how i wargame: Hordes in the Trenches

HitT the set of HotT variant rules by Matt Kirkhart that we use for WW1

Matt runs a forum for these & other sets of WW1 rules on
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/when_technology_meets_tradition/

You'll find the original rules, lots of discussion & my HotT/HitT interface showing the changes.

Tank attack

German A7V under attack

Here's my version:
v5.0

Playing Area & Ground Scale: Each Segment in 15mm. is 1” = 100p

Troop Definitions

AERIAL includes machines that move through the air & are therefore not constrained by terrain.

Balloon: Lighter than air craft. Their role on the battlefield is observation and providing support to Barrage & Field Artillery shooting attacks. Unlike other Aerials they can be contacted by ground troops where they are tethered.

Bombers: Winged bomber or observation aircraft of the period. Primarily they are used to attack Command Bunkers and other foot elements & destroy off-board artillery well behind the enemy lines.

Fighters: Winged fighter aircraft. Their role on the battlefield is primarily to attack enemy aerial troops, but can be used to disrupt the movement of ground forces as well. Not deployed until 6 PIPs paid

Scouts: Early War aeroplanes. Not much use except as a nuisance.

Air Aces: The Red Baron & his ilk – Heroes of the Air.

MOUNTED includes troops mounted on or in machines or horses.

Armoured Car: Lightly armoured four-wheeled vehicles.

Cavalry: All cavalry of the period. May dismount as Rifles.

Tanks: +1PIP to move whether single element or part of a group.

FOOT includes infantry & all Artillery/Barrage

Barrage: Off-board reserve heavy artillery that fires indirect artillery barrages.

Field Artillery: Field guns designed primarily for direct shooting attacks against ground or aerial enemy troops.

Forward Observer: Small foot unit whose function on the battlefield is to direct field or off-board artillery.

Gas: Canisters of gas fired from off-board artillery.

Heavy Artillery : Longer range but immobile. Cost as Field Artillery but MUST pay +1 for Entrenchment

AAA: Lorry mounted Guns targetting Aircraft.

Machinegun: heavy machineguns with crew.

Light Mortars: Foot armed with mortar tubes & crewed by infantry – usually part of a Battallion.

Medium/Heavy Mortars: Double Range & +1CF but MUST pay 1AP for entrenchments

Rifles: Foot armed with rifles, grenades, bayonet, and possibly a light machinegun team. This is the basic foot troop type & most armies will be composed primarily of these elements.

Sturmtruppe /Trench Raiders: specialised assault units or trench raiders used to assault infantry in trenches and other fortifications as well as dealing with Tanks.

Snipers: can be deployed at any time on-table but only in Bad Going. Snipers can fire full range even if in woods, & out of the woods or other bad going. CF for Shooting & close combat is +2 Cannot return like HotT Lurkers.

Minefields: As Lurkers in HotT but can be deployed in good going in certain circumstances such as in front of, in or behind Barbed Wire or in a designated area such as “between the woods & the hill” etc

Deployment: of Terrain & Armies

Both players roll a die with the lower rolling player being the defender.

Defender places Trench - dice for each combination

· Attacker may place a terrain feature - no high terrain within 400 of the forward face of trenches

· Defender may place a terrain feature - no high terrain within 400 of the forward face of trenches

· Attacker may place another terrain feature - no high terrain within 400 of the forward face of trenches

· Defender may place another terrain feature - no high terrain within 400 of the forward face of trenches

· Each move both players dice, high roll decides - place another terrain feature or to end terrain deployment

There must be a terrain feature in at least 3 of the battlefield quarters, at least 1 of which must be Bad Going

· Defender places Command Bunker - within 400p of the centre of his battlefield edge.

A Command Bunker may not be placed entirely behind terrain impassible to ground troops.

· The defender deploys all his elements except for Barrage, Aerial or Gas elements, either in a trench or anywhere within 600p of his side of the battlefield.

· The attacker then deploys all his elements except for Barrage, Aerial or Gas elements anywhere within 600p of his side of the battlefield.

· The defender takes the first turn.

Barbed Wire: Foot & all mounted elements except Tanks (who move through at 100p destroying the wire) must stop moving when contacting enemy barbed wire.

