City causes +1 DRM. Soviet Defender in Major City causes +2 DRM.
Combat strength of units are halved when attacking from swamp hexes in Dry, Mud, and Frost turns.
Artillery support strengths are halved when firing into swamp hexes in Dry, Mud, and Frost turns.
Combat strength of units are halved when attacking across major river during non-Snow/Arctic weather. Bridges
have no effect.
Towns confer a +1 DRM during Mud (or if a town is in Woods in Lingering Mud) and in Snow turns.
Attackers that are under an Additional Retreat order cannot advance if they make the enemy retreat or eliminate
them in combat.
If you have Flash 6 installed, you can view a combat example.
|