Move the element into base contact as if it was attacking the barbed wire in close combat.

On their next turn, elements whose movement was stopped by barbed wire may move through the barbed wire -simply place the element on the far side of the wire.

If Sturmtruppe, the wire is destroyed.

For combat purposes, elements in barbed wire are considered to be in Good Going.

Sturmtruppe elements destroy a 40mm wide area of barbed wire at the end of the turn they moved into contact with the barbed wire. Barrage elements do so if they “beat” the wire which has a CF of 3 in this case only.

Tank elements do not have to stop moving when contacting a barbed wire base. They may move through the barbed wire as if it is Bad Going and destroy the barbed wire while moving through it.

Destroyed elements of barbed wire, or friendly elements of barbed wire, are considered Good Going for movement and combat purposes. Barbed Wire is placed as terrain in battalion frontages.

Command Bunker: If a Command Bunker is destroyed, Attacker has a breakthrough & Defender loses the game.

A Command Bunker may not be destroyed by unaided Aerials, Barrage or Gas but it can be destroyed by ground troops aided by such elements.

BUA Ruins & Strongpoints

1. Isolated Buildings: would be ruins placed anywhere on the table including incorporation into a trench system if the terrain piece is available but otherwise, like other “high” terrain, may not placed within 400p of a trench

2. Town Edge – could be partly ruined bit represents the edge of a town or large village which must be placed against a table edge – presumably the defender’s rear & may contain the Command Bunker

Isolated Ruins may be fortified into a Strongpoint (by adding sandbags etc) which acts similarly to a Command Bunker in that it must be taken by ground troops but gives +2 to any element within

A Ruin is placed as a terrain piece & may be fortified into a Strongpoint at the cost of 1AP

Deploying Fighters: Fighters are not deployed at the start of the Game but arrive when 6 PIPs are paid when all Fighters may be deployed at once anywhere in contact with the player’s own baseline at a min of 200p distance from an enemy element.

Deploying Barrages: Barrage elements require 6 PIPs to deploy. They may be placed anywhere on the opponent’s side of the battlefield as long as they are no closer than 200p to an enemy element. The exception to this is that they may be placed in base contact with an enemy element if the enemy element is in a trench, or they may be placed in base contact with an enemy’s command bunker or other fixed positions.

Lifting Barrages: Whenever a Barrage element is on the battlefield, the opponent may spend 6 PIPs to force the Barrage element off the battlefield (counterbattery fire silencing the off-board guns providing the barrage.

If a friendly Barrage “beats” an enemy Barrage, it must be removed (Reserve Artillery silences enemy Reserve)

A Barrage element may also be removed if the other side flies a Bomber element off the enemy’s side of the board. This represents a bombing mission meant to silence the off-board artillery battery. The Bomber element is not considered to be lost for Break Point calculations but may not return during the game.

Deploying Gas: All the rules for deploying and Barrage elements apply to Gas elements as well except that only 1 PIP need be expended & the other player may not remove a Gas element once deployed. When a Gas element is deployed the deploying player rolls a die. This is how many turns the Gas element will remain on the board. The turn the Gas element is deployed does not count. Once the number of turns has expired remove the Gas element from play. It may not be redeployed. In addition to harming elements it contacts, Gas also blocks line of sight for purpose of shooting attacks. Once deployed, however, either player may use 1 PIP to move it in their own bound.

Deploying Snipers: Snipers can be deployed at any time on-table but only in Bad Going & cannot make a Tactical move in the same bound as deployment. They cannot voluntarily completely leave that feature If forced to leave the terrain feature to conform to enemy or Recoil they cannot make any Tactical Move except to return to that feature.

Does not have to contact an enemy element on deployment & once deployed must stay unless Beaten when forced to Flee the Battlefield or Doubled when Destroyed. Plays as a Lurker in HotT except Snipers can fire full range 4” even if in woods, & out of the woods or other bad going. CF for Shooting & close combat is +2

Deploying Minefields: Exactly as Lurkers in HotT incl being able to redeploy. Can be deployed in good going in circumstances such as in front of, in or behind Barbed Wire or in a designated area such as “between the woods & the hill” cannot make a Tactical move in the same bound as deployment. They cannot voluntarily completely leave that feature If forced to leave the terrain feature to conform to enemy or Recoil they cannot make any Tactical Move except to return to that feature.

Once deployed must stay unless Beaten when forced to Flee the Battlefield or Doubled when Destroyed. Otherwise plays as a Lurker in HotT.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS Each bound, the active player:

1) Dices for PIPs

2) Uses PIPs to deploy Barrages, Bombers, Snipers or Gas, & to make Tactical Moves in any order.

3) Elements (not in front edge contact with the front edge of an enemy element) turn to face flank or rear attackers (without using PIPs) if required. Unengaged Aerials may contact (without using PIPs)

4) All Distance Shooting (Artillery only if it hasn't moved) must shoot once only (without using PIPs) in an order decided by the active player. If there is a choice, the owning player chooses which target.

5) Elements of both sides in legal contact with enemy resolve close combat (without using PIPs) in an order decided by the active player

TACTICAL MOVES

One element or a group of elements may normally be moved by spending PIPs.

PIP Expenditure: Each single element or group Tactical move costs 1 PIP except +1 PIP if:

· group contains Tanks or Aerials

· whole of element/group starts more than 1,200p away from their own General

· OR starts both more than 600p away from their own General & also either beyond the crest of a hill, LOS blocked by Gas, more than 50p within, or beyond a Wood/BUA

· if the troops own General is Lost

Tactical Move Distances

	Element Type		Distance
	Fighter		1,200p
	Bomber		500p
	Barrage		300p
	Balloon		200p
	Gas		200p
Element Type		Road	Good Going	Bad Going	River
Cavalry		500p	500p	200p	100p
Armoured Car, Forward Observer		400p	300p	200p	100p
Rifles		400p	300p	300p	100p
MG, Mortar, Sturmtruppe*, Sniper		400p	200p/300p*	200p	100p
Artillery or Minefield**		300p	200p	--	100p
Tanks		200p	200p	100p	100p

* Strumtruppe may pay +1 PIP to move element/group an additional 200p if the move will contact an enemy.

**Minefield not affected by terrain

Mounting & Dismounting Cavalry

Rather than moving, a player may spend 1 PIP to (dis)mount a cavalry element or group

After dismounting move as if they were Rifle.

After remounting, move as if they were Rifle for the 1^st bound only. then as Cavalry.

Moving Gas

Either player may opt during his turn to move a Gas element – costs 1 PIP

As with other elements, the Gas element will stop when it contacts another troop element.

A Gas element blocks LOS

POUT Passing over, under, or through Friendly or Enemy troops.

· Rifles, & Snipers may freely move through each other through tactical or combat outcome moves.

· Mounted can pass through Friendly Foot, but only if facing in the same or opposite direction.

· Aerials can pass over any Ground Troops except when Recoiling from Close Combat.

· Any Ground troops can pass under enemy Balloon, or any Friendly Aerials if these are not in close combat.

· Sturmtruppe can pass or be passed through by any friends or enemy.

· Barrages can pass through any friends or enemy.

When an element’s outcome move is insufficient to clear the base of an element it must pass through, under or over, it is placed in the first large enough unoccupied space beyond.

When an element’s max. Tactical move is insufficient to clear the base of an element it is passing through, under or over, it cannot pass.

DISTANT SHOOTING

Only Rifles/MG may move & fire in same bound.

Mortar shooting is not blocked by other elements or terrain features between it and the target element.

Artillery may not shoot in the same bound as they moved.

Element Type	Maximum Range
Dismounted Cavalry, Rifle	300p
Machinegun	400p
Mortar	500p (1,000 Heavy)
Artillery	1,200p (2,400 Heavy )

CLOSE COMBAT

SUPPORT In Close Combat Rifles/Sturmtruppe in depth claim +1 for a single rank of supporting elements of their own type(noy in Bad Going) If leading element is Destroyed, Supporting element is too.

Resolving Combat whether in close combat, shooting or only shot at.


Combat Factors
Element Type					Combat Factors
Barrage/Command Bunker					+6
Sturmtruppe, Bomber or Zeppellin					+5 vs. foot, tanks or stronghold, +3 vs. others
Tanks					+4 vs. foot or stronghold, +5 vs. others
Artillery, Machinegun, Mortar					+4, +2 vs. any in base contact (+5/+2 Heavy)
Armoured Car, Dmtd Cavalry/Rifles					+3 vs. foot, tanks or stronghold, +4 vs. others
Cavalry					+3
Balloon/FO,Sniper/Minefield Fighter or Gas					+2
Scouts					+1

Tactical Factors

	Situation
+1	General’s element: if Shot at or in Close Combat.
+1	Rear Support: If in close combat, Rifles/Sturmtruppe have a friendly element of own type in full front edge contact with their rear edge & neither is in Bad Going.
+1	Uphill/Defending River Bank in close combat : except at a Ford/Bridge & only if neither element is an Aerial.
+1	Observed Fire: If Barrage attacking or Field Artillery shooting & a Balloon or Forward Observer from the same army has LOS to the target element (max +1) Note: each Balloon or Forward Observer may provide this modifier to only one attack per turn.
+2	Cover: If element is shot at while in a Wood or BUA
-1	Gas Attack onTrench or High Cover: If element occupies a trench & is attacked by Gas.
-2	Barrage Attack or Ranged Fire on Trench: If Barrage attack or any other shooting (except Mortar) & the target element occupies a trench.
-1	Mortar Attack on Trench: If element occupies a trench & is attacked by Mortar.
-1	Outgunned: -1 to target for each 2^nd & 3^rd. enemy element aiding shooting
-1	Overwhelmed: -1 to target for each 2^nd & 3^rd. enemy element aiding attack
-1	Outflanked/Contacted in Rear: for each instance - must be front edge contact in rear.
-2	Close Attack on Trench: By Aerials (Not Bombers) or elements with BG restrictions (not Tanks)
-2	Mounted near Bad Going: if Mounted in any edge contact with front edge of any non-Aerial element that has any part of its base in Bad Going.
-2	Aerials near Bad Going: Aerials with any edge contact with front edge of enemy element in Woods/BUA

COMBAT OUTCOME:


If its total is equal to that of the enemy:
Air Ace	Both QK if in close combat & both final totals are odd numbers
If its total is less than that of the enemy but more than half:
Air Ace	QKx Air Ace/Art in contact Flee from Bunker or AAA otherwise Recoil
Armoured Car	QKx by Barrage or Tank
	QKx Art/MG, Rifles/Sturmtruppe the AC moved into contact with this turn
	QKx any the AC moved into contact with this turn if in BG
	Recoil from others in contact or from Art/MG shooting
Art/MG/Mortar/AAA	Recoil from Barrage/Gas (Suppressed if in Trench)
	QK if in contact with others
	Otherwise no effect
Balloon or FO	QKx any in contact or by Art/MG shooting
Barrage	No effect.
Fighter or Bomber	QKx by Bombers/Fighters/Artillery in contact, Flee from others in contact or AAA Otherwise Recoil from others shooting.
Cavalry	QKx Barrage or Tank in contact or by any if in contact in bad going
	Destroyed in GG by MG shooting, Recoil from all others
Command Bunker	QKx Ground Troops (not Barrage/Gas) in contact or Aerials aided by Ground.
Rifle,	QKx by Sturmtruppe or Tank if that element initiated contact this turn
Dismounted Cavalry	QK if in good going by MG shooting, Recoil from others in good going
Snipers or Minefields	Flee off the battlefield (may return as ih HotT)
Sturmtruppe	QK if in good going by MG shooting
	Recoil from others in good going
Tank	QKx Sturmtruppe that initiated contact, Flee from Art shooting, Recoil from others
If its total is equal to or less than half the enemy’s score:
Fighters/Scouts	Destroyed by Aerials(not Balloon) or Rifles. If not, Flee 600p
All others	Destroyed

Trench Movement: Along a Trench movement up to 2 sections & Group movement is allowed.

Movement across a Trench - once an element has entered a Trench it may leave by ending its move with its rear against the trench (not Tanks which move 100p until 40mm depth has passed the Trench when 200p)

Trench Combat: Trenches are considered Bad Going if attacked from the outside but Good going on the inside.

-2 CF for any element that suffers from a Bad Going movement restriction (not Tanks) & Aerials (not Bombers) when attacking a Trench.

When both elements are inside a Trench, they may fight side to side. The 2 sides of the elements become the “front” & opposite side is now the “rear”. Elements that are allowed to give Rear Support must do so

When in a Trench & attacked from outside, Defender may Recoil directly backwards or to the side if there is no obstruction & the movement does not end with the recoiling element in base contact with an enemy element.

ZOC Elements inside a Trench ignore ZOC for elements outside. Elements inside a trench must abide by ZOC for elements inside the same trench – note the side edge of an element in a trench is counted as the front edge.

Suppressed: Artillery elements inside a trench that would normally get a Recoil result are considered Suppressed & need 1 PIP to return to fire. Infantry elements in a Trench may choose Suppression rather than Recoil if attacked by Aerials or Barrage & may not fire or move until 1 PIP per group is paid but may engage in close combat if attacked.

Barrage/Gas in multiple combats: cannot receive aid/overlap in multiple combat but can give aid/overlap so, whenever a Barrage or Gas element is involved in fighting an enemy element with at least one other friendly element in contact with the enemy element, the friendly element should always be considered the primary attacker, not the Barrage element.

Clarifications:

RECOILING: In addition to HotT rules, a Recoiling element is Destroyed if

· enemy element in contact with its Flank or Rear (including Sturmtruppe)

· Any troops (friendly or enemy) in the path of a Recoiling Tank, except Tanks, Aerials or Sturmtruppe, are Destroyed. Troops met at the end of its Recoil are not Destroyed.

PUSH BACKS: Tanks can only be Pushed Back by Tanks.

Elements in the path of a Pushed Back Tank are NOT Destroyed.

PURSUIT: Cav//Rifle/Sturmtruppe whose close combat opponents Recoil, Break off, Flee or are Destroyed, must immediately Pursue forward the lesser of its own base depth or width unless any of the following apply:

· it remains in contact with an enemy Front edge after its initial opponents Break off.

· it fought only as an Overlap or Flank or Rear contact

· any part of its base would enter a River, reach Impasable Terrain or leave the field.

LOST ELEMENTS: Except as noted below, an element counts as Lost & is removed from play if any of the following apply:

· if it is Destroyed.

· if it leaves the battlefield, whether voluntarily or as a result of Fleeing, Recoiling or being Pushed Back even partly over the board edge.

An element that has not yet been Deployed does not count as Lost.

A Bomber that has flown over the enemy baseline to silence a Barrage may not return but is not considered Lost.

Recommended Basing Conventions for HitT All bases are 40 mm wide

Element Type	Base Depth	Number of Figures
Artillery	40mm	1 gun+ crew
Armoured Car	40mm	1
Balloon	40mm	1
Barrage	40mm	Special
Bomber	60mm	1
Cavalry	30mm	2-3
Dismounted Cavalry	30mm	2-3 + horse
Forward Observer	20mm	2
Fighter/Scout	40mm	1
Gas	30mm	Special
Machinegun	30mm	1 gun + crew
Mortar	30mm	1 tube + crew
Rifles	30mm	3
Sniper/Minefield	30mm	1
Sturmtruppe	20mm	2
Tank	40mm	1

Element Cost

Element Type	AP Cost per element
Air Ace	6
Barrage, Tank, Heavy Art in emplacement or Fighter	4
Art/Mortar/MG, Bomber, Sturmtruppe/Trench Raider	3
Armoured Car, Cavalry, Rifles, Scout	2
Balloon, Forward Observer, Sniper/Minefield or Gas	1

Core Infantry Battalion and Cavalry Regiment

Infantry Battalion	Cost	Cavalry Regiment	Cost
4 x Rifle	8 AP	4 x Cavalry	8 AP
1 x MG	3 AP	1 x MG	3 AP
Total AP Cost	11 AP	Total AP Cost	11 AP

The core troops of an army will cost 13 AP, 2 AP for the Rifle General’s element & 11 AP for either an infantry battalion or cavalry regiment. Additional AP are spent on any other types of elements desired to get the total cost of the force up to the recommended 36AP If the Massed Battles option in the HotT rulebook is used, each side will be composed of one Regiment (three battalions plus supporting troops).

Hordes in the Trenches

Both players roll a die with the lower rolling player being the defender.

1 comment: